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Judges 18
New English Translation

The Tribe of Dan Finds an Inheritance

18 In those days Israel had no king. And in those days the Danite tribe was looking for a place[a] to settle, because at that time they did not yet have a place to call their own among the tribes of Israel.[b] 2 The Danites sent out from their whole tribe five representatives,[c] capable men[d] from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. They said to them, “Go, explore the land.” They came to the Ephraimite hill country and spent the night at Micah’s house.[e] 3 As they approached[f] Micah’s house, they recognized the accent[g] of the young Levite. So they stopped[h] there and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?”[i] 4 He told them what Micah had done for him, saying,[j] “He hired me, and I became his priest.” 5 They said to him, “Seek a divine oracle for us,[k] so we can know if we will be successful on our mission.”[l] 6 The priest said to them, “Go with confidence.[m] The Lord will be with you on your mission.”[n]

7 So the five men journeyed on[o] and arrived in Laish. They noticed that the people there[p] were living securely, like the Sidonians do,[q] undisturbed and unsuspecting. No conqueror was troubling them in any way.[r] They lived far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone.[s] 8 When the Danites returned to their tribe[t] in Zorah and Eshtaol, their kinsmen[u] asked them, “How did it go?”[v] 9 They said, “Come on, let’s attack them,[w] for[x] we saw their land and it is very good. You seem lethargic,[y] but don’t hesitate[z] to invade and conquer[aa] the land. 10 When you invade,[ab] you will encounter[ac] unsuspecting people. The land is wide![ad] God is handing it over to you—a place that lacks nothing on earth!”[ae]

11 So 600 Danites, fully armed, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol.[af] 12 They went up and camped in Kiriath Jearim in Judah. (To this day that place is called Camp of Dan.[ag] It is west[ah] of Kiriath Jearim.) 13 From there they traveled through the Ephraimite hill country and arrived at Micah’s house. 14 The five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish[ai] said to their kinsmen,[aj] “Do you realize that inside these houses are an ephod, some personal idols, a carved image, and a metal image? Decide now what you want to do.” 15 They stopped[ak] there, went inside the young Levite’s house (which belonged to Micah),[al] and asked him how he was doing.[am] 16 Meanwhile the 600 Danites, fully armed, stood at the entrance to the gate.[an] 17 The five men who had gone to spy out the land broke in and stole[ao] the carved image, the ephod, the personal idols, and the metal image, while the priest was standing at the entrance to the gate with the 600 fully armed men.[ap] 18 When these men broke into Micah’s house and stole[aq] the carved image, the ephod, the personal idols, and the metal image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?” 19 They said to him, “Shut up! Put your hand over your mouth and come with us! You can be our adviser[ar] and priest. Wouldn’t it be better to be a priest for a whole Israelite tribe than for just one man’s family?”[as] 20 The priest was happy. He took the ephod, the personal idols, and the carved image and joined the group.[at]

21 They turned and went on their way, but they walked behind the children, the cattle, and their possessions.[au] 22 After they had gone a good distance from Micah’s house, Micah’s neighbors[av] gathered together and caught up with the Danites. 23 When they called out to the Danites, the Danites[aw] turned around and said to Micah, “Why have you gathered together?” 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?’”[ax] 25 The Danites said to him, “Don’t say another word to us, or some very angry men[ay] will attack you, and you and your family will die.”[az] 26 The Danites went on their way; when Micah realized[ba] they were too strong to resist,[bb] he turned around and went home.

27 Now the Danites[bc] took what Micah had made, as well as his priest, and came to Laish, where the people were undisturbed and unsuspecting. They struck them down with the sword and burned the city.[bd] 28 No one came to the rescue because the city[be] was far from Sidon and they had no dealings with anyone.[bf] The city[bg] was in a valley near Beth Rehob. The Danites[bh] rebuilt the city and occupied it. 29 They named it Dan after their ancestor, who was one of Israel’s sons.[bi] But the city’s name used to be Laish. 30 The Danites worshiped[bj] the carved image. Jonathan, descendant[bk] of Gershom, son of Moses,[bl] and his descendants[bm] served as priests for the tribe of Dan until the time of the exile. 31 They worshiped[bn] Micah’s carved image[bo] the whole time God’s authorized shrine[bp] was in Shiloh.

