Footnotes

1. Judges 4:1 tn Heb “did evil in the eyes of the Lord.”
2. Judges 4:2 tn Heb “the Lord sold them into the hands of.”
3. Judges 4:2 tn Or “King Jabin of Hazor, a Canaanite ruler.”
4. 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.
5. Judges 4:3 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Sisera) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
6. 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.
7. Judges 4:3 tn Heb “with strength.”
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. Judges 4:4 tn Or “judging.”
11. Judges 4:5 tn That is, “consider legal disputes.”
12. Judges 4:5 tn Heb “for judgment.”
13. Judges 4:6 tn Heb “sent and summoned.”
14. Judges 4:7 tn Heb “horde”; “multitude.”
15. Judges 4:9 tn Or “honor.”
16. 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.
17. Judges 4:9 tn Heb “for into the hands of a woman the Lord will sell Sisera.”
18. Judges 4:10 tn Heb “went up at his feet.”
19. Judges 4:11 tn Or “separated.”
20. Judges 4:11 tn Heb “pitched his tent.”
21. Judges 4:12 tn Heb “and they told Sisera.”
22. Judges 4:13 tn Heb “Sisera.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
23. Judges 4:13 tn Or “summoned.”
24. Judges 4:14 tn Heb “Arise!”
25. 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.”
26. Judges 4:14 tn Heb “Has the Lord not gone out before you?”
27. Judges 4:15 tn Or “caused to panic.”
28. Judges 4:15 tn The Hebrew text also includes the phrase “before Barak.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
29. Judges 4:15 tn Heb “got down from.”
30. Judges 4:16 tn Heb “fell.”
31. Judges 4:16 tn Heb “was left.”
32. Judges 4:17 tn Heb “for there was peace between.”
33. Judges 4:18 tn Heb “Turn aside” (also a second time later in this verse).
34. Judges 4:18 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Sisera) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
35. Judges 4:21 tn Heb “took a tent peg and put a hammer in her hand.”
36. Judges 4:21 tn Heb “and it went into the ground.”
37. 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.”
38. Judges 4:22 tn Heb “he went to her.”
39. Judges 4:22 tn Heb “fallen, dead.”
40. Judges 4:24 tn Heb “The hand of the Israelites became more and more severe against.”
41. Judges 4:24 tn Heb “cut off.”
42. 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.
43. Judges 5:1 tn The words “this victory song” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
44. Judges 5:2 tn The meaning of the Hebrew expression בִּפְרֹעַ פְּרָעוֹת (bifroaʿ p^eraʿot) is uncertain. Numerous proposals are offered by commentators. (For a survey of opinions, see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 223-27.) The next line refers to the people who responded to Barak’s summons to war, so a reference to the leaders who issued the summons would provide a natural poetic parallel. In v. 9 the leaders (חוֹקְקֵי, khoq^eqe) of the people and these same volunteers stand in poetic parallelism, so it is reasonable to assume that the difficult Hebrew term פְּרַעוֹת (p^eraʿot, v. 2a) is synonymous with חוֹקְקֵי (khoq^eqe) of v. 9 (see Lindars, 227).
45. Judges 5:3 tn Heb “I, to the Lord, I, I will sing!” The first singular personal pronoun is used twice, even though a first person finite verbal form is employed.
46. Judges 5:3 tn Or “make music.”
47. Judges 5:4 tn Or “went out.”
48. Judges 5:4 tn Heb “water.”
49. Judges 5:5 tn Or “quaked.” The translation assumes the form נָזֹלּוּ (nazollu) from the root זָלַל (zalal, “to quake”; see HALOT 272 s.v. II זלל). The LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Targum also understood the word this way. (See Isa 63:19 and 64:2 for other occurrences of this form.) Some understand here the verb נָזַל (nazal, “to flow [with torrents of rain water]”).
50. Judges 5:5 tn Heb “this one of Sinai.” The phrase is a divine title, perhaps indicating that the Lord rules from Sinai.
