1:17 The men of Judah went with their brothers the men of Simeon 5 and defeated the Canaanites living in Zephath. They wiped out Zephath. 6 So people now call the city Hormah. 7
1:27 The men of Manasseh did not conquer Beth Shan, Taanach, or their surrounding towns. Nor did they conquer the people living in Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo 8 or their surrounding towns. 9 The Canaanites managed 10 to remain in those areas. 11
2:14 The Lord was furious with Israel 20 and handed them over to robbers who plundered them. 21 He turned them over to 22 their enemies who lived around them. They could not withstand their enemies’ attacks. 23
3:12 The Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight. 28 The Lord gave King Eglon of Moab control over Israel 29 because they had done evil in the Lord’s sight.
3:24 When Ehud had left, Eglon’s 30 servants came and saw the locked doors of the upper room. They said, “He must be relieving himself 31 in the well-ventilated inner room.” 32
5:15 Issachar’s leaders were with Deborah,
the men of Issachar 36 supported 37 Barak;
into the valley they were sent under Barak’s command. 38
Among the clans of Reuben there was intense 39 heart searching. 40
6:28 When the men of the city got up the next morning, they saw 41 the Baal altar pulled down, the nearby Asherah pole cut down, and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar.
8:1 The Ephraimites said to him, “Why have you done such a thing to us? You did not summon us 46 when you went to fight the Midianites!” They argued vehemently with him.
12:1 The Ephraimites assembled 68 and crossed over to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, “Why did you go and fight 69 with the Ammonites without asking 70 us to go with you? We will burn your house down right over you!” 71
“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.
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, 81 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!” 82
18:27 Now the Danites 91 took what Micah had made, as well as his priest, and came to Laish, where the people were undisturbed and unsuspecting. They struck them down with the sword and burned the city. 92 18:28 No one came to the rescue because the city 93 was far from Sidon 94 and they had no dealings with anyone. 95 The city 96 was in a valley near Beth Rehob. The Danites 97 rebuilt the city and occupied it.
19:11 When they got near Jebus, it was getting quite late 102 and the servant 103 said to his master, “Come on, let’s stop at 104 this Jebusite city and spend the night in it.”
1 tn Elsewhere this verb usually carries the sense of “to gather; to pick up; to glean,” but “lick up” seems best here in light of the peculiar circumstances described by Adoni-Bezek.
2 tn The words “food scraps” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.
3 tn Heb “Just as I did, so God has repaid me.” Note that the phrase “to them” has been supplied in the translation to clarify what is meant.
4 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
5 tn Heb “Judah went with Simeon, his brother.”
6 tn Heb “it”; the referent (the city of Zephath) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
7 sn The name Hormah (חָרְמָה, khormah) sounds like the Hebrew verb translated “wipe out” (חָרַם, kharam).
8 map For location see Map1-D4; Map2-C1; Map4-C2; Map5-F2; Map7-B1.
9 tn Heb “The men of Manasseh did not conquer Beth Shan and its surrounding towns, Taanach and its surrounding towns, the people living in Dor and its surrounding towns, the people living in Ibleam and its surrounding towns, or the people living in Megiddo and its surrounding towns.”
10 tn Or “were determined.”
11 tn Heb “in this land.”
12 tn Heb “their altars.”
13 tn Heb “you have not listened to my voice.”
14 tn Heb “What is this you have done?”
15 tn Heb “And I also said.” The use of the perfect tense here suggests that the messenger is recalling an earlier statement (see Josh 23:12-13). However, some translate, “And I also say,” understanding the following words as an announcement of judgment upon those gathered at Bokim.
16 tn The words “If you disobey” are supplied in the translation for clarity. See Josh 23:12-13.
17 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the Canaanites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
18 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word צִדִּים (tsiddim) is uncertain in this context. It may be related to an Akkadian cognate meaning “snare.” If so, a more literal translation would be “they will become snares to you.” Normally the term in question means “sides,” but this makes no sense here. On the basis of Num 33:55 some suggest the word for “thorns” has been accidentally omitted. If this word is added, the text would read, “they will become [thorns] in your sides” (cf. NASB, NIV, NLT).
19 tn Heb “their gods will become a snare to you.”
20 tn Or “The
21 tn Heb “robbers who robbed them.” (The verb שָׁסָה [shasah] appears twice in the verse.)
sn The expression robbers who plundered them is a derogatory reference to the enemy nations, as the next line indicates.
22 tn Heb “sold them into the hands of.”
23 tn The word “attacks” is supplied in the translation both for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
24 tn Or “The
25 tn Heb “sold them into the hands of.”
26 tn Or “Cushan the Doubly Wicked.”
27 tn Or “they served Cushan-Rishathaim.”
28 tn Heb “in the eyes of the
29 tn Heb “strengthened Eglon…against Israel.”
30 tn Heb “his.”
31 tn Heb “covering his feet” (i.e., with his outer garments while he relieves himself).
32 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.
33 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
34 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for clarity.
35 tn Or “against Moab,” that is, so as to prevent the Moabites from crossing.
36 tn Heb “Issachar.” The words “the men of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
37 tn Or “was true to.”
38 tn Heb “at his feet.”
39 tn Heb “great was.”
