Judges 8-10
New English Translation
8 The Ephraimites said to him, “Why have you done such a thing to us? You did not summon us[a] when you went to fight the Midianites!” They argued vehemently with him. 2 He said to them, “Now what have I accomplished compared to you? Even Ephraim’s leftover grapes[b] are better quality than Abiezer’s harvest![c] 3 It was to you that God handed over the Midianite generals, Oreb and Zeeb! What did I accomplish to rival that?”[d] When he said this, they calmed down.[e]
Gideon Tracks Down the Midianite Kings
4 Now Gideon and his 300 men had crossed over the Jordan River, and even though they were exhausted, they were still chasing the Midianites.[f] 5 He said to the men of Sukkoth, “Give[g] some loaves of bread to the men[h] who are following me,[i] because they are exhausted. I am chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” 6 The officials of Sukkoth said, “You have not yet overpowered Zebah and Zalmunna. So why should we give[j] bread to your army?”[k] 7 Gideon said, “Since you will not help,[l] after the Lord hands Zebah and Zalmunna over to me, I will thresh[m] your skin[n] with[o] desert thorns and briers.” 8 He went up from there to Penuel and made the same request.[p] The men of Penuel responded the same way the men of Sukkoth had.[q] 9 He also threatened[r] the men of Penuel, warning,[s] “When I return victoriously,[t] I will tear down this tower.”
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their armies. There were about 15,000 survivors from the army of the eastern peoples; 120,000 sword-wielding soldiers had been killed.[u] 11 Gideon went up the road of the nomads[v] east of Nobah and Jogbehah and ambushed the surprised army.[w] 12 When Zebah and Zalmunna ran away, Gideon[x] chased them and captured the two Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna. He had surprised[y] their entire army.
13 Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle by the pass[z] of Heres. 14 He captured a young man from Sukkoth[aa] and interrogated him. The young man wrote down for him the names of Sukkoth’s officials and city leaders—seventy-seven men in all.[ab] 15 He approached the men of Sukkoth and said, “Look what I have![ac] Zebah and Zalmunna! You insulted me, saying, ‘You have not yet overpowered Zebah and Zalmunna. So why should we give bread to your exhausted men?’”[ad] 16 He seized the leaders[ae] of the city, along with some desert thorns and briers; he then “threshed” the men of Sukkoth with them.[af] 17 He also tore down the tower of Penuel and executed the city’s men.
18 He said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “Describe for me[ag] the men you killed at Tabor.” They said, “They were like you. Each one looked like a king’s son.”[ah] 19 He said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. I swear,[ai] as surely as the Lord is alive, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.” 20 He ordered Jether his firstborn son, “Come on![aj] Kill them!” But Jether was too afraid to draw his sword,[ak] because he was still young. 21 Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon,[al] “Come on,[am] you strike us, for a man is judged by his strength.”[an] So Gideon killed[ao] Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent-shaped ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.
Gideon Rejects a Crown but Makes an Ephod
22 The men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son, and your grandson. For you have delivered us from Midian’s power.”[ap] 23 Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.” 24 Gideon continued,[aq] “I would like to make one request. Each of you give me an earring from the plunder you have taken.”[ar] (The Midianites[as] had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.) 25 They said, “We are happy to give you earrings.”[at] So they[au] spread out a garment, and each one threw an earring from his plunder onto it. 26 The total weight of the gold earrings he requested came to 1,700 gold shekels.[av] This was in addition to the crescent-shaped ornaments, jewelry,[aw] purple clothing worn by the Midianite kings, and the necklaces on the camels.[ax] 27 Gideon used all this to make[ay] an ephod,[az] which he put in his hometown of Ophrah. All the Israelites[ba] prostituted themselves to it by worshiping it[bb] there. It became a snare to Gideon and his family.
Gideon’s Story Ends
28 The Israelites humiliated Midian; the Midianites’ fighting spirit was broken.[bc] The land had rest for forty years during Gideon’s time.[bd] 29 Then Jerub Baal son of Joash went home and settled down.[be] 30 Gideon fathered seventy sons through his many wives.[bf] 31 His concubine,[bg] who lived in Shechem, also gave him a son, whom he named Abimelech.[bh] 32 Gideon son of Joash died at a very[bi] old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash located in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
Israel Returns to Baal Worship
33 After Gideon died, the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They made Baal Berith[bj] their god. 34 The Israelites did not remain true[bk] to the Lord their God, who had delivered them from all the enemies who lived around them. 35 They did not treat[bl] the family of Jerub Baal (that is, Gideon) fairly in return for all the good he had done for Israel.
