And Gideon went up by the caravan route: Though some versions begin a new paragraph here, most see this verse as a continuation of the information given above. Some versions omit the Hebrew waw conjunction rendered And, but given the context, we might say “So.” The text does not say how Gideon found out where these kings and their remaining troops were located.

Gideon refers to both this leader and his men. They probably sneaked up behind the Midianite soldiers to attack them by surprise, as the rest of the verse makes clear. In most languages it will be better to say “Gideon and his men” or “Gideon and his soldiers/army.” The Hebrew verb rendered went up (ʿalah) has the military sense of “marched” here (see verse 1.1). However, it can also refer to going up in elevation here, since Gideon had to climb from the Jabbok Valley to Karkor on the plateau. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “marched up,” which conveys both these meanings of the verb. However, since a road is an object of this verb, it might be necessary to say “took” or “followed.” The caravan route is literally “the way/road of those who dwell in tents.” Some scholars think the phrase “those who dwell in tents” might actually be the name of this road. There are examples of other routes having such names, for example, “King’s Highway” (Num 20.17). So Contemporary English Version chooses to say “Nomad Road.” However, other versions (including Revised Standard Version) think this phrase is a descriptive one. For example, New International Version and New American Bible have “the route of the nomads.” Good News Translation uses a more general descriptive phrase, saying “the road along the edge of the desert,” but this rendering does not convey the idea that the road is linked to nomads.

East of Nobah and Jogbehah: This phrase gives the precise location of the road. It was east of two towns, Nobah and Jogbehah. Neither town is known today, though Jogbehah is usually associated with a site just to the north of present-day Amman. This phrase may be rendered “east of the towns of Nobah and Jogbehah.”

And attacked the army: Gideon and his men attack what was left of the army of Zebah and Zalmunna. For the Hebrew verb rendered attacked (literally “struck”), see the comments on verse 1.4, where it is translated “defeated.” Once again the army is literally “the camp” (see verse 7.1). It may be better to say “the Midianite army” or “the enemy army.”

For the army was off its guard: This clause confirms that this was a surprise attack. For renders the Hebrew waw conjunction, which many versions leave untranslated here. Off its guard renders a Hebrew root meaning “trust.” This clause reads literally “and the camp was trusting,” which means the Midianites were not expecting an attack by Gideon and his troops. New International Version renders off its guard as “unsuspecting,” and New Jerusalem Bible says “when it thought itself in safety.” Good News Translation suggests that Gideon “attacked the army by surprise.” The last two clauses may be reversed as in the first model below.

Translation models for this verse are:

• Gideon and his men went up by Tent-Dwellers Road, east of the towns of Nobah and Jogbehah. The Midianite army suspected nothing, and Gideon and his men launched their attack.

• Gideon took the road that nomads used, east of the towns of Nobah and Jogbehah. Then he and his men launched their attack against the Midianite soldiers. They had no idea the attack was coming.

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 .