51. Judges 5:6 tc The translation assumes the form אֳרְחוֹת (ʾor^ekhot, “caravans”) rather than אֳרָחוֹת (ʾorakhot, “roadways”) because it makes a tighter parallel with “travelers” in the next line.
52. Judges 5:6 tn Or “ceased.”
53. Judges 5:6 tn Heb “Ones walking on paths.”
54. Judges 5:7 tn The meaning of the Hebrew noun פְרָזוֹן (f^erazon) is uncertain. Some understand the meaning as “leaders” or “those living in rural areas.” The singular noun appears to be collective (note the accompanying plural verb). For various options see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 237-38.
55. Judges 5:7 tn Or “ceased.”
56. Judges 5:7 tn The translation assumes that the verb is an archaic second feminine singular form. Though Deborah is named as one of the composers of the song (v. 1), she is also addressed within it (v. 12). Many take the verb as first person singular, “I arose” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV).
57. Judges 5:7 tn Heb “mother.” The translation assumes that the image portrays Deborah as a protector of the people. It is possible that the metaphor points to her prophetic role. Just as a male prophet could be called “father,” so Deborah, a prophetess, is called “mother” (B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 239).
58. Judges 5:8 tn Or “warriors.” The Hebrew text reads literally, “He chose God/gods new.” Some take “Israel” as the subject of the verb, “gods” as object, and “new” as an adjective modifying “gods.” This yields the translation, “(Israel) chose new gods.” In this case idolatry is the cause of the trouble alluded to in the context. The present translation takes “God” as subject of the verb and “new” as substantival, referring to the new leaders raised up by God (see v. 9a). For a survey of opinions and a defense of the present translation, see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 239-40.
59. Judges 5:8 tn The translation of this difficult line is speculative because the second word, לָחֶם (lakhem), appears only here. The line in the Hebrew text literally reads, “Then [?] gates.” Interpretations and emendations of the Hebrew text abound (see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 239-40). The translation assumes a repointing of the form as a Qal participle לֹחֵם (lokhem) from the verbal root לָחַם (lakham, “fight”) and understands a substantival use (“fighter”). “Fighter” is a collective reference to the military leaders or warriors mentioned in the preceding line and in v. 9. (For other occurrences of the Qal of לָחַם, see Pss 35:1; 56:2-3.)
60. Judges 5:8 tn Heb “A shield, it could not be seen, nor a spear.” The translation assumes that the Hebrew particle אִם (ʾim) introduces an oath of denial (see GKC 472 §149.e).
61. Judges 5:8 tn Traditionally “forty thousand,” but this may be an instance where Hebrew term אֶלֶף (ʾelef) refers to a military unit. This is the view assumed by the translation (“forty military units”).
62. Judges 5:9 tn The words “went out” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
63. Judges 5:10 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word מִדִּין (middin, “saddle blankets”) in this context is uncertain.
64. Judges 5:11 tn The word “Hear” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
65. Judges 5:11 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain. Some translate “those who distribute the water” (HALOT 344 s.v. חצץ pi). For other options see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 246-47.
66. Judges 5:11 tn Or perhaps “repeat.”
67. Judges 5:11 tn See the note on the term “warriors” in v. 7.
68. Judges 5:12 tn Heb “take captive your captives.” (The Hebrew text uses a cognate accusative here.)
69. Judges 5:13 tn This probably refers to those who responded to the call for war. They were “survivors” of the Canaanite oppression (see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 250).
70. Judges 5:13 tn The translation assumes a repointing of the verb as a perfect or imperfect/preterite form of יָרַד (yarad, “to go down”). The form as pointed in the MT appears to be from רָדָה (radah, “to rule”). See GKC 188 §69.g. The same form, translated “came down,” occurs in the next line as well.
71. Judges 5:13 sn The expression mighty ones probably refers to the leaders of the army.
72. Judges 5:13 sn The speaker may be Deborah here.
73. Judges 5:13 tn The translation assumes the preposition ב (bet) prefixed to “warriors” has the force of “in the capacity of.” For this use of the preposition, see GKC 379 §119.i.