Abimelech Murders His Brothers
9 Now Abimelech son of Jerub Baal[bm] went to Shechem to see his mother’s relatives.[bn] He said to them and to his mother’s entire extended family,[bo] 2 “Tell[bp] all the leaders of Shechem this: ‘Why would you want[bq] to have seventy men, all Jerub Baal’s sons, ruling over you, when you can have just one ruler? Recall that I am your own flesh and blood.’”[br] 3 His mother’s relatives[bs] spoke on his behalf to[bt] all the leaders of Shechem and reported his proposal.[bu] The leaders were drawn to Abimelech;[bv] they said, “He is our close relative.”[bw] 4 They paid him seventy silver shekels out of the temple of Baal Berith. Abimelech then used the silver to hire some lawless, dangerous[bx] men as his followers.[by] 5 He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and murdered his half brothers,[bz] the seventy legitimate[ca] sons of Jerub Baal, on one stone. Only Jotham, Jerub Baal’s youngest son, escaped,[cb] because he hid. 6 All the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo assembled and then went and made Abimelech king by the oak near the pillar[cc] in Shechem.
Jotham’s Parable
7 When Jotham heard the news,[cd] he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim. He spoke loudly to the people below,[ce] “Listen to me, leaders of Shechem, so that God may listen to you!
8 “The trees were determined to go out[cf] and choose a king for themselves.[cg] They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king!’[ch] 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!’[ci]
10 “So the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and be our king!’[cj] 11 But the fig tree said to them, ‘I am not going to stop producing my sweet figs, my excellent fruit, just to sway above the other trees!’[ck]
12 “So the trees said to the grapevine, ‘You come and be our king!’[cl] 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!’[cm]
14 “So all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘You come and be our king!’[cn] 15 The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to choose[co] me as your king, then come along, find safety under my branches.[cp] Otherwise[cq] may fire blaze from the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’
16 “Now, if you have shown loyalty and integrity when you made Abimelech king, if you have done right to Jerub Baal and his family,[cr] if you have properly repaid him[cs]— 17 my father fought for you; he risked his life[ct] and delivered you from Midian’s power.[cu] 18 But you have attacked[cv] my father’s family[cw] today. You murdered his seventy legitimate[cx] 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.[cy] 19 So if you have shown loyalty and integrity to Jerub Baal and his family[cz] today, then may Abimelech bring you happiness and may you bring him happiness![da] 20 But if not, may fire blaze from Abimelech and consume the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo! May fire also blaze from the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo and consume Abimelech!” 21 Then Jotham ran away[db] to Beer and lived there to escape from[dc] Abimelech his half-brother.[dd]
God Fulfills Jotham’s Curse
22 Abimelech commanded[de] Israel for three years. 23 God sent a spirit to stir up hostility[df] between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem. He made the leaders of Shechem disloyal[dg] to Abimelech. 24 He did this so the violent deaths of Jerub Baal’s seventy sons might be avenged and Abimelech, their half-brother[dh] who murdered them, might have to pay for their spilled blood, along with the leaders of Shechem who helped him murder them.[di] 25 The leaders of Shechem rebelled against Abimelech by putting[dj] bandits in[dk] the hills, who robbed everyone who traveled by on the road. But Abimelech found out about it.[dl]
26 Gaal son of Ebed[dm] came through Shechem with his brothers. The leaders of Shechem transferred their loyalty to him.[dn] 27 They went out to the field, harvested their grapes,[do] squeezed out the juice,[dp] and celebrated. They came to the temple[dq] of their god and ate, drank, and cursed Abimelech. 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?[dr] Serve the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem! But why should we serve Abimelech?[ds] 29 If only these men[dt] were under my command,[du] I would get rid of Abimelech!” He challenged Abimelech,[dv] “Muster[dw] your army and come out for battle!”[dx]
30 When Zebul, the city commissioner, heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, he was furious.[dy] 31 He sent messengers to Abimelech, who was in Arumah,[dz] reporting, “Beware![ea] Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers are coming[eb] to Shechem and inciting the city to rebel against you.[ec] 32 Now, come up[ed] at night with your men[ee] and set an ambush in the field outside the city.[ef] 33 In the morning at sunrise quickly attack the city. When he and his men come out to fight you, do what you can to him.”[eg]
34 So Abimelech and all his men came up[eh] at night and set an ambush outside Shechem; they divided into[ei] four units. 35 When Gaal son of Ebed came out and stood at the entrance to the city’s gate, Abimelech and his men got up from their hiding places. 36 Gaal saw the men[ej] and said to Zebul, “Look, men are coming down from the tops of the hills.” But Zebul said to him, “You are seeing the shadows on the hills—it just looks like men.”[ek] 37 Gaal again said, “Look, men are coming down from the very center[el] of the land. A unit[em] is coming by way of the Oak Tree of the Diviners.”[en] 38 Zebul said to him, “Where now are your bragging words,[eo] ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Are these not the men[ep] you insulted?[eq] Go out now and fight them!” 39 So Gaal led the leaders of Shechem out[er] and fought Abimelech. 40 Abimelech chased him, and Gaal[es] ran from him. Many Shechemites[et] fell wounded at the entrance of the gate. 41 Abimelech went back[eu] to Arumah; Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem.[ev]
42 The next day the Shechemites[ew] came out to the field. When Abimelech heard about it,[ex] 43 he took his men[ey] and divided them into three units and set an ambush in the field. When he saw the people coming out of the city,[ez] he attacked and struck them down.[fa] 44 Abimelech and his units[fb] attacked and blocked[fc] the entrance to the city’s gate. Two units then attacked all the people in the field and struck them down. 45 Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed all the people in it. Then he leveled[fd] the city and spread salt over it.[fe]
46 When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem[ff] heard the news, they went to the stronghold[fg] of the temple of El Berith.[fh] 47 Abimelech heard[fi] that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem were in one place.[fj] 48 He and all his men[fk] went up on Mount Zalmon. He[fl] took an ax[fm] in his hand and cut off a tree branch. He put it[fn] on his shoulder and said to his men, “Quickly, do what you have just seen me do!”[fo] 49 So each of his men also cut off a branch and followed Abimelech. They put the branches[fp] against the stronghold and set fire to it.[fq] All the people[fr] of the Tower of Shechem died—about 1,000 men and women.
