1:16 Now the descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah from the City of Date Palm Trees to Arad in the desert of Judah, 1 located in the Negev. 2 They went and lived with the people of Judah. 3
1:33 The men of Naphtali did not conquer the people living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath. 4 They live among the Canaanites residing in the land. The Canaanites 5 living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were forced to do hard labor for them.
5:11 Hear 9 the sound of those who divide the sheep 10 among the watering places;
there they tell of 11 the Lord’s victorious deeds,
the victorious deeds of his warriors 12 in Israel.
Then the Lord’s people went down to the city gates –
5:23 ‘Call judgment down on 13 Meroz,’ says the Lord’s angelic 14 messenger;
‘Be sure 15 to call judgment down on 16 those who live there,
because they did not come to help in the Lord’s battle, 17
to help in the Lord’s battle against the warriors.’ 18
5:30 ‘No doubt they are gathering and dividing the plunder 19 –
a girl or two for each man to rape! 20
Sisera is grabbing up colorful cloth, 21
he is grabbing up colorful embroidered cloth, 22
two pieces of colorful embroidered cloth,
for the neck of the plunderer!’ 23
7:24 Now Gideon sent messengers throughout the Ephraimite hill country who announced, “Go down and head off the Midianites. 30 Take control of the fords of the streams 31 all the way to Beth Barah and the Jordan River.” 32 When all the Ephraimites had assembled, 33 they took control of the fords 34 all the way to Beth Barah and the Jordan River.
14:15 On the fourth 45 day they said to Samson’s bride, “Trick your husband into giving the solution to the riddle. 46 If you refuse, 47 we will burn up 48 you and your father’s family. 49 Did you invite us here 50 to make us poor?” 51
18:1 In those days Israel had no king. And in those days the Danite tribe was looking for a place 64 to settle, because at that time they did not yet have a place to call their own among the tribes of Israel. 65
1 tc Part of the Greek
2 tn Heb “[to] the Desert of Judah in the Negev, Arad.”
3 tn The phrase “of Judah” is supplied here in the translation. Some ancient textual witnesses read, “They went and lived with the Amalekites.” This reading, however, is probably influenced by 1 Sam 15:6 (see also Num 24:20-21).
4 tn Heb “the people living in Beth Shemesh or the people living in Beth Anath.”
5 tn The term “Canaanites” is supplied here both for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
6 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
7 tn The phrase “for them” is supplied in the translation for clarity.
8 tn Heb “the ones oppressing them and afflicting them.” The synonyms “oppressing” and “afflicting” are joined together in the translation as “harsh oppressors” to emphasize the cruel character of their enemies.
9 tn The word “Hear” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
10 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.
11 tn Or perhaps “repeat.”
12 tn See the note on the term “warriors” in v. 7.
13 tn Heb “Curse Meroz.”
14 tn The adjective “angelic” is interpretive.
15 tn Heb “Curse, cursing.” The Hebrew construction is emphatic.
16 tn Heb “[to] curse.”
17 tn Heb “to the help of the
18 tn Or “along with the other warriors.”
19 tn Heb “Are they not finding, dividing the plunder?”
20 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.
21 tn Heb “the plunder of dyed cloth is for Sisera.”
22 tn Heb “the plunder of embroidered cloth.”
23 tn The translation assumes an emendation of the noun (“plunder”) to a participle, “plunderer.”
24 tn Heb “But my lord.”
25 tn Heb “all this.”
26 tn Heb “saying.”
27 tn Heb “the
28 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.
29 tn The words “they went” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
30 tn Heb “to meet Midian.”
31 tn Heb “capture before them the waters.”
32 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification (also later in this verse).
33 tn Heb “And all the men of Ephraim were summoned.”
34 tn Heb “they captured the waters.”
35 tn Or “strong.”
36 tn Or “fortress.” The same Hebrew term occurs once more in this verse and twice in v. 52.
37 tn Heb “bore.”
38 tn Heb “in the house of our father.”
39 tn Or “took”; or “seized.”
40 tn Heb “he” (a collective singular).
41 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.
42 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.
43 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.
44 sn Touching the carcass of a dead animal undoubtedly violated Samson’s Nazirite status. See Num 6:6.
45 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.
46 tn Heb “Entice your husband so that he might tell us the riddle.”
47 tn Heb “lest.”
48 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.
49 tn Heb “house.”
50 tc The translation assumes the Hebrew form הֲלֹם (halom, “here,” attested in five Hebrew
51 tn For discussion of this difficult form, see C. F. Burney, Judges, 364.
52 tn Or “said.”
53 tn Heb “and they said.” The subject of the plural verb is indefinite.
54 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Timnite) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
55 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Samson) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
56 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.
57 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).
58 tn Heb “are upon you.”
59 tn Heb “when it smells fire.”
60 tn Heb “His strength was not known.”
61 tn Heb “are upon you.”
62 tn Heb “And the ones lying in wait were sitting in the bedroom.”
63 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the ropes) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
64 tn Heb “an inheritance.”
65 tn Heb “because there had not fallen to them by that day in the midst of the tribes of Israel an inheritance.”
66 tn See the note on the word “adviser” in 17:10.
67 tn Heb “Is it better for you to be priest for the house of one man or for you to be priest for a tribe, for a clan in Israel?”
68 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the rest [of the Benjaminites]) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
69 tn Heb “and they”; the referent (the Israelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
70 tn Heb “gleaned.” The word is an agricultural term which pictures Israelites picking off the Benjaminites as easily as one picks grapes from the vine.
71 tn Heb “stuck close after them.”