Judges 3:1--16:31

3:1 These were the nations the Lord permitted to remain so he could use them to test Israel – he wanted to test all those who had not experienced battle against the Canaanites. ¹  3:2 He left those nations simply because he wanted to teach the subsequent generations of Israelites, who had not experienced the earlier battles, how to conduct holy war. ²  3:3 These were the nations: ³  the five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo-Hamath. ⁴  3:4 They were left to test Israel, so the Lord would know if his people would obey the commands he gave their ancestors through Moses. ⁵ 

3:5 The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 3:6 They took the Canaanites’ daughters as wives and gave their daughters to the Canaanites; ⁶  they worshiped ⁷  their gods as well.

Othniel: A Model Leader

3:7 The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. ⁸  They forgot the Lord their God and worshiped the Baals and the Asherahs. ⁹  3:8 The Lord was furious with Israel ¹⁰  and turned them over to ¹¹  King Cushan-Rishathaim ¹²  of Aram-Naharaim. They were Cushan-Rishathaim’s subjects ¹³  for eight years. 3:9 When the Israelites cried out for help to the Lord, he ¹⁴  raised up a deliverer for the Israelites who rescued ¹⁵  them. His name was Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. ¹⁶  3:10 The Lord’s spirit empowered him ¹⁷  and he led Israel. When he went to do battle, the Lord handed over to him King Cushan-Rishathaim of Aram and he overpowered him. ¹⁸  3:11 The land had rest for forty years; then Othniel son of Kenaz died.

Deceit, Assassination, and Deliverance

3:12 The Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight. ¹⁹  The Lord gave King Eglon of Moab control over Israel ²⁰  because they had done evil in the Lord’s sight. 3:13 Eglon formed alliances with ²¹  the Ammonites and Amalekites. He came and defeated Israel, and they seized the City of Date Palm Trees. 3:14 The Israelites were subject to ²²  King Eglon of Moab for eighteen years.

3:15 When the Israelites cried out for help to the Lord, he ²³  raised up a deliverer for them. His name was Ehud son of Gera the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. ²⁴  The Israelites sent him to King Eglon of Moab with their tribute payment. ²⁵  3:16 Ehud made himself a sword – it had two edges and was eighteen inches long. ²⁶  He strapped it under his coat on his right thigh. 3:17 He brought the tribute payment to King Eglon of Moab. (Now Eglon was a very fat man.)

3:18 After Ehud brought the tribute payment, he dismissed the people who had carried it. ²⁷  3:19 But he went back ²⁸  once he reached ²⁹  the carved images ³⁰  at Gilgal. He said to Eglon, ³¹  “I have a secret message for you, O king.” Eglon ³²  said, “Be quiet!” ³³  All his attendants left. 3:20 When Ehud approached him, he was sitting in his well-ventilated ³⁴  upper room all by himself. Ehud said, “I have a message from God ³⁵  for you.” When Eglon rose up from his seat, ³⁶  3:21 Ehud reached with his left hand, pulled the sword from his right thigh, and drove it into Eglon’s ³⁷  belly. 3:22 The handle went in after the blade, and the fat closed around the blade, for Ehud ³⁸  did not pull the sword out of his belly. ³⁹  3:23 As Ehud went out into the vestibule, ⁴⁰  he closed the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.

3:24 When Ehud had left, Eglon’s ⁴¹  servants came and saw the locked doors of the upper room. They said, “He must be relieving himself ⁴²  in the well-ventilated inner room.” ⁴³  3:25 They waited so long they were embarrassed, but he still did not open the doors of the upper room. Finally they took the key and opened the doors. ⁴⁴  Right before their eyes was their master, sprawled out dead on the floor! ⁴⁵  3:26 Now Ehud had escaped while they were delaying. When he passed the carved images, he escaped to Seirah.

3:27 When he reached Seirah, ⁴⁶  he blew a trumpet ⁴⁷  in the Ephraimite hill country. The Israelites went down with him from the hill country, with Ehud in the lead. ⁴⁸  3:28 He said to them, “Follow me, for the Lord is about to defeat your enemies, the Moabites!” ⁴⁹  They followed him, captured the fords of the Jordan River ⁵⁰  opposite Moab, ⁵¹  and did not let anyone cross. 3:29 That day they killed about ten thousand Moabites ⁵²  – all strong, capable warriors; not one escaped. 3:30 Israel humiliated Moab that day, and the land had rest for eighty years.

3:31 After Ehud ⁵³  came ⁵⁴  Shamgar son of Anath; he killed six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad and, like Ehud, ⁵⁵  delivered Israel.

Deborah Summons Barak

4:1 The Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight ⁵⁶  after Ehud’s death. 4:2 The Lord turned them over to ⁵⁷  King Jabin of Canaan, who ruled in Hazor. ⁵⁸  The general of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. ⁵⁹  4:3 The Israelites cried out for help to the Lord, because Sisera ⁶⁰  had nine hundred chariots with iron-rimmed wheels, ⁶¹  and he cruelly ⁶²  oppressed the Israelites for twenty years.

4:4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, ⁶³  wife of Lappidoth, was ⁶⁴  leading ⁶⁵  Israel at that time. 4:5 She would sit ⁶⁶  under the Date Palm Tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel ⁶⁷  in the Ephraimite hill country. The Israelites would come up to her to have their disputes settled. ⁶⁸ 

4:6 She summoned ⁶⁹  Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali. She said to him, “Is it not true that the Lord God of Israel is commanding you? Go, march to Mount Tabor! Take with you ten thousand men from Naphtali and Zebulun! 4:7 I will bring Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to you at the Kishon River, along with his chariots and huge army. ⁷⁰  I will hand him over to you.” 4:8 Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go. But if you do not go with me, I will not go.” 4:9 She said, “I will indeed go with you. But you will not gain fame ⁷¹  on the expedition you are undertaking, ⁷²  for the Lord will turn Sisera over to a woman.” ⁷³  Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh. 4:10 Barak summoned men from Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh. Ten thousand men followed him; ⁷⁴  Deborah went up with him as well. 4:11 Now Heber the Kenite had moved away ⁷⁵  from the Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ father-in-law. He lived ⁷⁶  near the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh.

4:12 When Sisera heard ⁷⁷  that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, 4:13 he ⁷⁸  ordered ⁷⁹  all his chariotry – nine hundred chariots with iron-rimmed wheels – and all the troops he had with him to go from Harosheth-Haggoyim to the River Kishon. 4:14 Deborah said to Barak, “Spring into action, ⁸⁰  for this is the day the Lord is handing Sisera over to you! ⁸¹  Has the Lord not taken the lead?” ⁸²  Barak quickly went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. 4:15 The Lord routed ⁸³  Sisera, all his chariotry, and all his army with the edge of the sword. ⁸⁴  Sisera jumped out of ⁸⁵  his chariot and ran away on foot. 4:16 Now Barak chased the chariots and the army all the way to Harosheth Haggoyim. Sisera’s whole army died ⁸⁶  by the edge of the sword; not even one survived! ⁸⁷ 

4:17 Now Sisera ran away on foot to the tent of Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, for King Jabin of Hazor ⁸⁸  and the family of Heber the Kenite had made a peace treaty. ⁸⁹  4:18 Jael came out to welcome Sisera. She said to him, “Stop and rest, ⁹⁰  my lord. Stop and rest with me. Don’t be afraid.” So Sisera ⁹¹  stopped to rest in her tent, and she put a blanket over him. 4:19 He said to her, “Give me a little water to drink, because I’m thirsty.” She opened a goatskin container of milk and gave him some milk to drink. Then she covered him up again. 4:20 He said to her, “Stand watch at the entrance to the tent. If anyone comes along and asks you, ‘Is there a man here?’ say ‘No.’” 4:21 Then Jael wife of Heber took a tent peg in one hand and a hammer in the other. ⁹²  She crept up on him, drove the tent peg through his temple into the ground ⁹³  while he was asleep from exhaustion, ⁹⁴  and he died. 4:22 Now Barak was chasing Sisera. Jael went out to welcome him. She said to him, “Come here and I will show you the man you are searching for.” He went with her into the tent, ⁹⁵  and there he saw Sisera sprawled out dead ⁹⁶  with the tent peg in his temple.

4:23 That day God humiliated King Jabin of Canaan before the Israelites. 4:24 Israel’s power continued to overwhelm ⁹⁷  King Jabin of Canaan until they did away with ⁹⁸  him. ⁹⁹ 

Celebrating the Victory in Song

5:1 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this victory song: ¹⁰⁰ 

5:2 “When the leaders took the lead ¹⁰¹  in Israel,

When the people answered the call to war –

Praise the Lord!

5:3 Hear, O kings!

Pay attention, O rulers!

I will sing to the Lord! ¹⁰² 

I will sing ¹⁰³  to the Lord God of Israel!

5:4 O Lord, when you departed ¹⁰⁴  from Seir,

when you marched from Edom’s plains,

the earth shook, the heavens poured down,

the clouds poured down rain. ¹⁰⁵ 

5:5 The mountains trembled ¹⁰⁶  before the Lord, the God of Sinai; ¹⁰⁷ 

before the Lord God of Israel.

5:6 In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,

in the days of Jael caravans ¹⁰⁸  disappeared; ¹⁰⁹ 

travelers ¹¹⁰  had to go on winding side roads.

5:7 Warriors ¹¹¹  were scarce, ¹¹² 

they were scarce in Israel,

until you ¹¹³  arose, Deborah,

until you arose as a motherly protector ¹¹⁴  in Israel.

5:8 God chose new leaders, ¹¹⁵ 

then fighters appeared in the city gates; ¹¹⁶ 

but, I swear, not a shield or spear could be found, ¹¹⁷ 

among forty military units ¹¹⁸  in Israel.

5:9 My heart went out ¹¹⁹  to Israel’s leaders,

to the people who answered the call to war.

Praise the Lord!

5:10 You who ride on light-colored female donkeys,

who sit on saddle blankets, ¹²⁰ 

you who walk on the road, pay attention!

5:11 Hear ¹²¹  the sound of those who divide the sheep ¹²²  among the watering places;

there they tell of ¹²³  the Lord’s victorious deeds,

the victorious deeds of his warriors ¹²⁴  in Israel.

Then the Lord’s people went down to the city gates –

5:12 Wake up, wake up, Deborah!

Wake up, wake up, sing a song!

Get up, Barak!

Capture your prisoners of war, ¹²⁵  son of Abinoam!

5:13 Then the survivors ¹²⁶  came down ¹²⁷  to the mighty ones; ¹²⁸ 

the Lord’s people came down to me ¹²⁹  as ¹³⁰  warriors.

5:14 They came from Ephraim, who uprooted Amalek, ¹³¹ 

they follow ¹³²  after you, Benjamin, with your soldiers.

From Makir leaders came down,

from Zebulun came ¹³³  the ones who march carrying ¹³⁴  an officer’s staff.

5:15 Issachar’s leaders were with Deborah,

the men of Issachar ¹³⁵  supported ¹³⁶  Barak;

into the valley they were sent under Barak’s command. ¹³⁷ 

Among the clans of Reuben there was intense ¹³⁸  heart searching. ¹³⁹ 

5:16 Why do you remain among the sheepfolds, ¹⁴⁰ 

listening to the shepherds playing their pipes ¹⁴¹  for their flocks? ¹⁴² 

As for the clans of Reuben – there was intense searching of heart.

5:17 Gilead stayed put ¹⁴³  beyond the Jordan River.

As for Dan – why did he seek temporary employment in the shipyards? ¹⁴⁴ 

Asher remained ¹⁴⁵  on the seacoast,

he stayed ¹⁴⁶  by his harbors. ¹⁴⁷ 

5:18 The men of Zebulun were not concerned about their lives; ¹⁴⁸ 

Naphtali charged on to the battlefields. ¹⁴⁹ 

5:19 Kings came, they fought;

the kings of Canaan fought,

at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, ¹⁵⁰ 

but ¹⁵¹  they took no silver as plunder.

5:20 From the sky ¹⁵²  the stars ¹⁵³  fought,

from their paths in the heavens ¹⁵⁴  they fought against Sisera.

5:21 The Kishon River carried them off;

the river confronted them ¹⁵⁵  – the Kishon River.

Step on the necks of the strong! ¹⁵⁶ 

5:22 The horses’ ¹⁵⁷  hooves pounded the ground; ¹⁵⁸ 

the stallions galloped madly. ¹⁵⁹ 

5:23 ‘Call judgment down on ¹⁶⁰  Meroz,’ says the Lord’s angelic ¹⁶¹  messenger;

‘Be sure ¹⁶²  to call judgment down on ¹⁶³  those who live there,

because they did not come to help in the Lord’s battle, ¹⁶⁴ 

to help in the Lord’s battle against the warriors.’ ¹⁶⁵ 

5:24 The most rewarded ¹⁶⁶  of women should be Jael,

the wife of Heber the Kenite!

She should be the most rewarded of women who live in tents.

5:25 He asked for water,

and she gave him milk;

in a bowl fit for a king, ¹⁶⁷ 

she served him curds.

5:26 Her left ¹⁶⁸  hand reached for the tent peg,

her right hand for the workmen’s hammer.

She “hammered” ¹⁶⁹  Sisera,

she shattered his skull, ¹⁷⁰ 

she smashed his head, ¹⁷¹ 

she drove the tent peg through his temple. ¹⁷² 

5:27 Between her feet he collapsed,

he fell limp ¹⁷³  and was lifeless; ¹⁷⁴ 

between her feet he collapsed and fell limp,

in the spot where he collapsed,

there he fell limp – violently murdered! ¹⁷⁵ 

5:28 Through the window she looked;

Sisera’s mother cried out through the lattice:

‘Why is his chariot so slow to return?

Why are the hoofbeats of his chariot-horses ¹⁷⁶  delayed?’

5:29 The wisest of her ladies ¹⁷⁷  answer;

indeed she even thinks to herself,

5:30 ‘No doubt they are gathering and dividing the plunder ¹⁷⁸  –

a girl or two for each man to rape! ¹⁷⁹ 

Sisera is grabbing up colorful cloth, ¹⁸⁰ 

he is grabbing up colorful embroidered cloth, ¹⁸¹ 

two pieces of colorful embroidered cloth,

for the neck of the plunderer!’ ¹⁸² 

5:31 May all your enemies perish like this, O Lord!

But may those who love you shine

like the rising sun at its brightest!” ¹⁸³ 

And the land had rest for forty years.

Oppression and Confrontation

6:1 The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight, ¹⁸⁴  so the Lord turned them over to ¹⁸⁵  Midian for seven years. 6:2 The Midianites ¹⁸⁶  overwhelmed Israel. ¹⁸⁷  Because of Midian the Israelites made shelters ¹⁸⁸  for themselves in the hills, as well as caves and strongholds. 6:3 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, ¹⁸⁹  the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east would attack them. ¹⁹⁰  6:4 They invaded the land ¹⁹¹  and devoured ¹⁹²  its crops ¹⁹³  all the way to Gaza. They left nothing for the Israelites to eat, ¹⁹⁴  and they took away ¹⁹⁵  the sheep, oxen, and donkeys. 6:5 When they invaded ¹⁹⁶  with their cattle and tents, they were as thick ¹⁹⁷  as locusts. Neither they nor their camels could be counted. ¹⁹⁸  They came to devour ¹⁹⁹  the land. 6:6 Israel was so severely weakened by Midian that the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.

6:7 When the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help because of Midian, 6:8 he ²⁰⁰  sent a prophet ²⁰¹  to the Israelites. He said to them, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I brought you up from Egypt ²⁰²  and took you out of that place of slavery. ²⁰³  6:9 I rescued you from Egypt’s power ²⁰⁴  and from the power of all who oppressed you. I drove them out before you and gave their land to you. 6:10 I said to you, “I am the Lord your God! Do not worship ²⁰⁵  the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are now living!” But you have disobeyed me.’” ²⁰⁶ 

Gideon Meets Some Visitors

6:11 The Lord’s angelic messenger ²⁰⁷  came and sat down under the oak tree in Ophrah owned by Joash the Abiezrite. He arrived while Joash’s son Gideon ²⁰⁸  was threshing ²⁰⁹  wheat in a winepress ²¹⁰  so he could hide it from the Midianites. ²¹¹  6:12 The Lord’s messenger appeared and said to him, “The Lord is with you, courageous warrior!” 6:13 Gideon said to him, “Pardon me, ²¹²  but if the Lord is with us, why has such disaster ²¹³  overtaken us? Where are all his miraculous deeds our ancestors told us about? They said, ²¹⁴  ‘Did the Lord not bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian.” 6:14 Then the Lord himself ²¹⁵  turned to him and said, “You have the strength. ²¹⁶  Deliver Israel from the power of the Midianites! ²¹⁷  Have I not sent you?” 6:15 Gideon ²¹⁸  said to him, “But Lord, ²¹⁹  how ²²⁰  can I deliver Israel? Just look! My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my family.” ²²¹  6:16 The Lord said to him, “Ah, but ²²²  I will be with you! You will strike down the whole Midianite army.” ²²³  6:17 Gideon ²²⁴  said to him, “If you really are pleased with me, ²²⁵  then give me ²²⁶  a sign as proof that it is really you speaking with me. 6:18 Do not leave this place until I come back ²²⁷  with a gift ²²⁸  and present it to you.” The Lord said, “I will stay here until you come back.”

6:19 Gideon went and prepared a young goat, ²²⁹  along with unleavened bread made from an ephah of flour. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot. He brought the food ²³⁰  to him under the oak tree and presented it to him. 6:20 God’s messenger said to him, “Put the meat and unleavened bread on this rock, ²³¹  and pour out the broth.” Gideon did as instructed. ²³²  6:21 The Lord’s messenger touched the meat and the unleavened bread with the tip of his staff. ²³³  Fire flared up from the rock and consumed the meat and unleavened bread. The Lord’s messenger then disappeared. ²³⁴ 

6:22 When Gideon realized ²³⁵  that it was the Lord’s messenger, he ²³⁶  said, “Oh no! ²³⁷  Master, Lord! ²³⁸  I have seen the Lord’s messenger face to face!” 6:23 The Lord said to him, “You are safe! ²³⁹  Do not be afraid! You are not going to die!” 6:24 Gideon built an altar for the Lord there, and named it “The Lord is on friendly terms with me.” ²⁴⁰  To this day it is still there in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Gideon Destroys the Altar

6:25 That night the Lord said to him, “Take the bull from your father’s herd, as well as a second bull, one that is seven years old. ²⁴¹  Pull down your father’s Baal altar and cut down the nearby Asherah pole. 6:26 Then build an altar for the Lord your God on the top of this stronghold according to the proper pattern. ²⁴²  Take the second bull and offer it as a burnt sacrifice on the wood from the Asherah pole that you cut down.” 6:27 So Gideon took ten of his servants ²⁴³  and did just as the Lord had told him. He was too afraid of his father’s family ²⁴⁴  and the men of the city to do it in broad daylight, so he waited until nighttime. ²⁴⁵ 

6:28 When the men of the city got up the next morning, they saw ²⁴⁶  the Baal altar pulled down, the nearby Asherah pole cut down, and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar. 6:29 They said to one another, ²⁴⁷  “Who did this?” ²⁴⁸  They investigated the matter thoroughly ²⁴⁹  and concluded ²⁵⁰  that Gideon son of Joash had done it. 6:30 The men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, so we can execute him! ²⁵¹  He pulled down the Baal altar and cut down the nearby Asherah pole.” 6:31 But Joash said to all those who confronted him, ²⁵²  “Must you fight Baal’s battles? ²⁵³  Must you rescue him? Whoever takes up his cause ²⁵⁴  will die by morning! ²⁵⁵  If he really is a god, let him fight his own battles! ²⁵⁶  After all, it was his altar that was pulled down.” ²⁵⁷  6:32 That very day Gideon’s father named him Jerub-Baal, ²⁵⁸  because he had said, “Let Baal fight with him, for it was his altar that was pulled down.”

Gideon Summons an Army and Seeks Confirmation

6:33 All the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east ²⁵⁹  assembled. They crossed the Jordan River ²⁶⁰  and camped in the Jezreel Valley. 6:34 The Lord’s spirit took control of ²⁶¹  Gideon. He blew a trumpet, ²⁶²  summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. ²⁶³  6:35 He sent messengers throughout Manasseh and summoned them to follow him as well. ²⁶⁴  He also sent messengers throughout Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet him.

6:36 Gideon said to God, “If you really intend to use me to deliver Israel, ²⁶⁵  as you promised, then give me a sign as proof. ²⁶⁶  6:37 Look, I am putting a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece, and the ground around it ²⁶⁷  is dry, then I will be sure ²⁶⁸  that you will use me to deliver Israel, ²⁶⁹  as you promised.” 6:38 The Lord did as he asked. ²⁷⁰  When he got up the next morning, he squeezed the fleece, and enough dew dripped from it to fill a bowl. ²⁷¹  6:39 Gideon said to God, “Please do not get angry at me, when I ask for just one more sign. ²⁷²  Please allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make only the fleece dry, while the ground around it is covered with dew.” ²⁷³  6:40 That night God did as he asked. ²⁷⁴  Only the fleece was dry and the ground around it was covered with dew.

