Discovery BoxJudges 1:7 
Context1:7 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 1:14
Context1:14 One time Acsah 5 came and charmed her father 6 so she could ask him for some land. When she got down from her donkey, Caleb said to her, “What would you like?”
Judges 3:20
Context3:20 When Ehud approached him, he was sitting in his well-ventilated 7 upper room all by himself. Ehud said, “I have a message from God 8 for you.” When Eglon rose up from his seat, 9
Judges 3:24
Context3:24 When Ehud had left, Eglon’s 10 servants came and saw the locked doors of the upper room. They said, “He must be relieving himself 11 in the well-ventilated inner room.” 12
Judges 3:28
Context3:28 He said to them, “Follow me, for the Lord is about to defeat your enemies, the Moabites!” 13 They followed him, captured the fords of the Jordan River 14 opposite Moab, 15 and did not let anyone cross.
Judges 4:9
Context4:9 She said, “I will indeed go with you. But you will not gain fame 16 on the expedition you are undertaking, 17 for the Lord will turn Sisera over to a woman.” 18 Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh.
Judges 4:14
Context4:14 Deborah said to Barak, “Spring into action, 19 for this is the day the Lord is handing Sisera over to you! 20 Has the Lord not taken the lead?” 21 Barak quickly went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him.
Judges 4:18-19
Context4:18 Jael came out to welcome Sisera. She said to him, “Stop and rest, 22 my lord. Stop and rest with me. Don’t be afraid.” So Sisera 23 stopped to rest in her tent, and she put a blanket over him. 4:19 He said to her, “Give me a little water to drink, because I’m thirsty.” She opened a goatskin container of milk and gave him some milk to drink. Then she covered him up again.
Judges 6:8
Context6:8 he 24 sent a prophet 25 to the Israelites. He said to them, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I brought you up from Egypt 26 and took you out of that place of slavery. 27
Judges 6:10
Context6:10 I said to you, “I am the Lord your God! Do not worship 28 the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are now living!” But you have disobeyed me.’” 29
Judges 6:30
Context6:30 The men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, so we can execute him! 30 He pulled down the Baal altar and cut down the nearby Asherah pole.”
Judges 6:32
Context6:32 That very day Gideon’s father named him Jerub-Baal, 31 because he had said, “Let Baal fight with him, for it was his altar that was pulled down.”
Judges 7:5
Context7:5 So he brought the men 32 down to the water. Then the Lord said to Gideon, “Separate those who lap the water as a dog laps from those who kneel to drink.” 33
Judges 7:7
Context7:7 The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men who lapped I will deliver the whole army 34 and I will hand Midian over to you. 35 The rest of the men should go home.” 36
Judges 7:14-15
Context7:14 The other man said, 37 “Without a doubt this symbolizes 38 the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God is handing Midian and all the army over to him.”
7:15 When Gideon heard the report of the dream and its interpretation, he praised God. 39 Then he went back to the Israelite camp and said, “Get up, for the Lord is handing the Midianite army over to you!”
Judges 8:1
Context8:1 The Ephraimites said to him, “Why have you done such a thing to us? You did not summon us 40 when you went to fight the Midianites!” They argued vehemently with him.
Judges 8:5
Context8:5 He said to the men of Succoth, “Give 41 some loaves of bread to the men 42 who are following me, 43 because they are exhausted. I am chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”
Judges 8:19
Context8:19 He said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. I swear, 44 as surely as the Lord is alive, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.”
Judges 9:1
Context9:1 Now Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to Shechem to see his mother’s relatives. 45 He said to them and to his mother’s entire extended family, 46
Judges 9:3
Context9:3 His mother’s relatives 47 spoke on his behalf to 48 all the leaders of Shechem and reported his proposal. 49 The leaders were drawn to Abimelech; 50 they said, “He is our close relative.” 51
Judges 9:9
Context9:9 But the olive tree said to them, ‘I am not going to stop producing my oil, which is used to honor gods and men, just to sway above the other trees!’ 52
Judges 9:13
Context9:13 But the grapevine said to them, ‘I am not going to stop producing my wine, which makes gods and men so happy, just to sway above the other trees!’ 53
Judges 9:15
Context9:15 The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to choose 54 me as your king, then come along, find safety under my branches! 55 Otherwise 56 may fire blaze from the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’
Judges 9:38
Context9:38 Zebul said to him, “Where now are your bragging words, 57 ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Are these not the men 58 you insulted? 59 Go out now and fight them!”
Judges 10:18
Context10:18 The leaders 60 of Gilead said to one another, “Who is willing to lead the charge 61 against the Ammonites? He will become the leader of all who live in Gilead!”
