Judges 2:22

2:22 Joshua left those nations¹ to test² Israel. I wanted to see³ whether or not the people⁴ would carefully walk in the path⁵ marked out by⁶ the Lord, as their ancestors⁷ were careful to do.”

Judges 3:1

3:1 These were the nations the Lord permitted to remain so he could use them to test Israel – he wanted to test all those who had not experienced battle against the Canaanites.⁸

Judges 3:3

3:3 These were the nations:⁹ the five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo-Hamath.¹⁰

Judges 3:8

3:8 The Lord was furious with Israel¹¹ and turned them over to¹² King Cushan-Rishathaim¹³ of Aram-Naharaim. They were Cushan-Rishathaim’s subjects¹⁴ for eight years.

Judges 7:1

Gideon Reduces the Ranks

7:1 Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and his men¹⁵ got up the next morning and camped near the spring of Harod.¹⁶ The Midianites¹⁷ were camped north of them near the hill of Moreh in the valley.

Judges 7:11-12

7:11 and listen to what they are saying. Then you will be brave¹⁸ and attack the camp.” So he went down with Purah his servant to where the sentries were guarding the camp.¹⁹ 7:12 Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east covered the valley like a swarm of locusts.²⁰ Their camels could not be counted; they were as innumerable as the sand on the seashore.

Judges 7:19

7:19 Gideon took a hundred men to the edge of the camp²¹ at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guards. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars they were carrying.²²

Judges 8:18-19

8:18 He said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “Describe for me²³ the men you killed at Tabor.” They said, “They were like you. Each one looked like a king’s son.”²⁴ 8:19 He said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. I swear,²⁵ as surely as the Lord is alive, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.”

Judges 8:24

8:24 Gideon continued,²⁶ “I would like to make one request. Each of you give me an earring from the plunder you have taken.”²⁷ (The Midianites²⁸ had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.)

Judges 9:3

9:3 His mother’s relatives²⁹ spoke on his behalf to³⁰ all the leaders of Shechem and reported his proposal.³¹ The leaders were drawn to Abimelech;³² they said, “He is our close relative.”³³

Judges 12:2-3

12:2 Jephthah said to them, “My people and I were entangled in controversy with the Ammonites.³⁴ I asked for your help, but you did not deliver me from their power.³⁵ 12:3 When I saw that you were not going to help,³⁶ I risked my life³⁷ and advanced against³⁸ the Ammonites, and the Lord handed them over to me. Why have you come up³⁹ to fight with me today?”

Judges 14:4

14:4 Now his father and mother did not realize this was the Lord’s doing,⁴⁰ because he was looking for an opportunity to stir up trouble with the Philistines⁴¹ (for at that time the Philistines were ruling Israel).

Judges 15:14

15:14 When he arrived in Lehi, the Philistines shouted as they approached him. But the Lord’s spirit empowered⁴² him. The ropes around his arms were like flax dissolving in⁴³ fire, and they⁴⁴ melted away from his hands.

Judges 18:27

18:27 Now the Danites⁴⁵ 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.⁴⁶

Judges 21:12

21:12 They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young girls who were virgins – they had never had sexual relations with a male.⁴⁷ They brought them back to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.

¹tn The words “Joshua left those nations” are interpretive. The Hebrew text of v. 22 simply begins with “to test.” Some subordinate this phrase to “I will no longer remove” (v. 21). In this case the Lord announces that he has now decided to leave these nations as a test for Israel. Another possibility is to subordinate “to test” to “He said” (v. 20; see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 111). In this case the statement recorded in vv. 20b-21 is the test in that it forces Israel to respond either positively (through repentance) or negatively to the Lord’s declaration. A third possibility (the one reflected in the present translation) is to subordinate “to test” to “left unconquered” (v. 21). In this case the Lord recalls that Joshua left these nations as a test. Israel has failed the test (v. 20), so the Lord announces that the punishment threatened earlier (Josh 23:12-13; see also Judg 2:3) will now be implemented. As B. G. Webb (Judges [JSOTSup], 115) observes, “The nations which were originally left as a test are now left as a punishment.” This view best harmonizes v. 23, which explains that the Lord did not give all the nations to Joshua, with v. 22. (For a grammatical parallel, where the infinitive construct of נָסָה [nasah] is subordinated to the perfect of עָזַב [’azav], see 2 Chr 32:31.)

²tn The Hebrew text includes the phrase “by them,” but this is somewhat redundant in English and has been omitted from the translation for stylistic reasons.

³tn The words “I [i.e., the Lord] wanted to see” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

⁴tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁵tn Or “way [of life].”

⁶tn “The words “marked out by” are interpretive.

⁷tn Or “fathers.”

⁸tn Heb “did not know the wars of Canaan.”

⁹tn The words “These were the nations,” though not present in the Hebrew text, are supplied in the translation for clarity.

¹⁰tn Or “the entrance to Hamath.”

¹¹tn Or “The Lord’s anger burned (or raged) against Israel.”

¹²tn Heb “sold them into the hands of.”

¹³tn Or “Cushan the Doubly Wicked.”

¹⁴tn Or “they served Cushan-Rishathaim.”

¹⁵tn Heb “and all the people who were with him.”

¹⁶sn The name Harod means, ironically, “trembling.”

¹⁷tn Heb “Midian.” The LXX reads “and Amalek” (cf. v. 12; 6:33).

¹⁸tn Heb “your hands will be strengthened.”

¹⁹tn Heb “to the edge of the ones in battle array who were in the camp.”

²⁰tn Heb “Midian, Amalek, and the sons of the east were falling in the valley like locusts in great number.”

²¹tn Heb “Gideon went, along with the hundred men who were with him, to the edge of the camp.”

²²tn Heb “that were in their hands.”

²³tn Heb “Where are?”

²⁴tn Heb “each one like the appearance of sons of the king.”

²⁵tn The words “I swear” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

²⁶tn Heb “said to them.”

²⁷tn Heb “Give to me, each one, an earring from his plunder.”

²⁸tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Midianites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²⁹tn Heb “brothers.”

³⁰tn Heb “into the ears of.”

³¹tn Heb “and all these words.”

³²tn Heb “Their heart was inclined after Abimelech.”

³³tn Heb “our brother.”

³⁴tn Heb A man of great strife I was and my people and the Ammonites.”

³⁵tn Heb “hand.”

³⁶tn Heb “you were no deliverer.” Codex Alexandrinus (A) of the LXX has “no one was helping.”

³⁷tn Heb “I put my life in my hand.”

³⁸tn Heb “crossed over to.”

³⁹tn The Hebrew adds “against me” here. This is redundant in English and has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

⁴⁰tn Heb “this was from the LORD.”

⁴¹tn Heb “for an opportunity he was seeking from the Philistines.”

⁴²tn Heb “rushed on.”

⁴³tn Heb “burned with.”

⁴⁴tn Heb “his bonds.”

⁴⁵tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Danites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁴⁶tn The Hebrew adds “with fire.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons, because it is redundant in English.

⁴⁷tn Heb “who had not known a man with respect to the bed of a male.”