Gideon Reduces the Ranks

7:1 Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and his men ²⁷⁵  got up the next morning and camped near the spring of Harod. ²⁷⁶  The Midianites ²⁷⁷  were camped north of them near the hill of Moreh in the valley. 7:2 The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to hand Midian over to you. ²⁷⁸  Israel might brag, ²⁷⁹  ‘Our own strength has delivered us.’ ²⁸⁰  7:3 Now, announce to the men, ²⁸¹  ‘Whoever is shaking with fear ²⁸²  may turn around and leave Mount Gilead.’” ²⁸³  Twenty-two thousand men ²⁸⁴  went home; ²⁸⁵  ten thousand remained. 7:4 The Lord spoke to Gideon again, “There are still too many men. ²⁸⁶  Bring them down to the water and I will thin the ranks some more. ²⁸⁷  When I say, ‘This one should go with you,’ pick him to go; ²⁸⁸  when I say, ²⁸⁹  ‘This one should not go with you,’ do not take him.” ²⁹⁰  7:5 So he brought the men ²⁹¹  down to the water. Then the Lord said to Gideon, “Separate those who lap the water as a dog laps from those who kneel to drink.” ²⁹²  7:6 Three hundred men lapped; ²⁹³  the rest of the men ²⁹⁴  kneeled to drink water. 7:7 The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men who lapped I will deliver the whole army ²⁹⁵  and I will hand Midian over to you. ²⁹⁶  The rest of the men should go home.” ²⁹⁷  7:8 The men ²⁹⁸  who were chosen ²⁹⁹  took supplies ³⁰⁰  and their trumpets. Gideon ³⁰¹  sent all the men of Israel back to their homes; ³⁰²  he kept only three hundred men. Now the Midianites ³⁰³  were camped down below ³⁰⁴  in the valley.

Gideon Reassured of Victory

7:9 That night the Lord said to Gideon, ³⁰⁵  “Get up! Attack ³⁰⁶  the camp, for I am handing it over to you. ³⁰⁷  7:10 But if you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with Purah your servant 7:11 and listen to what they are saying. Then you will be brave ³⁰⁸  and attack the camp.” So he went down with Purah his servant to where the sentries were guarding the camp. ³⁰⁹  7:12 Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east covered the valley like a swarm of locusts. ³¹⁰  Their camels could not be counted; they were as innumerable as the sand on the seashore. 7:13 When Gideon arrived, he heard a man telling another man about a dream he had. ³¹¹  The man ³¹²  said, “Look! I had a dream. I saw ³¹³  a stale cake of barley bread rolling into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent so hard it knocked it over and turned it upside down. The tent just collapsed.” ³¹⁴  7:14 The other man said, ³¹⁵  “Without a doubt this symbolizes ³¹⁶  the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God is handing Midian and all the army over to him.”

Gideon Routs the Enemy

7:15 When Gideon heard the report of the dream and its interpretation, he praised God. ³¹⁷  Then he went back to the Israelite camp and said, “Get up, for the Lord is handing the Midianite army over to you!” 7:16 He divided the three hundred men into three units. ³¹⁸  He gave them all trumpets and empty jars with torches inside them. ³¹⁹  7:17 He said to them, “Watch me and do as I do. Watch closely! ³²⁰  I am going to the edge of the camp. Do as I do! 7:18 When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, you also blow your trumpets all around the camp. Then say, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’”

7:19 Gideon took a hundred men to the edge of the camp ³²¹  at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guards. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars they were carrying. ³²²  7:20 All three units blew their trumpets and broke their jars. They held the torches in their left hand and the trumpets in their right. ³²³  Then they yelled, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 7:21 They stood in order ³²⁴  all around the camp. The whole army ran away; they shouted as they scrambled away. ³²⁵  7:22 When the three hundred men blew their trumpets, the Lord caused the Midianites to attack one another with their swords ³²⁶  throughout ³²⁷  the camp. The army fled to Beth Shittah on the way to Zererah. They went ³²⁸  to the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. 7:23 Israelites from Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh answered the call and chased the Midianites. ³²⁹ 

Gideon Appeases the Ephraimites

7:24 Now Gideon sent messengers throughout the Ephraimite hill country who announced, “Go down and head off the Midianites. ³³⁰  Take control of the fords of the streams ³³¹  all the way to Beth Barah and the Jordan River.” ³³²  When all the Ephraimites had assembled, ³³³  they took control of the fords ³³⁴  all the way to Beth Barah and the Jordan River. 7:25 They captured the two Midianite generals, Oreb and Zeeb. ³³⁵  They executed Oreb on the rock of Oreb and Zeeb ³³⁶  in the winepress of Zeeb. They chased the Midianites ³³⁷  and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was now on the other side of the Jordan River. ³³⁸ 

8:1 The Ephraimites said to him, “Why have you done such a thing to us? You did not summon us ³³⁹  when you went to fight the Midianites!” They argued vehemently with him. 8:2 He said to them, “Now what have I accomplished compared to you? Even Ephraim’s leftover grapes ³⁴⁰  are better quality than Abiezer’s harvest! ³⁴¹  8:3 It was to you that God handed over the Midianite generals, Oreb and Zeeb! What did I accomplish to rival that?” ³⁴²  When he said this, they calmed down. ³⁴³ 

Gideon Tracks Down the Midianite Kings

8:4 Now Gideon and his three hundred men had crossed over the Jordan River, and even though they were exhausted, they were still chasing the Midianites. ³⁴⁴  8:5 He said to the men of Succoth, “Give ³⁴⁵  some loaves of bread to the men ³⁴⁶  who are following me, ³⁴⁷  because they are exhausted. I am chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” 8:6 The officials of Succoth said, “You have not yet overpowered Zebah and Zalmunna. So why should we give ³⁴⁸  bread to your army?” ³⁴⁹  8:7 Gideon said, “Since you will not help, ³⁵⁰  after the Lord hands Zebah and Zalmunna over to me, I will thresh ³⁵¹  your skin ³⁵²  with ³⁵³  desert thorns and briers.” 8:8 He went up from there to Penuel and made the same request. ³⁵⁴  The men of Penuel responded the same way the men of Succoth had. ³⁵⁵  8:9 He also threatened ³⁵⁶  the men of Penuel, warning, ³⁵⁷  “When I return victoriously, ³⁵⁸  I will tear down this tower.”

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. ³⁵⁹  8:11 Gideon went up the road of the nomads ³⁶⁰  east of Nobah and Jogbehah and ambushed the surprised army. ³⁶¹  8:12 When Zebah and Zalmunna ran away, Gideon ³⁶²  chased them and captured the two Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna. He had surprised ³⁶³  their entire army.

8:13 Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle by the pass ³⁶⁴  of Heres. 8:14 He captured a young man from Succoth ³⁶⁵  and interrogated him. The young man wrote down for him the names of Succoth’s officials and city leaders – seventy-seven men in all. ³⁶⁶  8:15 He approached the men of Succoth and said, “Look what I have! ³⁶⁷  Zebah and Zalmunna! You insulted me, saying, ‘You have not yet overpowered Zebah and Zalmunna. So why should we give bread to your exhausted men?’” ³⁶⁸  8:16 He seized the leaders ³⁶⁹  of the city, along with some desert thorns and briers; he then “threshed” the men of Succoth with them. ³⁷⁰  8:17 He also tore down the tower of Penuel and executed the city’s men.

8:18 He said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “Describe for me ³⁷¹  the men you killed at Tabor.” They said, “They were like you. Each one looked like a king’s son.” ³⁷²  8:19 He said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. I swear, ³⁷³  as surely as the Lord is alive, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.” 8:20 He ordered Jether his firstborn son, “Come on! ³⁷⁴  Kill them!” But Jether was too afraid to draw his sword, ³⁷⁵  because he was still young. 8:21 Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, ³⁷⁶  “Come on, ³⁷⁷  you strike us, for a man is judged by his strength.” ³⁷⁸  So Gideon killed ³⁷⁹  Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent-shaped ornaments which were on the necks of their camels.

Gideon Rejects a Crown but Makes an Ephod

8:22 The men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us – you, your son, and your grandson. For you have delivered us from Midian’s power.” ³⁸⁰  8:23 Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.” 8:24 Gideon continued, ³⁸¹  “I would like to make one request. Each of you give me an earring from the plunder you have taken.” ³⁸²  (The Midianites ³⁸³  had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.) 8:25 They said, “We are happy to give you earrings.” ³⁸⁴  So they ³⁸⁵  spread out a garment, and each one threw an earring from his plunder onto it. 8:26 The total weight of the gold earrings he requested came to seventeen hundred gold shekels. ³⁸⁶  This was in addition to the crescent-shaped ornaments, jewelry, ³⁸⁷  purple clothing worn by the Midianite kings, and the necklaces on the camels. ³⁸⁸  8:27 Gideon used all this to make ³⁸⁹  an ephod, ³⁹⁰  which he put in his hometown of Ophrah. All the Israelites ³⁹¹  prostituted themselves to it by worshiping it ³⁹²  there. It became a snare to Gideon and his family.

Gideon’s Story Ends

8:28 The Israelites humiliated Midian; the Midianites’ fighting spirit was broken. ³⁹³  The land had rest for forty years during Gideon’s time. ³⁹⁴  8:29 Then Jerub-Baal son of Joash went home and settled down. ³⁹⁵  8:30 Gideon fathered seventy sons through his many wives. ³⁹⁶  8:31 His concubine, ³⁹⁷  who lived in Shechem, also gave him a son, whom he named Abimelech. ³⁹⁸  8:32 Gideon son of Joash died at a very ³⁹⁹  old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash located in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Israel Returns to Baal-Worship

8:33 After Gideon died, the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They made Baal-Berith ⁴⁰⁰  their god. 8:34 The Israelites did not remain true ⁴⁰¹  to the Lord their God, who had delivered them from all the enemies who lived around them. 8:35 They did not treat ⁴⁰²  the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) fairly in return for all the good he had done for Israel.

Abimelech Murders His Brothers

9:1 Now Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to Shechem to see his mother’s relatives. ⁴⁰³  He said to them and to his mother’s entire extended family, ⁴⁰⁴  9:2 “Tell ⁴⁰⁵  all the leaders of Shechem this: ‘Why would you want ⁴⁰⁶  to have seventy men, all Jerub-Baal’s sons, ruling over you, when you can have just one ruler? Recall that I am your own flesh and blood.’” ⁴⁰⁷  9:3 His mother’s relatives ⁴⁰⁸  spoke on his behalf to ⁴⁰⁹  all the leaders of Shechem and reported his proposal. ⁴¹⁰  The leaders were drawn to Abimelech; ⁴¹¹  they said, “He is our close relative.” ⁴¹²  9:4 They paid him seventy silver shekels out of the temple of Baal-Berith. Abimelech then used the silver to hire some lawless, dangerous ⁴¹³  men as his followers. ⁴¹⁴  9:5 He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and murdered his half-brothers, ⁴¹⁵  the seventy legitimate ⁴¹⁶  sons of Jerub-Baal, on one stone. Only Jotham, Jerub-Baal’s youngest son, escaped, ⁴¹⁷  because he hid. 9:6 All the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo assembled and then went and made Abimelech king by the oak near the pillar ⁴¹⁸  in Shechem.

Jotham’s Parable

9:7 When Jotham heard the news, ⁴¹⁹  he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim. He spoke loudly to the people below, ⁴²⁰  “Listen to me, leaders of Shechem, so that God may listen to you!

9:8 “The trees were determined to go out ⁴²¹  and choose a king for themselves. ⁴²²  They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king!’ ⁴²³  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!’ ⁴²⁴ 

9:10 “So the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and be our king!’ ⁴²⁵  9:11 But the fig tree said to them, ‘I am not going to stop producing my sweet figs, my excellent fruit, just to sway above the other trees!’ ⁴²⁶ 

9:12 “So the trees said to the grapevine, ‘You come and be our king!’ ⁴²⁷  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!’ ⁴²⁸ 

9:14 “So all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘You come and be our king!’ ⁴²⁹  9:15 The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to choose ⁴³⁰  me as your king, then come along, find safety under my branches! ⁴³¹  Otherwise ⁴³²  may fire blaze from the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’

9:16 “Now, if you have shown loyalty and integrity when you made Abimelech king, if you have done right to Jerub-Baal and his family, ⁴³³  if you have properly repaid him ⁴³⁴  – 9:17 my father fought for you; he risked his life ⁴³⁵  and delivered you from Midian’s power. ⁴³⁶  9:18 But you have attacked ⁴³⁷  my father’s family ⁴³⁸  today. You murdered his seventy legitimate ⁴³⁹  sons on one stone and made Abimelech, the son of his female slave, king over the leaders of Shechem, just because he is your close relative. ⁴⁴⁰  9:19 So if you have shown loyalty and integrity to Jerub-Baal and his family ⁴⁴¹  today, then may Abimelech bring you happiness and may you bring him happiness! ⁴⁴²  9:20 But if not, may fire blaze from Abimelech and consume the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo! May fire also blaze from the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo and consume Abimelech!” 9:21 Then Jotham ran away ⁴⁴³  to Beer and lived there to escape from ⁴⁴⁴  Abimelech his half-brother. ⁴⁴⁵ 

God Fulfills Jotham’s Curse

9:22 Abimelech commanded ⁴⁴⁶  Israel for three years. 9:23 God sent a spirit to stir up hostility ⁴⁴⁷  between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem. He made the leaders of Shechem disloyal ⁴⁴⁸  to Abimelech. 9:24 He did this so the violent deaths of Jerub-Baal’s seventy sons might be avenged and Abimelech, their half-brother ⁴⁴⁹  who murdered them, might have to pay for their spilled blood, along with the leaders of Shechem who helped him murder them. ⁴⁵⁰  9:25 The leaders of Shechem rebelled against Abimelech by putting ⁴⁵¹  bandits in ⁴⁵²  the hills, who robbed everyone who traveled by on the road. But Abimelech found out about it. ⁴⁵³ 

9:26 Gaal son of Ebed ⁴⁵⁴  came through Shechem with his brothers. The leaders of Shechem transferred their loyalty to him. ⁴⁵⁵  9:27 They went out to the field, harvested their grapes, ⁴⁵⁶  squeezed out the juice, ⁴⁵⁷  and celebrated. They came to the temple ⁴⁵⁸  of their god and ate, drank, and cursed Abimelech. 9:28 Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerub-Baal, and is not Zebul the deputy he appointed? ⁴⁵⁹  Serve the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem! But why should we serve Abimelech? ⁴⁶⁰  9:29 If only these men ⁴⁶¹  were under my command, ⁴⁶²  I would get rid of Abimelech!” He challenged Abimelech, ⁴⁶³  “Muster ⁴⁶⁴  your army and come out for battle!” ⁴⁶⁵ 

9:30 When Zebul, the city commissioner, heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, he was furious. ⁴⁶⁶  9:31 He sent messengers to Abimelech, who was in Arumah, ⁴⁶⁷  reporting, “Beware! ⁴⁶⁸  Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers are coming ⁴⁶⁹  to Shechem and inciting the city to rebel against you. ⁴⁷⁰  9:32 Now, come up ⁴⁷¹  at night with your men ⁴⁷²  and set an ambush in the field outside the city. ⁴⁷³  9:33 In the morning at sunrise quickly attack the city. When he and his men come out to fight you, do what you can to him.” ⁴⁷⁴ 

9:34 So Abimelech and all his men came up ⁴⁷⁵  at night and set an ambush outside Shechem – they divided into ⁴⁷⁶  four units. 9:35 When Gaal son of Ebed came out and stood at the entrance to the city’s gate, Abimelech and his men got up from their hiding places. 9:36 Gaal saw the men ⁴⁷⁷  and said to Zebul, “Look, men are coming down from the tops of the hills.” But Zebul said to him, “You are seeing the shadows on the hills – it just looks like men.” ⁴⁷⁸  9:37 Gaal again said, “Look, men are coming down from the very center ⁴⁷⁹  of the land. A unit ⁴⁸⁰  is coming by way of the Oak Tree of the Diviners.” ⁴⁸¹  9:38 Zebul said to him, “Where now are your bragging words, ⁴⁸²  ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Are these not the men ⁴⁸³  you insulted? ⁴⁸⁴  Go out now and fight them!” 9:39 So Gaal led the leaders of Shechem out ⁴⁸⁵  and fought Abimelech. 9:40 Abimelech chased him, and Gaal ⁴⁸⁶  ran from him. Many Shechemites ⁴⁸⁷  fell wounded at the entrance of the gate. 9:41 Abimelech went back ⁴⁸⁸  to Arumah; Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem. ⁴⁸⁹ 

9:42 The next day the Shechemites ⁴⁹⁰  came out to the field. When Abimelech heard about it, ⁴⁹¹  9:43 he took his men ⁴⁹²  and divided them into three units and set an ambush in the field. When he saw the people coming out of the city, ⁴⁹³  he attacked and struck them down. ⁴⁹⁴  9:44 Abimelech and his units ⁴⁹⁵  attacked and blocked ⁴⁹⁶  the entrance to the city’s gate. Two units then attacked all the people in the field and struck them down. 9:45 Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed all the people in it. Then he leveled ⁴⁹⁷  the city and spread salt over it. ⁴⁹⁸ 

9:46 When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem ⁴⁹⁹  heard the news, they went to the stronghold ⁵⁰⁰  of the temple of El-Berith. ⁵⁰¹  9:47 Abimelech heard ⁵⁰²  that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem were in one place. ⁵⁰³  9:48 He and all his men ⁵⁰⁴  went up on Mount Zalmon. He ⁵⁰⁵  took an ax ⁵⁰⁶  in his hand and cut off a tree branch. He put it ⁵⁰⁷  on his shoulder and said to his men, “Quickly, do what you have just seen me do!” ⁵⁰⁸  9:49 So each of his men also cut off a branch and followed Abimelech. They put the branches ⁵⁰⁹  against the stronghold and set fire to it. ⁵¹⁰  All the people ⁵¹¹  of the Tower of Shechem died – about a thousand men and women.

9:50 Abimelech moved on ⁵¹²  to Thebez; he besieged and captured it. ⁵¹³  9:51 There was a fortified ⁵¹⁴  tower ⁵¹⁵  in the center of the city, so all the men and women, as well as the city’s leaders, ran into it and locked the entrance. Then they went up to the roof of the tower. 9:52 Abimelech came and attacked the tower. When he approached the entrance of the tower to set it on fire, 9:53 a woman threw an upper millstone ⁵¹⁶  down on his ⁵¹⁷  head and shattered his skull. 9:54 He quickly called to the young man who carried his weapons, ⁵¹⁸  “Draw your sword and kill me, so they will not say, ⁵¹⁹  ‘A woman killed him.’” So the young man stabbed him and he died. 9:55 When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they went home. ⁵²⁰ 

9:56 God repaid Abimelech for the evil he did to his father by murdering his seventy half-brothers. ⁵²¹  9:57 God also repaid the men of Shechem for their evil deeds. The curse spoken by Jotham son of Jerub-Baal fell ⁵²²  on them.

Stability Restored

10:1 After Abimelech’s death, ⁵²³  Tola son of Puah, grandson ⁵²⁴  of Dodo, from the tribe of Issachar, ⁵²⁵  rose up to deliver Israel. He lived in Shamir in the Ephraimite hill country. 10:2 He led ⁵²⁶  Israel for twenty-three years, then died and was buried in Shamir.

10:3 Jair the Gileadite rose up after him; he led Israel for twenty-two years. 10:4 He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys and possessed thirty cities. To this day these towns are called Havvoth Jair ⁵²⁷  – they are in the land of Gilead. ⁵²⁸  10:5 Jair died and was buried in Kamon.

The Lord’s Patience Runs Short

10:6 The Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight. ⁵²⁹  They worshiped ⁵³⁰  the Baals and the Ashtars, ⁵³¹  as well as the gods of Syria, Sidon, ⁵³²  Moab, the Ammonites, and the Philistines. ⁵³³  They abandoned the Lord and did not worship ⁵³⁴  him. 10:7 The Lord was furious with Israel ⁵³⁵  and turned them over to ⁵³⁶  the Philistines and Ammonites. 10:8 They ruthlessly oppressed ⁵³⁷  the Israelites that eighteenth year ⁵³⁸  – that is, all the Israelites living east of the Jordan in Amorite country in Gilead. 10:9 The Ammonites crossed the Jordan to fight with Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim. ⁵³⁹  Israel suffered greatly. ⁵⁴⁰ 

10:10 The Israelites cried out for help to the Lord: “We have sinned against you. We abandoned our God and worshiped ⁵⁴¹  the Baals.” 10:11 The Lord said to the Israelites, “Did I not deliver you from Egypt, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, 10:12 the Sidonians, Amalek, and Midian ⁵⁴²  when they oppressed you? ⁵⁴³  You cried out for help to me, and I delivered you from their power. ⁵⁴⁴  10:13 But since you abandoned me and worshiped ⁵⁴⁵  other gods, I will not deliver you again. 10:14 Go and cry for help to the gods you have chosen! Let them deliver you from trouble!” ⁵⁴⁶  10:15 But the Israelites said to the Lord, “We have sinned. You do to us as you see fit, ⁵⁴⁷  but deliver us today!” ⁵⁴⁸  10:16 They threw away the foreign gods they owned ⁵⁴⁹  and worshiped ⁵⁵⁰  the Lord. Finally the Lord grew tired of seeing Israel suffer so much. ⁵⁵¹ 

An Outcast Becomes a General

10:17 The Ammonites assembled ⁵⁵²  and camped in Gilead; the Israelites gathered together and camped in Mizpah. 10:18 The leaders ⁵⁵³  of Gilead said to one another, “Who is willing to lead the charge ⁵⁵⁴  against the Ammonites? He will become the leader of all who live in Gilead!”

