This verse opens with the Hebrew word wayehi (literally “And it was”), which signals a new paragraph as well as a new step in the judges’ cycle. Elements at the end of the last verse are repeated here: the people of Israel cried to the LORD. In many languages this repetition signals the beginning of a new literary unit. Revised Standard Version does not render wayehi but does begin a new paragraph. Translators should look for a way to show this discourse feature, at the very least, adding a transition word such as “So” or “Now,” or even a longer expression such as “Now it happened that.”

When the people of Israel cried to the LORD on account of the Midianites: This clause begins with the Hebrew conjunction ki, which has many possible meanings. It can introduce a temporal clause as in Revised Standard Version with When. We might say “The Israelites, having cried to the LORD….” But ki can also introduce a reason or express emphasis. If taken as introducing a reason, the clause may explain why Yahweh sent a prophet to the Israelites, for example, “Since/Because the Israelites cried to the LORD for help….” Some scholars have suggested omitting one of the repetitive clauses (6.6b; 6.7a) as Good News Translation does at 6.6, but this is not recommended. Repetition is an important aspect of Hebrew literary form, and in some languages is even obligatory in oral storytelling. By retaining this repetition, a proper transition is maintained.

On account of the Midianites indicates the reason the Israelites called to Yahweh to come and help them. On account of renders an unusual Hebrew expression, which may also be expressed as “because of.” The Midianites is literally “Midian.” This singular noun may refer not just to the Midianite people but to the whole “Midianite problem,” that is, how they continually attacked the Israelites, taking their territory and all their goods. This phrase may be rendered “because of the Midianite affair.” In many languages it will be better to say explicitly “The people of Israel cried out to the LORD for help against the Midianites.” If the temporal reading is chosen, this verse may flow into the next: “[And it came to pass] when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD for help against the Midianites, 8 the LORD sent a prophet….”

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 .