74. Judges 5:14 tn Heb “From Ephraim their root in Amalek” (the words “they came” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons). Because of the difficulty of the MT, many prefer to follow one of the ancient versions or emend the text. For various proposals see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 252-53. The present translation repoints שָׁרְשָׁם (shorsham, traditionally translated “their root”) as a Piel verb form with enclitic mem (ם). The preposition ב (bet) on עֲמָלֵק (ʿamaleq) introduces the object (see Job 31:12 for an example of the construction). Ephraim’s territory encompassed the hill country of the Amalekites (Judg 12:15).
75. Judges 5:14 tn The words “They follow” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
76. Judges 5:14 tn The word “came” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
77. Judges 5:14 tn Or possibly “who carry.”
78. Judges 5:15 tn Heb “Issachar.” The words “the men of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
79. Judges 5:15 tn Or “were true to.”
80. Judges 5:15 tn Heb “at his feet.”
81. Judges 5:15 tn Heb “great was.”
82. Judges 5:15 tc The great majority of Hebrew mss have “resolves of heart,” but a few mss read “searchings of heart,” which is preferable in light of v. 16.
83. Judges 5:16 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word מִשְׁפְּתַיִם (mishp^etayim) is uncertain. Some understand the word to mean “campfires.”
84. Judges 5:16 tn Or “whistling.”
85. Judges 5:16 tn Heb “listening to the pipe playing for the flocks.”
86. Judges 5:17 tn Heb “lived” or “settled down.”sn Apparently the people of Gilead remained on the other side of the river and did not participate in the battle.
87. Judges 5:17 tn Heb “Dan, why did he live as a resident alien, ships.” The verb גּוּר (gur) usually refers to taking up residence outside one’s native land. Perhaps the Danites, rather than rallying to Barak, were content to move to the Mediterranean coast and work in the shipyards. For further discussion, see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 262.
88. Judges 5:17 tn Heb “lived.”
89. Judges 5:17 tn Heb “lived” or “settled down.”
90. Judges 5:17 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word מִפְרָץ (mifrats) is uncertain, but the parallelism (note “seacoast”) suggests “harbors.”
91. Judges 5:18 tn Heb “Zebulun was a people which despised its life even unto death.”
92. Judges 5:18 tn Heb “Naphtali was on the heights of the field.”
93. Judges 5:19 tn The contrastive conjunction “but” is interpretive.
94. Judges 5:20 tn Or “from heaven.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
95. Judges 5:20 tn The MT takes “the stars” with what follows rather than with the first colon of v. 20. But for metrical reasons it seems better to move the atnakh (colon divider) and read the colon as indicated in the translation.
96. Judges 5:20 tn The words “in the heavens” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
97. Judges 5:21 tn Possibly “the ancient river,” but it seems preferable in light of the parallel line (which has a verb) to emend the word (attested only here) to a verb (קָדַם, qadam) with pronominal object suffix.
98. Judges 5:21 tn This line is traditionally taken as the poet-warrior’s self-exhortation, “March on, my soul, in strength!” The present translation (a) takes the verb (a second feminine singular form) as addressed to Deborah (cf. v. 12), (b) understands נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) in its well-attested sense of “throat; neck” (cf. Jonah 2:6), (c) takes the final yod (י) on נַפְשִׁי (nafshi) as an archaic construct indicator (rather than a suffix), and (d) interprets עֹז (ʿoz, “strength”) as an attributive genitive (literally, “necks of strength,” i.e., “strong necks”). For fuller discussion and various proposals, see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 270-71.
99. Judges 5:22 tc The MT as it stands has a singular noun, but if one moves the prefixed mem (מ) from the beginning of the next word to the end of סוּס (sus), the expected plural form is achieved. Another possibility is to understand an error of scribal haplography here, in which case the letter mem should appear in both places.
100. Judges 5:22 tn The words “the ground” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.
101. Judges 5:22 tn Heb “galloped, galloped.” The repetition is for emphasis and is more appropriately indicated in English with an adverb.