40 tc The great majority of Hebrew
41 tn Heb “look!” The narrator uses this word to invite his audience/readers to view the scene through the eyes of the men.
42 tn Heb “and he also was summoned after him.”
43 tn Heb “your hands will be strengthened.”
44 tn Heb “to the edge of the ones in battle array who were in the camp.”
45 tn Heb “Midian, Amalek, and the sons of the east were falling in the valley like locusts in great number.”
46 tn Heb “by not summoning us.”
47 tn Or perhaps, “sell.”
48 tn Heb “people.” The translation uses “men” because these were warriors and in ancient Israelite culture would have been exclusively males.
49 tn Heb “who are at my feet.”
50 tn The words “I swear” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
51 tn Heb “said to them.”
52 tn Heb “Give to me, each one, an earring from his plunder.”
53 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Midianites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
54 tn Heb “brothers.”
55 tn Heb “into the ears of.”
56 tn Heb “and all these words.”
57 tn Heb “Their heart was inclined after Abimelech.”
58 tn Heb “our brother.”
59 tn The words “the branches” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
60 tn Heb “they kindled over them the stronghold with fire.”
61 tn Or “men,” but the word seems to have a more general sense here, as the conclusion to the sentence suggests.
62 tn The Hebrew text adds, “and said to him.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
63 tn The Hebrew text adds, “concerning me.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
64 sn The name Habboth Jair means “tent villages of Jair” in Hebrew.
65 tn Heb “they call them Havvoth Jair to this day – which are in the land of Gilead.”
66 tn That is, took as its own possession.
67 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.
68 tn Heb “the men of Ephraim were summoned [or “were mustered”].”
69 tn Heb “cross over to fight.”
70 tn Or “calling”; or “summoning.”
71 tn Heb “Your house we will burn over you with fire.”
72 tn Heb “because they said.”
73 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.”
74 tn Heb “in the flame from the altar.”
75 tn Heb “on their faces.”
76 tn Or “swear to me.”
77 tn Heb “meet [with hostility]”; “harm.” In light of v. 13, “kill” is an appropriate translation.
78 tn Or “moist.”
79 tn The word refers to a bowstring, probably made from animal tendons. See Ps 11:2; Job 30:11.
80 tn Heb “with which no work has been done.”
81 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.
82 tn Heb “multiplied our dead.”
83 tn Heb “and all the house of his father.”
84 tn Heb “and lifted him up and brought up.”
85 tn Traditionally, “judged.”
86 tn Heb “Arise, and let us go up against them.”
87 tc Codex Alexandrinus (A) of the LXX adds “we entered and walked around in the land as far as Laish and.”
88 tn Heb “But you are inactive.”
89 tn Or “be lazy.”
90 tn Heb “to go”; “to enter”; “to possess.”
91 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Danites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
92 tn The Hebrew adds “with fire.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons, because it is redundant in English.
93 tn Heb “it.” The Hebrew pronoun is feminine singular here, referring to the “city” (a grammatically feminine singular noun) mentioned in v. 27.
94 map For location see Map1-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3.
95 tn Heb “and a thing there was not to them with men.”
96 tn Heb “it.” The Hebrew pronoun is feminine singular here, referring to the “city” (a grammatically feminine singular noun) mentioned in v. 27.
97 tn Heb “They”; the referent (the Danites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
98 tn Heb “and he arose to go.”
99 tn Heb “Sustain your heart [with] a bit of food.”
100 tn Heb “Sustain your heart.” He is once more inviting him to stay for a meal.
101 tn Heb “Wait until the declining of the day.”
102 tn Heb “and the day was descending greatly.”
103 tn Or “young man.”
104 tn Heb “turn aside” (also in the following verse).
105 tn Heb “her”; the referent is more naturally stated in English as “the pieces.”
106 tn Heb “throughout all the territory of the inheritance of Israel.”
107 tn Heb “a wicked and disgraceful [thing].”
108 tn Heb “I” (collective singular).
109 tn Heb “approach for battle.”
110 tn Heb “my brother” (collective singular).
111 tn Heb “Go up against him” (collective singular).
112 tn Or “run away.”
113 tn Heb “him” (collective singular).
114 tn Heb “A great oath there was concerning the one who did not go up before the Lord at Mizpah, saying, ‘He must surely be put to death.’”
115 tn Heb “Look, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh Gilead to the assembly.”
116 tn Heb “men, sons of strength.”
117 tn Heb “there.”
118 tn Heb “the edge of the sword.”
119 tn Heb “And this is the thing that you will do.”
120 tn Heb “every woman who is familiar with the bed of a male.”
121 tc Some Greek witnesses (notably Codex Vaticanus [B]) add the words, “‘But the virgins you should keep alive.’ And they did so.” These additional words, which probably represent the original Hebrew text, can be retroverted: וְאֶת־הַבְּתוּלוֹת תְּחַיּוּ וַיַּעֲשׂוּ כֵן (ve’et-habbÿtulot tÿkhayyu vayya’asu khen). It is likely that a scribe’s eye jumped from the vav (ו) on וְאֶת (vÿ’et) to the initial vav of v. 11, accidentally leaving out the intervening letters. The present translation is based on this reconstruction.