Judges 2:13

2:13 They abandoned the Lord and worshiped Baal and the Ashtars. ¹ 

Judges 7:25

7:25 They captured the two Midianite generals, Oreb and Zeeb. ²  They executed Oreb on the rock of Oreb and Zeeb ³  in the winepress of Zeeb. They chased the Midianites ⁴  and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was now on the other side of the Jordan River. ⁵ 

Judges 14:15

14:15 On the fourth ⁶  day they said to Samson’s bride, “Trick your husband into giving the solution to the riddle. ⁷  If you refuse, ⁸  we will burn up ⁹  you and your father’s family. ¹⁰  Did you invite us here ¹¹  to make us poor?” ¹² 

Judges 18:27

18:27 Now the Danites ¹³  took what Micah had made, as well as his priest, and came to Laish, where the people were undisturbed and unsuspecting. They struck them down with the sword and burned the city. ¹⁴ 

[2:13]  ¹ tn Some English translations simply transliterate the plural Hebrew term (“Ashtaroth,” cf. NAB, NASB), pluralize the transliterated Hebrew singular form (“Ashtoreths,” cf. NIV), or use a variation of the name (“Astartes,” cf. NRSV).

[7:25]  ² sn The names Oreb and Zeeb, which mean “Raven” and “Wolf” respectively, are appropriate because the Midianites had been like scavengers and predators to Israel.

[7:25]  ³ tn The Hebrew text repeats the verb “executed.” This has not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[7:25]  ⁴ tn Heb “Midian.”

[7:25]  ⁵ tn Heb “beyond the Jordan.” The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for clarity (also in 8:4).

[14:15]  ³ tc The MT reads “seventh.” In Hebrew there is a difference of only one letter between the words רְבִיעִי (rÿvi’i, “fourth”) and שְׁבִיעִי (shÿvi’i, “seventh”). Some ancient textual witnesses (e.g., LXX and the Syriac Peshitta) read “fourth,” here, which certainly harmonizes better with the preceding verse (cf. “for three days”) and with v. 17. Another option is to change שְׁלֹשֶׁת (shÿloshet, “three”) at the end of v. 14 to שֵׁשֶׁת (sheshet, “six”), but the resulting scenario does not account as well for v. 17, which implies the bride had been hounding Samson for more than one day.

[14:15]  ⁴ tn Heb “Entice your husband so that he might tell us the riddle.”

[14:15]  ⁵ tn Heb “lest.”

[14:15]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew text expands the statement: “burn up with fire.” The words “with fire” are redundant in English and have been omitted from the translation for stylistic reasons.

[14:15]  ⁷ tn Heb “house.”

[14:15]  ⁸ tc The translation assumes the Hebrew form הֲלֹם (halom, “here,” attested in five Hebrew mss and supported by the Targum), instead of the inexplicable הֲלֹא (halo’), a negative particle with interrogative particle prefixed to it.

[14:15]  ⁹ tn For discussion of this difficult form, see C. F. Burney, Judges, 364.

[18:27]  ⁴ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Danites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:27]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew adds “with fire.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons, because it is redundant in English.