11:1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a brave warrior. His mother was a prostitute, but Gilead was his father. ⁵⁵⁵  11:2 Gilead’s wife also gave ⁵⁵⁶  him sons. When his wife’s sons grew up, they made Jephthah leave and said to him, “You are not going to inherit any of our father’s wealth, ⁵⁵⁷  because you are another woman’s son.” 11:3 So Jephthah left ⁵⁵⁸  his half-brothers ⁵⁵⁹  and lived in the land of Tob. Lawless men joined Jephthah’s gang and traveled with him. ⁵⁶⁰ 

11:4 It was some time after this when the Ammonites fought with Israel. 11:5 When the Ammonites attacked, ⁵⁶¹  the leaders ⁵⁶²  of Gilead asked Jephthah to come back ⁵⁶³  from the land of Tob. 11:6 They said, ⁵⁶⁴  “Come, be our commander, so we can fight with the Ammonites.” 11:7 Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, “But you hated me and made me leave ⁵⁶⁵  my father’s house. Why do you come to me now, when you are in trouble?” 11:8 The leaders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “That may be true, ⁵⁶⁶  but now we pledge to you our loyalty. ⁵⁶⁷  Come with us and fight with the Ammonites. Then you will become the leader ⁵⁶⁸  of all who live in Gilead.” ⁵⁶⁹  11:9 Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, “All right! ⁵⁷⁰  If you take me back to fight with the Ammonites and the Lord gives them to me, ⁵⁷¹  I will be your leader.” ⁵⁷²  11:10 The leaders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The Lord will judge any grievance you have against us, ⁵⁷³  if we do not do as you say.” ⁵⁷⁴  11:11 So Jephthah went with the leaders of Gilead. The people made him their leader and commander. Jephthah repeated the terms of the agreement ⁵⁷⁵  before the Lord in Mizpah.

Jephthah Gives a History Lesson

11:12 Jephthah sent messengers to the Ammonite king, saying, “Why have ⁵⁷⁶  you come against me to attack my land?” 11:13 The Ammonite king said to Jephthah’s messengers, “Because Israel stole ⁵⁷⁷  my land when they ⁵⁷⁸  came up from Egypt – from the Arnon River in the south to the Jabbok River in the north, and as far west as the Jordan. ⁵⁷⁹  Now return it ⁵⁸⁰  peaceably!”

11:14 Jephthah sent messengers back to the Ammonite king 11:15 and said to him, “This is what Jephthah says, ‘Israel did not steal ⁵⁸¹  the land of Moab and the land of the Ammonites. 11:16 When they left ⁵⁸²  Egypt, Israel traveled ⁵⁸³  through the desert as far as the Red Sea and then came to Kadesh. 11:17 Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, “Please allow us ⁵⁸⁴  to pass through your land.” But the king of Edom rejected the request. ⁵⁸⁵  Israel sent the same request to the king of Moab, but he was unwilling to cooperate. ⁵⁸⁶  So Israel stayed at Kadesh. 11:18 Then Israel ⁵⁸⁷  went through the desert and bypassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab. They traveled east of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon River; ⁵⁸⁸  they did not go through Moabite territory (the Arnon was Moab’s border). 11:19 Israel sent messengers to King Sihon, the Amorite king who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him, “Please allow us to pass through your land to our land.” ⁵⁸⁹  11:20 But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. He ⁵⁹⁰  assembled his whole army, ⁵⁹¹  camped in Jahaz, and fought with Israel. 11:21 The Lord God of Israel handed Sihon and his whole army over to Israel and they defeated them. Israel took ⁵⁹²  all the land of the Amorites who lived in that land. 11:22 They took all the Amorite territory from the Arnon River on the south to the Jabbok River on the north, from the desert in the east to the Jordan in the west. ⁵⁹³  11:23 Since ⁵⁹⁴  the Lord God of Israel has driven out ⁵⁹⁵  the Amorites before his people Israel, do you think you can just take it from them? ⁵⁹⁶  11:24 You have the right to take what Chemosh your god gives you, but we will take the land of all whom the Lord our God has driven out before us. ⁵⁹⁷  11:25 Are you really better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he dare to quarrel with Israel? Did he dare to fight with them? ⁵⁹⁸  11:26 Israel has been living in Heshbon and its nearby towns, in Aroer and its nearby towns, and in all the cities along the Arnon for three hundred years! Why did you not reclaim them during that time? 11:27 I have not done you wrong, ⁵⁹⁹  but you are doing wrong ⁶⁰⁰  by attacking me. May the Lord, the Judge, judge this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites!’” 11:28 But the Ammonite king disregarded ⁶⁰¹  the message sent by Jephthah. ⁶⁰² 

A Foolish Vow Spells Death for a Daughter

11:29 The Lord’s spirit empowered ⁶⁰³  Jephthah. He passed through Gilead and Manasseh and went ⁶⁰⁴  to Mizpah in Gilead. From there he approached the Ammonites. ⁶⁰⁵  11:30 Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, saying, “If you really do hand the Ammonites over to me, 11:31 then whoever is the first to come through ⁶⁰⁶  the doors of my house to meet me when I return safely from fighting the Ammonites – he ⁶⁰⁷  will belong to the Lord and ⁶⁰⁸  I will offer him up as a burnt sacrifice.” 11:32 Jephthah approached ⁶⁰⁹  the Ammonites to fight with them, and the Lord handed them over to him. 11:33 He defeated them from Aroer all the way to Minnith – twenty cities in all, even as far as Abel Keramim! He wiped them out! ⁶¹⁰  The Israelites humiliated the Ammonites. ⁶¹¹ 

11:34 When Jephthah came home to Mizpah, there was his daughter hurrying out ⁶¹²  to meet him, dancing to the rhythm of tambourines. ⁶¹³  She was his only child; except for her he had no son or daughter. 11:35 When he saw her, he ripped his clothes and said, “Oh no! My daughter! You have completely ruined me! ⁶¹⁴  You have brought me disaster! ⁶¹⁵  I made an oath to the Lord, and I cannot break it.” ⁶¹⁶  11:36 She said to him, “My father, since ⁶¹⁷  you made an oath to the Lord, do to me as you promised. ⁶¹⁸  After all, the Lord vindicated you before ⁶¹⁹  your enemies, the Ammonites.” 11:37 She then said to her father, “Please grant me this one wish. ⁶²⁰  For two months allow me to walk through the hills with my friends and mourn my virginity.” ⁶²¹  11:38 He said, “You may go.” He permitted her to leave ⁶²²  for two months. She went with her friends and mourned her virginity as she walked through the hills. ⁶²³  11:39 After two months she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. She died a virgin. ⁶²⁴  Her tragic death gave rise to a custom in Israel. ⁶²⁵  11:40 Every year ⁶²⁶  Israelite women commemorate ⁶²⁷  the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for four days. ⁶²⁸ 

Civil Strife Mars the Victory

12:1 The Ephraimites assembled ⁶²⁹  and crossed over to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, “Why did you go and fight ⁶³⁰  with the Ammonites without asking ⁶³¹  us to go with you? We will burn your house down right over you!” ⁶³² 

12:2 Jephthah said to them, “My people and I were entangled in controversy with the Ammonites. ⁶³³  I asked for your help, but you did not deliver me from their power. ⁶³⁴  12:3 When I saw that you were not going to help, ⁶³⁵  I risked my life ⁶³⁶  and advanced against ⁶³⁷  the Ammonites, and the Lord handed them over to me. Why have you come up ⁶³⁸  to fight with me today?” 12:4 Jephthah assembled all the men of Gilead and they fought with Ephraim. The men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because the Ephraimites insulted them, saying, ⁶³⁹  “You Gileadites are refugees in Ephraim, living within Ephraim’s and Manasseh’s territory.” ⁶⁴⁰  12:5 The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan River ⁶⁴¹  opposite Ephraim. ⁶⁴²  Whenever an Ephraimite fugitive ⁶⁴³  said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead asked ⁶⁴⁴  him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No,” 12:6 then they said to him, “Say ‘Shibboleth!’” ⁶⁴⁵  If he said, “Sibboleth” (and could not pronounce the word ⁶⁴⁶  correctly), they grabbed him and executed him right there at the fords of the Jordan. On that day forty-two thousand Ephraimites fell dead. 12:7 Jephthah led ⁶⁴⁷  Israel for six years; then he ⁶⁴⁸  died and was buried in his city in Gilead. ⁶⁴⁹ 

Order Restored

12:8 After him Ibzan of Bethlehem ⁶⁵⁰  led ⁶⁵¹  Israel. 12:9 He had thirty sons. He arranged for thirty of his daughters to be married outside his extended family, ⁶⁵²  and he arranged for thirty young women to be brought from outside as wives for his sons. ⁶⁵³  Ibzan ⁶⁵⁴  led ⁶⁵⁵  Israel for seven years; 12:10 then he ⁶⁵⁶  died and was buried in Bethlehem.

12:11 After him Elon the Zebulunite led ⁶⁵⁷  Israel for ten years. ⁶⁵⁸  12:12 Then Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.

12:13 After him Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite led ⁶⁵⁹  Israel. 12:14 He had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy donkeys. He led Israel for eight years. 12:15 Then Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.

Samson’s Birth

13:1 The Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight, ⁶⁶⁰  so the Lord handed them over to the Philistines for forty years.

13:2 There was a man named Manoah from Zorah, from the Danite tribe. His wife was infertile and childless. ⁶⁶¹  13:3 The Lord’s angelic ⁶⁶²  messenger appeared to the woman and said to her, “You ⁶⁶³  are infertile and childless, ⁶⁶⁴  but you will conceive and have a son. 13:4 Now be careful! Do not drink wine or beer, and do not eat any food that will make you ritually unclean. ⁶⁶⁵  13:5 Look, you will conceive and have a son. ⁶⁶⁶  You must never cut his hair, ⁶⁶⁷  for the child will be dedicated to God ⁶⁶⁸  from birth. He will begin to deliver Israel from the power ⁶⁶⁹  of the Philistines.”

13:6 The woman went and said to her husband, “A man sent from God ⁶⁷⁰  came to me! He looked like God’s angelic messenger – he was very awesome. ⁶⁷¹  I did not ask him where he came from, and he did not tell me his name. 13:7 He said to me, ‘Look, you will conceive and have a son. ⁶⁷²  So now, do not drink wine or beer and do not eat any food that will make you ritually unclean. ⁶⁷³  For the child will be dedicated ⁶⁷⁴  to God from birth till the day he dies.’”

13:8 Manoah prayed to the Lord, ⁶⁷⁵  “Please, Lord, allow the man sent from God ⁶⁷⁶  to visit ⁶⁷⁷  us again, so he can teach ⁶⁷⁸  us how we should raise ⁶⁷⁹  the child who will be born.” 13:9 God answered Manoah’s prayer. ⁶⁸⁰  God’s angelic messenger visited ⁶⁸¹  the woman again while she was sitting in the field. But her husband Manoah was not with her. 13:10 The woman ran at once and told her husband, ⁶⁸²  “Come quickly, ⁶⁸³  the man who visited ⁶⁸⁴  me the other day has appeared to me!” 13:11 So Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he met ⁶⁸⁵  the man, he said to him, “Are you the man who spoke to my wife?” ⁶⁸⁶  He said, “Yes.” ⁶⁸⁷  13:12 Manoah said, “Now, when your announcement comes true, ⁶⁸⁸  how should the child be raised and what should he do?” ⁶⁸⁹  13:13 The Lord’s messenger told ⁶⁹⁰  Manoah, “Your wife should pay attention to everything I told her. ⁶⁹¹  13:14 She should not drink ⁶⁹²  anything that the grapevine produces. She must not drink wine or beer, and she must not eat any food that will make her ritually unclean. ⁶⁹³  She should obey everything I commanded her to do.” 13:15 Manoah said to the Lord’s messenger, “Please stay here awhile, ⁶⁹⁴  so we can prepare a young goat for you to eat.” ⁶⁹⁵  13:16 The Lord’s messenger said to Manoah, “If I stay, ⁶⁹⁶  I will not eat your food. But if you want to make a burnt sacrifice to the Lord, you should offer it.” (He said this because Manoah did not know that he was the Lord’s messenger.) ⁶⁹⁷  13:17 Manoah said to the Lord’s messenger, “Tell us your name, so we can honor you when your announcement comes true.” ⁶⁹⁸  13:18 The Lord’s messenger said to him, “You should not ask me my name, because you cannot comprehend it.” ⁶⁹⁹  13:19 Manoah took a young goat and a grain offering and offered them on a rock to the Lord. The Lord’s messenger did an amazing thing as Manoah and his wife watched. ⁷⁰⁰  13:20 As the flame went up from the altar toward the sky, the Lord’s messenger went up in it ⁷⁰¹  while Manoah and his wife watched. They fell facedown ⁷⁰²  to the ground.

13:21 The Lord’s messenger did not appear again to Manoah and his wife. After all this happened Manoah realized that the visitor had been the Lord’s messenger. ⁷⁰³  13:22 Manoah said to his wife, “We will certainly die, because we have seen a supernatural being!” ⁷⁰⁴  13:23 But his wife said to him, “If the Lord wanted to kill us, he would not have accepted the burnt offering and the grain offering from us. ⁷⁰⁵  He would not have shown us all these things, or have spoken to us like this just now.”

13:24 Manoah’s wife ⁷⁰⁶  gave birth to a son and named him Samson. ⁷⁰⁷  The child grew and the Lord empowered ⁷⁰⁸  him. 13:25 The Lord’s spirit began to control him ⁷⁰⁹  in Mahaneh Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Samson’s Unconsummated Marriage

14:1 Samson went down to Timnah, where a Philistine girl caught his eye. ⁷¹⁰  14:2 When he got home, ⁷¹¹  he told his father and mother, “A Philistine girl in Timnah has caught my eye. ⁷¹²  Now get her for my wife.” 14:3 But his father and mother said to him, “Certainly you can find a wife among your relatives or among all our ⁷¹³  people! You should not have to go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines.” ⁷¹⁴  But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, ⁷¹⁵  because she is the right one for me.” ⁷¹⁶  14:4 Now his father and mother did not realize this was the Lord’s doing, ⁷¹⁷  because he was looking for an opportunity to stir up trouble with the Philistines ⁷¹⁸  (for at that time the Philistines were ruling Israel).

14:5 Samson went down to Timnah. When he approached ⁷¹⁹  the vineyards of Timnah, he saw a roaring young lion attacking him. ⁷²⁰  14:6 The Lord’s spirit empowered ⁷²¹  him and he tore the lion ⁷²²  in two with his bare hands ⁷²³  as easily as one would tear a young goat. But he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.

14:7 Samson continued on down to Timnah ⁷²⁴  and spoke to the girl. In his opinion, she was just the right one. ⁷²⁵  14:8 Some time later, when he went back to marry ⁷²⁶  her, he turned aside to see the lion’s remains. He saw ⁷²⁷  a swarm of bees in the lion’s carcass, as well as some honey. 14:9 He scooped it up with his hands and ate it as he walked along. When he returned ⁷²⁸  to his father and mother, he offered them some and they ate it. But he did not tell them he had scooped the honey out of the lion’s carcass. ⁷²⁹ 

14:10 Then Samson’s father accompanied him to Timnah for the marriage. ⁷³⁰  Samson hosted a party ⁷³¹  there, for this was customary for bridegrooms ⁷³²  to do. 14:11 When the Philistines saw he had no attendants, they gave him thirty groomsmen who kept him company. ⁷³³  14:12 Samson said to them, “I will give you a riddle. If you really can solve it during the seven days the party lasts, ⁷³⁴  I will give you thirty linen robes and thirty sets ⁷³⁵  of clothes. 14:13 But if you cannot solve it, ⁷³⁶  you will give me thirty linen robes and thirty sets of clothes.” They said to him, “Let us hear your riddle.” ⁷³⁷  14:14 He said to them,

“Out of the one who eats came something to eat;

out of the strong one came something sweet.”

They could not solve the riddle for three days.

14:15 On the fourth ⁷³⁸  day they said to Samson’s bride, “Trick your husband into giving the solution to the riddle. ⁷³⁹  If you refuse, ⁷⁴⁰  we will burn up ⁷⁴¹  you and your father’s family. ⁷⁴²  Did you invite us here ⁷⁴³  to make us poor?” ⁷⁴⁴  14:16 So Samson’s bride cried on his shoulder ⁷⁴⁵  and said, “You must ⁷⁴⁶  hate me; you do not love me! You told the young men ⁷⁴⁷  a riddle, but you have not told me the solution.” He said to her, “Look, I have not even told my father or mother. Do you really expect me to tell you?” ⁷⁴⁸  14:17 She cried on his shoulder ⁷⁴⁹  until the party was almost over. ⁷⁵⁰  Finally, on the seventh day, he told her because she had nagged him so much. ⁷⁵¹  Then she told the young men the solution to the riddle. ⁷⁵²  14:18 On the seventh day, before the sun set, the men of the city said to him,

“What is sweeter than honey?

What is stronger than a lion?”

He said to them,

“If you had not plowed with my heifer, ⁷⁵³ 

you would not have solved my riddle!”

14:19 The Lord’s spirit empowered him. He went down to Ashkelon and murdered thirty men. He took their clothes ⁷⁵⁴  and gave them ⁷⁵⁵  to the men who had solved the riddle. He was furious as he went back home. ⁷⁵⁶  14:20 Samson’s bride was then given to his best man. ⁷⁵⁷ 

Samson Versus the Philistines

15:1 Sometime later, during the wheat harvest, ⁷⁵⁸  Samson took a young goat as a gift and went to visit his bride. ⁷⁵⁹  He said to her father, ⁷⁶⁰  “I want to have sex with my bride in her bedroom!” ⁷⁶¹  But her father would not let him enter. 15:2 Her father said, “I really thought ⁷⁶²  you absolutely despised ⁷⁶³  her, so I gave her to your best man. Her younger sister is more attractive than she is. Take her instead!” ⁷⁶⁴  15:3 Samson said to them, ⁷⁶⁵  “This time I am justified in doing the Philistines harm!” ⁷⁶⁶  15:4 Samson went and captured three hundred jackals ⁷⁶⁷  and got some torches. He tied the jackals in pairs by their tails and then tied a torch to each pair. ⁷⁶⁸  15:5 He lit the torches ⁷⁶⁹  and set the jackals loose in the Philistines’ standing grain. He burned up the grain heaps and the standing grain, as well as the vineyards and olive groves. 15:6 The Philistines asked, ⁷⁷⁰  “Who did this?” They were told, ⁷⁷¹  “Samson, the Timnite’s son-in-law, because the Timnite ⁷⁷²  took Samson’s ⁷⁷³  bride and gave her to his best man.” So the Philistines went up and burned her and her father. ⁷⁷⁴  15:7 Samson said to them, “Because you did this, ⁷⁷⁵  I will get revenge against you before I quit fighting.” ⁷⁷⁶  15:8 He struck them down and defeated them. ⁷⁷⁷  Then he went down and lived for a time in the cave in the cliff of Etam.

15:9 The Philistines went up and invaded ⁷⁷⁸  Judah. They arrayed themselves for battle ⁷⁷⁹  in Lehi. 15:10 The men of Judah said, “Why are you attacking ⁷⁸⁰  us?” The Philistines ⁷⁸¹  said, “We have come up to take Samson prisoner so we can do to him what he has done to us.” 15:11 Three thousand men of Judah went down to the cave in the cliff of Etam and said to Samson, “Do you not know that the Philistines rule over us? Why have you done this to us?” He said to them, “I have only done to them what they have done to me.” 15:12 They said to him, “We have come down to take you prisoner so we can hand you over to the Philistines.” Samson said to them, “Promise me ⁷⁸²  you will not kill ⁷⁸³  me.” 15:13 They said to him, “We promise! ⁷⁸⁴  We will only take you prisoner and hand you over to them. We promise not to kill you.” They tied him up with two brand new ropes and led him up from the cliff. 15:14 When he arrived in Lehi, the Philistines shouted as they approached him. But the Lord’s spirit empowered ⁷⁸⁵  him. The ropes around his arms were like flax dissolving in ⁷⁸⁶  fire, and they ⁷⁸⁷  melted away from his hands. 15:15 He happened to see ⁷⁸⁸  a solid ⁷⁸⁹  jawbone of a donkey. He grabbed it ⁷⁹⁰  and struck down ⁷⁹¹  a thousand men. 15:16 Samson then said,

“With the jawbone of a donkey

I have left them in heaps; ⁷⁹² 

with the jawbone of a donkey

I have struck down a thousand men!”