102. Judges 5:23 tn Heb “Curse Meroz.”
103. Judges 5:23 tn Heb “Curse, cursing.” The Hebrew construction is emphatic.
104. Judges 5:23 tn Heb “[to] curse.”
105. Judges 5:23 tn Heb “to the help of the Lord” (the same Hebrew phrase occurs in the following line). Another option is to read “to aid the Lord’s cause.”
106. Judges 5:23 tn Or “along with the other warriors.”
107. Judges 5:24 tn Or “blessed.”
108. Judges 5:25 tn Or “for mighty ones.”
109. Judges 5:26 tn The adjective “left” is interpretive, based on the context. Note that the next line pictures Jael holding the hammer with her right hand.
110. Judges 5:26 tn The verb used here is from the same root as the noun “hammer” in the preceding line.
111. Judges 5:26 tn Or “head.”
112. Judges 5:26 tn The phrase “his head” (an implied direct object) is supplied in the translation for clarification.
113. Judges 5:26 tn Heb “she pierced his temple.”
114. Judges 5:27 tn Heb “and he lay.
115. Judges 5:27 tn Or “dead.”
116. Judges 5:28 tn Heb “chariots.”
117. Judges 5:29 tn Or “princesses.”
118. Judges 5:30 tn Heb “Are they not finding, dividing the plunder?”
119. Judges 5:30 tn Heb “a womb or two for each man.” The words “to rape” are interpretive. The Hebrew noun translated “girl” means literally “womb” (BDB 933 s.v. I. רַחַם), but in this context may refer by extension to the female genitalia. In this case the obscene language of Sisera’s mother alludes to the sexual brutality which typified the aftermath of battle.
120. Judges 5:30 tn Heb “the plunder of dyed cloth is for Sisera.”
121. Judges 5:30 tn Heb “the plunder of embroidered cloth.”
122. Judges 5:30 tn The translation assumes an emendation of the noun (“plunder”) to a participle, “plunderer.”
123. Judges 5:31 tn Heb “But may those who love him be like the going forth of the sun in its strength.”
124. Judges 6:1 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
125. Judges 6:1 tn Heb “gave them into the hand of.”
126. Judges 6:2 tn Heb “the hand of Midian.”
127. Judges 6:2 tn Heb “The hand of Midian was strong against Israel.”
128. Judges 6:2 tn Or possibly “secret storage places.” The Hebrew word occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible.
129. Judges 6:3 tn Heb “Whenever Israel sowed seed.”
130. Judges 6:3 tn Heb “Midian, Amalek, and the sons of the east would go up, they would go up against him.” The translation assumes that וְעָלוּ (v^eʿalu) is dittographic (note the following עָלָיו, ʿalayv).
131. Judges 6:4 tn Heb “They encamped against them.”
132. Judges 6:4 tn Heb “destroyed.”
133. Judges 6:4 tn Heb “the crops of the land.”
134. Judges 6:4 tn Heb “They left no sustenance in Israel.”
135. Judges 6:4 tn The words “they took away” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
136. Judges 6:5 tn Heb “came up.”
137. Judges 6:5 tn Heb “numerous.”
138. Judges 6:5 tn Heb “To them and to their camels there was no number.”
139. Judges 6:5 tn Heb “destroy.” The translation “devour” carries through the imagery of a locust plague earlier in this verse.
140. Judges 6:8 tn Heb “a man, a prophet.” Hebrew idiom sometimes puts a generic term before a more specific designation.
141. Judges 6:8 tc Some ancient witnesses read “from the land of Egypt.” מֵאֶרֶץ (meʾerets, “from the land [of]”) could have been accidentally omitted by homoioarcton (note the following מִמִּצְרַיִם [mimmitsrayim, “from Egypt”]).
