Judges 1:7

1:7 Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings, with thumbs and big toes cut off, used to lick up ¹  food scraps ²  under my table. God has repaid me for what I did to them.” ³  They brought him to Jerusalem, ⁴  where he died.

Judges 2:19

2:19 When a leader died, the next generation ⁵  would again ⁶  act more wickedly than the previous one. ⁷  They would follow after other gods, worshiping them ⁸  and bowing down to them. They did not give up ⁹  their practices or their stubborn ways.

Judges 4:16

4:16 Now Barak chased the chariots and the army all the way to Harosheth Haggoyim. Sisera’s whole army died ¹⁰  by the edge of the sword; not even one survived! ¹¹ 

Judges 9:49

9:49 So each of his men also cut off a branch and followed Abimelech. They put the branches ¹²  against the stronghold and set fire to it. ¹³  All the people ¹⁴  of the Tower of Shechem died – about a thousand men and women.

Judges 9:54

9:54 He quickly called to the young man who carried his weapons, ¹⁵  “Draw your sword and kill me, so they will not say, ¹⁶  ‘A woman killed him.’” So the young man stabbed him and he died.

Judges 11:39

11:39 After two months she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. She died a virgin. ¹⁷  Her tragic death gave rise to a custom in Israel. ¹⁸ 

Judges 20:5

20:5 The leaders of Gibeah attacked me and at night surrounded the house where I was staying. ¹⁹  They wanted to kill me; instead they abused my concubine so badly that she died.

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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 “they”; the referent (the next generation) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁶ tn The verb שׁוּב (shuv, “to return; to turn”) is sometimes translated “turn back” here, but it is probably used in an adverbial sense, indicating that the main action (“act wickedly”) is being repeated.

⁷ tn Heb “their fathers.”

sn The statement the next generation would again act more wickedly than the previous one must refer to the successive sinful generations after Joshua, not Joshua’s godly generation (cf. vv. 7, 17).

⁸ tn Or “serving [them]”; or “following [them].”

⁹ tn Or “drop.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “fell.”

¹¹ tn Heb “was left.”

¹² tn The words “the branches” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

¹³ tn Heb “they kindled over them the stronghold with fire.”

¹⁴ tn Or “men,” but the word seems to have a more general sense here, as the conclusion to the sentence suggests.

¹⁵ tn The Hebrew text adds, “and said to him.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

¹⁶ tn The Hebrew text adds, “concerning me.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

¹⁷ tn Heb “She had never known a man.” Some understand this to mean that her father committed her to a life of celibacy, but the disjunctive clause (note the vav + subject + verb pattern) more likely describes her condition at the time the vow was fulfilled. (See G. F. Moore, Judges [ICC], 302-3; C. F. Burney, Judges, 324.) She died a virgin and never experienced the joys of marriage and motherhood.

¹⁸ tn Heb “There was a custom in Israel.”

¹⁹ tn Heb “arose against me and surrounded against me the house at night.”