2:1 The Lord’s angelic messenger 4 went up from Gilgal to Bokim. He said, “I brought you up from Egypt and led you into the land I had solemnly promised to give to your ancestors. 5 I said, ‘I will never break my agreement 6 with you,
5:11 Hear 7 the sound of those who divide the sheep 8 among the watering places;
there they tell of 9 the Lord’s victorious deeds,
the victorious deeds of his warriors 10 in Israel.
Then the Lord’s people went down to the city gates –
6:19 Gideon went and prepared a young goat, 11 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 12 to him under the oak tree and presented it to him.
13:6 The woman went and said to her husband, “A man sent from God 25 came to me! He looked like God’s angelic messenger – he was very awesome. 26 I did not ask him where he came from, and he did not tell me his name.
15:1 Sometime later, during the wheat harvest, 27 Samson took a young goat as a gift and went to visit his bride. 28 He said to her father, 29 “I want to have sex with my bride in her bedroom!” 30 But her father would not let him enter.
1 tn Heb “Judah said to Simeon, his brother.”
2 tn Heb “Come up with me into our allotted land and let us attack the Canaanites.”
3 tn Heb “I.” The Hebrew pronoun is singular, agreeing with the collective singular “Judah” earlier in the verse. English style requires a plural pronoun here, however.
4 sn See Exod 14:19; 23:20.
5 tn Heb “the land that I had sworn to your fathers.”
6 tn Or “covenant” (also in the following verse).
7 tn The word “Hear” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
8 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.
9 tn Or perhaps “repeat.”
10 tn See the note on the term “warriors” in v. 7.
11 tn Heb “a kid from among the goats.”
12 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.
13 tn Heb “the
14 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.
15 tn The words “they went” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
16 tn Heb “his people.”
17 tn Heb “Abimelech.” The proper name has been replaced with the pronoun (“he”) due to considerations of English style.
18 tn The Hebrew text has the plural here.
19 tn Heb “he lifted it and put [it].”
20 tn Heb “What you have seen me do, quickly do like me.”
21 tn Or “strong.”
22 tn Or “fortress.” The same Hebrew term occurs once more in this verse and twice in v. 52.
23 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Israel; the pronoun in the Hebrew text represents a collective singular) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
24 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
25 tn Heb “The man of God.”
26 tn Heb “His appearance was like the appearance of the messenger of God, very awesome.”
27 sn The wheat harvest took place during the month of May. See O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 37, 88.
28 tn Heb “Samson visited his wife with a young goat.”
29 tn The words “to her father” are supplied in the translation (see the end of the verse).
30 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”).
31 tn Or “said.”
32 tn Heb “and they said.” The subject of the plural verb is indefinite.
33 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Timnite) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
34 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Samson) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
35 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.
36 tn Heb “subdue him in order to humiliate him.”
37 tn Heb “all his heart.”
38 tn Heb “she sent and summoned.”
39 tc The translation follows the Qere, לִי (li, “to me”) rather than the Kethib, לָהּ (lah, “to her”).
40 tn Heb “all his heart.”
41 tn The Hebrew term here translated “master,” is plural. The plural indicates degree here and emphasizes the Levite’s absolute sovereignty over the woman.