142. Judges 6:8 tn Heb “of the house of slavery.”
143. Judges 6:9 tn Heb “hand” (also a second time later in this verse).
144. Judges 6:10 tn Heb “Do not fear.”
145. Judges 6:10 tn Heb “you have not listened to my voice.”
146. Judges 6:11 sn The angel of the Lord is also mentioned in Judg 2:1.
147. Judges 6:11 tn Heb “Now Gideon his son….” The Hebrew circumstantial clause (note the pattern vav [ו] + subject + predicate) breaks the narrative sequence and indicates that the angel’s arrival coincided with Gideon’s threshing.
148. Judges 6:11 tn Heb “beating out.”
149. Judges 6:11 sn Threshing wheat in a winepress. One would normally thresh wheat at the threshing floor outside the city. Animals and a threshing sledge would be employed. Because of the Midianite threat, Gideon was forced to thresh with a stick in a winepress inside the city. For further discussion see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 63.
150. Judges 6:11 tn Heb “Midian.”
151. Judges 6:13 tn Heb “But my lord.”
152. Judges 6:13 tn Heb “all this.”
153. Judges 6:13 tn Heb “saying.”
154. Judges 6:14 tc The LXX reads “the angel of the Lord” here and in v. 16. The translation follows the MT and adds “himself” to draw attention to the change. sn Some interpreters equate the Lord and the messenger in this story. Since the messenger represents the Lord, perhaps when the Lord is mentioned in vv. 14 and 16 it means so indirectly, while Gideon’s direct encounter is with the angel. Indicators that the Lord and the angel of the Lord are distinct include: 1) the Hebrew text says only “Lord” in vv. 14 and 16; 2) in verse 16 the speaker in the Hebrew text says “I will be with you” referring to the Lord (but see the note at v. 16); 3) Gideon addresses the angel as ‎אֲדֹנִי (ʾadoni, “my lord”) but the Lord as אֲדֹנָי (ʾadonay, “my Lord”); 4) in vv. 22-23 the Lord and Gideon continue to carry on a conversation after the messenger has vanished (v. 21). On the other hand, if the Lord was present, appearing visibly in human form (called a theophany), as implied by “turning” [his head] to Gideon, why would Gideon not be more fearful at the end of the story for having seen God rather than his angel? The story could be pictured as an exchange with the angel followed by calling out to the Lord in prayer. The translation assumes that the angel and the Lord are distinct in the conversation, but the matter is difficult.
155. Judges 6:14 tn Heb “Go in this strength of yours.”
156. Judges 6:14 tn Heb “the hand of Midian.”
157. Judges 6:15 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
158. Judges 6:15 tn Note the switch to אֲדֹנָי (ʾadonay, “Lord”). Gideon seems aware that he is speaking to someone other than, and superior to, the messenger, whom he addressed as אֲדֹנִי (ʾadoni, “my lord”) in v. 13.
159. Judges 6:15 tn Heb “with what.”
160. Judges 6:15 tn Heb “in my father’s house.”
161. Judges 6:16 tn Or “certainly.”
162. Judges 6:16 tn Heb “You will strike down Midian as one man.” The idiom “as one man” emphasizes the collective unity of a group (see Judg 20:8, 11). Here it may carry the force, “as if they were just one man.”
163. Judges 6:17 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
164. Judges 6:17 tn Heb “If I have found favor in your eyes.”
165. Judges 6:17 tn Heb “perform for me.”
166. Judges 6:18 tn The Hebrew text adds “to you,” but this has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
167. Judges 6:18 tn Heb “and I will bring out my gift.” The precise nuance of the Hebrew word מִנְחָה (minkhah, “gift”) is uncertain in this context. It may refer to a gift offered as a sign of goodwill or submission. In some cases it is used of a gift offered to appease someone whom the offerer has offended. The word can also carry a sacrificial connotation.
