As Gideon threatened the people of Succoth, he also threatens the people of Penuel. However, his threat is different here.
And he said to the men of Penuel is literally “And he said also to the men of Penuel, saying.” The Hebrew is more emphatic than the Revised Standard Version rendering. New American Bible is closer to the Hebrew by saying “So to the men of Penuel, too, he said.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh expresses the meaning well with “So he also threatened the people of Penuel.”
When I come again in peace: The pronoun I refers to Gideon, and come again renders the key Hebrew verb shuv (“return”), which is used throughout this book (see verse 2.19). This clause has several possible meanings, depending on the sense given to the words in peace. It could mean “When I come back as victor,” with the understanding that Gideon would have established peace. Thus New International Version says “When I return in triumph,” and Revised English Bible, “When I return victorious.” However, several versions think Gideon is saying, “When I return safe and sound” (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Though either interpretation seems valid, the latter one conveys a bit of irony, somewhat typical of Gideon. In no way does this clause mean he will come back in a peaceful manner, as the following clause makes clear.
I will break down this tower: Gideon’s threat to the people of Penuel is different from the one given to the people of Succoth. Here he says he will tear down their tower. For the Hebrew verb rendered break down, see the comments on verse 2.2. It is the same word used in verse 6.28 to describe Gideon’s destruction of Baal’s altar. It can describe the destruction of a building (verse 2 Kgs 10.27) or even a city (verse 9.45) and should be rendered by a verb that can refer to tearing down a large structure. The phrase this tower implies that this landmark was well known or perhaps that Gideon was standing right next to it when he made this threat. In many languages it will be more natural to say “your tower” (Contemporary English Version). The Hebrew word for tower is the same one used to refer to the tower of Babel in Gen 11.4. However, here it refers to a smaller but still tall structure, built probably within the town walls. Throughout history, towers have been used to defend cities, to see enemies coming from afar, and to serve as places of refuge in times of attack. If a word for tower does not exist, translators can say “hiding place” or “place of defense.” Translators should avoid long definitions of this structure. Gideon’s threat is very serious, since destroying their tower would remove the defenses of the town, making them open to attack. verse 8.17 shows that Gideon carries out his threat, doing even more harm than he threatened.
Most languages will prefer to put the temporal clause of Gideon’s threat before the main one, but the two may be reversed if preferred. Translation models for this whole verse are:
• So Gideon said to the leaders of Penuel, “When I come back victorious, I will tear down your tower.”
• So Gideon threatened them, saying, “I will come back safe and sound, but when I do, I will destroy your place of defense!”
Quoted with permission from Zogbo, Lynell and Ogden, Graham S. A Handbook on Judges. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .