Discovery BoxJudges 3:1 
Context3:1 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. 1
Judges 3:3
Context3:3 These were the nations: 2 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. 3
Judges 10:8
Context10:8 They ruthlessly oppressed 4 the Israelites that eighteenth year 5 – that is, all the Israelites living east of the Jordan in Amorite country in Gilead.
Judges 16:27
Context16:27 Now the temple 6 was filled with men and women, and all the rulers of the Philistines were there. There were three thousand men and women on the roof watching Samson entertain.
Judges 20:8
Context20:8 All Israel rose up in unison 7 and said, “Not one of us will go home! 8 Not one of us will return 9 to his house!
1 tn Heb “did not know the wars of Canaan.”
2 tn The words “These were the nations,” though not present in the Hebrew text, are supplied in the translation for clarity.
3 tn Or “the entrance to Hamath.”
4 tn Heb “shattered and crushed.” The repetition of similar sounding synonyms (רָעַץ [ra’ats] and רָצַץ [ratsats]) is for emphasis; רָצַץ appears in the Polel, adding further emphasis to the affirmation.
5 tn The phrase שְׁמֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה (shemoneh ’esreh shanah) could be translated “eighteen years,” but this would be difficult after the reference to “that year.” It is possible that v. 8b is parenthetical, referring to an eighteen year long period of oppression east of the Jordan which culminated in hostilities against all Israel (including Judah, see v. 9) in the eighteenth year. It is simpler to translate the phrase as an ordinal number, though the context does not provide the point of reference. (See Gen 14:4-5 and R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 191-92.) In this case, the following statement specifies which “Israelites” are in view.
6 tn Heb “house.”
7 tn Heb “as one man.”
8 tn Heb “to his tent.”
9 tn Or “turn aside.”