15:17 When he finished speaking, he threw the jawbone down ⁷⁹³  and named that place Ramath Lehi. ⁷⁹⁴ 

15:18 He was very thirsty, so he cried out to the Lord and said, “You have given your servant ⁷⁹⁵  this great victory. But now must I die of thirst and fall into hands of the Philistines?” ⁷⁹⁶  15:19 So God split open the basin ⁷⁹⁷  at Lehi and water flowed out from it. When he took a drink, his strength ⁷⁹⁸  was restored and he revived. For this reason he named the spring ⁷⁹⁹  En Hakkore. ⁸⁰⁰  It remains in Lehi to this very day. 15:20 Samson led ⁸⁰¹  Israel for twenty years during the days of Philistine prominence. ⁸⁰² 

Samson’s Downfall

16:1 Samson went to Gaza. There he saw a prostitute and went in to have sex with her. ⁸⁰³  16:2 The Gazites were told, ⁸⁰⁴  “Samson has come here!” So they surrounded the town ⁸⁰⁵  and hid all night at the city gate, waiting for him to leave. ⁸⁰⁶  They relaxed ⁸⁰⁷  all night, thinking, ⁸⁰⁸  “He will not leave ⁸⁰⁹  until morning comes; ⁸¹⁰  then we will kill him!” 16:3 Samson spent half the night with the prostitute; then he got up in the middle of the night and left. ⁸¹¹  He grabbed the doors of the city gate, as well as the two posts, and pulled them right off, bar and all. ⁸¹²  He put them on his shoulders and carried them up to the top of a hill east of Hebron. ⁸¹³ 

16:4 After this Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the Sorek Valley. 16:5 The rulers of the Philistines went up to visit her and said to her, “Trick him! Find out what makes him so strong and how we can subdue him and humiliate ⁸¹⁴  him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred silver pieces.”

16:6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me what makes you so strong and how you can be subdued and humiliated.” ⁸¹⁵  16:7 Samson said to her, “If they tie me up with seven fresh ⁸¹⁶  bowstrings ⁸¹⁷  that have not been dried, I will become weak and be just like any other man.” 16:8 So the rulers of the Philistines brought her seven fresh bowstrings which had not been dried and they tied him up with them. 16:9 They hid ⁸¹⁸  in the bedroom and then she said to him, “The Philistines are here, ⁸¹⁹  Samson!” He snapped the bowstrings as easily as a thread of yarn snaps when it is put close to fire. ⁸²⁰  The secret of his strength was not discovered. ⁸²¹ 

16:10 Delilah said to Samson, “Look, you deceived ⁸²²  me and told me lies! Now tell me how you can be subdued.” 16:11 He said to her, “If they tie me tightly with brand new ropes that have never been used, ⁸²³  I will become weak and be just like any other man.” 16:12 So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with them and said to him, “The Philistines are here, ⁸²⁴  Samson!” (The Philistines were hiding in the bedroom.) ⁸²⁵  But he tore the ropes ⁸²⁶  from his arms as if they were a piece of thread.

16:13 Delilah said to Samson, “Up to now you have deceived me and told me lies. Tell me how you can be subdued.” He said to her, “If you weave the seven braids of my hair ⁸²⁷  into the fabric on the loom ⁸²⁸  and secure it with the pin, I will become weak and be like any other man.” 16:14 So she made him go to sleep, wove the seven braids of his hair into the fabric on the loom, fastened it with the pin, and said to him, “The Philistines are here, ⁸²⁹  Samson!” ⁸³⁰  He woke up ⁸³¹  and tore away the pin of the loom and the fabric.

16:15 She said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you will not share your secret with me? ⁸³²  Three times you have deceived me and have not told me what makes you so strong.” 16:16 She nagged him ⁸³³  every day and pressured him until he was sick to death of it. ⁸³⁴  16:17 Finally he told her his secret. ⁸³⁵  He said to her, “My hair has never been cut, ⁸³⁶  for I have been dedicated to God ⁸³⁷  from the time I was conceived. ⁸³⁸  If my head ⁸³⁹  were shaved, my strength would leave me; I would become weak, and be just like all other men.” 16:18 When Delilah saw that he had told her his secret, ⁸⁴⁰  she sent for ⁸⁴¹  the rulers of the Philistines, saying, “Come up here again, for he has told me ⁸⁴²  his secret.” ⁸⁴³  So the rulers of the Philistines went up to visit her, bringing the silver in their hands. 16:19 She made him go to sleep on her lap ⁸⁴⁴  and then called a man in to shave off ⁸⁴⁵  the seven braids of his hair. ⁸⁴⁶  She made him vulnerable ⁸⁴⁷  and his strength left him. 16:20 She said, “The Philistines are here, ⁸⁴⁸  Samson!” He woke up ⁸⁴⁹  and thought, ⁸⁵⁰  “I will do as I did before ⁸⁵¹  and shake myself free.” But he did not realize that the Lord had left him. 16:21 The Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. They brought him down to Gaza and bound him in bronze chains. He became a grinder in the prison. 16:22 His hair ⁸⁵²  began to grow back after it had been shaved off.

Samson’s Death and Burial

16:23 The rulers of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate. They said, “Our god has handed Samson, our enemy, over to us.” 16:24 When the people saw him, ⁸⁵³  they praised their god, saying, “Our god has handed our enemy over to us, the one who ruined our land and killed so many of us!” ⁸⁵⁴ 

16:25 When they really started celebrating, ⁸⁵⁵  they said, “Call for Samson so he can entertain us!” So they summoned Samson from the prison and he entertained them. ⁸⁵⁶  They made him stand between two pillars. 16:26 Samson said to the young man who held his hand, “Position me so I can touch the pillars that support the temple. ⁸⁵⁷  Then I can lean on them.” 16:27 Now the temple ⁸⁵⁸  was filled with men and women, and all the rulers of the Philistines were there. There were three thousand men and women on the roof watching Samson entertain. 16:28 Samson called to the Lord, “O Master, Lord, ⁸⁵⁹  remember me! Strengthen me just one more time, O God, so I can get swift revenge ⁸⁶⁰  against the Philistines for my two eyes!” 16:29 Samson took hold of the two middle pillars that supported the temple ⁸⁶¹  and he leaned against them, with his right hand on one and his left hand on the other. 16:30 Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” He pushed hard ⁸⁶²  and the temple collapsed on the rulers and all the people in it. He killed many more people in his death than he had killed during his life. ⁸⁶³  16:31 His brothers and all his family ⁸⁶⁴  went down and brought him back. ⁸⁶⁵  They buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had led ⁸⁶⁶  Israel for twenty years.

[3:1]  ¹ tn Heb “did not know the wars of Canaan.”

[3:2]  ² tn The Hebrew syntax of v. 2 is difficult. The Hebrew text reads literally, “only in order that the generations of the Israelites might know, to teach them war – only those who formerly did not know them.”

[3:3]  ³ tn The words “These were the nations,” though not present in the Hebrew text, are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[3:3]  ⁴ tn Or “the entrance to Hamath.”

[3:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “to know if they would hear the commands of the Lord which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.”

[3:6]  ⁶ tn Heb “to their sons.”

[3:6]  ⁷ tn Or “served”; or “followed” (this term occurs in the following verse as well).

[3:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “in the eyes of the Lord.”

[3:7]  ⁹ sn The Asherahs were local manifestations of the Canaanite goddess Asherah.

[3:8]  ¹⁰ tn Or “The Lord’s anger burned (or raged) against Israel.”

[3:8]  ¹¹ tn Heb “sold them into the hands of.”

[3:8]  ¹² tn Or “Cushan the Doubly Wicked.”

[3:8]  ¹³ tn Or “they served Cushan-Rishathaim.”

[3:9]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “the Lord.”

[3:9]  ¹⁵ tn Or “delivered.”

[3:9]  ¹⁶ tn “Caleb’s younger brother” may refer to Othniel or to Kenaz (in which case Othniel is Caleb’s nephew).

[3:10]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “was on him.”

[3:10]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “his hand was strong against Cushan-Rishathaim.”

[3:12]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “in the eyes of the Lord” (also later in this verse).

[3:12]  ²⁰ tn Heb “strengthened Eglon…against Israel.”

[3:13]  ²¹ tn Heb “and he gathered to him.”

[3:14]  ²² tn Or “the Israelites served Eglon.”

[3:15]  ²³ tn Heb “the Lord.” This has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[3:15]  ²⁴ tn The phrase, which refers to Ehud, literally reads “bound/restricted in the right hand,” apparently a Hebrew idiom for a left-handed person. See Judg 20:16, where 700 Benjaminites are described in this way. Perhaps the Benjaminites purposely trained several of their young men to be left-handed warriors by restricting the use of the right hand from an early age so the left hand would become dominant. Left-handed men would have a distinct military advantage, especially when attacking city gates. See B. Halpern, “The Assassination of Eglon: The First Locked-Room Murder Mystery,” BRev 4 (1988): 35.

[3:15]  ²⁵ tn Heb “The Israelites sent by his hand an offering to Eglon, king of Moab.”

[3:16]  ²⁶ tn The Hebrew term גֹּמֶד (gomed) denotes a unit of linear measure, perhaps a cubit (the distance between the elbow and the tip of the middle finger – approximately 18 inches [45 cm]). Some suggest it is equivalent to the short cubit (the distance between the elbow and the knuckles of the clenched fist – approximately 13 inches [33 cm]) or to the span (the distance between the end of the thumb and the end of the little finger in a spread hand – approximately 9 inches [23 cm]). See BDB 167 s.v.; HALOT 196 s.v.; B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 142.

[3:18]  ²⁷ tn Heb “the tribute payment.”

[3:19]  ²⁸ tn Or “returned” (i.e., to Eglon’s palace).

[3:19]  ²⁹ tn The words “when he reached” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text simply reads “from.”

[3:19]  ³⁰ tn Or “idols.”

[3:19]  ³¹ tn The words “to Eglon” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[3:19]  ³² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eglon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:19]  ³³ tn Or “Hush!”

[3:20]  ³⁴ tn Or “cool.” This probably refers to a room with latticed windows which allowed the breeze to pass through. See B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 144.

[3:20]  ³⁵ tn Heb “word of [i.e., from] God.”

[3:20]  ³⁶ tn Or “throne.”

[3:21]  ³⁷ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Eglon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:22]  ³⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ehud) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:22]  ³⁹ tn The Hebrew text has “and he went out to the [?].” The meaning of the Hebrew word פַּרְשְׁדֹנָה (parshÿdonah) which occurs only here in the OT, is uncertain. The noun has the article prefixed and directive suffix. The word may be a technical architectural term, indicating the area into which Ehud moved as he left the king and began his escape. In this case Ehud is the subject of the verb “went out.” The present translation omits the clause, understanding it as an ancient variant of the first clause in v. 23. Some take the noun as “back,” understand “sword” (from the preceding clause) as the subject, and translate “the sword came out his [i.e., Eglon’s] back.” But this rendering is unlikely since the Hebrew word for “sword” (חֶרֶב, kherev) is feminine and the verb form translated “came out” (וַיֵּצֵא, vayyetse’) is masculine. (One expects agreement in gender when the subject is supplied from the preceding clause. See Ezek 33:4, 6.) See B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 146-48, for discussion of the options.

[3:23]  ⁴⁰ tn Again the precise meaning of the Hebrew word, used only here in the OT, is uncertain. Since it is preceded by the verb “went out” and the next clause refers to Ehud closing doors, the noun is probably an architectural term referring to the room (perhaps a vestibule; see HALOT 604 s.v. מִסְדְּרוֹן) immediately outside the king’s upper chamber. As v. 24 indicates, this vestibule separated the upper room from an outer room where the king's servants were waiting.

[3:24]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “his.”

[3:24]  ⁴² tn Heb “covering his feet” (i.e., with his outer garments while he relieves himself).

[3:24]  ⁴³ tn The Hebrew expression translated “well-ventilated inner room” may refer to the upper room itself or to a bathroom attached to or within it.

[3:25]  ⁴⁴ tn The words “the doors” are supplied.

[3:25]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “See, their master, fallen to the ground, dead.”

[3:27]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “When he arrived.”

[3:27]  ⁴⁷ tn That is, “mustered an army.”

[3:27]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “now he was before them.”

[3:28]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “for the Lord has given your enemies, Moab, into your hand.” The verb form (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.”

[3:28]  ⁵⁰ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for clarity.

[3:28]  ⁵¹ tn Or “against Moab,” that is, so as to prevent the Moabites from crossing.

[3:29]  ⁵² tn Heb “They struck Moab that day – about ten thousand men.”

[3:31]  ⁵³ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Ehud) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:31]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “was.”

[3:31]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “also he”; the referent (Ehud) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:1]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “did evil in the eyes of the Lord.”

[4:2]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “the Lord sold them into the hands of.”

[4:2]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “King Jabin of Hazor, a Canaanite ruler.”

[4:2]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “Harosheth of the Pagan Nations”; cf. KJV “Harosheth of the Gentiles.”

[4:3]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Sisera) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:3]  ⁶¹ tn Regarding the translation “chariots with iron-rimmed wheels,” see Y. Yadin, The Art of Warfare in Biblical Lands, 255, and the article by R. Drews, “The ‘Chariots of Iron’ of Joshua and Judges,” JSOT 45 (1989): 15-23.

[4:3]  ⁶² tn Heb “with strength.”

[4:4]  ⁶³ tn Heb “ a woman, a prophetess.” In Hebrew idiom the generic “woman” sometimes precedes the more specific designation. See GKC 437-38 §135.b.

[4:4]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “she was.” The pronoun refers back to the nominative absolute “Deborah.” Hebrew style sometimes employs such resumptive pronouns when lengthy qualifiers separate the subject from the verb.

[4:4]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “judging.”

[4:5]  ⁶⁶ tn That is, “consider legal disputes.”

[4:5]  ⁶⁷ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[4:5]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “for judgment.”

[4:6]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “sent and summoned.”

[4:7]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “horde”; “multitude.”

[4:9]  ⁷¹ tn Or “honor.”

[4:9]  ⁷² tn Heb “on [account of (?)] the way which you are walking.” Another option is to translate, “due to the way you are going about this.” In this case direct reference is made to Barak’s hesitancy as the reason for his loss of glory.

[4:9]  ⁷³ tn Heb “for into the hands of a woman the Lord will sell Sisera.”

[4:10]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “went up at his feet.”

[4:11]  ⁷⁵ tn Or “separated.”

[4:11]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “pitched his tent.”

[4:12]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “and they told Sisera.”

[4:13]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “Sisera.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[4:13]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “summoned.”

[4:14]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “Arise!”

[4:14]  ⁸¹ tn The verb form (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.”

[4:14]  ⁸² tn Heb “Has the Lord not gone out before you?”

[4:15]  ⁸³ tn Or “caused to panic.”

[4:15]  ⁸⁴ tn The Hebrew text also includes the phrase “before Barak.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[4:15]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “got down from.”

[4:16]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “fell.”

[4:16]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “was left.”

[4:17]  ⁸⁸ map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 D3; Map3 A2; Map4 C1.

[4:17]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “for there was peace between.”

[4:18]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “Turn aside” (also a second time later in this verse).

[4:18]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Sisera) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:21]  ⁹² tn Heb “took a tent peg and put a hammer in her hand.”

[4:21]  ⁹³ tn Heb “and it went into the ground.”

[4:21]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “and exhausted.” Another option is to understand this as a reference to the result of the fatal blow. In this case, the phrase could be translated, “and he breathed his last.”

[4:22]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “he went to her.”

[4:22]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “fallen, dead.”

[4:24]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “The hand of the Israelites became more and more severe against.”

[4:24]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “cut off.”

[4:24]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “Jabin king of Canaan.” The proper name and title have been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[5:1]  ¹⁰⁰ tn The words “this victory song” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:2]  ¹⁰¹ tn The meaning of the Hebrew expression בִּפְרֹעַ פְּרָעוֹת (bifroa’ pÿra’ot) is uncertain. Numerous proposals are offered by commentators. (For a survey of opinions, see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 223-27.) The next line refers to the people who responded to Barak’s summons to war, so a reference to the leaders who issued the summons would provide a natural poetic parallel. In v. 9 the leaders (חוֹקְקֵי, khoqÿqey) of the people and these same volunteers stand in poetic parallelism, so it is reasonable to assume that the difficult Hebrew term פְּרַעוֹת (pÿra’ot, v. 2a) is synonymous with חוֹקְקֵי (khoqÿqey) of v. 9 (see Lindars, 227).

[5:3]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “I, to the Lord, I, I will sing!” The first singular personal pronoun is used twice, even though a first person finite verbal form is employed.

[5:3]  ¹⁰³ tn Or “make music.”

[5:4]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Or “went out.”

[5:4]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “water.”

[5:5]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Or “quaked.” The translation assumes the form נָזֹלּוּ (nazollu) from the root זָלַל (zalal, “to quake”; see HALOT 272 s.v. II זלל). The LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Targum also understood the word this way. (See Isa 63:19 and 64:2 for other occurrences of this form.) Some understand here the verb נָזַל (nazul, “to flow [with torrents of rain water]”).

[5:5]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “this one of Sinai.” The phrase is a divine title, perhaps indicating that the Lord rules from Sinai.

[5:6]  ¹⁰⁸ tc The translation assumes the form אֳרְחוֹת (’orÿkhot, “caravans”) rather than אֳרָחוֹת (’orakhot, “roadways”) because it makes a tighter parallel with “travelers” in the next line.

[5:6]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Or “ceased.”

[5:6]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “Ones walking on paths.”

[5:7]  ¹¹¹ tn The meaning of the Hebrew noun פְרָזוֹן (fÿrazon) is uncertain. Some understand the meaning as “leaders” or “those living in rural areas.” The singular noun appears to be collective (note the accompanying plural verb). For various options see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 237-38.

[5:7]  ¹¹² tn Or “ceased.”

[5:7]  ¹¹³ tn The translation assumes that the verb is an archaic second feminine singular form. Though Deborah is named as one of the composers of the song (v. 1), she is also addressed within it (v. 12). Many take the verb as first person singular, “I arose” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV).

[5:7]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “mother.” The translation assumes that the image portrays Deborah as a protector of the people. It is possible that the metaphor points to her prophetic role. Just as a male prophet could be called “father,” so Deborah, a prophetess, is called “mother” (B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 239).

[5:8]  ¹¹⁵ 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]  ¹¹⁶ 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]  ¹¹⁷ 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]  ¹¹⁸ 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”).

[5:9]  ¹¹⁹ tn The words “went out” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[5:10]  ¹²⁰ tn The meaning of the Hebrew word מִדִּין (middin, “saddle blankets”) in this context is uncertain.

[5:11]  ¹²¹ tn The word “Hear” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[5:11]  ¹²² tn The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain. Some translate “those who distribute the water” (HALOT 344 s.v. חצץ pi). For other options see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 246-47.

[5:11]  ¹²³ tn Or perhaps “repeat.”

[5:11]  ¹²⁴ tn See the note on the term “warriors” in v. 7.

[5:12]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “take captive your captives.” (The Hebrew text uses a cognate accusative here.)

[5:13]  ¹²⁶ tn This probably refers to those who responded to the call for war. They were “survivors” of the Canaanite oppression (see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 250).

[5:13]  ¹²⁷ tn The translation assumes a repointing of the verb as a perfect or imperfect/preterite form of יָרַד (yarad, “to go down”). The form as pointed in the MT appears to be from רָדָה (radah, “to rule”). See GKC 188 §69.g. The same form, translated “came down,” occurs in the next line as well.

[5:13]  ¹²⁸ sn The expression mighty ones probably refers to the leaders of the army.

[5:13]  ¹²⁹ sn The speaker may be Deborah here.

[5:13]  ¹³⁰ tn The translation assumes the preposition ב (bet) prefixed to “warriors” has the force of “in the capacity of.” For this use of the preposition, see GKC 379 §119.i.

[5:14]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “From Ephraim their root in Amalek” (the words “they came” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons). Because of the difficulty of the MT, many prefer to follow one of the ancient versions or emend the text. For various proposals see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 252-53. The present translation repoints שָׁרְשָׁם (shorsham, traditionally translated “their root”) as a Piel verb form with enclitic mem (ם). The preposition ב (bet) on עֲמָלֵק (’amaleq) introduces the object (see Job 31:12 for an example of the construction). Ephraim’s territory encompassed the hill country of the Amalekites (Judg 12:15).

[5:14]  ¹³² tn The words “They follow” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[5:14]  ¹³³ tn The word “came” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[5:14]  ¹³⁴ tn Or possibly “who carry.”

[5:15]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “Issachar.” The words “the men of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:15]  ¹³⁶ tn Or “was true to.”

[5:15]  ¹³⁷ tn Heb “at his feet.”

[5:15]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “great was.”

[5:15]  ¹³⁹ tc The great majority of Hebrew mss have “resolves of heart,” but a few mss read “searchings of heart,” which is preferable in light of v. 16.

[5:16]  ¹⁴⁰ tn The meaning of the Hebrew word מִשְׁפְּתַיִם (mishpÿtayim) is uncertain. Some understand the word to mean “campfires.”

[5:16]  ¹⁴¹ tn Or “whistling.”

[5:16]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “listening to the pipe playing for the flocks.”

[5:17]  ¹⁴³ tn Heb “lived” or “settled down.”

[5:17]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “Dan, why did he live as a resident alien, ships.” The verb גּוּר (gur) usually refers to taking up residence outside one’s native land. Perhaps the Danites, rather than rallying to Barak, were content to move to the Mediterranean coast and work in the shipyards. For further discussion, see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 262.

[5:17]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “lived.”

[5:17]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “lived” or “settled down.”

[5:17]  ¹⁴⁷ tn The meaning of the Hebrew word מִפְרָץ (mifrats) is uncertain, but the parallelism (note “seacoast”) suggests “harbors.”

[5:18]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “Zebulun was a people which despised its life even unto death.”

[5:18]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “Naphtali was on the heights of the field.”

[5:19]  ¹⁵⁰ map For location see Map1 D4; Map2 C1; Map4 C2; Map5 F2; Map7 B1.

[5:19]  ¹⁵¹ tn The contrastive conjunction “but” is interpretive.

[5:20]  ¹⁵² tn Or “from heaven.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.