Judges 11:7-9
Context11:7 Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, “But you hated me and made me leave 62 my father’s house. Why do you come to me now, when you are in trouble?” 11:8 The leaders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “That may be true, 63 but now we pledge to you our loyalty. 64 Come with us and fight with the Ammonites. Then you will become the leader 65 of all who live in Gilead.” 66 11:9 Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, “All right! 67 If you take me back to fight with the Ammonites and the Lord gives them to me, 68 I will be your leader.” 69
Judges 11:35-37
Context11:35 When he saw her, he ripped his clothes and said, “Oh no! My daughter! You have completely ruined me! 70 You have brought me disaster! 71 I made an oath to the Lord, and I cannot break it.” 72 11:36 She said to him, “My father, since 73 you made an oath to the Lord, do to me as you promised. 74 After all, the Lord vindicated you before 75 your enemies, the Ammonites.” 11:37 She then said to her father, “Please grant me this one wish. 76 For two months allow me to walk through the hills with my friends and mourn my virginity.” 77
Judges 12:1-2
Context12:1 The Ephraimites assembled 78 and crossed over to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, “Why did you go and fight 79 with the Ammonites without asking 80 us to go with you? We will burn your house down right over you!” 81
12:2 Jephthah said to them, “My people and I were entangled in controversy with the Ammonites. 82 I asked for your help, but you did not deliver me from their power. 83
Judges 14:12
Context14:12 Samson said to them, “I will give you a riddle. If you really can solve it during the seven days the party lasts, 84 I will give you thirty linen robes and thirty sets 85 of clothes.
Judges 14:14
Context14:14 He said to them,
“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.
Judges 15:2
Context15:2 Her father said, “I really thought 86 you absolutely despised 87 her, so I gave her to your best man. Her younger sister is more attractive than she is. Take her instead!” 88
Judges 15:13
Context15:13 They said to him, “We promise! 89 We will only take you prisoner and hand you over to them. We promise not to kill you.” They tied him up with two brand new ropes and led him up from the cliff.
Judges 15:18
Context15:18 He was very thirsty, so he cried out to the Lord and said, “You have given your servant 90 this great victory. But now must I die of thirst and fall into hands of the Philistines?” 91
Judges 16:7
Context16:7 Samson said to her, “If they tie me up with seven fresh 92 bowstrings 93 that have not been dried, I will become weak and be just like any other man.”
Judges 16:11
Context16:11 He said to her, “If they tie me tightly with brand new ropes that have never been used, 94 I will become weak and be just like any other man.”
Judges 16:15
Context16:15 She said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you will not share your secret with me? 95 Three times you have deceived me and have not told me what makes you so strong.”
Judges 16:20
Context16:20 She said, “The Philistines are here, 96 Samson!” He woke up 97 and thought, 98 “I will do as I did before 99 and shake myself free.” But he did not realize that the Lord had left him.
Judges 16:23
Context16:23 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.”
Judges 16:25
Context16:25 When they really started celebrating, 100 they said, “Call for Samson so he can entertain us!” So they summoned Samson from the prison and he entertained them. 101 They made him stand between two pillars.
Judges 16:30
Context16:30 Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” He pushed hard 102 and the temple collapsed on the rulers and all the people in it. He killed many more people in his death than he had killed during his life. 103
Judges 18:3
Context18:3 As they approached 104 Micah’s house, they recognized the accent 105 of the young Levite. So they stopped 106 there and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?” 107
Judges 18:9
Context18:9 They said, “Come on, let’s attack them, 108 for 109 we saw their land and it is very good. You seem lethargic, 110 but don’t hesitate 111 to invade and conquer 112 the land.
Judges 18:18
Context18:18 When these men broke into Micah’s house and stole 113 the carved image, the ephod, the personal idols, and the metal image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
Judges 18:24
Context18:24 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?’” 114
Judges 19:5-6
Context19:5 On the fourth day they woke up early and the Levite got ready to leave. 115 But the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Have a bite to eat for some energy, 116 then you can go.” 19:6 So the two of them sat down and had a meal together. 117 Then the girl’s father said to the man, “Why not stay another night and have a good time!” 118
Judges 19:8
Context19:8 He woke up early in the morning on the fifth day so he could leave, but the girl’s father said, “Get some energy. 119 Wait until later in the day to leave!” 120 So they ate a meal together.
Judges 19:11
Context19:11 When they got near Jebus, it was getting quite late 121 and the servant 122 said to his master, “Come on, let’s stop at 123 this Jebusite city and spend the night in it.”
Judges 19:23
Context19:23 The man who owned the house went outside and said to them, “No, my brothers! Don’t do this wicked thing! After all, this man is a guest in my house. Don’t do such a disgraceful thing!
Judges 19:30
Context19:30 Everyone who saw the sight 124 said, “Nothing like this has happened or been witnessed during the entire time since 125 the Israelites left the land of Egypt! 126 Take careful note of it! Discuss it and speak!”
