Discovery BoxJudges 1:16 
Context1:16 Now the descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah from the City of Date Palm Trees to Arad in the desert of Judah, 1 located in the Negev. 2 They went and lived with the people of Judah. 3
Judges 6:27
Context6:27 So Gideon took ten of his servants 4 and did just as the Lord had told him. He was too afraid of his father’s family 5 and the men of the city to do it in broad daylight, so he waited until nighttime. 6
Judges 9:18
Context9:18 But you have attacked 7 my father’s family 8 today. You murdered his seventy legitimate 9 sons on one stone and made Abimelech, the son of his female slave, king over the leaders of Shechem, just because he is your close relative. 10
Judges 9:28
Context9:28 Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerub-Baal, and is not Zebul the deputy he appointed? 11 Serve the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem! But why should we serve Abimelech? 12
Judges 11:2
Context11:2 Gilead’s wife also gave 13 him sons. When his wife’s sons grew up, they made Jephthah leave and said to him, “You are not going to inherit any of our father’s wealth, 14 because you are another woman’s son.”
Judges 14:9
Context14:9 He scooped it up with his hands and ate it as he walked along. When he returned 15 to his father and mother, he offered them some and they ate it. But he did not tell them he had scooped the honey out of the lion’s carcass. 16
Judges 14:15-16
Context14:15 On the fourth 17 day they said to Samson’s bride, “Trick your husband into giving the solution to the riddle. 18 If you refuse, 19 we will burn up 20 you and your father’s family. 21 Did you invite us here 22 to make us poor?” 23 14:16 So Samson’s bride cried on his shoulder 24 and said, “You must 25 hate me; you do not love me! You told the young men 26 a riddle, but you have not told me the solution.” He said to her, “Look, I have not even told my father or mother. Do you really expect me to tell you?” 27
Judges 15:6
Context15:6 The Philistines asked, 28 “Who did this?” They were told, 29 “Samson, the Timnite’s son-in-law, because the Timnite 30 took Samson’s 31 bride and gave her to his best man.” So the Philistines went up and burned her and her father. 32
1 tc Part of the Greek
2 tn Heb “[to] the Desert of Judah in the Negev, Arad.”
3 tn The phrase “of Judah” is supplied here in the translation. Some ancient textual witnesses read, “They went and lived with the Amalekites.” This reading, however, is probably influenced by 1 Sam 15:6 (see also Num 24:20-21).
4 tn Heb “men from among his servants.”
5 tn Heb “house.”
6 tn Heb “so he did it at night.”
7 tn Heb “have risen up against.”
8 tn Heb “house.”
9 tn The word “legitimate” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification.
10 tn Heb “your brother.”
11 tn Heb “and Zebul his appointee.”
12 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abimelech) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
13 tn Heb “bore.”
14 tn Heb “in the house of our father.”
15 tn Heb “went.” Samson apparently went home to his parents before going to Timnah for the marriage. Seeing and tasting the honey appears to encourage Manoah to go with his son to Timnah. Perhaps both Samson and his father viewed the honey as a good omen of future blessing. Possibly Samson considered it a symbol of sexual pleasure or an aphrodisiac. Note the use of honey imagery in Song 4:11 and 5:1.
16 sn Touching the carcass of a dead animal undoubtedly violated Samson’s Nazirite status. See Num 6:6.
17 tc The MT reads “seventh.” In Hebrew there is a difference of only one letter between the words רְבִיעִי (rÿvi’i, “fourth”) and שְׁבִיעִי (shÿvi’i, “seventh”). Some ancient textual witnesses (e.g., LXX and the Syriac Peshitta) read “fourth,” here, which certainly harmonizes better with the preceding verse (cf. “for three days”) and with v. 17. Another option is to change שְׁלֹשֶׁת (shÿloshet, “three”) at the end of v. 14 to שֵׁשֶׁת (sheshet, “six”), but the resulting scenario does not account as well for v. 17, which implies the bride had been hounding Samson for more than one day.
18 tn Heb “Entice your husband so that he might tell us the riddle.”
19 tn Heb “lest.”
20 tn The Hebrew text expands the statement: “burn up with fire.” The words “with fire” are redundant in English and have been omitted from the translation for stylistic reasons.
21 tn Heb “house.”
22 tc The translation assumes the Hebrew form הֲלֹם (halom, “here,” attested in five Hebrew
23 tn For discussion of this difficult form, see C. F. Burney, Judges, 364.
24 tn Heb “on him.”
25 tn Heb “only”; or “simply.”
26 tn Heb “the sons of my people.”
27 tn Heb “Should I tell you?”
28 tn Or “said.”
29 tn Heb “and they said.” The subject of the plural verb is indefinite.
30 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Timnite) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
31 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Samson) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
32 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.