[5:20]  ¹⁵³ tn The MT takes “the stars” with what follows rather than with the first colon of v. 20. But for metrical reasons it seems better to move the atnach and read the colon as indicated in the translation.

[5:20]  ¹⁵⁴ tn The words “in the heavens” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[5:21]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Possibly “the ancient river,” but it seems preferable in light of the parallel line (which has a verb) to emend the word (attested only here) to a verb (קָדַם, qadam) with pronominal object suffix.

[5:21]  ¹⁵⁶ tn This line is traditionally taken as the poet-warrior’s self-exhortation, “March on, my soul, in strength!” The present translation (a) takes the verb (a second feminine singular form) as addressed to Deborah (cf. v. 12), (b) understands נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) in its well-attested sense of “throat; neck” (cf. Jonah 2:6), (c) takes the final yod (י) on נַפְשִׁי (nafshiy) as an archaic construct indicator (rather than a suffix), and (d) interprets עֹז (’oz, “strength”) as an attributive genitive (literally, “necks of strength,” i.e., “strong necks”). For fuller discussion and various proposals, see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 270-71.

[5:22]  ¹⁵⁷ tc The MT as it stands has a singular noun, but if one moves the prefixed mem (מ) from the beginning of the next word to the end of סוּס (sus), the expected plural form is achieved. Another possibility is to understand an error of scribal haplography here, in which case the letter mem should appear in both places.

[5:22]  ¹⁵⁸ tn The words “the ground” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:22]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “galloped, galloped.” The repetition is for emphasis and is more appropriately indicated in English with an adverb.

[5:23]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “Curse Meroz.”

[5:23]  ¹⁶¹ tn The adjective “angelic” is interpretive.

[5:23]  ¹⁶² tn Heb “Curse, cursing.” The Hebrew construction is emphatic.

[5:23]  ¹⁶³ tn Heb “[to] curse.”

[5:23]  ¹⁶⁴ tn Heb “to the help of the Lord” (the same Hebrew phrase occurs in the following line). Another option is to read “to aid the Lord’s cause.”

[5:23]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Or “along with the other warriors.”

[5:24]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Or “blessed.”

[5:25]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Or “for mighty ones.”

[5:26]  ¹⁶⁸ tn The adjective “left” is interpretive, based on the context. Note that the next line pictures Jael holding the hammer with her right hand.

[5:26]  ¹⁶⁹ tn The verb used here is from the same root as the noun “hammer” in the preceding line.

[5:26]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Or “head.”

[5:26]  ¹⁷¹ tn The phrase “his head” (an implied direct object) is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:26]  ¹⁷² tn Heb “she pierced his temple.”

[5:27]  ¹⁷³ tn Heb “he fell.” The same Hebrew expression occurs two more times in this verse.

[5:27]  ¹⁷⁴ tn Heb “and he lay.

[5:27]  ¹⁷⁵ tn Or “dead, murdered.”

[5:28]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Heb “chariots.”

[5:29]  ¹⁷⁷ tn Or “princesses.”

[5:30]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Heb “Are they not finding, dividing the plunder?”

[5:30]  ¹⁷⁹ tn Heb “a womb or two for each man.” The words “to rape” are interpretive. The Hebrew noun translated “girl” means literally “womb” (BDB 933 s.v. I. רַחַם), but in this context may refer by extension to the female genitalia. In this case the obscene language of Sisera’s mother alludes to the sexual brutality which typified the aftermath of battle.

[5:30]  ¹⁸⁰ tn Heb “the plunder of dyed cloth is for Sisera.”

[5:30]  ¹⁸¹ tn Heb “the plunder of embroidered cloth.”

[5:30]  ¹⁸² tn The translation assumes an emendation of the noun (“plunder”) to a participle, “plunderer.”

[5:31]  ¹⁸³ tn Heb “But may those who love him be like the going forth of the sun in its strength.”

[6:1]  ¹⁸⁴ tn Heb “in the eyes of.”

[6:1]  ¹⁸⁵ tn Heb “gave them into the hand of.”

[6:2]  ¹⁸⁶ tn Heb “the hand of Midian.”

[6:2]  ¹⁸⁷ tn Heb “The hand of Midian was strong against Israel.”

[6:2]  ¹⁸⁸ tn Or possibly “secret storage places.” The Hebrew word occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible.

[6:3]  ¹⁸⁹ tn Heb “Whenever Israel sowed seed.”

[6:3]  ¹⁹⁰ tn Heb “Midian, Amalek, and the sons of the east would go up, they would go up against him.” The translation assumes that וְעָלוּ (vÿ’alu) is dittographic (note the following עָלָיו, ’alayv).

[6:4]  ¹⁹¹ tn Heb “They encamped against them.”

[6:4]  ¹⁹² tn Heb “destroyed.”

[6:4]  ¹⁹³ tn Heb “the crops of the land.”

[6:4]  ¹⁹⁴ tn Heb “They left no sustenance in Israel.”

[6:4]  ¹⁹⁵ tn The words “they took away” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[6:5]  ¹⁹⁶ tn Heb “came up.”

[6:5]  ¹⁹⁷ tn Heb “numerous.”

[6:5]  ¹⁹⁸ tn Heb “To them and to their camels there was no number.”

[6:5]  ¹⁹⁹ tn Heb “destroy.” The translation “devour” carries through the imagery of a locust plague earlier in this verse.

[6:8]  ²⁰⁰ tn Heb “the Lord”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[6:8]  ²⁰¹ tn Heb “a man, a prophet.” Hebrew idiom sometimes puts a generic term before a more specific designation.

[6:8]  ²⁰² tc Some ancient witnesses read “from the land of Egypt.” מֵאֶרֶץ (me’erets, “from the land [of]”) could have been accidentally omitted by homoioarcton (note the following מִמִּצְרַיִם [mimmitsrayim, “from Egypt”]).

[6:8]  ²⁰³ tn Heb “of the house of slavery.”

[6:9]  ²⁰⁴ tn Heb “hand” (also a second time later in this verse).

[6:10]  ²⁰⁵ tn Heb “Do not fear.”

[6:10]  ²⁰⁶ tn Heb “you have not listened to my voice.”

[6:11]  ²⁰⁷ tn The adjective “angelic” is interpretive.

[6:11]  ²⁰⁸ tn Heb “Now Gideon his son…” The Hebrew circumstantial clause (note the pattern vav [ו] + subject + predicate) breaks the narrative sequence and indicates that the angel’s arrival coincided with Gideon’s threshing.

[6:11]  ²⁰⁹ tn Heb “beating out.”

[6:11]  ²¹⁰ sn Threshing wheat in a winepress. One would normally thresh wheat at the threshing floor outside the city. Animals and a threshing sledge would be employed. Because of the Midianite threat, Gideon was forced to thresh with a stick in a winepress inside the city. For further discussion see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 63.

[6:11]  ²¹¹ tn Heb “Midian.”

[6:13]  ²¹² tn Heb “But my lord.”

[6:13]  ²¹³ tn Heb “all this.”

[6:13]  ²¹⁴ tn Heb “saying.”

[6:14]  ²¹⁵ sn Some interpreters equate the Lord and the messenger in this story, but they are more likely distinct. In vv. 22-23 the Lord and Gideon continue to carry on a conversation after the messenger has vanished (v. 21).

[6:14]  ²¹⁶ tn Heb “Go in this strength of yours.”

[6:14]  ²¹⁷ tn Heb “the hand of Midian.”

[6:15]  ²¹⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:15]  ²¹⁹ tn Note the switch to אֲדֹנָי (’adonay, “Lord”). Gideon seems aware that he is speaking to someone other than, and superior to, the messenger, whom he addressed as אֲדֹנִי (’adoniy, “my lord”) in v. 13.

[6:15]  ²²⁰ tn Heb “with what.”

[6:15]  ²²¹ tn Heb “in my father’s house.”

[6:16]  ²²² tn Or “certainly.”

[6:16]  ²²³ tn Heb “You will strike down Midian as one man.” The idiom “as one man” emphasizes the collective unity of a group (see Judg 20:8, 11). Here it may carry the force, “as if they were just one man.”

[6:17]  ²²⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:17]  ²²⁵ tn Heb “If I have found favor in your eyes.”

[6:17]  ²²⁶ tn Heb “perform for me.”

[6:18]  ²²⁷ tn The Hebrew text adds “to you,” but this has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[6:18]  ²²⁸ tn Heb “and I will bring out my gift.” The precise nuance of the Hebrew word מִנְחָה (minkhah, “gift”) is uncertain in this context. It may refer to a gift offered as a sign of goodwill or submission. In some cases it is used of a gift offered to appease someone whom the offerer has offended. The word can also carry a sacrificial connotation.

[6:19]  ²²⁹ tn Heb “a kid from among the goats.”

[6:19]  ²³⁰ tn The words “the food” are not in the Hebrew text (an implied direct object). They are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[6:20]  ²³¹ tn Heb “Take the meat…and put [it] on this rock.”

[6:20]  ²³² tn Heb “and he did so.”

[6:21]  ²³³ tn Heb “extended the tip of the staff which was in his hand and touched the meat and unleavened bread.”

[6:21]  ²³⁴ tn Heb “went from his eyes.”

[6:22]  ²³⁵ tn Heb “saw.”

[6:22]  ²³⁶ tn Heb “Gideon.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[6:22]  ²³⁷ tn Or “Ah!”

[6:22]  ²³⁸ tn The Hebrew text reads אֲדֹנַי יְהוִה (’adonay yÿhvih, “Lord [the same title used in v. 15], Lord”).

[6:23]  ²³⁹ tn Heb “Peace to you.” For a similar use of this idiom to introduce a reassuring word, see Gen 43:23.

[6:24]  ²⁴⁰ tn Heb “The Lord is peace.” Gideon’s name for the altar plays on the Lord’s reassuring words to him, “Peace to you.”

[6:25]  ²⁴¹ tn Or “Take a bull from your father’s herd, the second one, the one seven years old.” Apparently Gideon would need the bulls to pull down the altar.

[6:26]  ²⁴² tn Possibly “in a row” or “in a layer,” perhaps referring to the arrangement of the stones used in the altar’s construction.

[6:27]  ²⁴³ tn Heb “men from among his servants.”

[6:27]  ²⁴⁴ tn Heb “house.”

[6:27]  ²⁴⁵ tn Heb “so he did it at night.”

[6:28]  ²⁴⁶ tn Heb “look!” The narrator uses this word to invite his audience/readers to view the scene through the eyes of the men.

[6:29]  ²⁴⁷ tn Heb “each one to his neighbor.”

[6:29]  ²⁴⁸ tn Heb “this thing.”

[6:29]  ²⁴⁹ tn Heb “they inquired and searched.” The synonyms are joined to emphasize the care with which they conducted their inquiry.

[6:29]  ²⁵⁰ tn Heb “and said.” Perhaps the plural subject is indefinite. If so, it could be translated, “they were told.”

[6:30]  ²⁵¹ tn Heb “and let him die.” The jussive form with vav after the imperative is best translated as a purpose clause.

[6:31]  ²⁵² tn Heb “to all who stood against him.”

[6:31]  ²⁵³ tn Heb “Do you fight for Baal?”

[6:31]  ²⁵⁴ tn Heb “fights for him.”

[6:31]  ²⁵⁵ sn Whoever takes up his cause will die by morning. This may be a warning to the crowd that Joash intends to defend his son and to kill anyone who tries to execute Gideon. Then again, it may be a sarcastic statement about Baal’s apparent inability to defend his own honor. Anyone who takes up Baal’s cause may end up dead, perhaps by the same hand that pulled down the pagan god’s altar.

[6:31]  ²⁵⁶ tn Heb “fight for himself.”

[6:31]  ²⁵⁷ tn Heb “for he pulled down his altar.” The subject of the verb, if not Gideon, is indefinite (in which case a passive translation is permissible).

[6:32]  ²⁵⁸ tn Heb “He called him on that day Jerub-Baal.” The name means, at least by popular etymology, “Let Baal fight!”

[6:33]  ²⁵⁹ tn Heb “Midian, Amalek, and the sons of the east.”

[6:33]  ²⁶⁰ tn The words “the Jordan River” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[6:34]  ²⁶¹ tn Heb “clothed.”

[6:34]  ²⁶² tn That is, “mustered an army.”

[6:34]  ²⁶³ tn Heb “Abiezer was summoned after him.”

[6:35]  ²⁶⁴ tn Heb “and he also was summoned after him.”

[6:36]  ²⁶⁵ tn More literally, “you are about to deliver Israel by my hand.”

[6:36]  ²⁶⁶ tn The words “then give me a sign as proof” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[6:37]  ²⁶⁷ tn Heb “all the ground.”

[6:37]  ²⁶⁸ tn Or “know.”

[6:37]  ²⁶⁹ tn Heb “you will deliver Israel by my hand.”

[6:38]  ²⁷⁰ tn Heb “And it was so.”

[6:38]  ²⁷¹ tn Heb “dew dripped from the fleece – a bowl full of water.”

[6:39]  ²⁷² tn Heb “Let your anger not rage at me, so that I might speak only this once.”

[6:39]  ²⁷³ tn Heb “let the fleece alone be dry, while dew is on all the ground.”

[6:40]  ²⁷⁴ tn Heb “God did so that night.”

[7:1]  ²⁷⁵ tn Heb “and all the people who were with him.”

[7:1]  ²⁷⁶ sn The name Harod means, ironically, “trembling.”

[7:1]  ²⁷⁷ tn Heb “Midian.” The LXX reads “and Amalek” (cf. v. 12; 6:33).

[7:2]  ²⁷⁸ tn Heb “the people who are with you are too numerous for me to give Midian into their hand.”

[7:2]  ²⁷⁹ tn Heb “might glorify itself against me.”

[7:2]  ²⁸⁰ tn Heb “my hand has delivered me.”

[7:3]  ²⁸¹ tn Heb “call into the ears of the people.”

[7:3]  ²⁸² tn Heb “afraid and shaking.”

[7:3]  ²⁸³ tc Many interpreters reject the MT reading “and leave Mount Gilead” for geographical reasons. A possible alternative, involving rather radical emendation of the Hebrew text, would be, “So Gideon tested them” (i.e., thinned the ranks in this manner).

[7:3]  ²⁸⁴ tn Heb “people.” The translation uses “men” because warriors are in view, and in ancient Israelite culture these would be only males. (This is also the case in vv. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.)

[7:3]  ²⁸⁵ tn Or “turned around, back.”

[7:4]  ²⁸⁶ tn Heb “too many people.”

[7:4]  ²⁸⁷ tn Heb “test them for you there.”

[7:4]  ²⁸⁸ tn Heb “he should go with you.”

[7:4]  ²⁸⁹ tn Heb also has “to you.”

[7:4]  ²⁹⁰ tn Heb “he should not go.”

[7:5]  ²⁹¹ tn Heb “the people.”

[7:5]  ²⁹² tn Heb “Everyone who laps with his tongue from the water, as a dog laps, put him by himself, as well as the one who gets down on his knees to drink.”

[7:6]  ²⁹³ tc The Hebrew text adds, “with their hands to their mouths,” This makes no sense in light of v. 5, which distinguishes between dog-like lappers (who would not use their hands to drink) and those who kneel (who would use their hands). It seems likely that the words “with their hands to their mouths” have been misplaced from v. 6. They fit better at the end of v. 5 or v. 6. Perhaps these words were originally a marginal scribal note which was later accidentally inserted into the text in the wrong place.

[7:6]  ²⁹⁴ tn Heb “the people.”

[7:7]  ²⁹⁵ tn Heb “you.” The Hebrew pronoun is masculine plural, probably referring to the entire army.

[7:7]  ²⁹⁶ tn The Hebrew pronoun here is singular.

[7:7]  ²⁹⁷ tn Heb “All the people should go, each to his place.”

[7:8]  ²⁹⁸ tn Heb “The people.”

[7:8]  ²⁹⁹ tn The words “who were chosen” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[7:8]  ³⁰⁰ tn The Hebrew text has “in their hands.”

[7:8]  ³⁰¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:8]  ³⁰² tn Heb “tents.”

[7:8]  ³⁰³ tn Heb “Midian.”

[7:8]  ³⁰⁴ tn The Hebrew text adds “him” (i.e., Gideon).

[7:9]  ³⁰⁵ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:9]  ³⁰⁶ tn Heb “Go down against.”

[7:9]  ³⁰⁷ tn The Hebrew verbal form is a perfect, emphasizing the certainty of the promise.

[7:11]  ³⁰⁸ tn Heb “your hands will be strengthened.”

[7:11]  ³⁰⁹ tn Heb “to the edge of the ones in battle array who were in the camp.”

[7:12]  ³¹⁰ tn Heb “Midian, Amalek, and the sons of the east were falling in the valley like locusts in great number.”

[7:13]  ³¹¹ tn Heb “And Gideon came, and, look, a man was relating to his friend a dream.”

[7:13]  ³¹² tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man mentioned in the previous clause) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:13]  ³¹³ tn Heb “Look!” The repetition of this interjection, while emphatic in Hebrew, would be redundant in the English translation.

[7:13]  ³¹⁴ tn Heb “It came to the tent and struck it and it fell. It turned it upside down and the tent fell.”

[7:14]  ³¹⁵ tn Heb “answered and said.”

[7:14]  ³¹⁶ tn Heb “This can be nothing but.”

[7:15]  ³¹⁷ tn Heb “he bowed down” or “worshiped.”

[7:16]  ³¹⁸ tn Heb “heads.”

[7:16]  ³¹⁹ tn Heb “the jars.” The noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“them”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[7:17]  ³²⁰ tn Or “look.”

[7:19]  ³²¹ tn Heb “Gideon went, along with the hundred men who were with him, to the edge of the camp.”

[7:19]  ³²² tn Heb “that were in their hands.”

[7:20]  ³²³ tn The Hebrew text adds, “in order to blow [them].” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[7:21]  ³²⁴ tn Heb “each in his place.”

[7:21]  ³²⁵ tn Or “fled.”

[7:22]  ³²⁶ tn Heb “the Lord set the sword of each one against his friend.”

[7:22]  ³²⁷ tc MT has “and throughout the camp,” but the conjunction (“and”) is due to dittography and should be dropped. Compare the ancient versions, which lack the conjunction here.

[7:22]  ³²⁸ tn The words “they went” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[7:23]  ³²⁹ tn Heb “Midian.”

[7:24]  ³³⁰ tn Heb “to meet Midian.”

[7:24]  ³³¹ tn Heb “capture before them the waters.”

[7:24]  ³³² tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification (also later in this verse).

[7:24]  ³³³ tn Heb “And all the men of Ephraim were summoned.”

[7:24]  ³³⁴ tn Heb “they captured the waters.”

[7:25]  ³³⁵ 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]  ³³⁶ tn The Hebrew text repeats the verb “executed.” This has not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[7:25]  ³³⁷ tn Heb “Midian.”

[7:25]  ³³⁸ 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).

[8:1]  ³³⁹ tn Heb “by not summoning us.”

[8:2]  ³⁴⁰ tn Heb “gleanings.”

[8:2]  ³⁴¹ 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.

[8:3]  ³⁴² tn Heb “What was I able to do compared to you?”

[8:3]  ³⁴³ tn Heb “Then their spirits relaxed from against him, when he spoke this word.”

[8:4]  ³⁴⁴ tn Heb “And Gideon arrived at the Jordan, crossing over, he and the three hundred men who were with him, exhausted and chasing.” The English past perfect (“had crossed”) is used because this verse flashes back chronologically to an event that preceded the hostile encounter described in vv. 1-3. (Note that 7:25 assumes Gideon had already crossed the Jordan.)

[8:5]  ³⁴⁵ tn Or perhaps, “sell.”

[8:5]  ³⁴⁶ tn Heb “people.” The translation uses “men” because these were warriors and in ancient Israelite culture would have been exclusively males.

[8:5]  ³⁴⁷ tn Heb “who are at my feet.”

[8:6]  ³⁴⁸ tn Or perhaps, “sell.”

[8:6]  ³⁴⁹ tn Heb “Are the palms of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give to your army bread?” Perhaps the reference to the kings’ “palms” should be taken literally. The officials of Succoth may be alluding to the practice of mutilating prisoners or enemy corpses (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 155).

[8:7]  ³⁵⁰ tn Heb “Therefore.”

[8:7]  ³⁵¹ sn I will thresh. The metaphor is agricultural. Threshing was usually done on a hard threshing floor. As farm animals walked over the stalks, pulling behind them a board embedded with sharp stones, the stalks and grain would be separated. See O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 63-65. Gideon threatens to use thorns and briers on his sledge.

[8:7]  ³⁵² tn Or “flesh.”

[8:7]  ³⁵³ tn This is apparently a rare instrumental use of the Hebrew preposition אֵת (’et, note the use of ב [bet] in v. 16). Some, however, argue that אֵת more naturally indicates accompaniment (“together with”). In this case Gideon envisions threshing their skin along with thorns and briers, just as the stalks and grain are intermingled on the threshing floor. See C. F. Burney, Judges, 229-30.

[8:8]  ³⁵⁴ tn Heb “and spoke to them in the same way.”

[8:8]  ³⁵⁵ tn Heb “The men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth answered.”

[8:9]  ³⁵⁶ tn Heb “said to.” The translation “threatened” is interpretive, but is clearly indicated by the context.

[8:9]  ³⁵⁷ tn Heb “saying.”

[8:9]  ³⁵⁸ tn Or “safely.” Heb “in peace.”

