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 3:19

3:19 But he went back⁸ once he reached⁹ the carved images¹⁰ at Gilgal. He said to Eglon,¹¹ “I have a secret message for you, O king.” Eglon¹² said, “Be quiet!”¹³ All his attendants left.

Judges 3:24

3:24 When Ehud had left, Eglon’s¹⁴ servants came and saw the locked doors of the upper room. They said, “He must be relieving himself¹⁵ in the well-ventilated inner room.”¹⁶

Judges 5:26

5:26 Her left¹⁷ hand reached for the tent peg,

her right hand for the workmen’s hammer.

She “hammered”¹⁸ Sisera,

she shattered his skull,¹⁹

she smashed his head,²⁰

she drove the tent peg through his temple.²¹

Judges 6:4

6:4 They invaded the land²² and devoured²³ its crops²⁴ all the way to Gaza. They left nothing for the Israelites to eat,²⁵ and they took away²⁶ the sheep, oxen, and donkeys.

Judges 7:20

7:20 All three units blew their trumpets and broke their jars. They held the torches in their left hand and the trumpets in their right.²⁷ Then they yelled, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”

Judges 16:19-20

16:19 She made him go to sleep on her lap²⁸ and then called a man in to shave off²⁹ the seven braids of his hair.³⁰ She made him vulnerable³¹ and his strength left him. 16:20 She said, “The Philistines are here,³² Samson!” He woke up³³ and thought,³⁴ “I will do as I did before³⁵ and shake myself free.” But he did not realize that the Lord had left him.

Judges 16:29

16:29 Samson took hold of the two middle pillars that supported the temple³⁶ and he leaned against them, with his right hand on one and his left hand on the other.

Judges 17:8

17:8 This man left the town of Bethlehem in Judah to find another place to live. He came to the Ephraimite hill country and made his way to Micah’s house.³⁷

Judges 18:24

18:24 He said, “You stole my gods that I made, as well as this priest, and then went away. What do I have left? How can you have the audacity to say to me, ‘What do you want?’”³⁸

Judges 19:10

19:10 But the man did not want to stay another night. He left³⁹ and traveled as far as⁴⁰ Jebus (that is, Jerusalem).⁴¹ He had with him a pair of saddled donkeys and his concubine.⁴²

Judges 19:30

19:30 Everyone who saw the sight⁴³ said, “Nothing like this has happened or been witnessed during the entire time since⁴⁴ the Israelites left the land of Egypt!⁴⁵ Take careful note of it! Discuss it and speak!”

Judges 21:7

21:7 How can we find wives for those who are left?⁴⁶ After all, we took an oath in the Lord’s name not to give them our daughters as wives.”

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 Or “returned” (i.e., to Eglon’s palace).

⁹tn The words “when he reached” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text simply reads “from.”

¹⁰tn Or “idols.”

¹¹tn The words “to Eglon” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

¹²tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eglon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹³tn Or “Hush!”

¹⁴tn Heb “his.”

¹⁵tn Heb “covering his feet” (i.e., with his outer garments while he relieves himself).

¹⁶tn The Hebrew expression translated “well-ventilated inner room” may refer to the upper room itself or to a bathroom attached to or within it.

¹⁷tn The adjective “left” is interpretive, based on the context. Note that the next line pictures Jael holding the hammer with her right hand.

¹⁸tn The verb used here is from the same root as the noun “hammer” in the preceding line.

¹⁹tn Or “head.”

²⁰tn The phrase “his head” (an implied direct object) is supplied in the translation for clarification.

²¹tn Heb “she pierced his temple.”

²²tn Heb “They encamped against them.”

²³tn Heb “destroyed.”

²⁴tn Heb “the crops of the land.”

²⁵tn Heb “They left no sustenance in Israel.”

²⁶tn The words “they took away” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

²⁷tn The Hebrew text adds, “in order to blow [them].” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

²⁸tn Heb “on her knees.” The expression is probably euphemistic for sexual intercourse. See HALOT 160-61 s.v. בֶּרֶךְ.

²⁹tn Heb “she called for a man and she shaved off.” The point seems to be that Delilah acted through the instrumentality of the man. See J. A. Soggin, Judges (OTL), 254.

³⁰tn Heb “head.” By metonymy the hair of his head is meant.

³¹tn Heb “She began to humiliate him.” Rather than referring to some specific insulting action on Delilah’s part after Samson’s hair was shaved off, this statement probably means that she, through the devious actions just described, began the process of Samson’s humiliation which culminates in the following verses.

³²tn Heb “are upon you.”

³³tn The Hebrew adds, “from his sleep.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

³⁴tn Heb “and said.”

³⁵tn Heb “I will go out as before.”

³⁶tn Heb “the pillars upon which the house was founded.”

³⁷tn Heb “He came to the Ephraimite hill country, to Micah’s house, making his way.”

³⁸tn Heb “What is this you say to me, ‘What to you?’”

³⁹tn Heb “and he arose and went.”

⁴⁰tn Heb “to the front of.”

⁴¹map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

⁴²tc Some ancient witnesses add “and his servant.”

⁴³tn The words “the sight” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

⁴⁴tn Heb “from the day.”

⁴⁵tc Codex Alexandrinus (A) of the (original) LXX has the following additional words: “And he instructed the men whom he sent out, ‘Thus you will say to every male Israelite: “There has never been anything like this from the day the Israelites left Egypt till the present day.”’”

⁴⁶tn Heb “What should we do for them, for the remaining ones, concerning wives?”