Judges 1:23

1:23 When the men of Joseph spied out Bethel (it used to be called Luz),

Judges 6:3

6:3 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, ¹  the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east would attack them. ² 

Judges 6:23

6:23 The Lord said to him, “You are safe! ³  Do not be afraid! You are not going to die!”

Judges 6:40

6:40 That night God did as he asked. ⁴  Only the fleece was dry and the ground around it was covered with dew.

Judges 9:26

9:26 Gaal son of Ebed ⁵  came through Shechem with his brothers. The leaders of Shechem transferred their loyalty to him. ⁶ 

Judges 9:48

9:48 He and all his men ⁷  went up on Mount Zalmon. He ⁸  took an ax ⁹  in his hand and cut off a tree branch. He put it ¹⁰  on his shoulder and said to his men, “Quickly, do what you have just seen me do!” ¹¹ 

Judges 15:3

15:3 Samson said to them, ¹²  “This time I am justified in doing the Philistines harm!” ¹³ 

Judges 21:4

21:4 The next morning the people got up early and built an altar there. They offered up burnt sacrifices and token of peace. ¹⁴ 

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¹ tn Heb “Whenever Israel sowed seed.”

² 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).

³ tn Heb “Peace to you.” For a similar use of this idiom to introduce a reassuring word, see Gen 43:23.

⁴ tn Heb “God did so that night.”

⁵ 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.

⁶ 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).

⁷ tn Heb “his people.”

⁸ tn Heb “Abimelech.” The proper name has been replaced with the pronoun (“he”) due to considerations of English style.

⁹ tn The Hebrew text has the plural here.

¹⁰ tn Heb “he lifted it and put [it].”

¹¹ tn Heb “What you have seen me do, quickly do like me.”

¹² tc Codex Alexandrinus (A) of the (original) LXX has the singular “to him.”

¹³ tn Heb “I am innocent this time from the Philistines when I do with them harm.”

¹⁴ tn Or “peace offerings.”