[8:10]  ³⁵⁹ 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.”

[8:11]  ³⁶⁰ tn Heb “the ones living in tents.”

[8:11]  ³⁶¹ tn Heb “and attacked the army, while the army was secure.” The Hebrew term בֶטַח (vetakh, “secure”) probably means the army was undefended (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 156), not suspecting an attack at that time and place.

[8:12]  ³⁶² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:12]  ³⁶³ tn Or “routed”; Heb “caused to panic.”

[8:13]  ³⁶⁴ tn Or “ascent.”

[8:14]  ³⁶⁵ tn Heb “from the men of Succoth.”

[8:14]  ³⁶⁶ tn Heb “wrote down for him the officials of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men.”

[8:15]  ³⁶⁷ tn Heb “Look!” The words “what I have” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[8:15]  ³⁶⁸ tn Heb “Are the palms of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give to your exhausted men bread?”

[8:16]  ³⁶⁹ tn Heb “elders.”

[8:16]  ³⁷⁰ tc The translation follows the reading of several ancient versions (LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate) in assuming the form וַיָּדָשׁ (vayyadash) from the verb דּוֹשׁ (dosh, “thresh”) as in v. 7. The MT reads instead the form וַיֹּדַע (vayyoda’, “make known”), a Hiphil form of יָדַע (yadah). In this case one could translate, “he used them [i.e., the thorns and briers] to teach the men of Succoth a lesson.”

[8:18]  ³⁷¹ tn Heb “Where are?”

[8:18]  ³⁷² tn Heb “each one like the appearance of sons of the king.”

[8:19]  ³⁷³ tn The words “I swear” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[8:20]  ³⁷⁴ tn Or “Arise!”

[8:20]  ³⁷⁵ tn Heb “did not draw his sword for he was afraid.”

[8:21]  ³⁷⁶ tn The words “to Gideon” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[8:21]  ³⁷⁷ tn Or “Arise.”

[8:21]  ³⁷⁸ tn Heb “for as the man is his strength.”

[8:21]  ³⁷⁹ tn Heb “arose and killed.”

[8:22]  ³⁸⁰ tn Heb “hand.”

[8:24]  ³⁸¹ tn Heb “said to them.”

[8:24]  ³⁸² tn Heb “Give to me, each one, an earring from his plunder.”

[8:24]  ³⁸³ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Midianites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:25]  ³⁸⁴ tn Heb “We will indeed give.”

[8:25]  ³⁸⁵ tc In the LXX the subject of this verb is singular, referring to Gideon rather than to the Israelites.

[8:26]  ³⁸⁶ sn Seventeen hundred gold shekels would be about 42.7 pounds (19.4 kilograms) of gold.

[8:26]  ³⁸⁷ tn Or “pendants.”

[8:26]  ³⁸⁸ tn Heb “the ornaments which were on the necks of their camels.”

[8:27]  ³⁸⁹ tn Heb “made it into.”

[8:27]  ³⁹⁰ sn In Exod 28:4-6 and several other texts an ephod is described as a priestly or cultic garment. In some cases an ephod is used to obtain a divine oracle (1 Sam 23:9; 30:7). Here the ephod is made of gold and is described as being quite heavy (70-75 lbs?). Some identify it as an idol, but it was more likely a cultic object fashioned in the form of a garment which was used for oracular purposes. For discussion of the ephod in the OT, see C. F. Burney, Judges, 236-43, and R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 349-52.

[8:27]  ³⁹¹ tn Heb “Israel” (a collective singular).

[8:27]  ³⁹² tn The words “by worshiping it” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[8:28]  ³⁹³ tn Heb “Midian was humbled before the Israelites, and they no longer lifted their heads.”

[8:28]  ³⁹⁴ tn Heb “in the days of Gideon.”

[8:29]  ³⁹⁵ tn Heb “went and lived in his house.”

[8:30]  ³⁹⁶ tn Heb “Gideon had seventy sons who went out from his thigh, for he had many wives.” The Hebrew word יָרֵךְ (yarekh, “thigh”) is a euphemism here for the penis.

[8:31]  ³⁹⁷ sn A concubine was a slave woman in ancient Near Eastern societies who was the legal property of her master, but who could have legitimate sexual relations with her master. A concubine’s status was more elevated than a mere servant, but she was not free and did not have the legal rights of a free wife. The children of a concubine could, in some instances, become equal heirs with the children of the free wife. After the period of the Judges concubines may have become more of a royal prerogative (2 Sam 21:10-14; 1 Kgs 11:3).

[8:31]  ³⁹⁸ sn The name Abimelech means “my father is king.”

[8:32]  ³⁹⁹ tn Heb “good.”

[8:33]  ⁴⁰⁰ sn Baal-Berith was a local manifestation of the Canaanite storm god. The name means, ironically, “Baal of the covenant.” Israel’s covenant allegiance had indeed shifted.

[8:34]  ⁴⁰¹ tn Heb “remember.”

[8:35]  ⁴⁰² tn Heb “did not do loyalty with,” or “did not act faithfully toward.”

[9:1]  ⁴⁰³ tn Heb “brothers.”

[9:1]  ⁴⁰⁴ tn Heb “to all the extended family of the house of the father of his mother.”

[9:2]  ⁴⁰⁵ tn Heb “Speak into the ears of.”

[9:2]  ⁴⁰⁶ tn Heb “What good is it to you?”

[9:2]  ⁴⁰⁷ tn Heb “your bone and your flesh.”

[9:3]  ⁴⁰⁸ tn Heb “brothers.”

[9:3]  ⁴⁰⁹ tn Heb “into the ears of.”

[9:3]  ⁴¹⁰ tn Heb “and all these words.”

[9:3]  ⁴¹¹ tn Heb “Their heart was inclined after Abimelech.”

[9:3]  ⁴¹² tn Heb “our brother.”

[9:4]  ⁴¹³ tn Heb “empty and reckless.”

[9:4]  ⁴¹⁴ tn Heb “and they followed him.”

[9:5]  ⁴¹⁵ tn Heb “his brothers.”

[9:5]  ⁴¹⁶ tn The word “legitimate” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[9:5]  ⁴¹⁷ tn Heb “remained.”

[9:6]  ⁴¹⁸ tc The translation assumes that the form in the Hebrew text (מֻצָּב, mutsav) is a corruption of an original מַצֵּבָה (matsevah, “pillar”). The reference is probably to a pagan object of worship (cf. LXX).

[9:7]  ⁴¹⁹ tn Heb “And they reported to Jotham.” The subject of the plural verb is indefinite.

[9:7]  ⁴²⁰ tn Heb “He lifted his voice and called and said to them.”

[9:8]  ⁴²¹ tn Heb “Going they went, the trees.” The precise emphatic force of the infinitive absolute (“Going”) is not entirely clear. Perhaps here it indicates determination, as in Gen 31:30, where one might translate, “You have insisted on going away.”

[9:8]  ⁴²² tn Heb “to anoint [with oil] over them a king.”

[9:8]  ⁴²³ tn Or “Rule over us!”

[9:9]  ⁴²⁴ 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.

[9:10]  ⁴²⁵ tn Or “and rule over us!”

[9:11]  ⁴²⁶ tn Heb “Should I stop my sweetness and my good fruit and go to sway over the trees? The negative sentence in the translation reflects the force of the rhetorical question.

[9:12]  ⁴²⁷ tn Or “and rule over us!”

[9:13]  ⁴²⁸ 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.

[9:14]  ⁴²⁹ tn Or “and rule over us!”

[9:15]  ⁴³⁰ tn Heb “are about to anoint [with oil].”

[9:15]  ⁴³¹ tn Heb “in my shade.”

[9:15]  ⁴³² tn Heb “If not.”

[9:16]  ⁴³³ tn Heb “house.”

[9:16]  ⁴³⁴ tn Heb “if according to the deeds of his hands you have done to him.”

[9:17]  ⁴³⁵ tc Heb “threw his life out in front,” that is, “exposed himself to danger.” The MT form מִנֶּגֶד (minneged, “from before”) should probably be read as מִנֶּגְדּוֹ (minnegdo, “from before him”); haplography of vav has likely occurred here in the MT.

[9:17]  ⁴³⁶ tn Heb “hand.”

[9:18]  ⁴³⁷ tn Heb “have risen up against.”

[9:18]  ⁴³⁸ tn Heb “house.”

[9:18]  ⁴³⁹ tn The word “legitimate” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[9:18]  ⁴⁴⁰ tn Heb “your brother.”

[9:19]  ⁴⁴¹ tn Heb “house.”

[9:19]  ⁴⁴² tn Heb “then rejoice in Abimelech, and may he also rejoice in you.”

[9:21]  ⁴⁴³ tn Heb “fled and ran away and went.”

[9:21]  ⁴⁴⁴ tn Heb “from before.”

[9:21]  ⁴⁴⁵ tn Heb “his brother.”

[9:22]  ⁴⁴⁶ tn The Hebrew verb translated “commanded” (שָׂרַר, sarar), which appears only here in Judges, differs from the ones employed earlier in this chapter (מָשַׁל [mashal] and מָלַךְ [malakh]).

[9:23]  ⁴⁴⁷ 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]  ⁴⁴⁸ tn Heb “The leaders of Shechem were disloyal.” The words “he made” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[9:24]  ⁴⁴⁹ tn Heb “their brother.”

[9:24]  ⁴⁵⁰ tn Heb “so that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerub-Baal might come, and their blood might be placed on Abimelech, their brother, who murdered them, and upon the leaders of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to murder his brothers.”

[9:25]  ⁴⁵¹ tn Heb “set against him bandits.”

[9:25]  ⁴⁵² tn Heb “on the tops of.”

[9:25]  ⁴⁵³ tn Heb “It was told to Abimelech.”

[9:26]  ⁴⁵⁴ sn The name Gaal derives from, or at least sounds like, a Hebrew verb meaning “to abhor, loathe.” His father’s name, Ebed, means “servant.” Perhaps then this could be translated, “loathsome one, son of a servant.” This individual’s very name (which may be the narrator’s nickname for him, not his actual name) seems to hint at his immoral character and lowly social status.

[9:26]  ⁴⁵⁵ tn Heb “trusted in him.” Here the verb probably describes more than a mental attitude. It is likely that the Shechemites made an alliance with Gaal and were now trusting him for protection in return for their loyalty (and probably tribute).

[9:27]  ⁴⁵⁶ tn Heb “vineyards.”

[9:27]  ⁴⁵⁷ tn Heb “stomped” or “trampled.” This refers to the way in which the juice was squeezed out in the wine vats by stepping on the grapes with one’s bare feet. For a discussion of grape harvesting in ancient Israel, see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 110-14.

[9:27]  ⁴⁵⁸ tn Heb “house.”

[9:28]  ⁴⁵⁹ tn Heb “and Zebul his appointee.”

[9:28]  ⁴⁶⁰ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abimelech) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:29]  ⁴⁶¹ tn Heb “people.”

[9:29]  ⁴⁶² tn Heb “in my hand.”

[9:29]  ⁴⁶³ tn Heb “said to Abimelech.” On the other hand, the preposition ל (lamed) prefixed to the proper name may be vocative (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 178). If so, one could translate, “He boasted, ‘Abimelech…’”

[9:29]  ⁴⁶⁴ tn Heb “Make numerous.”

[9:29]  ⁴⁶⁵ tn The words “for battle” are interpretive.

[9:30]  ⁴⁶⁶ tn Heb “his anger burned.”

[9:31]  ⁴⁶⁷ tn The form בְּתָרְמָה (bÿtarmah) in the Hebrew text, which occurs only here, has traditionally been understood to mean “secretly” or “with deception.” If this is correct, it is derived from II רָמָה (ramah, “to deceive”). Some interpreters object, pointing out that this would imply Zebul was trying to deceive Abimelech, which is clearly not the case in this context. But this objection is unwarranted. If retained, the phrase would refer instead to deceptive measures used by Zebul to avoid the suspicion of Gaal when he dispatched the messengers from Shechem. The present translation assumes an emendation to “in Arumah” (בָּארוּמָה, ba’rumah), a site mentioned in v. 41 as the headquarters of Abimelech. Confusion of alef and tav in archaic Hebrew script, while uncommon, is certainly not unimaginable.

[9:31]  ⁴⁶⁸ tn Heb “Look!”

[9:31]  ⁴⁶⁹ tn The participle, as used here, suggests Gaal and his brothers are in the process of arriving, but the preceding verses imply they have already settled in. Perhaps Zebul uses understatement to avoid the appearance of negligence on his part. After all, if he made the situation sound too bad, Abimelech, when he was informed, might ask why he had allowed this rebellion to reach such a stage.

[9:31]  ⁴⁷⁰ tn The words “to rebel” are interpretive. The precise meaning of the Hebrew verb צוּר (tsur) is unclear here. It is best to take it in the sense of “to instigate; to incite; to provoke” (see Deut 2:9, 19 and R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 178).

[9:32]  ⁴⁷¹ tn Heb “arise.”

[9:32]  ⁴⁷² tn Heb “you and the people who are with you.”

[9:32]  ⁴⁷³ tn The words “outside the city” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[9:33]  ⁴⁷⁴ tn Heb “Look! He and the people who are with him will come out to you, and you will do to him what your hand finds [to do].”

[9:34]  ⁴⁷⁵ tn Heb “and all the people who were with him arose.”

[9:34]  ⁴⁷⁶ tn Heb “four heads.” The words “they divided into” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[9:36]  ⁴⁷⁷ tn Heb “the people” (also in vv. 38, 43, 48). These were warriors, so “men” has been used in the translation, since in ancient Israelite culture soldiers would have been exclusively males.

[9:36]  ⁴⁷⁸ tn Heb “the shadow on the hills you are seeing, like men.”

[9:37]  ⁴⁷⁹ tn Heb “navel.” On the background of the Hebrew expression “the navel of the land,” see R. G. Boling, Judges (AB), 178-79.

[9:37]  ⁴⁸⁰ tn Heb “head.”

[9:37]  ⁴⁸¹ tn Some English translations simply transliterated this as a place name (Heb “Elon-meonenim”); cf. NAB, NRSV.

[9:38]  ⁴⁸² tn Heb “is your mouth that says.”

[9:38]  ⁴⁸³ tn Heb “the people.”

[9:38]  ⁴⁸⁴ tn Or “despised.”

[9:39]  ⁴⁸⁵ tn Heb “So Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem.”

[9:40]  ⁴⁸⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gaal) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:40]  ⁴⁸⁷ tn The word “Shechemites” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for clarification.

[9:41]  ⁴⁸⁸ tc Heb “stayed.” Some scholars revise the vowel pointing on this verb from that of the MT, resulting in the translation “and he returned to.” The Lucianic recension of the LXX understands the word in this way.

[9:41]  ⁴⁸⁹ tn Heb “drove…out from dwelling in Shechem.”

[9:42]  ⁴⁹⁰ tn Heb “the people”; the referent (the Shechemites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:42]  ⁴⁹¹ tn Heb “And they told Abimelech.”

[9:43]  ⁴⁹² tn Heb “his people.”

[9:43]  ⁴⁹³ tn Heb “And he saw and, look, the people were coming out of the city.”

[9:43]  ⁴⁹⁴ tn Heb “he arose against them and struck them.”

[9:44]  ⁴⁹⁵ tn Or possibly, “the unit that was with him.”

[9:44]  ⁴⁹⁶ tn Heb “stood [at].”

[9:45]  ⁴⁹⁷ tn Or “destroyed.”

[9:45]  ⁴⁹⁸ tn Heb “sowed it with salt.”

[9:46]  ⁴⁹⁹ sn Perhaps the Tower of Shechem was a nearby town, distinct from Shechem proper, or a tower within the city.

[9:46]  ⁵⁰⁰ tn Apparently this rare word refers here to the most inaccessible area of the temple, perhaps the inner sanctuary or an underground chamber. It appears only here and in 1 Sam 13:6, where it is paired with “cisterns” and refers to subterranean or cave-like hiding places.

[9:46]  ⁵⁰¹ sn The name El-Berith means “God of the Covenant.” It is probably a reference to the Canaanite high god El.

[9:47]  ⁵⁰² tn Heb “and it was told to Abimelech.”

[9:47]  ⁵⁰³ tn Heb “were assembled.”

[9:48]  ⁵⁰⁴ tn Heb “his people.”

[9:48]  ⁵⁰⁵ tn Heb “Abimelech.” The proper name has been replaced with the pronoun (“he”) due to considerations of English style.

[9:48]  ⁵⁰⁶ tn The Hebrew text has the plural here.

[9:48]  ⁵⁰⁷ tn Heb “he lifted it and put [it].”

[9:48]  ⁵⁰⁸ tn Heb “What you have seen me do, quickly do like me.”

[9:49]  ⁵⁰⁹ tn The words “the branches” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[9:49]  ⁵¹⁰ tn Heb “they kindled over them the stronghold with fire.”

[9:49]  ⁵¹¹ tn Or “men,” but the word seems to have a more general sense here, as the conclusion to the sentence suggests.

[9:50]  ⁵¹² tn Or “went.”

[9:50]  ⁵¹³ tn Heb “he camped near Thebez and captured it.”

[9:51]  ⁵¹⁴ tn Or “strong.”

[9:51]  ⁵¹⁵ tn Or “fortress.” The same Hebrew term occurs once more in this verse and twice in v. 52.

[9:53]  ⁵¹⁶ sn A hand mill consisted of an upper stone and larger lower stone. One would turn the upper stone with a handle to grind the grain, which was placed between the stones. An upper millstone, which was typically about two inches thick and a foot or so in diameter, probably weighed 25-30 pounds (11.4-13.6 kg). See G. F. Moore, Judges (ICC), 268; C. F. Burney, Judges, 288.

[9:53]  ⁵¹⁷ tn Heb “Abimelech’s.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun “his” in the translation in keeping with conventions of English narrative style.

[9:54]  ⁵¹⁸ tn The Hebrew text adds, “and said to him.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[9:54]  ⁵¹⁹ tn The Hebrew text adds, “concerning me.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[9:55]  ⁵²⁰ tn Heb “each to his own place.”

[9:56]  ⁵²¹ tn Heb “seventy brothers.”

[9:57]  ⁵²² tn Heb “came.”

[10:1]  ⁵²³ tn The word “death” has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[10:1]  ⁵²⁴ tn Heb “son.”

[10:1]  ⁵²⁵ tn Heb “a man of Issachar.”

[10:2]  ⁵²⁶ tn Traditionally, “judged.”

[10:4]  ⁵²⁷ sn The name Habboth Jair means “tent villages of Jair” in Hebrew.

[10:4]  ⁵²⁸ tn Heb “they call them Havvoth Jair to this day – which are in the land of Gilead.”

[10:6]  ⁵²⁹ tn Heb “in the eyes of the Lord.”

[10:6]  ⁵³⁰ tn Or “served;” or “followed.”

[10:6]  ⁵³¹ sn The Ashtars were local manifestations of the goddess Ashtar (i.e., Astarte).

[10:6]  ⁵³² map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[10:6]  ⁵³³ tn Heb “the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines.”

[10:6]  ⁵³⁴ tn Or “serve”; or “follow.”

[10:7]  ⁵³⁵ tn Or “the Lord’s anger burned [or “raged”] against Israel.”

[10:7]  ⁵³⁶ tn Heb “sold them into the hands of.”

[10:8]  ⁵³⁷ tn Heb “shattered and crushed.” The repetition of similar sounding synonyms (רָעַץ [ra’ats] and רָצַץ [ratsats]) is for emphasis; רָצַץ appears in the Polel, adding further emphasis to the affirmation.

[10:8]  ⁵³⁸ tn The phrase שְׁמֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה (shemoneh ’esreh shanah) could be translated “eighteen years,” but this would be difficult after the reference to “that year.” It is possible that v. 8b is parenthetical, referring to an eighteen year long period of oppression east of the Jordan which culminated in hostilities against all Israel (including Judah, see v. 9) in the eighteenth year. It is simpler to translate the phrase as an ordinal number, though the context does not provide the point of reference. (See Gen 14:4-5 and R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 191-92.) In this case, the following statement specifies which “Israelites” are in view.

[10:9]  ⁵³⁹ tn Heb “the house of Ephraim.”

[10:9]  ⁵⁴⁰ tn Or “Israel experienced great distress.” Perhaps here the verb has the nuance “hemmed in.”

[10:10]  ⁵⁴¹ tn Or “served”; or “followed.”

[10:12]  ⁵⁴² tc The translation follows the LXX which reads “Midian”; the Hebrew text has “Maon.”

[10:12]  ⁵⁴³ tn The words “Did I not deliver you” are interpretive. The Hebrew text simply reads, “Is it not from Egypt…when they oppressed you?” Perhaps the incomplete sentence reflects the Lord’s frustration.

[10:12]  ⁵⁴⁴ tn Heb “hand.”

[10:13]  ⁵⁴⁵ tn Or “served”; or “followed.”

[10:14]  ⁵⁴⁶ tn Heb “in your time of trouble.”

[10:15]  ⁵⁴⁷ tn Heb “according to all whatever is good in your eyes.”

[10:15]  ⁵⁴⁸ sn You do to us as you see fit, but deliver us today. The request seems contradictory, but it can be explained in one of two ways. They may be asking for relief from their enemies and direct discipline from God’s hand. Or they may mean, “In the future you can do whatever you like to us, but give us relief from what we’re suffering right now.”

