Judges 2:19

2:19 When a leader died, the next generation ¹  would again ²  act more wickedly than the previous one. ³  They would follow after other gods, worshiping them ⁴  and bowing down to them. They did not give up ⁵  their practices or their stubborn ways.

Judges 5:8

5:8 God chose new leaders, ⁶ 

then fighters appeared in the city gates; ⁷ 

but, I swear, not a shield or spear could be found, ⁸ 

among forty military units ⁹  in Israel.

Judges 6:40

6:40 That night God did as he asked. ¹⁰  Only the fleece was dry and the ground around it was covered with dew.

Judges 9:9

9:9 But the olive tree said to them, ‘I am not going to stop producing my oil, which is used to honor gods and men, just to sway above the other trees!’ ¹¹ 

Judges 9:13

9:13 But the grapevine said to them, ‘I am not going to stop producing my wine, which makes gods and men so happy, just to sway above the other trees!’ ¹² 

Judges 9:23

9:23 God sent a spirit to stir up hostility ¹³  between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem. He made the leaders of Shechem disloyal ¹⁴  to Abimelech.

Judges 9:57

9:57 God also repaid the men of Shechem for their evil deeds. The curse spoken by Jotham son of Jerub-Baal fell ¹⁵  on them.

Judges 17:5

17:5 Now this man Micah owned a shrine. ¹⁶  He made an ephod ¹⁷  and some personal idols and hired one of his sons to serve as a priest. ¹⁸ 

[2:19]  ¹ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the next generation) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:19]  ² tn The verb שׁוּב (shuv, “to return; to turn”) is sometimes translated “turn back” here, but it is probably used in an adverbial sense, indicating that the main action (“act wickedly”) is being repeated.

[2:19]  ³ tn Heb “their fathers.”

[2:19]  ⁴ tn Or “serving [them]”; or “following [them].”

[2:19]  ⁵ tn Or “drop.”

[5:8]  ⁶ tn Or “warriors.” The Hebrew text reads literally, “He chose God/gods new.” Some take “Israel” as the subject of the verb, “gods” as object, and “new” as an adjective modifying “gods.” This yields the translation, “(Israel) chose new gods.” In this case idolatry is the cause of the trouble alluded to in the context. The present translation takes “God” as subject of the verb and “new” as substantival, referring to the new leaders raised up by God (see v. 9a). For a survey of opinions and a defense of the present translation, see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 239-40.

[5:8]  ⁷ tn The translation of this difficult line is speculative because the second word, לָחֶם (lakhem), appears only here. The line in the Hebrew text literally reads, “Then [?] gates.” Interpretations and emendations of the Hebrew text abound (see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 239-40). The translation assumes a repointing of the form as a Qal participle לֹחֵם (lokhem) from the verbal root לָחַם (lakham, “fight”) and understands a substantival use (“fighter”). “Fighter” is a collective reference to the military leaders or warriors mentioned in the preceding line and in v. 9. (For other occurrences of the Qal of לָחַם, see Pss 35:1; 56:2-3.)

[5:8]  ⁸ tn Heb “A shield, it could not be seen, nor a spear.” The translation assumes that the Hebrew particle אִם (’im) introduces an oath of denial (see GKC 472 §149.e).

[5:8]  ⁹ tn Traditionally “forty thousand,” but this may be an instance where Hebrew term אֶלֶף (’elef) refers to a military unit. This is the view assumed by the translation (“forty military units”).

[6:40]  ¹¹ tn Heb “God did so that night.”

[9:9]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “Should I stop my abundance, with which they honor gods and men, and go to sway over the trees?” The negative sentence in the translation reflects the force of the rhetorical question.

[9:13]  ²¹ tn Heb “Should I stop my wine, which makes happy gods and men, and go to sway over the trees?” The negative sentence in the translation reflects the force of the rhetorical question.

[9:23]  ²⁶ tn Heb “an evil spirit.” A nonphysical, spirit being is in view, like the one who volunteered to deceive Ahab (1 Kgs 22:21). The traditional translation, “evil spirit,” implies the being is inherently wicked, perhaps even demonic, but this is not necessarily the case. The Hebrew adjective רָעַה (ra’ah) can have a nonethical sense, “harmful; dangerous; calamitous.” When modifying רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) it may simply indicate that the being in view causes harm to the object of God’s judgment. G. F. Moore (Judges [ICC], 253) here refers to a “mischief-making spirit.”

[9:23]  ²⁷ tn Heb “The leaders of Shechem were disloyal.” The words “he made” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[9:57]  ³¹ tn Heb “came.”

[17:5]  ³⁶ tn Heb “house of God.”

[17:5]  ³⁷ sn Here an ephod probably refers to a priestly garment (cf. Exod 28:4-6).

[17:5]  ³⁸ tn Heb “and he filled the hand of one of his sons and he became his priest.”