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 18:1 tn Heb “an inheritance.”
  2. Judges 18:1 tn Heb “because there had not fallen to them by that day in the midst of the tribes of Israel an inheritance.”
  3. Judges 18:2 tn Heb “The Danites sent from their tribe five men, from their borders.”
  4. Judges 18:2 tn Heb “men, sons of strength.”
  5. Judges 18:2 tn Heb “They came to the Ephraimite hill country, to Micah’s house, and spent the night there.”
  6. Judges 18:3 tn Or “When they were near.”
  7. Judges 18:3 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).
  8. Judges 18:3 tn Heb “turned aside.”
  9. Judges 18:3 tn Heb “What [is there] to you here?”
  10. Judges 18:4 tn Heb “He said to them, ‘Such and such Micah has done for me.’” Though the statement is introduced and presented, at least in part, as a direct quotation (note especially “for me”), the phrase “such and such” appears to be the narrator’s condensed version of what the Levite really said.
  11. Judges 18:5 tn Heb “Ask God.”
  12. Judges 18:5 tn Heb “so we can know if our way on which we are going will be successful.”
  13. Judges 18:6 tn Heb “in peace.”
  14. Judges 18:6 tn Heb “In front of the Lord is your way in which you are going.”
  15. Judges 18:7 tn Or “went.”
  16. Judges 18:7 tn Heb “who were in its midst.”
  17. Judges 18:7 tn Heb “according to the custom of the Sidonians.”
  18. Judges 18:7 tn Heb “and there was no one humiliating anything in the land, one taking possession [by] force.”
  19. Judges 18:7 tc Heb “and a thing there was not to them with men.” Codex Alexandrinus (A) of the LXX and Symmachus read “Syria” here rather than the MT’s “men.” This reading presupposes a Hebrew Vorlage אֲרָם (ʾaram, “Aram,” i.e., Arameans) rather than the MT reading אָדָם (ʾadam). This reading is possibly to be preferred over the MT.
  20. Judges 18:8 tn Heb “They came to their brothers.”
  21. Judges 18:8 tn Heb “brothers.”
  22. Judges 18:8 tn Heb “What you?”
  23. Judges 18:9 tn Heb “Arise, and let us go up against them.”
  24. Judges 18:9 tc Codex Alexandrinus (A) of the LXX adds “we entered and walked around in the land as far as Laish and.”
  25. Judges 18:9 tn Heb “But you are inactive.”
  26. Judges 18:9 tn Or “be lazy.”
  27. Judges 18:9 tn Heb “to go”; “to enter”; “to possess.”
  28. Judges 18:10 tn Heb “When you enter.”
  29. Judges 18:10 tn Heb “you will come to.”
  30. Judges 18:10 tn Heb “broad of hands,” an idiom meaning “wide on both sides.”
  31. Judges 18:10 tn Heb “a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth.”
  32. Judges 18:11 tn Heb “They journeyed from there, from the tribe of the Danites, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, 600 men, equipped with weapons of war.”
  33. Judges 18:12 tn Or “Mahaneh Dan”; the Hebrew term “Mahaneh” means “camp [of].” Many English versions retain the transliterated Hebrew expression, but cf. CEV “Dan’s Camp.”
  34. Judges 18:12 tn Heb “behind.”
  35. Judges 18:14 tc Codex Alexandrinus (A) of the LXX lacks the phrase “of Laish.”
  36. Judges 18:14 tn Heb “brothers.”
  37. Judges 18:15 tn Heb “turned aside.”
  38. Judges 18:15 tn Heb “Micah’s house.”
  39. Judges 18:15 tn Heb “they asked him concerning peace.”
  40. Judges 18:16 tn Heb “And the 600 men, equipped with the weapons of war…from the sons of Dan.”
  41. Judges 18:17 tn Heb “went up, went in there, took.”
  42. Judges 18:17 tn Heb “600 men, equipped with the weapons of war.”
  43. Judges 18:18 tn Heb “These went into Micah’s house and took.”
  44. Judges 18:19 tn See the note on the word “adviser” in 17:10.
  45. Judges 18:19 tn Heb “Is it better for you to be priest for the house of one man or for you to be priest for a tribe, for a clan in Israel?”
  46. Judges 18:20 tn Heb “and went into the midst of the people.”
  47. Judges 18:21 tn Heb “They turned and went and put the children, the cattle, and the possessions in front of them.”
  48. Judges 18:22 tn Heb “the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house.”
  49. Judges 18:23 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Danites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  50. Judges 18:24 tn Heb “What is this you say to me, ‘What to you?’”
  51. Judges 18:25 tn Heb “bitter in spirit.” This phrase is used in 2 Sam 17:8 of David and his warriors, who are compared to a bear robbed of her cubs.
  52. Judges 18:25 tn Heb “and you will gather up your life and the life of your house.”
  53. Judges 18:26 tn Heb “saw.”
  54. Judges 18:26 tn Heb “they were stronger than he.”
  55. Judges 18:27 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Danites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  56. Judges 18:27 tn The Hebrew adds “with fire.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons, because it is redundant in English.
  57. Judges 18:28 tn Heb “it.” The Hebrew pronoun is feminine singular here, referring to the “city” (a grammatically feminine singular noun) mentioned in v. 27.
  58. Judges 18:28 tn Heb “and a thing there was not to them with men.”
  59. Judges 18:28 tn Heb “it.” The Hebrew pronoun is feminine singular here, referring to the “city” (a grammatically feminine singular noun) mentioned in v. 27.
  60. Judges 18:28 tn Heb “They”; the referent (the Danites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  61. Judges 18:29 tn Heb “They called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who had been born to Israel.”
  62. Judges 18:30 tn Heb “erected for themselves.”
  63. Judges 18:30 tn Heb “son.”
  64. Judges 18:30 tc Several ancient textual witnesses, including some LXX mss and the Vulgate, support the reading “Moses” (מֹשֶׁה, mosheh) here. Many Hebrew mss have a nun (נ) suspended above the name between the first two letters (מנשׁה), suggesting the name Manasseh (מְנַשֶּׁה, menasheh). This is probably a scribal attempt to protect Moses’ reputation. For discussion, see G. F. Moore, Judges (ICC), 401-2.
  65. Judges 18:30 tn Heb “sons.”
  66. Judges 18:31 tn Heb “they set up for themselves.”
  67. Judges 18:31 tn Heb “the carved image that Micah had made.”
  68. Judges 18:31 tn Heb “the house of God.”
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Judges 19
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Judges 3:7-4:24
New English Translation

Othniel: A Model Leader

7 The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight.[a] They forgot the Lord their God and worshiped the Baals and the Asherahs.[b] 8 The Lord was furious with Israel[c] and turned them over to[d] King Cushan Rishathaim[e] of Armon Haraim.[f] They were Cushan Rishathaim’s subjects[g] for eight years. 9 When the Israelites cried out for help to the Lord, he[h] raised up a deliverer for the Israelites who rescued[i] them. His name was Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.[j] 10 The Lord’s Spirit empowered him[k] and he led Israel. When he went to do battle, the Lord handed over to him King Cushan Rishathaim of Armon[l] and he overpowered him.[m] 11 The land had rest for forty years; then Othniel son of Kenaz died.

Deceit, Assassination, and Deliverance

12 The Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight.[n] The Lord gave King Eglon of Moab control over Israel[o] because they had done evil in the Lord’s sight. 13 Eglon formed alliances with[p] the Ammonites and Amalekites. He came and defeated Israel, and they seized the city of date palm trees.[q] 14 The Israelites were subject to[r] King Eglon of Moab for eighteen years.

15 When the Israelites cried out for help to the Lord, he[s] raised up a deliverer for them. His name was Ehud son of Gera the Benjaminite, a left-handed man.[t] The Israelites sent him to King Eglon of Moab with their tribute payment.[u] 16 Ehud made himself a sword—it had two edges and was 18 inches long.[v] He strapped it under his coat on his right thigh. 17 He brought the tribute payment to King Eglon of Moab. (Now Eglon was a very fat man.)

18 After Ehud brought the tribute payment, he dismissed the people who had carried it.[w] 19 But he went back[x] once he reached[y] the carved images[z] at Gilgal. He said to Eglon,[aa] “I have a secret message for you, O king.” Eglon[ab] said, “Be quiet!”[ac] All his attendants left. 20 When Ehud approached him, he was sitting in his well-ventilated[ad] upper room all by himself. Ehud said, “I have a message from God[ae] for you.” When Eglon rose up from his seat,[af] 21 Ehud reached with his left hand, pulled the sword from his right thigh, and drove it into Eglon’s[ag] belly. 22 The handle went in after the blade, and the fat closed around the blade, for Ehud[ah] did not pull the sword out of his belly.[ai] 23 As Ehud went out into the vestibule,[aj] he closed the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.

24 When Ehud had left, Eglon’s[ak] servants came and saw the locked doors of the upper room. They said, “He must be relieving himself[al] in the well-ventilated inner room.”[am] 25 They waited so long they were embarrassed, but he still did not open the doors of the upper room. Finally they took the key and opened the doors.[an] Right before their eyes was their master, sprawled out dead on the floor![ao] 26 Now Ehud had escaped while they were delaying. When he passed the carved images, he escaped to Seirah.

27 When he reached Seirah,[ap] he blew a trumpet[aq] in the Ephraimite hill country. The Israelites went down with him from the hill country, with Ehud in the lead.[ar] 28 He said to them, “Follow me, for the Lord is about to defeat your enemies, the Moabites!”[as] They followed him, captured the fords of the Jordan River[at] opposite Moab,[au] and did not let anyone cross. 29 That day they killed about 10,000 Moabites[av]—all strong, capable warriors; not one escaped. 30 Israel humiliated Moab that day, and the land had rest for eighty years.

31 After Ehud[aw] came[ax] Shamgar son of Anath. He killed 600 Philistines with an oxgoad. So he also delivered Israel.

Deborah Summons Barak

4 The Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight[ay] after Ehud’s death. 2 The Lord turned them over to[az] King Jabin of Canaan, who ruled in Hazor.[ba] The general of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim.[bb] 3 The Israelites cried out for help to the Lord, because Sisera[bc] had 900 chariots with iron-rimmed wheels,[bd] and he cruelly[be] oppressed the Israelites for twenty years.

4 Now Deborah, a prophetess,[bf] wife of Lappidoth, was[bg] leading[bh] Israel at that time. 5 She would sit[bi] under the Date Palm Tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the Ephraimite hill country. The Israelites would come up to her to have their disputes settled.[bj]

6 She summoned[bk] Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali. She said to him, “Is it not true that the Lord God of Israel is commanding you? Go, march to Mount Tabor! Take with you 10,000 men from Naphtali and Zebulun. 7 I will bring Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to you at the Kishon River, along with his chariots and huge army.[bl] I will hand him over to you.” 8 Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go. But if you do not go with me, I will not go.” 9 She said, “I will indeed go with you. But you will not gain fame[bm] on the expedition you are undertaking,[bn] for the Lord will turn Sisera over to a woman.”[bo] Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 Barak summoned men from Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and 10,000 men followed him;[bp] Deborah went up with him as well. 11 Now Heber the Kenite had moved away[bq] from the Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ father-in-law. He lived[br] near the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh.