[10:16]  ⁵⁴⁹ tn Heb “from their midst.”

[10:16]  ⁵⁵⁰ tn Or “served”; or “followed.”

[10:16]  ⁵⁵¹ tn Heb “And his spirit grew short [i.e., impatient] with the suffering of Israel.” The Hebrew noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) also appears as the subject of the verb קָצַר (qatsar) in Num 21:4 (the Israelites grow impatient wandering in the wilderness), Judg 16:16 (Samson grows impatient with Delilah’s constant nagging), and Zech 11:8 (Zechariah grows impatient with the three negligent “shepherds”).

[10:17]  ⁵⁵² tn Or “were summoned;” or “were mustered.”

[10:18]  ⁵⁵³ tn Heb “the people, the officers.”

[10:18]  ⁵⁵⁴ tn Heb “Who is the man who will begin fighting.”

[11:1]  ⁵⁵⁵ tn Heb “Now he was the son of a woman, a prostitute, and Gilead fathered Jephthah.”

[11:2]  ⁵⁵⁶ tn Heb “bore.”

[11:2]  ⁵⁵⁷ tn Heb “in the house of our father.”

[11:3]  ⁵⁵⁸ tn Or “fled from.”

[11:3]  ⁵⁵⁹ tn Heb “brothers.”

[11:3]  ⁵⁶⁰ tn Heb “Empty men joined themselves to Jephthah and went out with him.”

[11:5]  ⁵⁶¹ tn Heb “When the Ammonites fought with Israel.”

[11:5]  ⁵⁶² tn Or “elders.”

[11:5]  ⁵⁶³ tn Heb “went to take Jephthah.”

[11:6]  ⁵⁶⁴ tn Heb “to Jephthah.”

[11:7]  ⁵⁶⁵ tn Heb “Did you not hate me and make me leave?”

[11:8]  ⁵⁶⁶ tn Heb “therefore”; “even so.” For MT לָכֵן (lakhen, “therefore”) the LXX has an opposite reading, “not so,” which seems to be based on the Hebrew words לֹא כֵן (lo’ khen).

[11:8]  ⁵⁶⁷ tn Heb “we have returned to you.” For another example of שׁוּב אֶל (shuv ’el) in the sense of “give allegiance to,” see 1 Kgs 12:27b.

[11:8]  ⁵⁶⁸ sn Then you will become the leader. The leaders of Gilead now use the word רֹאשׁ (ro’sh, “head, leader”), the same term that appeared in their original, general offer (see 10:18). In their initial offer to Jephthah they had simply invited him to be their קָצִין (qatsin, “commander”; v. 6). When he resists they must offer him a more attractive reward – rulership over the region. See R. G. Boling, Judges (AB), 198.

[11:8]  ⁵⁶⁹ tn Heb “leader of us and all who live in Gilead.”

[11:9]  ⁵⁷⁰ tn “All right” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[11:9]  ⁵⁷¹ tn Heb “places them before me.”

[11:9]  ⁵⁷² tn Some translate the final statement as a question, “will I really be your leader?” An affirmative sentence is preferable. Jephthah is repeating the terms of the agreement in an official manner. In v. 10 the leaders legally agree to these terms.

[11:10]  ⁵⁷³ tn Heb “The Lord will be the one who hears between us.” For the idiom שָׁמַע בַּיִן (shama’ bayin, “to hear between”), see Deut 1:16.

[11:10]  ⁵⁷⁴ sn The Lord will judge…if we do not do as you say. The statement by the leaders of Gilead takes the form of a legally binding oath, which obligates them to the terms of the agreement.

[11:11]  ⁵⁷⁵ tn Heb “spoke all his words.” This probably refers to the “words” recorded in v. 9. Jephthah repeats the terms of the agreement at the Lord’s sanctuary, perhaps to ratify the contract or to emphasize the Gileadites’ obligation to keep their part of the bargain. Another option is to translate, “Jephthah conducted business before the Lord in Mizpah.” In this case, the statement is a general reference to the way Jephthah ruled. He recognized the Lord’s authority and made his decisions before the Lord.

[11:12]  ⁵⁷⁶ tn Heb “What to me and to you that…?”

[11:13]  ⁵⁷⁷ tn Or “took”; or “seized.”

[11:13]  ⁵⁷⁸ tn Heb “he” (a collective singular).

[11:13]  ⁵⁷⁹ tn Heb “from the Arnon to the Jabbok and to the Jordan.” The word “River” has been supplied in the translation with “Arnon” and “Jabbok,” because these are less familiar to modern readers than the Jordan.

[11:13]  ⁵⁸⁰ tc The translation assumes a singular suffix (“[return] it”); the Hebrew text has a plural suffix (“[return] them”), which, if retained, might refer to the cities of the land.

[11:15]  ⁵⁸¹ tn Or “take”; or “seize.”

[11:16]  ⁵⁸² tn Heb “For when they went up from.”

[11:16]  ⁵⁸³ tn Or “went.”

[11:17]  ⁵⁸⁴ tn Heb “me.” (Collective Israel is the speaker.)

[11:17]  ⁵⁸⁵ tn Heb “did not listen.”

[11:17]  ⁵⁸⁶ tn Heb “Also to the king of Moab he sent, but he was unwilling.”

[11:18]  ⁵⁸⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Israel; the pronoun in the Hebrew text represents a collective singular) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:18]  ⁵⁸⁸ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[11:19]  ⁵⁸⁹ tn Heb “to my place.”

[11:20]  ⁵⁹⁰ tn Heb “Sihon.” The proper name (“Sihon”) has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) because of English style; a repetition of the proper name here would be redundant in English.

[11:20]  ⁵⁹¹ tn Heb “all his people” (also in the following verse).

[11:21]  ⁵⁹² tn That is, took as its own possession.

[11:22]  ⁵⁹³ tn Heb “from the Arnon to the Jabbok, and from the desert to the Jordan.” The word “River” has been supplied in the translation with “Arnon” and “Jabbok,” because these are less familiar to modern readers than the Jordan.

[11:23]  ⁵⁹⁴ tn Heb “Now.”

[11:23]  ⁵⁹⁵ tn Or “dispossessed.”

[11:23]  ⁵⁹⁶ tn Heb “will you dispossess him [i.e., Israel; or possibly “it,” i.e., the territory]?” There is no interrogative marker in the Hebrew text.

[11:24]  ⁵⁹⁷ tn Heb “Is it not so that what Chemosh your god causes you to possess, you possess, and all whom the Lord our God dispossesses before us we will possess?” Jephthah speaks of Chemosh as if he is on a par with the Lord God of Israel. This does not necessarily mean that Jephthah is polytheistic or that he recognizes the Lord as only a local deity. He may simply be assuming the Ammonite king’s perspective for the sake of argument. Other texts, as well as the extrabiblical Mesha inscription, associate Chemosh with Moab, while Milcom is identified as the god of the Ammonites. Why then does Jephthah refer to Chemosh as the Ammonite god? Ammon had likely conquered Moab and the Ammonite king probably regarded himself as heir of all territory formerly held by Moab. Originally Moab had owned the disputed territory (cf. Num 21:26-29), meaning that Chemosh was regarded as the god of the region (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 203-4). Jephthah argues that Chemosh had long ago relinquished claim to the area (by allowing Sihon to conquer it), while the Lord had long ago established jurisdiction over it (by taking it from Sihon and giving it to Israel). Both sides should abide by the decisions of the gods which had stood firm for three hundred years.

[11:25]  ⁵⁹⁸ tn The Hebrew grammatical constructions of all three rhetorical questions indicate emphasis, which “really” and “dare to” are intended to express in the translation.

[11:27]  ⁵⁹⁹ tn Or “sinned against you.”

[11:27]  ⁶⁰⁰ tn Or “evil.”

[11:28]  ⁶⁰¹ tn Heb “did not listen to.”

[11:28]  ⁶⁰² tn Heb “Jephthah’s words which he sent to him.”

[11:29]  ⁶⁰³ tn Heb “was on.”

[11:29]  ⁶⁰⁴ tn Heb “passed through.”

[11:29]  ⁶⁰⁵ tn Heb “From Mizpah in Gilead he passed through [to] the Ammonites.”

[11:31]  ⁶⁰⁶ tn Heb “the one coming out, who comes out from.” The text uses a masculine singular participle with prefixed article, followed by a relative pronoun and third masculine singular verb. The substantival masculine singular participle הַיּוֹצֵא (hayyotse’, “the one coming out”) is used elsewhere of inanimate objects (such as a desert [Num 21:13] or a word [Num 32:24]) or persons (Jer 5:6; 21:9; 38:2). In each case context must determine the referent. Jephthah may have envisioned an animal meeting him, since the construction of Iron Age houses would allow for an animal coming through the doors of a house (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 208). But the fact that he actually does offer up his daughter indicates the language of the vow is fluid enough to encompass human beings, including women. He probably intended such an offering from the very beginning, but he obviously did not expect his daughter to meet him first.

[11:31]  ⁶⁰⁷ tn The language is fluid enough to include women and perhaps even animals, but the translation uses the masculine pronoun because the Hebrew form is grammatically masculine.

[11:31]  ⁶⁰⁸ tn Some translate “or,” suggesting that Jephthah makes a distinction between humans and animals. According to this view, if a human comes through the door, then Jephthah will commit him/her to the Lord’s service, but if an animal comes through the doors, he will offer it up as a sacrifice. However, it is far more likely that the Hebrew construction (vav [ו] + perfect) specifies how the subject will become the Lord’s, that is, by being offered up as a sacrifice. For similar constructions, where the apodosis of a conditional sentence has at least two perfects (each with vav) in sequence, see Gen 34:15-16; Exod 18:16.

[11:32]  ⁶⁰⁹ tn Heb “passed over to.”

[11:33]  ⁶¹⁰ tn Heb “with a very great slaughter.”

[11:33]  ⁶¹¹ tn Heb “The Ammonites were humbled before the Israelites.”

[11:34]  ⁶¹² tn Heb “Look! His daughter was coming out.”

[11:34]  ⁶¹³ tn Heb “with tambourines and dancing.”

[11:35]  ⁶¹⁴ tn Heb “you have brought me very low,” or “you have knocked me to my knees.” The infinitive absolute precedes the verb for emphasis.

[11:35]  ⁶¹⁵ tn Heb “You are among [or “like”] those who trouble me.”

[11:35]  ⁶¹⁶ tn Heb “I opened my mouth to the Lord and I am not able to return.”

[11:36]  ⁶¹⁷ tn The conjunction “since” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[11:36]  ⁶¹⁸ tn Heb “you opened your mouth to the Lord, do to me according to [what] went out from your mouth.”

[11:36]  ⁶¹⁹ tn Or “has given you vengeance against.”

[11:37]  ⁶²⁰ tn Heb “Let this thing be done for me.”

[11:37]  ⁶²¹ tn Heb “Leave me alone for two months so I can go and go down on the hills and weep over my virginity – I and my friends.”

[11:38]  ⁶²² tn Heb “he sent her.”

[11:38]  ⁶²³ tn Heb “on the hills.” The words “as she walked” are supplied.

[11:39]  ⁶²⁴ tn Heb “She had never known a man.” Some understand this to mean that her father committed her to a life of celibacy, but the disjunctive clause (note the vav + subject + verb pattern) more likely describes her condition at the time the vow was fulfilled. (See G. F. Moore, Judges [ICC], 302-3; C. F. Burney, Judges, 324.) She died a virgin and never experienced the joys of marriage and motherhood.

[11:39]  ⁶²⁵ tn Heb “There was a custom in Israel.”

[11:40]  ⁶²⁶ tn Heb “From days to days,” a Hebrew idiom for “annually.”

[11:40]  ⁶²⁷ tn Heb “go to commemorate.” The rare Hebrew verb תָּנָה (tanah, “to tell; to repeat; to recount”) occurs only here and in 5:11.

[11:40]  ⁶²⁸ tn The Hebrew text adds, “in the year.” This is redundant (note “every year” at the beginning of the verse) and has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[12:1]  ⁶²⁹ tn Heb “the men of Ephraim were summoned [or “were mustered”].”

[12:1]  ⁶³⁰ tn Heb “cross over to fight.”

[12:1]  ⁶³¹ tn Or “calling”; or “summoning.”

[12:1]  ⁶³² tn Heb “Your house we will burn over you with fire.”

[12:2]  ⁶³³ tn Heb A man of great strife I was and my people and the Ammonites.”

[12:2]  ⁶³⁴ tn Heb “hand.”

[12:3]  ⁶³⁵ tn Heb “you were no deliverer.” Codex Alexandrinus (A) of the LXX has “no one was helping.”

[12:3]  ⁶³⁶ tn Heb “I put my life in my hand.”

[12:3]  ⁶³⁷ tn Heb “crossed over to.”

[12:3]  ⁶³⁸ tn The Hebrew adds “against me” here. This is redundant in English and has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[12:4]  ⁶³⁹ tn Heb “because they said.”

[12:4]  ⁶⁴⁰ tc Heb “Refugees of Ephraim are you, O Gilead, in the midst of Ephraim and in the midst of Manasseh.” The LXX omits the entire second half of the verse (beginning with “because”). The words כִּי אָמְרוּ פְּלִיטֵי אֶפְרַיִם (ki ’amru pÿlitey ’efrayim, “because they said, ‘Refugees of Ephraim’”) may have been accidentally copied from the next verse (cf. כִּי יֹאמְרוּ פְּלִיטֵי אֶפְרַיִם, ki yo’mÿru pelitey ’efrayim) and the following words (“you, O Gilead…Manasseh”) then added in an attempt to make sense of the verse. See G. F. Moore, Judges (ICC), 307-8, and C. F. Burney, Judges, 327. If the Hebrew text is retained, then the Ephraimites appear to be insulting the Gileadites by describing them as refugees who are squatting on Ephraim’s and Manasseh’s land. The present translation assumes that “Ephraim” is a genitive of location after “refugees.”

[12:5]  ⁶⁴¹ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[12:5]  ⁶⁴² tn Or “against Ephraim,” that is, so as to prevent Ephraim from crossing.

[12:5]  ⁶⁴³ tn The Hebrew text has a plural form here.

[12:5]  ⁶⁴⁴ tn Heb “say to.”

[12:6]  ⁶⁴⁵ sn The inability of the Ephraimites to pronounce the word shibboleth the way the Gileadites did served as an identifying test. It illustrates that during this period there were differences in pronunciation between the tribes. The Hebrew word shibboleth itself means “stream” or “flood,” and was apparently chosen simply as a test case without regard to its meaning.

[12:6]  ⁶⁴⁶ tn Heb “and could not prepare to speak.” The precise meaning of יָכִין (yakhin) is unclear. Some understand it to mean “was not careful [to say it correctly]”; others emend to יָכֹל (yakhol, “was not able [to say it correctly]”) or יָבִין (yavin, “did not understand [that he should say it correctly]”), which is read by a few Hebrew mss.

[12:7]  ⁶⁴⁷ tn Traditionally, “judged.”

[12:7]  ⁶⁴⁸ tn Heb “Jephthah the Gileadite.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[12:7]  ⁶⁴⁹ tc The Hebrew text has “in the cities of Gilead.” The present translation has support from some ancient Greek textual witnesses.

[12:8]  ⁶⁵⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.

[12:8]  ⁶⁵¹ tn Traditionally, “judged.”

[12:9]  ⁶⁵² tn Heb “thirty daughters he sent off outside.” Another option is to translate, “He arranged for his thirty daughters…” It is not clear if he had more than the “thirty daughters” mentioned in the text.

[12:9]  ⁶⁵³ tn Heb “and thirty daughters he brought for his sons from the outside.”

[12:9]  ⁶⁵⁴ tn Heb “He”; the referent (Ibzan) has been specified in the translation for clarity and for English stylistic reasons.

[12:9]  ⁶⁵⁵ tn Traditionally, “judged.”

[12:10]  ⁶⁵⁶ tn Heb “Ibzan.” The pronoun “he” is used in the translation in keeping with English style, which tends to use a proper name first in a sentence followed by a pronoun rather than vice versa.

[12:11]  ⁶⁵⁷ tn Traditionally, “judged.”

[12:11]  ⁶⁵⁸ tn Heb “…led Israel. He led Israel for ten years.”

[12:13]  ⁶⁵⁹ tn Traditionally, “judged.”

[13:1]  ⁶⁶⁰ tn Heb “in the eyes of.”

[13:2]  ⁶⁶¹ tn Heb “and had not given birth.”

[13:3]  ⁶⁶² tn The adjective “angelic” is interpretive (also in vv. 6, 9).

[13:3]  ⁶⁶³ tn Heb “Look, you.”

[13:3]  ⁶⁶⁴ tn Heb “and have not given birth.”

[13:4]  ⁶⁶⁵ tn Heb “eat anything unclean.” Certain foods were regarded as ritually “unclean” (see Lev 11). Eating such food made one ritually “contaminated.”

[13:5]  ⁶⁶⁶ tn Another option is to translate, “you are already pregnant and will have a son.” The earlier reference to her being infertile (v. 3) suggests that her conception is still future, but it is possible that the earlier statement only reflects her perspective (as far as she is concerned, she is infertile). According to this interpretation, in v. 5 the angel reveals the truth to her – actually she has recently conceived and is now pregnant (see the translation in R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 217). Usage favors this interpretation. The predicate adjective הָרָה (harah, “[be/become] pregnant”) elsewhere has a past (1 Sam 4:19) or present (Gen 16:11; 38:25; 2 Sam 11:5) translation value. (The usage in Isa 7:14 is debated, but a present translation is definitely possible there.) A final, but less likely possibility, is that she miraculously conceived during the angel’s speech, sometime between his statements recorded in vv. 3 and 5.

[13:5]  ⁶⁶⁷ tn Heb “a razor should not go up on his head.”

[13:5]  ⁶⁶⁸ tn Or “set apart to God.” Traditionally the Hebrew term נָזִיר (nazir) has been translated “Nazirite.” The word is derived from the verb נָזַר (nazar, “to dedicate; to consecrate; to set apart”).

[13:5]  ⁶⁶⁹ tn Heb “hand.”

[13:6]  ⁶⁷⁰ tn Heb “The man of God.”

[13:6]  ⁶⁷¹ tn Heb “His appearance was like the appearance of the messenger of God, very awesome.”

[13:7]  ⁶⁷² tn See the note on the word “son” in 13:5, where this same statement occurs.

[13:7]  ⁶⁷³ tn Heb “eat anything unclean.” Certain foods were regarded as ritually “unclean” (see Lev 11). Eating such food made one ritually “contaminated.”

[13:7]  ⁶⁷⁴ tn Traditionally “a Nazirite.”

[13:8]  ⁶⁷⁵ tn The Hebrew text adds “and said.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[13:8]  ⁶⁷⁶ tn Heb “the man of God.”

[13:8]  ⁶⁷⁷ tn Heb “come to.”

[13:8]  ⁶⁷⁸ tc The LXX has “enlighten,” understanding the Hebrew to read וִיאִירֵנוּ (vi’irenu, “to give light”) rather than the reading of the MT, וְיוֹרֵנוּ (vÿyorenu, “to teach”).

[13:8]  ⁶⁷⁹ tn Heb “what we should do for.”

[13:9]  ⁶⁸⁰ tn Heb “God listened to the voice of Manoah.”

[13:9]  ⁶⁸¹ tn Heb “came to.”

[13:10]  ⁶⁸² tn Heb “and said to him.” This phrase has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[13:10]  ⁶⁸³ tn Heb “Look.”

[13:10]  ⁶⁸⁴ tn Heb “came to.”

[13:11]  ⁶⁸⁵ tn Heb “came to.”

[13:11]  ⁶⁸⁶ tn Heb “the woman.”

[13:11]  ⁶⁸⁷ tn Heb “I [am].”

[13:12]  ⁶⁸⁸ tn Heb “Now, [when] your word comes [to pass].”

[13:12]  ⁶⁸⁹ tn Heb “what will be the child’s rule [i.e., way of life] and his work?”

[13:13]  ⁶⁹⁰ tn Or “said to.”

[13:13]  ⁶⁹¹ tn Heb “To everything I said to the woman she should pay attention.” The Hebrew word order emphasizes “to everything,” probably because Manoah’s wife did not tell her husband everything the angel had said to her (cf. vv. 3-5 with v. 7). If she had, Manoah probably would not have been so confused about the child’s mission.

[13:14]  ⁶⁹² tn Heb “eat.”

[13:14]  ⁶⁹³ tn Heb “eat anything unclean.” Certain foods were regarded as ritually “unclean” (see Lev 11). Eating such food made one ritually “contaminated.”

[13:15]  ⁶⁹⁴ tn Heb “Please allow us to detain you.”

[13:15]  ⁶⁹⁵ tn Heb “so we can prepare before you a young goat of the goats.”

[13:16]  ⁶⁹⁶ tn Heb “If you detain me.”

[13:16]  ⁶⁹⁷ tn The words “he said this” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Manoah should have known from these words that the messenger represented the Lord. In the preceding narrative the narrator has informed the reader that the visitor is the Lord’s messenger, but Manoah and his wife did not perceive this. In vv. 5 and 7 the angel refers to “God” (אֱלֹהִים, ’elohim), not the Lord (יְהוַה, yÿhvah). Manoah’s wife calls the visitor “a man sent from God” and “God’s messenger” (v. 6), while Manoah prays to the “Lord” (אֲדוֹנָי, ’adonay) and calls the visitor “a man sent from God” (v. 8).

