And the trees said to the vine: The trees go from one tree to another. Now that the olive and fig trees have refused, the trees make their request to the vine. And is better rendered “Then” (New Revised Standard Version, New International Version) or “So” (Good News Translation, Revised English Bible). The vine refers to another plant that was and remains a fundamental part of Jewish culture. It produces grapes, small sweet fruit growing in clusters, which is made into wine, a standard drink that also has medicinal value. The plant has a stalk from which vines shoot out. These vines are usually attached to sticks or cords, which train the vines to go in a certain direction. Like figs, grapes can be dried into raisins and kept for long periods of time. Good News Translation renders vine as “grapevine” to clarify what vine is in view. However, in many parts of the world grapes do not grow, so translators will have to use a transliterated or borrowed word. Some African languages say “raisin-tree” or “raisin-plant.” Like “olive tree” and “fig tree,” vine or “grapevine” is a word that will be needed, not only for this book, but for the translation of the whole Bible. Whatever the solution, it is important to put this word in the glossary.

Come you, and reign over us: See verse 9.10. The wording of the trees’ request follows the pattern of the previous two, and translators should preserve this pattern.

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 .