Judges 5:8

God chose new leaders, ¹  then fighters appeared in the city gates; ²  but, I swear, not a shield or spear could be found, ³  among forty military units ⁴  in Israel.

biblegateway Jdg 5:8

When they chose new gods, war came to the city gates, and not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel.

biblegateway Jdg 5:8

"New gods were chosen; Then war was in the gates. Not a shield or a spear was seen Among forty thousand in Israel.

biblegateway Jdg 5:8

When Israel chose new gods, war erupted at the city gates. Yet not a shield or spear could be seen among forty thousand warriors in Israel!

biblegateway Jdg 5:8

God chose new leaders, who then fought at the gates. And not a shield or spear to be seen among the forty companies of Israel.

SABDAweb Jdg 5:8

They had no one to make arms, there were no more armed men in the towns; was there a body-cover or a spear to be seen among forty thousand in Israel?

bibleoremus Jdg 5:8

When new gods were chosen, then war was in the gates. Was shield or spear to be seen among forty thousand in Israel?

biblegateway Jdg 5:8

They chose new gods; Then there was war in the gates; Not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel.

biblegateway Jdg 5:8

God chose new leaders, ¹  then fighters appeared in the city gates; ²  but, I swear, not a shield or spear could be found, ³  among forty military units ⁴  in Israel.

¹ 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.

² 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.)

³ 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).

⁴ 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”).