50 Abimelech moved on[fs] to Thebez; he besieged and captured it.[ft] 51 There was a fortified[fu] tower[fv] in the center of the city, so all the men and women, as well as the city’s leaders, ran into it and locked the entrance. Then they went up to the roof of the tower. 52 Abimelech came and attacked the tower. When he approached the entrance of the tower to set it on fire, 53 a woman threw an upper millstone[fw] down on his[fx] head and shattered his skull. 54 He quickly called to the young man who carried his weapons,[fy] “Draw your sword and kill me, so they will not say,[fz] ‘A woman killed him.’” So the young man stabbed him and he died. 55 When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they went home.[ga]
56 God repaid Abimelech for the evil he did to his father by murdering his seventy half brothers.[gb] 57 God also repaid the men of Shechem for their evil deeds. The curse spoken by Jotham son of Jerub Baal fell[gc] on them.
Stability Restored
10 After Abimelech’s death,[gd] Tola son of Puah, grandson[ge] of Dodo, from the tribe of Issachar,[gf] rose up to deliver Israel. He lived in Shamir in the Ephraimite hill country. 2 He led[gg] Israel for twenty-three years, then died and was buried in Shamir.
3 Jair the Gileadite rose up after him; he led Israel for twenty-two years. 4 He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys and possessed thirty cities. To this day these towns are called Havvoth Jair[gh]—they are in the land of Gilead.[gi] 5 Jair died and was buried in Kamon.
The Lord’s Patience Runs Short
6 The Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight.[gj] They worshiped[gk] the Baals and the Ashtoreths,[gl] as well as the gods of Syria, Sidon, Moab, the Ammonites, and the Philistines.[gm] They abandoned the Lord and did not worship[gn] him. 7 The Lord was furious with Israel[go] and turned them over to[gp] the Philistines and Ammonites. 8 They ruthlessly oppressed[gq] the Israelites that eighteenth year[gr]—that is, all the Israelites living east of the Jordan in Amorite country in Gilead. 9 The Ammonites crossed the Jordan to fight with Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim.[gs] Israel suffered greatly.[gt]
10 The Israelites cried out for help to the Lord: “We have sinned against you. We abandoned our God and worshiped[gu] the Baals.” 11 The Lord said to the Israelites, “Did I not deliver you from Egypt, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, 12 the Sidonians, Amalek, and Midian[gv] when they oppressed you?[gw] You cried out for help to me, and I delivered you from their power.[gx] 13 But since you abandoned me and worshiped[gy] other gods, I will not deliver you again. 14 Go and cry for help to the gods you have chosen! Let them deliver you from trouble!”[gz] 15 But the Israelites said to the Lord, “We have sinned. You do to us as you see fit,[ha] but deliver us today!”[hb] 16 They threw away the foreign gods they owned[hc] and worshiped[hd] the Lord. Finally the Lord grew tired of seeing Israel suffer so much.[he]
An Outcast Becomes a General
17 The Ammonites assembled[hf] and camped in Gilead; the Israelites gathered together and camped in Mizpah. 18 The leaders[hg] of Gilead said to one another, “Who is willing to lead the charge[hh] against the Ammonites? He will become the leader of all who live in Gilead!”
Footnotes
- Judges 8:1 tn Heb “by not summoning us.”
- Judges 8:2 tn Heb “gleanings.”
- Judges 8:2 sn Ephraim’s leftover grapes are better quality than Abiezer’s harvest. Gideon employs an agricultural metaphor. He argues that Ephraim’s mopping up operations, though seemingly like the inferior grapes which are missed initially by the harvesters or left for the poor, are actually more noteworthy than the military efforts of Gideon’s family.