Judges 20:23
Context20:23 The Israelites went up and wept before the Lord until evening. They asked the Lord, “Should we 127 again march out to fight 128 the Benjaminites, our brothers?” 129 The Lord said, “Attack them!” 130
Judges 20:39
Context20:39 the Israelites counterattacked. 131 Benjamin had begun to strike down the Israelites; 132 they struck down 133 about thirty men. They said, “There’s no doubt about it! They are totally defeated as in the earlier battle.”
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 “she”; the referent (Acsah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
6 tn Heb “him.” The pronoun could refer to Othniel, in which case one would translate, “she incited him [Othniel] to ask her father for a field.” This is problematic, however, for Acsah, not Othniel, makes the request in v. 15. The LXX has “he [Othniel] urged her to ask her father for a field.” This appears to be an attempt to reconcile the apparent inconsistency and probably does not reflect the original text. If Caleb is understood as the referent of the pronoun, the problem disappears. For a fuller discussion of the issue, see P. G. Mosca, “Who Seduced Whom? A Note on Joshua 15:18 // Judges 1:14,” CBQ 46 (1984): 18-22. The translation takes Caleb to be the referent, specified as “her father.”
7 tn Or “cool.” This probably refers to a room with latticed windows which allowed the breeze to pass through. See B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 144.
8 tn Heb “word of [i.e., from] God.”
9 tn Or “throne.”
10 tn Heb “his.”
11 tn Heb “covering his feet” (i.e., with his outer garments while he relieves himself).
12 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.
13 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
14 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for clarity.
15 tn Or “against Moab,” that is, so as to prevent the Moabites from crossing.
16 tn Or “honor.”
17 tn Heb “on [account of (?)] the way which you are walking.” Another option is to translate, “due to the way you are going about this.” In this case direct reference is made to Barak’s hesitancy as the reason for his loss of glory.
18 tn Heb “for into the hands of a woman the
19 tn Heb “Arise!”
20 tn 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
21 tn Heb “Has the
22 tn Heb “Turn aside” (also a second time later in this verse).
23 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Sisera) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
24 tn Heb “the
25 tn Heb “a man, a prophet.” Hebrew idiom sometimes puts a generic term before a more specific designation.
26 tc Some ancient witnesses read “from the land of Egypt.” מֵאֶרֶץ (me’erets, “from the land [of]”) could have been accidentally omitted by homoioarcton (note the following מִמִּצְרַיִם [mimmitsrayim, “from Egypt”]).
27 tn Heb “of the house of slavery.”
28 tn Heb “Do not fear.”
29 tn Heb “you have not listened to my voice.”
30 tn Heb “and let him die.” The jussive form with vav after the imperative is best translated as a purpose clause.
31 tn Heb “He called him on that day Jerub-Baal.” The name means, at least by popular etymology, “Let Baal fight!”
32 tn Heb “the people.”
33 tn Heb “Everyone who laps with his tongue from the water, as a dog laps, put him by himself, as well as the one who gets down on his knees to drink.”
34 tn Heb “you.” The Hebrew pronoun is masculine plural, probably referring to the entire army.
35 tn The Hebrew pronoun here is singular.
36 tn Heb “All the people should go, each to his place.”
37 tn Heb “answered and said.”
38 tn Heb “This can be nothing but.”
39 tn Heb “he bowed down” or “worshiped.”
40 tn Heb “by not summoning us.”
41 tn Or perhaps, “sell.”
42 tn Heb “people.” The translation uses “men” because these were warriors and in ancient Israelite culture would have been exclusively males.
43 tn Heb “who are at my feet.”
44 tn The words “I swear” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
45 tn Heb “brothers.”
46 tn Heb “to all the extended family of the house of the father of his mother.”
47 tn Heb “brothers.”
48 tn Heb “into the ears of.”
49 tn Heb “and all these words.”
50 tn Heb “Their heart was inclined after Abimelech.”
51 tn Heb “our brother.”
52 tn Heb “Should I stop my abundance, with which they honor gods and men, and go to sway over the trees?” The negative sentence in the translation reflects the force of the rhetorical question.
53 tn Heb “Should I stop my wine, which makes happy gods and men, and go to sway over the trees?” The negative sentence in the translation reflects the force of the rhetorical question.
54 tn Heb “are about to anoint [with oil].”
55 tn Heb “in my shade.”
56 tn Heb “If not.”
57 tn Heb “is your mouth that says.”
58 tn Heb “the people.”
59 tn Or “despised.”
60 tn Heb “the people, the officers.”
61 tn Heb “Who is the man who will begin fighting.”
62 tn Heb “Did you not hate me and make me leave?”
63 tn Heb “therefore”; “even so.” For MT לָכֵן (lakhen, “therefore”) the LXX has an opposite reading, “not so,” which seems to be based on the Hebrew words לֹא כֵן (lo’ khen).