12 When Sisera heard[bs] that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, 13 he[bt] ordered[bu] all his chariotry—900 chariots with iron-rimmed wheels—and all the troops he had with him to go from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River. 14 Deborah said to Barak, “Spring into action,[bv] for this is the day the Lord is handing Sisera over to you![bw] Has the Lord not taken the lead?”[bx] So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with 10,000 men following him. 15 The Lord routed[by] Sisera, all his chariotry, and all his army with the edge of the sword.[bz] Sisera jumped out of[ca] his chariot and ran away on foot. 16 Now Barak chased the chariots and the army all the way to Harosheth Haggoyim. Sisera’s whole army died[cb] by the edge of the sword; not even one survived![cc]

17 Now Sisera ran away on foot to the tent of Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, for King Jabin of Hazor and the family of Heber the Kenite had made a peace treaty.[cd] 18 Jael came out to welcome Sisera. She said to him, “Stop and rest,[ce] my lord. Stop and rest with me. Don’t be afraid.” So Sisera[cf] stopped to rest in her tent, and she put a blanket over him. 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. 20 He said to her, “Stand watch at the entrance to the tent. If anyone comes along and asks you, ‘Is there a man here?’ say, ‘No.’” 21 Then Jael wife of Heber took a tent peg in one hand and a hammer in the other.[cg] She crept up on him, drove the tent peg through his temple into the ground[ch] while he was asleep from exhaustion,[ci] and he died. 22 Now Barak was chasing Sisera. Jael went out to welcome him. She said to him, “Come here and I will show you the man you are searching for.” He went with her into the tent,[cj] and there he saw Sisera sprawled out dead[ck] with the tent peg through his temple.

23 That day God humiliated King Jabin of Canaan before the Israelites. 24 Israel’s power continued to overwhelm[cl] King Jabin of Canaan until they did away with[cm] him.[cn]