- Judges 8:3 tn Heb “What was I able to do compared to you?”
- Judges 8:3 tn Heb “Then their spirits relaxed from against him, when he spoke this word.”
- Judges 8:4 tn Heb “And Gideon arrived at the Jordan, crossing over, he and the 300 men who were with him, exhausted and chasing.” The English past perfect (“had crossed”) is used because this verse flashes back chronologically to an event that preceded the hostile encounter described in vv. 1-3. (Note that 7:25 assumes Gideon had already crossed the Jordan.)
- Judges 8:5 tn Or perhaps, “sell.”
- Judges 8:5 tn Heb “people.” The translation uses “men” because these were warriors and in ancient Israelite culture would have been exclusively males.
- Judges 8:5 tn Heb “who are at my feet.”
- Judges 8:6 tn Or perhaps, “sell.”
- Judges 8:6 tn Heb “Are the palms of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give to your army bread?” Perhaps the reference to the kings’ “palms” should be taken literally. The officials of Sukkoth may be alluding to the practice of mutilating prisoners or enemy corpses (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 155).sn The officials of Sukkoth are hesitant to give (or sell) food to Gideon’s forces because they are not sure of the outcome of the battle. Perhaps they had made an alliance with the Midianites which demanded their loyalty.
- Judges 8:7 tn Heb “Therefore.”
- Judges 8:7 sn I will thresh. The metaphor is agricultural. Threshing was usually done on a hard threshing floor. As farm animals walked over the stalks, pulling behind them a board embedded with sharp stones, the stalks and grain would be separated. See O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 63-65. Gideon threatens to use thorns and briers on his sledge.
- Judges 8:7 tn Or “flesh.”
- Judges 8:7 tn This is apparently a rare instrumental use of the Hebrew preposition אֵת (ʾet, note the use of ב [bet] in v. 16). Some, however, argue that אֵת more naturally indicates accompaniment (“together with”). In this case Gideon envisions threshing their skin along with thorns and briers, just as the stalks and grain are intermingled on the threshing floor. See C. F. Burney, Judges, 229-30.
- Judges 8:8 tn Heb “and spoke to them in the same way.”
- Judges 8:8 tn Heb “The men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Sukkoth answered.”
- Judges 8:9 tn Heb “said to.” The translation “threatened” is interpretive, but is clearly indicated by the context.
- Judges 8:9 tn Heb “saying.”
- Judges 8:9 tn Or “safely.” Heb “in peace.”
- Judges 8:10 tn Heb “About 15,000 [in number] were all the ones remaining from the army of the sons of the east. The fallen ones were 120,000 [in number], men drawing the sword.”
- Judges 8:11 tn Heb “the ones living in tents.”
- Judges 8:11 tc Heb “and attacked the army, while the army was secure.” The Hebrew term בֶטַח (vetakh, “secure”) may means the army was undefended (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 156), not suspecting an attack at that time and place. A few mss supported by the LXX read the participle form from the same root, בֹטֵחַ (voteakh) “trustingly,” the implication being that they were not attentive to defense.
- Judges 8:12 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Judges 8:12 tn Or “routed”; Heb “caused to panic.”
- Judges 8:13 tn Or “ascent.”
- Judges 8:14 tn Heb “from the men of Sukkoth.”
- Judges 8:14 tn Heb “wrote down for him the officials of Sukkoth and its elders, seventy-seven men.”
- Judges 8:15 tn Heb “Look!” The words “what I have” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Judges 8:15 tn Heb “Are the palms of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give to your exhausted men bread?” sn Gideon changes their actual statement (see v. 6) by saying exhausted men rather than “army.” In this way he emphasizes the crisis his men were facing and highlights the insensitivity of the men of Sukkoth.
- Judges 8:16 tn Heb “elders.”
- Judges 8:16 tc The translation follows the reading of several ancient versions (LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate) in assuming the form וַיָּדָשׁ (vayyadash) from the verb דּוּשׁ (dush, “thresh”) as in v. 7. The MT reads instead the form וַיֹּדַע (vayyodaʿ, “make known”), a Hiphil form of יָדַע (yadaʿ). In this case one could translate, “he used them [i.e., the thorns and briers] to teach the men of Sukkoth a lesson.”
- Judges 8:18 tn Heb “Where are?”
- Judges 8:18 tn Heb “each one like the appearance of sons of the king.”
- Judges 8:19 tn The words “I swear” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Judges 8:20 tn Or “Arise!”
- Judges 8:20 tn Heb “did not draw his sword for he was afraid.”
- Judges 8:21 tn The words “to Gideon” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Judges 8:21 tn Or “Arise.”
- Judges 8:21 tn Heb “for as the man is his strength.”
- Judges 8:21 tn Heb “arose and killed.”
