Judges 20:15

20:15 That day the Benjaminites mustered from their cities twenty-six thousand sword-wielding soldiers, besides seven hundred well-trained soldiers from Gibeah. ¹ 

Judges 20:17

20:17 The men of Israel (not counting Benjamin) had mustered four hundred thousand sword-wielding soldiers, every one an experienced warrior. ² 

Judges 8:10

8:10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their armies. There were about fifteen thousand survivors from the army of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand sword-wielding soldiers had been killed. ³ 

Judges 8:2

8:2 He said to them, “Now what have I accomplished compared to you? Even Ephraim’s leftover grapes ⁴  are better quality than Abiezer’s harvest! ⁵ 

Judges 1:9

1:9 Later the men of Judah went down to attack the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev, and the lowlands. ⁶ 

Judges 1:2

1:2 The Lord said, “The men of Judah should take the lead. ⁷  Be sure of this! I am handing the land over to them.” ⁸ 

Judges 3:26

3:26 Now Ehud had escaped while they were delaying. When he passed the carved images, he escaped to Seirah.

[20:15]  ¹ tn Heb “besides from the ones living in Gibeah they mustered seven hundred choice men.”

[20:17]  ² tn Heb “a man of war.”

[8:10]  ³ tn Heb “About fifteen thousand [in number] were all the ones remaining from the army of the sons of the east. The fallen ones were a hundred and twenty thousand [in number], men drawing the sword.”

[8:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “gleanings.”

[8:2]  ⁵ sn Ephraim’s leftover grapes are better quality than Abiezer’s harvest. Gideon employs an agricultural metaphor. He argues that Ephraim’s mopping up operations, though seemingly like the inferior grapes which are missed initially by the harvesters or left for the poor, are actually more noteworthy than the military efforts of Gideon’s family.

[1:9]  ⁶ tn Or “foothills”; Heb “the Shephelah.”

[1:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “Judah should go up.”

[1:2]  ⁸ tn The Hebrew exclamation הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally, “Behold”), translated “Be sure of this,” draws attention to the following statement. The verb form in the following statement (a Hebrew perfect, indicating completed action from the standpoint of the speaker) emphasizes the certainty of the event. Though it had not yet taken place, the Lord speaks of it as a “done deal.”