168. Judges 6:19 tn Heb “a kid from among the goats.”
169. Judges 6:19 tn The words “the food” are not in the Hebrew text (an implied direct object). They are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
170. Judges 6:20 tn Heb “Take the meat…and put [it] on this rock.”
171. Judges 6:20 tn Heb “and he did so.”
172. Judges 6:21 tn Heb “extended the tip of the staff which was in his hand and touched the meat and unleavened bread.”
173. Judges 6:21 tn Heb “went from his eyes.”
174. Judges 6:22 tn Heb “saw.”
175. Judges 6:22 tn Heb “Gideon.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
176. Judges 6:22 tn Or “Ah!”
177. Judges 6:22 tn The Hebrew text reads אֲדֹנַי יְהוִה (ʾadonay y^ehvih, “Lord [the same title used in v. 15], Lord”).
178. Judges 6:23 tn Heb “Peace to you.” For a similar use of this idiom to introduce a reassuring word, see Gen 43:23.
179. Judges 6:24 tn Heb “The Lord is peace.” Gideon’s name for the altar plays on the Lord’s reassuring words to him, “Peace to you.”
180. Judges 6:25 tn Or “Take a bull from your father’s herd, the second one, the one seven years old.” Apparently Gideon would need the bulls to pull down the altar.
181. Judges 6:26 tn Possibly “in a row” or “in a layer,” perhaps referring to the arrangement of the stones used in the altar’s construction.
182. Judges 6:27 tn Heb “men from among his servants.”
183. Judges 6:27 tn Heb “house.”
184. Judges 6:27 tn Heb “so he did it at night.”
185. Judges 6:28 tn Heb “look!” The narrator uses this word to invite his audience/readers to view the scene through the eyes of the men.
186. Judges 6:29 tn Heb “each one to his neighbor.”
187. Judges 6:29 tn Heb “this thing.”
188. Judges 6:29 tn Heb “they inquired and searched.” The synonyms are joined to emphasize the care with which they conducted their inquiry.
189. Judges 6:29 tn Heb “and said.” Perhaps the plural subject is indefinite. If so, it could be translated, “they were told.”
190. Judges 6:30 tn Heb “and let him die.” The jussive form with vav after the imperative is best translated as a purpose clause.
191. Judges 6:31 tn Heb “to all who stood against him.”
192. Judges 6:31 tn Heb “Do you fight for Baal?”
193. Judges 6:31 tn Heb “fights for him.”
194. Judges 6:31 sn Whoever takes up his cause will die by morning. This may be a warning to the crowd that Joash intends to defend his son and to kill anyone who tries to execute Gideon. Then again, it may be a sarcastic statement about Baal’s apparent inability to defend his own honor. Anyone who takes up Baal’s cause may end up dead, perhaps by the same hand that pulled down the pagan god’s altar.
195. Judges 6:31 tn Heb “fight for himself.”
196. Judges 6:31 tn Heb “for he pulled down his altar.” The subject of the verb, if not Gideon, is indefinite (in which case a passive translation is permissible).
197. Judges 6:32 tn Heb “He called him on that day Jerub Baal.” The name means, at least by popular etymology, “Let Baal fight” or “Let Baal defend himself.”
198. Judges 6:33 tn Heb “Midian, Amalek, and the sons of the east.”
199. Judges 6:33 tn The words “the Jordan River” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.
200. Judges 6:34 tn Heb “clothed.”
201. Judges 6:34 tn That is, “mustered an army.”
202. Judges 6:34 tn Heb “Abiezer was summoned after him.”
203. Judges 6:35 tn Heb “and he also was summoned after him.”
204. Judges 6:36 tn More literally, “you are about to deliver Israel by my hand.”
205. Judges 6:36 tn The words “then give me a sign as proof” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
206. Judges 6:37 tn Heb “and on all the ground.”
207. Judges 6:37 tn Or “know.”
208. Judges 6:37 tn Heb “you will deliver Israel by my hand.”
209. Judges 6:38 tn Heb “And it was so.”
210. Judges 6:38 tn Heb “dew dripped from the fleece—a bowl full of water.”
211. Judges 6:39 tn Heb “Let your anger not rage at me, so that I might speak only this once.”
212. Judges 6:39 tn Heb “Let the fleece alone be dry, while dew is on all the ground.”
213. Judges 6:40 tn Heb “God did so that night.”