- Judges 8:22 tn Heb “hand.”
- Judges 8:24 tn Heb “said to them.”
- Judges 8:24 tn Heb “Give to me, each one, an earring from his plunder.”
- Judges 8:24 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Midianites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Judges 8:25 tn Heb “We will indeed give.”
- Judges 8:25 tc In the LXX the subject of this verb is singular, referring to Gideon rather than to the Israelites.
- Judges 8:26 sn 1,700 gold shekels would be about 42.7 pounds (19.4 kilograms) of gold.
- Judges 8:26 tn Or “pendants.”
- Judges 8:26 tn Heb “the ornaments which were on the necks of their camels.”
- Judges 8:27 tn Heb “made it into.”
- Judges 8:27 sn In Exod 28:4-6 and several other texts an ephod is described as a priestly or cultic garment. In some cases an ephod is used to obtain a divine oracle (1 Sam 23:9; 30:7). Here the ephod is made of gold and is described as being quite heavy (70-75 lbs?). Some identify it as an idol, but it was more likely a cultic object fashioned in the form of a garment which was used for oracular purposes. For discussion of the ephod in the OT, see C. F. Burney, Judges, 236-43, and R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 349-52.
- Judges 8:27 tn Heb “Israel” (a collective singular).
- Judges 8:27 tn The words “by worshiping it” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
- Judges 8:28 tn Heb “Midian was humbled before the Israelites, and they no longer lifted their heads.”
- Judges 8:28 tn Heb “in the days of Gideon.”
- Judges 8:29 tn Heb “went and lived in his house.”
- Judges 8:30 tn Heb “Gideon had seventy sons who went out from his thigh, for he had many wives.” The Hebrew word יָרֵךְ (yarekh, “thigh”) is a euphemism here for the penis.
- Judges 8:31 sn A concubine was a slave woman in ancient Near Eastern societies who was the legal property of her master, but who could have legitimate sexual relations with her master. A concubine’s status was more elevated than a mere servant, but she was not free and did not have the legal rights of a free wife. The children of a concubine could, in some instances, become equal heirs with the children of the free wife. After the period of the Judges concubines may have become more of a royal prerogative (2 Sam 21:10-14; 1 Kgs 11:3).
- Judges 8:31 sn The name Abimelech means “my father is king.”
- Judges 8:32 tn Heb “good.”
- Judges 8:33 sn Baal Berith was a local manifestation of the Canaanite storm god. The name means, ironically, “Baal of the covenant.” Israel’s covenant allegiance had indeed shifted.
- Judges 8:34 tn Heb “remember.”
- Judges 8:35 tn Heb “did not do loyalty with,” or “did not act faithfully toward.”
- Judges 9:1 sn That is, Gideon, and so throughout Judges 9. Gideon was given the name Jerub Baal (meaning “Let Baal fight”) in Judges 6:32.
- Judges 9:1 tn Heb “brothers.”
- Judges 9:1 tn Heb “to all the extended family of the house of the father of his mother.”
- Judges 9:2 tn Heb “Speak into the ears of.”
- Judges 9:2 tn Heb “What good is it to you?”
- Judges 9:2 tn Heb “your bone and your flesh.”
- Judges 9:3 tn Heb “brothers.”
- Judges 9:3 tn Heb “into the ears of.”
- Judges 9:3 tn Heb “and all these words.”
- Judges 9:3 tn Heb “Their heart was inclined after Abimelech.”
- Judges 9:3 tn Heb “our brother.”
- Judges 9:4 tn Heb “empty and reckless.”
- Judges 9:4 tn Heb “and they followed him.”
- Judges 9:5 tn Heb “his brothers.”
- Judges 9:5 tn The word “legitimate” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Judges 9:5 tn Heb “remained.”
- Judges 9:6 tc The translation assumes that the form in the Hebrew text (מֻצָּב, mutsav) should be מַצֵּבָה (matsevah, “pillar”). The reference is probably to a pagan object of worship (cf. LXX).
- Judges 9:7 tn Heb “And they reported to Jotham.” The subject of the plural verb is indefinite.
- Judges 9:7 tn Heb “He lifted his voice and called and said to them.”
- Judges 9:8 tn Heb “Going they went, the trees.” The precise emphatic force of the infinitive absolute (“Going”) is not entirely clear. Perhaps here it indicates determination, as in Gen 31:30, where one might translate, “You have insisted on going away.”
- Judges 9:8 tn Heb “to anoint [with oil] over them a king.”
- Judges 9:8 tn Or “Rule over us!”
- Judges 9:9 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.
- Judges 9:10 tn Or “and rule over us!”
- Judges 9:11 tn Heb “Should I stop my sweetness and my good fruit and go to sway over the trees?” The negative sentence in the translation reflects the force of the rhetorical question.
- Judges 9:12 tn Or “and rule over us!”