[13:17]  ⁶⁹⁸ tn Heb “Who your name? For [when] your word comes [to pass], we will honor you.” Manoah apparently gets tongue-tied and uses the wrong pronoun (“who” instead of “what”). He starts to say, “Who are you?” But then he switches to “your name” as if he began the sentence with “what.” See R. G. Boling, Judges (AB), 222.

[13:18]  ⁶⁹⁹ tn Heb “Why do you ask for my name, for it is incomprehensible?” The Hebrew adjective פִּלְאִי (pile’iy, “wonderful, incomprehensible”) refers to what is in a category of its own and is beyond full human understanding. Note the use of this word in Ps 139:6, where God’s knowledge is described as incomprehensible and unattainable.

[13:19]  ⁷⁰⁰ tc Heb “Doing an extraordinary deed while Manoah and his wife were watching.” The subject of the participle is missing. The translation assumes that the phrase “the Lord’s messenger” was lost by homoioteleuton. If the text originally read לַיהוָה מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה (layhavah mal’akh yÿhvah), the scribe’s eye could have jumped from the first יְהוָה to the second, accidentally omitting two of the three words. Later the conjunction וּ (shureq) would have been added to the following מַפְלִא (mafli’) for syntactical reasons. Another possibility is that a pronominal subject (הוּא, hu’) has been lost in the MT due to haplography.

[13:20]  ⁷⁰¹ tn Heb “in the flame from the altar.”

[13:20]  ⁷⁰² tn Heb “on their faces.”

[13:21]  ⁷⁰³ tn Heb “Then Manoah knew that he was the Lord’s messenger.”

[13:22]  ⁷⁰⁴ tn Or “seen God.” Some take the Hebrew term אֱלֹהִים (’elohim) as the divine name (“God”) here, but this seems unlikely since v. 21 informs us that Manoah realized this was the Lord’s messenger, not God himself. Of course, he may be exaggerating for the sake of emphasis. Another option, the one followed in the translation, understands Manoah to be referring to a lesser deity. The term אֱלֹהִים (’elohim) is sometimes used of an individual deity other than the Lord (see BDB 43 s.v. 2.a). One cannot assume that Manoah was a theologically sophisticated monotheist.

[13:23]  ⁷⁰⁵ tn Heb “our hand.”

[13:24]  ⁷⁰⁶ tn Heb “the woman.” For clarity this has been specified in the translation as “Manoah’s wife.”

[13:24]  ⁷⁰⁷ tn The name appears to mean “sun-like” or “solar.”

[13:24]  ⁷⁰⁸ tn Traditionally, “blessed.”

[13:25]  ⁷⁰⁹ tn Or “move him to action”; or “stir him.”

[14:1]  ⁷¹⁰ tn Heb “and he saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines.”

[14:2]  ⁷¹¹ tn Heb “and he went up.”

[14:2]  ⁷¹² tn Heb “I have seen a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines.”

[14:3]  ⁷¹³ tn Heb “my.” The singular may seem strange, since the introduction to the quotation attributes the words to his father and mother. But Samson’s father apparently speaks for both himself and his wife. However, the Lucianic recension of the LXX and the Syriac Peshitta have a second person pronoun here (“you”), and this may represent the original reading.

[14:3]  ⁷¹⁴ tn Heb “Is there not among the daughters of your brothers or among all my people a woman that you have to go to get a wife among the uncircumcised Philistines?”

[14:3]  ⁷¹⁵ tn “Her” is first in the Hebrew word order for emphasis. Samson wanted this Philistine girl, no one else. See C. F. Burney, Judges, 357.

[14:3]  ⁷¹⁶ tn Heb “because she is right in my eyes.”

[14:4]  ⁷¹⁷ tn Heb “this was from the LORD.”

[14:4]  ⁷¹⁸ tn Heb “for an opportunity he was seeking from the Philistines.”

[14:5]  ⁷¹⁹ tc The MT reads, “Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnah. When they approached…” Verse 6b states that Samson did not tell his parents about his encounter with the lion (vv. 5b-6a), but v. 5a gives the impression they would have seen the entire episode. One could assume that Samson separated from his parents prior to the lion’s attack, but the Hebrew text does not indicate this. It seems more likely that the words “with his father and his mother” were accidentally copied into the text, perhaps under the influence of v. 4a, where the same phrase appears. An original singular verb (“he approached”) may have been changed to the plural form (“they approached”) after the words “his father and his mother” were accidentally added to the text.

[14:5]  ⁷²⁰ tn Heb “and look, a young lion of the lions was roaring to meet him.”

[14:6]  ⁷²¹ tn Heb “rushed on.”

[14:6]  ⁷²² tn Heb “him” or “it”; the referent (the lion) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:6]  ⁷²³ tn Heb “and there was nothing in his hand.”

[14:7]  ⁷²⁴ tn Heb “He went down.”

[14:7]  ⁷²⁵ tn Heb “She was the right one in the eyes of Samson.”

[14:8]  ⁷²⁶ tn Heb “get.”

[14:8]  ⁷²⁷ tn Heb “and look, a swarm of bees…”

[14:9]  ⁷²⁸ tn Heb “went.” Samson apparently went home to his parents before going to Timnah for the marriage. Seeing and tasting the honey appears to encourage Manoah to go with his son to Timnah. Perhaps both Samson and his father viewed the honey as a good omen of future blessing. Possibly Samson considered it a symbol of sexual pleasure or an aphrodisiac. Note the use of honey imagery in Song 4:11 and 5:1.

[14:9]  ⁷²⁹ sn Touching the carcass of a dead animal undoubtedly violated Samson’s Nazirite status. See Num 6:6.

[14:10]  ⁷³⁰ tn Heb “And his father went down to the woman.”

[14:10]  ⁷³¹ tn Or “[wedding] feast.”

[14:10]  ⁷³² tn Heb “the young men.”

[14:11]  ⁷³³ tn Heb “When they saw him, they gave him thirty companions and they were with him.” Instead of כִּרְאוֹתָם (kir’otam, “when they saw”) some ancient witnesses (e.g., some mss of the LXX) assume the reading בְּיִרְאָתָם (bÿyir’atam, “because they feared”).

[14:12]  ⁷³⁴ tn Heb “If you really can tell it to me [during] the seven days of the feast and you find [its answer].”

[14:12]  ⁷³⁵ tn Heb “changes.”

[14:13]  ⁷³⁶ tn Heb “you are unable to tell me.”

[14:13]  ⁷³⁷ tn Heb “Give your riddle so we can hear it.”

[14:15]  ⁷³⁸ 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]  ⁷³⁹ tn Heb “Entice your husband so that he might tell us the riddle.”

[14:15]  ⁷⁴⁰ tn Heb “lest.”

[14:15]  ⁷⁴¹ 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]  ⁷⁴² tn Heb “house.”

[14:15]  ⁷⁴³ 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]  ⁷⁴⁴ tn For discussion of this difficult form, see C. F. Burney, Judges, 364.

[14:16]  ⁷⁴⁵ tn Heb “on him.”

[14:16]  ⁷⁴⁶ tn Heb “only”; or “simply.”

[14:16]  ⁷⁴⁷ tn Heb “the sons of my people.”

[14:16]  ⁷⁴⁸ tn Heb “Should I tell you?”

[14:17]  ⁷⁴⁹ tn Heb “on him.”

[14:17]  ⁷⁵⁰ tn Heb “the seven days [during] which they held the party.” This does not mean she cried for the entire seven days; v. 15 indicates otherwise. She cried for the remainder of the seven day period, beginning on the fourth day.

[14:17]  ⁷⁵¹ tn Heb “because she forced him.”

[14:17]  ⁷⁵² tn Heb “she told the riddle to the sons of her people.”

[14:18]  ⁷⁵³ sn Plowed with my heifer. This statement emphasizes that the Philistines had utilized a source of information which should have been off-limits to them. Heifers were used in plowing (Hos 10:11), but one typically used one’s own farm animals, not another man’s.

[14:19]  ⁷⁵⁴ tn Heb “equipment”; or “gear.”

[14:19]  ⁷⁵⁵ tn Heb “changes [of clothes].”

[14:19]  ⁷⁵⁶ tn Heb “he went up to his father’s house.”

[14:20]  ⁷⁵⁷ tn Heb “to his companion who had been his attendant.”

[15:1]  ⁷⁵⁸ sn The wheat harvest took place during the month of May. See O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 37, 88.

[15:1]  ⁷⁵⁹ tn Heb “Samson visited his wife with a young goat.”

[15:1]  ⁷⁶⁰ tn The words “to her father” are supplied in the translation (see the end of the verse).

[15:1]  ⁷⁶¹ tn Heb “I will go to my wife in the bedroom.” The Hebrew idiom בּוֹא אֶל (bo’ ’el, “to go to”) often has sexual connotations. The cohortative form used by Samson can be translated as indicating resolve (“I want to go”) or request (“let me go”).

[15:2]  ⁷⁶² tn Heb “saying, I said.” The first person form of אָמַר (’amar, “to say”) sometimes indicates self-reflection. The girl’s father uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis.

[15:2]  ⁷⁶³ tn Heb “hating, you hated.” Once again the girl’s father uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis.

[15:2]  ⁷⁶⁴ tn Heb “Is her younger sister not better than her? Let her [i.e., the younger sister] be yours instead of her [i.e., Samson’s ‘bride’]).”

[15:3]  ⁷⁶⁵ tc Codex Alexandrinus (A) of the (original) LXX has the singular “to him.”

[15:3]  ⁷⁶⁶ tn Heb “I am innocent this time from the Philistines when I do with them harm.”

[15:4]  ⁷⁶⁷ tn Traditionally, “foxes.”

[15:4]  ⁷⁶⁸ tn Heb “He turned tail to tail and placed one torch between the two tails in the middle.”

[15:5]  ⁷⁶⁹ tn Heb “He set fire to the torches.”

[15:6]  ⁷⁷⁰ tn Or “said.”

[15:6]  ⁷⁷¹ tn Heb “and they said.” The subject of the plural verb is indefinite.

[15:6]  ⁷⁷² tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Timnite) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:6]  ⁷⁷³ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Samson) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:6]  ⁷⁷⁴ tn The Hebrew text expands the statement with the additional phrase “burned with fire.” The words “with fire” are redundant in English and have been omitted from the translation for stylistic reasons. Some textual witnesses read “burned…her father’s house,” perhaps under the influence of 14:15. On the other hand, the shorter text may have lost this phrase due to haplography.

[15:7]  ⁷⁷⁵ tn The Niphal of נָקָם (naqam, “to avenge, to take vengeance”) followed by the preposition ב (bet) has the force “to get revenge against.” See 1 Sam 18:25; Jer 50:15; Ezek 25:12.

[15:7]  ⁷⁷⁶ tn Heb “and afterward I will stop.”

[15:8]  ⁷⁷⁷ tn Heb “He struck them, calf on thigh, [with] a great slaughter.” The precise meaning of the phrase “calf on thigh” is uncertain.

[15:9]  ⁷⁷⁸ tn Or “camped in.”

[15:9]  ⁷⁷⁹ tn Or “spread out.” The Niphal of נָטָשׁ (natash) has this same sense in 2 Sam 5:18, 22.

[15:10]  ⁷⁸⁰ tn Or “come up against.”

[15:10]  ⁷⁸¹ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Philistines) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:12]  ⁷⁸² tn Or “swear to me.”

[15:12]  ⁷⁸³ tn Heb “meet [with hostility]”; “harm.” In light of v. 13, “kill” is an appropriate translation.

[15:13]  ⁷⁸⁴ tn Heb “No,” meaning that they will not harm him.

[15:14]  ⁷⁸⁵ tn Heb “rushed on.”

[15:14]  ⁷⁸⁶ tn Heb “burned with.”

[15:14]  ⁷⁸⁷ tn Heb “his bonds.”

[15:15]  ⁷⁸⁸ tn Heb “he found.”

[15:15]  ⁷⁸⁹ tn Heb “fresh,” i.e., not decayed and brittle.

[15:15]  ⁷⁹⁰ tn Heb “he reached out his hand and took it.”

[15:15]  ⁷⁹¹ tn The Hebrew text adds “with it.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[15:16]  ⁷⁹² tn The precise meaning of the second half of the line (חֲמוֹר חֲמֹרָתָיִם, khamor khamoratayim) is uncertain. The present translation assumes that the phrase means, “a heap, two heaps” and refers to the heaps of corpses littering the battlefield. Other options include: (a) “I have made donkeys of them” (cf. NIV; see C. F. Burney, Judges, 373, for a discussion of this view, which understands a denominative verb from the noun “donkey”); (b) “I have thoroughly skinned them” (see HALOT 330 s.v. IV cj. חמר, which appeals to an Arabic cognate for support); (c) “I have stormed mightily against them,” which assumes the verb חָמַר (khamar, “to ferment; to foam; to boil up”).

[15:17]  ⁷⁹³ tn Heb “from his hand.”

[15:17]  ⁷⁹⁴ sn The name Ramath Lehi means “Height of the Jawbone.”

[15:18]  ⁷⁹⁵ tn Heb “you have placed into the hand of your servant.”

[15:18]  ⁷⁹⁶ tn Heb “the uncircumcised,” which in context refers to the Philistines.

[15:19]  ⁷⁹⁷ tn The word translated “basin” refers to a circular-shaped depression in the land’s surface.

[15:19]  ⁷⁹⁸ tn Heb “spirit.”

[15:19]  ⁷⁹⁹ tn Heb “named it”; the referent (the spring) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:19]  ⁸⁰⁰ sn The name En Hakkore means “Spring of the one who cries out.”

[15:20]  ⁸⁰¹ tn Traditionally, “judged.”

[15:20]  ⁸⁰² tn Heb “in the days of the Philistines.”

[16:1]  ⁸⁰³ tn Heb “and he went in to her.” The idiom בּוֹא אֶל (bo’ ’el, “to go to”) often has sexual connotations.

[16:2]  ⁸⁰⁴ tc Heb “To the Gazites, saying.” A verb is missing from the MT; some ancient Greek witnesses add “it was reported.”

[16:2]  ⁸⁰⁵ tn Heb “And they surrounded.” The rest of the verse suggests that “the town” is the object, not “the house.” Though the Gazites knew Samson was in the town, apparently they did not know exactly where he had gone. Otherwise, they would could have just gone into or surrounded the house and would not have needed to post guards at the city gate.

[16:2]  ⁸⁰⁶ tn Heb “and they lay in wait for him all night in the city gate.”

[16:2]  ⁸⁰⁷ tn Heb “were silent.”

[16:2]  ⁸⁰⁸ tn Heb “saying.”

[16:2]  ⁸⁰⁹ tn The words “He will not leave” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[16:2]  ⁸¹⁰ tn Heb “until the light of the morning.”

[16:3]  ⁸¹¹ tn Heb “And Samson lay until the middle of the night and arose in the middle of the night.”

[16:3]  ⁸¹² tn Heb “with the bar.”

[16:3]  ⁸¹³ tn Heb “which is upon the face of Hebron.”

[16:5]  ⁸¹⁴ tn Heb “subdue him in order to humiliate him.”

[16:6]  ⁸¹⁵ tn Heb “how you can be subdued in order to be humiliated.”

[16:7]  ⁸¹⁶ tn Or “moist.”

[16:7]  ⁸¹⁷ tn The word refers to a bowstring, probably made from animal tendons. See Ps 11:2; Job 30:11.

[16:9]  ⁸¹⁸ tn Heb “And the ones lying in wait were sitting for her.” The grammatically singular form וְהָאֹרֵב (vÿha’orev) is collective here, referring to the rulers as a group (so also in v. 16).

[16:9]  ⁸¹⁹ tn Heb “are upon you.”

[16:9]  ⁸²⁰ tn Heb “when it smells fire.”

[16:9]  ⁸²¹ tn Heb “His strength was not known.”

[16:10]  ⁸²² tn See Gen 31:7; Exod 8:29 [8:25 HT]; Job 13:9; Isa 44:20; Jer 9:4 for other uses of this Hebrew word (II תָּלַל, talal), which also occurs in v. 13.

[16:11]  ⁸²³ tn Heb “with which no work has been done.”

[16:12]  ⁸²⁴ tn Heb “are upon you.”

[16:12]  ⁸²⁵ tn Heb “And the ones lying in wait were sitting in the bedroom.”

[16:12]  ⁸²⁶ tn Heb “them”; the referent (the ropes) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:13]  ⁸²⁷ tn Heb “head” (also in the following verse). By metonymy the head is mentioned in the Hebrew text in place of the hair on it.

[16:13]  ⁸²⁸ tn Heb “with the web.” For a discussion of how Delilah did this, see C. F. Burney, Judges, 381, and G. F. Moore, Judges (ICC), 353-54.

[16:14]  ⁸²⁹ tn Heb “are upon you.”

[16:14]  ⁸³⁰ tc The MT of vv. 13b-14a reads simply, “He said to her, ‘If you weave the seven braids of my head with the web.’ And she fastened with the pin and said to him.” The additional words in the translation, “and secure it with the pin, I will become weak and be like any other man.’ 16:14 So she made him go to sleep, wove the seven braids of his hair into the fabric on the loom,” which without doubt represent the original text, are supplied from the ancient Greek version. (In both vv. 13b and 14a the Greek version has “to the wall” after “with the pin,” but this is an interpretive addition that reflects a misunderstanding of ancient weaving equipment. See G. F. Moore, Judges [ICC], 353-54.) The Hebrew textual tradition was accidentally shortened during the copying process. A scribe’s eye jumped from the first instance of “with the web” to the second, causing him to leave out inadvertently the intervening words.

[16:14]  ⁸³¹ tn The Hebrew adds, “from his sleep.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[16:15]  ⁸³² tn Heb “when your heart is not with me.”

[16:16]  ⁸³³ tn Heb “forced him with her words.”

[16:16]  ⁸³⁴ tn Heb “and his spirit was short [i.e., impatient] to the point of death.”

[16:17]  ⁸³⁵ tn Heb “all his heart.”

[16:17]  ⁸³⁶ tn Heb “a razor has not come upon my head.”

[16:17]  ⁸³⁷ tn Or “set apart to God.” Traditionally the Hebrew term נָזִיר (nazir) has been translated “Nazirite.” The word is derived from the verb נָזַר (nazar, “to dedicate; to consecrate; to set apart”).

[16:17]  ⁸³⁸ tn Heb “from the womb of my mother.”

[16:17]  ⁸³⁹ tn Heb “I.” The referent has been made more specific in the translation (“my head”).

[16:18]  ⁸⁴⁰ tn Heb “all his heart.”

[16:18]  ⁸⁴¹ tn Heb “she sent and summoned.”

[16:18]  ⁸⁴² tc The translation follows the Qere, לִי (li, “to me”) rather than the Kethib, לָהּ (lah, “to her”).

[16:18]  ⁸⁴³ tn Heb “all his heart.”

[16:19]  ⁸⁴⁴ tn Heb “on her knees.” The expression is probably euphemistic for sexual intercourse. See HALOT 160-61 s.v. בֶּרֶךְ.

[16:19]  ⁸⁴⁵ tn Heb “she called for a man and she shaved off.” The point seems to be that Delilah acted through the instrumentality of the man. See J. A. Soggin, Judges (OTL), 254.

[16:19]  ⁸⁴⁶ tn Heb “head.” By metonymy the hair of his head is meant.

[16:19]  ⁸⁴⁷ tn Heb “She began to humiliate him.” Rather than referring to some specific insulting action on Delilah’s part after Samson’s hair was shaved off, this statement probably means that she, through the devious actions just described, began the process of Samson’s humiliation which culminates in the following verses.

[16:20]  ⁸⁴⁸ tn Heb “are upon you.”

[16:20]  ⁸⁴⁹ tn The Hebrew adds, “from his sleep.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[16:20]  ⁸⁵⁰ tn Heb “and said.”

[16:20]  ⁸⁵¹ tn Heb “I will go out as before.”

[16:22]  ⁸⁵² tn Heb “the hair of his head.”

[16:24]  ⁸⁵³ tn Most interpret this as a reference to Samson, but this seems premature, since v. 25 suggests he was not yet standing before them. Consequently some prefer to see this statement as displaced and move it to v. 25 (see C. F. Burney, Judges, 387). It seems more likely that the pronoun refers to an image of Dagon.

[16:24]  ⁸⁵⁴ tn Heb “multiplied our dead.”

[16:25]  ⁸⁵⁵ tn Heb “When their heart was good.”

[16:25]  ⁸⁵⁶ tn Heb “before them.”

[16:26]  ⁸⁵⁷ tn Heb “the pillars upon which the house is founded.”

[16:27]  ⁸⁵⁸ tn Heb “house.”

[16:28]  ⁸⁵⁹ tn The Hebrew has אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה (’adonay yehovih, “Lord Yahweh”).

[16:28]  ⁸⁶⁰ tn Heb “so I can get revenge with one act of vengeance.”

[16:29]  ⁸⁶¹ tn Heb “the pillars upon which the house was founded.”

[16:30]  ⁸⁶² tn Heb “he stretched out with strength.”

[16:30]  ⁸⁶³ tn Heb “And the ones whom he killed in his death were many more than he killed in his life.”

[16:31]  ⁸⁶⁴ tn Heb “and all the house of his father.”

[16:31]  ⁸⁶⁵ tn Heb “and lifted him up and brought up.”

[16:31]  ⁸⁶⁶ tn Traditionally, “judged.”