64 tn Heb “we have returned to you.” For another example of שׁוּב אֶל (shuv ’el) in the sense of “give allegiance to,” see 1 Kgs 12:27b.
65 sn Then you will become the leader. The leaders of Gilead now use the word רֹאשׁ (ro’sh, “head, leader”), the same term that appeared in their original, general offer (see 10:18). In their initial offer to Jephthah they had simply invited him to be their קָצִין (qatsin, “commander”; v. 6). When he resists they must offer him a more attractive reward – rulership over the region. See R. G. Boling, Judges (AB), 198.
66 tn Heb “leader of us and all who live in Gilead.”
67 tn “All right” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
68 tn Heb “places them before me.”
69 tn Some translate the final statement as a question, “will I really be your leader?” An affirmative sentence is preferable. Jephthah is repeating the terms of the agreement in an official manner. In v. 10 the leaders legally agree to these terms.
70 tn Heb “you have brought me very low,” or “you have knocked me to my knees.” The infinitive absolute precedes the verb for emphasis.
71 tn Heb “You are among [or “like”] those who trouble me.”
72 tn Heb “I opened my mouth to the
73 tn The conjunction “since” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
74 tn Heb “you opened your mouth to the
75 tn Or “has given you vengeance against.”
76 tn Heb “Let this thing be done for me.”
77 tn Heb “Leave me alone for two months so I can go and go down on the hills and weep over my virginity – I and my friends.”
78 tn Heb “the men of Ephraim were summoned [or “were mustered”].”
79 tn Heb “cross over to fight.”
80 tn Or “calling”; or “summoning.”
81 tn Heb “Your house we will burn over you with fire.”
82 tn Heb A man of great strife I was and my people and the Ammonites.”
83 tn Heb “hand.”
84 tn Heb “If you really can tell it to me [during] the seven days of the feast and you find [its answer].”
85 tn Heb “changes.”
86 tn Heb “saying, I said.” The first person form of אָמַר (’amar, “to say”) sometimes indicates self-reflection. The girl’s father uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis.
87 tn Heb “hating, you hated.” Once again the girl’s father uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis.
88 tn Heb “Is her younger sister not better than her? Let her [i.e., the younger sister] be yours instead of her [i.e., Samson’s ‘bride’]).”
89 tn Heb “No,” meaning that they will not harm him.
90 tn Heb “you have placed into the hand of your servant.”
91 tn Heb “the uncircumcised,” which in context refers to the Philistines.
92 tn Or “moist.”
93 tn The word refers to a bowstring, probably made from animal tendons. See Ps 11:2; Job 30:11.
94 tn Heb “with which no work has been done.”
95 tn Heb “when your heart is not with me.”
96 tn Heb “are upon you.”
97 tn The Hebrew adds, “from his sleep.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
98 tn Heb “and said.”
99 tn Heb “I will go out as before.”
100 tn Heb “When their heart was good.”
101 tn Heb “before them.”
102 tn Heb “he stretched out with strength.”
103 tn Heb “And the ones whom he killed in his death were many more than he killed in his life.”
104 tn Or “When they were near.”
105 tn Heb “voice.” This probably means that “his speech was Judahite [i.e., southern] like their own, not Israelite [i.e., northern]” (R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 263).
106 tn Heb “turned aside.”
107 tn Heb “What [is there] to you here?”
108 tn Heb “Arise, and let us go up against them.”
109 tc Codex Alexandrinus (A) of the LXX adds “we entered and walked around in the land as far as Laish and.”
110 tn Heb “But you are inactive.”
111 tn Or “be lazy.”
112 tn Heb “to go”; “to enter”; “to possess.”
113 tn Heb “These went into Micah’s house and took.”
114 tn Heb “What is this you say to me, ‘What to you?’”
115 tn Heb “and he arose to go.”
116 tn Heb “Sustain your heart [with] a bit of food.”
117 tn Heb “And they sat and ate, the two of them together, and they drank.”
118 tn Heb “Be willing and spend the night so that your heart might be good.”
119 tn Heb “Sustain your heart.” He is once more inviting him to stay for a meal.
120 tn Heb “Wait until the declining of the day.”
121 tn Heb “and the day was descending greatly.”
122 tn Or “young man.”
123 tn Heb “turn aside” (also in the following verse).
124 tn The words “the sight” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
125 tn Heb “from the day.”
126 tc 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.”’”
127 tn Heb “I” (collective singular).
128 tn Heb “approach for battle.”
129 tn Heb “my brother” (collective singular).
130 tn Heb “Go up against him” (collective singular).
131 tn Heb “turned in the battle.”
132 tn Heb “And Benjamin began to strike down wounded ones among the men of Israel.”
133 tn The words “they struck down” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