- Judges 9:13 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.
- Judges 9:14 tn Or “and rule over us!”
- Judges 9:15 tn Heb “are about to anoint [with oil].”
- Judges 9:15 tn Heb “in my shade.”
- Judges 9:15 tn Heb “If not.”
- Judges 9:16 tn Heb “house.”
- Judges 9:16 tn Heb “if according to the deeds of his hands you have done to him.”
- Judges 9:17 tc Heb “threw his life out in front,” that is, “exposed himself to danger.” The MT form מִנֶּגֶד (minneged, “from before”) should probably be read as מִנֶּגְדּוֹ (minnegdo, “from before him”); haplography of vav has likely occurred here in the MT.
- Judges 9:17 tn Heb “hand.”
- Judges 9:18 tn Heb “have risen up against.”
- Judges 9:18 tn Heb “house.”
- Judges 9:18 tn The word “legitimate” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Judges 9:18 tn Heb “your brother.”
- Judges 9:19 tn Heb “house.”
- Judges 9:19 tn Heb “then rejoice in Abimelech, and may he also rejoice in you.”
- Judges 9:21 tn Heb “fled and ran away and went.”
- Judges 9:21 tn Heb “there from before.”
- Judges 9:21 tn Heb “his brother.”
- Judges 9:22 tn The Hebrew verb translated “commanded” (שָׂרַר, sarar), which appears only here in Judges, differs from the ones employed earlier in this chapter (מָשַׁל [mashal] and מָלַךְ [malakh]).sn Abimelech commanded Israel. Perhaps while ruling as king over the city-state of Shechem, Abimelech also became a leader of the Israelite tribal alliance (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 175).
- Judges 9:23 tn Heb “an evil spirit.” A nonphysical, spirit being is in view, like the one who volunteered to deceive Ahab (1 Kgs 22:21). The traditional translation, “evil spirit,” implies the being is inherently wicked, perhaps even demonic, but this is not necessarily the case. The Hebrew adjective רָעַה (raʿah) can have a nonethical sense, “harmful; dangerous; calamitous.” When modifying רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) it may simply indicate that the being in view causes harm to the object of God’s judgment. G. F. Moore (Judges [ICC], 253) here refers to a “mischief-making spirit.”
- Judges 9:23 tn Heb “The leaders of Shechem were disloyal.” The words “he made” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Judges 9:24 tn Heb “their brother.”
- Judges 9:24 tn Heb “so that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerub Baal might come, and their blood might be placed on Abimelech, their brother, who murdered them, and upon the leaders of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to murder his brothers.”
- Judges 9:25 tn Heb “set against him bandits.” sn Putting bandits in the hills. This piracy certainly interrupted or discouraged trade, and probably deprived Abimelech of tariffs or tribute. See C. F. Burney, Judges, 277; G. F. Moore, Judges (ICC), 253.
- Judges 9:25 tn Heb “on the tops of.”
- Judges 9:25 tn Heb “It was told to Abimelech.”
- Judges 9:26 sn The name Gaal derives from, or at least sounds like, a Hebrew verb meaning “to abhor, loathe.” His father’s name, Ebed, means “servant.” Perhaps then this could be translated, “loathsome one, son of a servant.” This individual’s very name (which may be the narrator’s nickname for him, not his actual name) seems to hint at his immoral character and lowly social status.
- Judges 9:26 tn Heb “trusted in him.” Here the verb probably describes more than a mental attitude. It is likely that the Shechemites made an alliance with Gaal and were now trusting him for protection in return for their loyalty (and probably tribute).
- Judges 9:27 tn Heb “vineyards.”
- Judges 9:27 tn Heb “stomped” or “trampled.” This refers to the way in which the juice was squeezed out in the wine vats by stepping on the grapes with one’s bare feet. For a discussion of grape harvesting in ancient Israel, see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 110-14.
- Judges 9:27 tn Heb “house.”
- Judges 9:28 tn Heb “and Zebul his appointee.”
- Judges 9:28 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abimelech) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Judges 9:29 tn Heb “people.”
- Judges 9:29 tn Heb “in my hand.”sn If only these men were under my command. One might assume from v. 26b that the men were already at his disposal, but perhaps that was not one of the terms of the agreement. Another possibility is that v. 26 is a general summary statement, with vv. 27-29 then detailing how the alliance with Gaal came about.
- Judges 9:29 tn Heb “said to Abimelech.” On the other hand, the preposition ל (lamed) prefixed to the proper name may be vocative (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 178). If so, one could translate, “He boasted, ‘Abimelech….’”
- Judges 9:29 tn Heb “Make numerous.”
- Judges 9:29 tn The words “for battle” are interpretive.
- Judges 9:30 tn Heb “his anger burned.”