Footnotes

  1. Judges 3:7 tn Heb “in the eyes of the Lord.”
  2. Judges 3:7 sn The Asherahs were local manifestations of the Canaanite goddess Asherah.
  3. Judges 3:8 tn Or “The Lord’s anger burned (or raged) against Israel.”
  4. Judges 3:8 tn Heb “sold them into the hands of.”
  5. Judges 3:8 tn Or “Cushan the Doubly Wicked.”
  6. Judges 3:8 tc Armon Haraim. Traditionally Aram-Naharaim, and sometimes understood as a place in Mesopotamia. This reading accepts the consonantal text but divides the words after the nun (נ) instead of before. The consonants ארמן הרים could be read with a dual ending as ʾArmon Haraim, meaning “Citadel of the Two Mountains,” or with a plural ending as ʾArmon Harim, meaning “Citadel of the Mountains.” In either case, Cushan Rishathaim is probably a remaining Canaanite king with a fortress in the hill country of Israel. See Beitzel, The Moody Atlas of Bible Lands, 106.
  7. Judges 3:8 tn Or “they served Cushan Rishathaim.”
  8. Judges 3:9 tn Heb “the Lord.”
  9. Judges 3:9 tn Or “delivered.”
  10. Judges 3:9 tn “Caleb’s younger brother” may refer to Othniel or to Kenaz (in which case Othniel is Caleb’s nephew).
  11. Judges 3:10 tn Heb “was on him.”
  12. Judges 3:10 tc Armon. Traditionally Aram. See note at Judges 3:8. This is either Armon, with restored nun (נ), being short for Armon Haraim, or perhaps the entire phrase was original.
  13. Judges 3:10 tn Heb “his hand was strong against Cushan Rishathaim.”
  14. Judges 3:12 tn Heb “in the eyes of the Lord” (also later in this verse).
  15. Judges 3:12 tn Heb “strengthened Eglon…against Israel.”
  16. Judges 3:13 tn Heb “and he gathered to him.”
  17. Judges 3:13 sn The city of date palm trees refers to Jericho. See Deut 34:3.
  18. Judges 3:14 tn Or “the Israelites served Eglon.”
  19. Judges 3:15 tn Heb “the Lord.” This has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  20. Judges 3:15 tn The phrase, which refers to Ehud, literally reads “bound/restricted in the right hand,” apparently a Hebrew idiom for a left-handed person. See Judg 20:16, where 700 Benjaminites are described in this way. Perhaps the Benjaminites purposely trained several of their young men to be left-handed warriors by restricting the use of the right hand from an early age so the left hand would become dominant. Left-handed men would have a distinct military advantage, especially when attacking city gates. See B. Halpern, “The Assassination of Eglon: The First Locked-Room Murder Mystery,” BRev 4 (1988): 35.
  21. Judges 3:15 tn Heb “The Israelites sent by his hand an offering to Eglon, king of Moab.”
  22. Judges 3:16 tn The Hebrew term גֹּמֶד (gomed) denotes a unit of linear measure, perhaps a cubit (the distance between the elbow and the tip of the middle finger—approximately 18 inches [45 cm]). Some suggest it is equivalent to the short cubit (the distance between the elbow and the knuckles of the clenched fist—approximately 13 inches [33 cm]) or to the span (the distance between the end of the thumb and the end of the little finger in a spread hand—approximately 9 inches [23 cm]). See BDB 167 s.v.; HALOT 196 s.v.; B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 142.
  23. Judges 3:18 tn Heb “the tribute payment.”
  24. Judges 3:19 tn Or “returned” (i.e., to Eglon’s palace).
  25. Judges 3:19 tn The words “once he reached” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text simply reads “from.”
  26. Judges 3:19 tn Or “idols.”
  27. Judges 3:19 tn The words “to Eglon” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  28. Judges 3:19 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eglon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  29. Judges 3:19 tn Or “Hush!”
  30. Judges 3:20 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.
  31. Judges 3:20 tn Heb “word of [i.e., from] God.”
  32. Judges 3:20 tn Or “throne.”
  33. Judges 3:21 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Eglon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  34. Judges 3:22 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ehud) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  35. Judges 3:22 tc The Hebrew text has “and he went out to the [?].” The word פַּרְשְׁדֹנָה (parshedonah) occurs only here, and is of uncertain meaning. The noun has the directional suffix, meaning “to the parshedon.” Some translations (e.g. KJV, NRSV, NASB, ESV, NKJV) take it as a reference to feces or intestinal organs coming out. This would interpret the noun ending as feminine (not directional). But the verb (וַיֵּצֵא, vayyetseʾ) is masculine so this does not explain the text, even though the notion might fit the context. The subject is either Ehud or the blade–either would match the verb form–and the word in question tells where the subject went out. If the blade (לַהַב, lahav) is the subject, then פַּרְשְׁדֹנָה (parshedonah) might be an anatomical reference describing the exit point; if Ehud is the subject, then the word is probably a technical architectural term. The entire phrase is missing from the LXX. The present translation omits the clause, understanding it as an ancient variant of the first clause in v. 23. See B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 146-48, for discussion of the options.
  36. Judges 3:23 tn Again the precise meaning of the Hebrew word, used only here in the OT, is uncertain. Since it is preceded by the verb “went out” and the next clause refers to Ehud closing doors, the noun is probably an architectural term referring to the room (perhaps a vestibule; see HALOT 604 s.v. מִסְדְּרוֹן) immediately outside the king’s upper chamber. As v. 24 indicates, this vestibule separated the upper room from an outer room where the king’s servants were waiting.
  37. Judges 3:24 tn Heb “his.”
  38. Judges 3:24 tn Heb “covering his feet” (i.e., with his outer garments while he relieves himself).
  39. Judges 3:24 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.
  40. Judges 3:25 tn The words “the doors” are supplied.
  41. Judges 3:25 tn Heb “See, their master, fallen to the ground, dead.”
  42. Judges 3:27 tn Heb “When he arrived.”
  43. Judges 3:27 tn That is, “mustered an army.”
  44. Judges 3:27 tn Heb “now he was before them.”
  45. Judges 3:28 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 Lord speaks of it as a “done deal.”
  46. Judges 3:28 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for clarity.
  47. Judges 3:28 tn Or “against Moab,” that is, so as to prevent the Moabites from crossing.
  48. Judges 3:29 tn Heb “They struck Moab that day—about ten thousand men.”
  49. Judges 3:31 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Ehud) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  50. Judges 3:31 tn Heb “was.”
  51. Judges 4:1 tn Heb “did evil in the eyes of the Lord.”
  52. Judges 4:2 tn Heb “the Lord sold them into the hands of.”
  53. Judges 4:2 tn Or “King Jabin of Hazor, a Canaanite ruler.”
  54. Judges 4:2 tn Or “Harosheth of the Pagan Nations”; cf. KJV “Harosheth of the Gentiles.” “Haroshet” may mean “Forest [area]” or be a reference to some sort of carving.
  55. Judges 4:3 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Sisera) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  56. Judges 4:3 tn Regarding the translation “chariots with iron-rimmed wheels,” see Y. Yadin, The Art of Warfare in Biblical Lands, 255, and the article by R. Drews, “The ‘Chariots of Iron’ of Joshua and Judges,” JSOT 45 (1989): 15-23.
  57. Judges 4:3 tn Heb “with strength.”
  58. Judges 4:4 tn Heb “ a woman, a prophetess.” In Hebrew idiom the generic “woman” sometimes precedes the more specific designation. See GKC 437-38 §135.b.
  59. Judges 4:4 tn Heb “she was.” The pronoun refers back to the nominative absolute “Deborah.” Hebrew style sometimes employs such resumptive pronouns when lengthy qualifiers separate the subject from the verb.
  60. Judges 4:4 tn Or “judging.”
  61. Judges 4:5 tn That is, “consider legal disputes.”
  62. Judges 4:5 tn Heb “for judgment.”
  63. Judges 4:6 tn Heb “sent and summoned.”
  64. Judges 4:7 tn Heb “horde”; “multitude.”
  65. Judges 4:9 tn Or “honor.”
  66. Judges 4:9 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.
  67. Judges 4:9 tn Heb “for into the hands of a woman the Lord will sell Sisera.”
  68. Judges 4:10 tn Heb “went up at his feet.”
  69. Judges 4:11 tn Or “separated.”
  70. Judges 4:11 tn Heb “pitched his tent.”
  71. Judges 4:12 tn Heb “and they told Sisera.”
  72. Judges 4:13 tn Heb “Sisera.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  73. Judges 4:13 tn Or “summoned.”
  74. Judges 4:14 tn Heb “Arise!”
  75. Judges 4:14 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 Lord speaks of it as a “done deal.”
  76. Judges 4:14 tn Heb “Has the Lord not gone out before you?”
  77. Judges 4:15 tn Or “caused to panic.”
  78. Judges 4:15 tn The Hebrew text also includes the phrase “before Barak.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  79. Judges 4:15 tn Heb “got down from.”
  80. Judges 4:16 tn Heb “fell.”
  81. Judges 4:16 tn Heb “was left.”
  82. Judges 4:17 tn Heb “for there was peace between.”
  83. Judges 4:18 tn Heb “Turn aside” (also a second time later in this verse).
  84. Judges 4:18 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Sisera) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  85. Judges 4:21 tn Heb “took a tent peg and put a hammer in her hand.”
  86. Judges 4:21 tn Heb “and it went into the ground.”
  87. Judges 4:21 tn Heb “and exhausted.” Another option is to understand this as a reference to the result of the fatal blow. In this case, the phrase could be translated, “and he breathed his last.”
  88. Judges 4:22 tn Heb “he went to her.”
  89. Judges 4:22 tn Heb “fallen, dead.”
  90. Judges 4:24 tn Heb “The hand of the Israelites became more and more severe against.”
  91. Judges 4:24 tn Heb “cut off.”
  92. Judges 4:24 tn Heb “Jabin king of Canaan.” The proper name and title have been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
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