- Judges 9:31 tn The form בְּתָרְמָה (betormah) in the Hebrew text, which occurs only here, has traditionally been understood to mean “secretly” or “with deception.” If this is correct, it is derived from II רָמָה (ramah, “to deceive”). Some interpreters object, pointing out that this would imply Zebul was trying to deceive Abimelech, which is clearly not the case in this context. But this objection is unwarranted. If retained, the phrase would refer instead to deceptive measures used by Zebul to avoid the suspicion of Gaal when he dispatched the messengers from Shechem. The present translation assumes an emendation to “in Arumah” (בָּארוּמָה, baʾrumah), a site mentioned in v. 41 as the headquarters of Abimelech. Confusion of ʾalef and tav in archaic Hebrew script, while uncommon, is certainly not unimaginable.
- Judges 9:31 tn Heb “Look!”
- Judges 9:31 tn The participle, as used here, suggests Gaal and his brothers are in the process of arriving, but the preceding verses imply they have already settled in. Perhaps Zebul uses understatement to avoid the appearance of negligence on his part. After all, if he made the situation sound too bad, Abimelech, when he was informed, might ask why he had allowed this rebellion to reach such a stage.
- Judges 9:31 tn The words “to rebel” are interpretive. The precise meaning of the Hebrew verb צוּר (tsur) is unclear here. It is best to take it in the sense of “to instigate; to incite; to provoke” (see Deut 2:9, 19 and R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 178).
- Judges 9:32 tn Heb “arise.”
- Judges 9:32 tn Heb “you and the people who are with you.”
- Judges 9:32 tn The words “outside the city” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Judges 9:33 tn Heb “Look! He and the people who are with him will come out to you, and you will do to him what your hand finds [to do].”
- Judges 9:34 tn Heb “and all the people who were with him arose.”
- Judges 9:34 tn Heb “four heads.” The words “they divided into” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Judges 9:36 tn Heb “the people” (also in vv. 38, 43, 48). These were warriors, so “men” has been used in the translation, since in ancient Israelite culture soldiers would have been exclusively males.
- Judges 9:36 tn Heb “the shadow on the hills you are seeing, like men.”
- Judges 9:37 tn Heb “navel.” On the background of the Hebrew expression “the navel of the land,” see R. G. Boling, Judges (AB), 178-79.
- Judges 9:37 tn Heb “head.”
- Judges 9:37 tn Some English translations simply transliterated this as a place name (Heb “Elon-meonenim”); cf. NAB, NRSV.
- Judges 9:38 tn Heb “is your mouth that says.”
- Judges 9:38 tn Heb “the people.”
- Judges 9:38 tn Or “despised.”
- Judges 9:39 tn Heb “So Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem.”
- Judges 9:40 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gaal) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Judges 9:40 tn The word “Shechemites” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for clarification.
- Judges 9:41 tc Heb “stayed.” Some scholars revise the vowel pointing on this verb from that of the MT, resulting in the translation “and he returned to.” The Lucianic recension of the LXX understands the word in this way.
- Judges 9:41 tn Heb “drove…out from dwelling in Shechem.”
- Judges 9:42 tn Heb “the people”; the referent (the Shechemites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Judges 9:42 tn Heb “And they told Abimelech.”
- Judges 9:43 tn Heb “his people.”
- Judges 9:43 tn Heb “And he saw and, look, the people were coming out of the city.”
- Judges 9:43 tn Heb “he arose against them and struck them.”
- Judges 9:44 tn Or possibly, “the unit that was with him.”
- Judges 9:44 tn Heb “stood [at].”
- Judges 9:45 tn Or “destroyed.”
- Judges 9:45 tn Heb “sowed it with salt.”sn The spreading of salt over the city was probably a symbolic act designed to place the site under a curse, deprive it of fertility, and prevent any future habitation. The practice is referred to outside the Bible as well. For example, one of the curses in the Aramaic Sefire treaty states concerning Arpad: “May Hadad sow in them salt and weeds, and may it not be mentioned again!” See J. A. Fitzmyer, The Aramaic Inscriptions of Sefire (BibOr), 15, 53. Deut 29:23, Jer 17:6, and Zeph 2:9 associate salt flats or salty regions with infertility and divine judgment.
- Judges 9:46 sn Perhaps the Tower of Shechem was a nearby town, distinct from Shechem proper, or a tower within the city.
- Judges 9:46 tn Apparently this rare word refers here to the most inaccessible area of the temple, perhaps the inner sanctuary or an underground chamber. It appears only here and in 1 Sam 13:6, where it is paired with “cisterns” and refers to subterranean or cave-like hiding places.
- Judges 9:46 sn The name El-Berith means “God of the Covenant.” It is probably a reference to the Canaanite high god El.
- Judges 9:47 tn Heb “and it was told to Abimelech.”
- Judges 9:47 tn Heb “were assembled.”
- Judges 9:48 tn Heb “his people.”
- Judges 9:48 tn Heb “Abimelech.” The proper name has been replaced with the pronoun (“he”) due to considerations of English style.
- Judges 9:48 tn The Hebrew text has the plural here.
- Judges 9:48 tn Heb “he lifted it and put [it].”
- Judges 9:48 tn Heb “What you have seen me do, quickly do like me.”
- Judges 9:49 tn The words “the branches” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Judges 9:49 tn Heb “they kindled over them the stronghold with fire.”
- Judges 9:49 tn Or “men,” but the word seems to have a more general sense here, as the conclusion to the sentence suggests.
- Judges 9:50 tn Or “went.”
- Judges 9:50 tn Heb “he camped near Thebez and captured it.”
- Judges 9:51 tn Or “strong.”
- Judges 9:51 tn Or “fortress.” The same Hebrew term occurs once more in this verse and twice in v. 52.
- Judges 9:53 sn A hand mill consisted of an upper stone and larger lower stone. One would turn the upper stone with a handle to grind the grain, which was placed between the stones. An upper millstone, which was typically about two inches thick and a foot or so in diameter, probably weighed 25-30 pounds (11.4-13.6 kg). See G. F. Moore, Judges (ICC), 268; C. F. Burney, Judges, 288.
- Judges 9:53 tn Heb “Abimelech’s.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun “his” in the translation in keeping with conventions of English narrative style.
- Judges 9:54 tn The Hebrew text adds, “and said to him.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Judges 9:54 tn The Hebrew text adds, “concerning me.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Judges 9:55 tn Heb “each to his own place.”
- Judges 9:56 tn Heb “seventy brothers.”
- Judges 9:57 tn Heb “came.”
- Judges 10:1 tn The word “death” has been supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Judges 10:1 tn Heb “son.”
- Judges 10:1 tn Heb “a man of Issachar.”
- Judges 10:2 tn Traditionally, “judged.”
- Judges 10:4 sn The name Habboth Jair means “tent villages of Jair” in Hebrew.
- Judges 10:4 tn Heb “they call them Havvoth Jair to this day—which are in the land of Gilead.”
- Judges 10:6 tn Heb “in the eyes of the Lord.”
- Judges 10:6 tn Or “served;” or “followed.”
- Judges 10:6 sn The Ashtoreths were local manifestations of the goddess Astarte.
- Judges 10:6 tn Heb “the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines.”
- Judges 10:6 tn Or “serve”; or “follow.”
- Judges 10:7 tn Or “the Lord’s anger burned [or “raged”] against Israel.”
- Judges 10:7 tn Heb “sold them into the hands of.”
- Judges 10:8 tn Heb “shattered and crushed.” The repetition of similar sounding synonyms (רָעַץ [raʿats] and רָצַץ [ratsats]) is for emphasis; רָצַץ appears in the Polel, adding further emphasis to the affirmation.
- Judges 10:8 tn The phrase שְׁמֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה (shemoneh ʿesreh 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.
- Judges 10:9 tn Heb “the house of Ephraim.”
- Judges 10:9 tn Or “Israel experienced great distress.” Perhaps here the verb has the nuance “hemmed in.”
- Judges 10:10 tn Or “served”; or “followed.”
- Judges 10:12 tc The translation follows the LXX which reads “Midian”; the Hebrew text has “Maon.”
- Judges 10:12 tn The words “Did I not deliver you” are interpretive. The Hebrew text simply reads, “Is it not from Egypt…when they oppressed you?” Perhaps the incomplete sentence reflects the Lord’s frustration.
- Judges 10:12 tn Heb “hand.”
- Judges 10:13 tn Or “served”; or “followed.”
- Judges 10:14 tn Heb “in your time of trouble.”
- Judges 10:15 tn Heb “according to all whatever is good in your eyes.”
- Judges 10:15 sn You do to us as you see fit, but deliver us today. The request seems contradictory, but it can be explained in one of two ways. They may be asking for relief from their enemies and direct discipline from God’s hand. Or they may mean, “In the future you can do whatever you like to us, but give us relief from what we’re suffering right now.”
- Judges 10:16 tn Heb “from their midst.”
- Judges 10:16 tn Or “served”; or “followed.”
- Judges 10:16 tn Heb “And his spirit grew short [i.e., impatient] with the suffering of Israel.” The Hebrew noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) also appears as the subject of the verb קָצַר (qatsar) in Num 21:4 (the Israelites grow impatient wandering in the wilderness), Judg 16:16 (Samson grows impatient with Delilah’s constant nagging), and Zech 11:8 (Zechariah grows impatient with the three negligent “shepherds”).
- Judges 10:17 tn Or “were summoned;” or “were mustered.”
- Judges 10:18 tn Heb “the people, the officers.”
- Judges 10:18 tn Heb “Who is the man who will begin fighting.”
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