But the vine said to them …: Like the olive and fig trees, the vine also refuses the request of the other trees. Once again, But is an appropriate connector to introduce this refusal. For said see verse 9.9.

Shall I leave my wine…?: The response from the grapevine is quite similar to the one offered by the olive tree. For Shall I leave, see verse 9.9. My wine refers to the wine produced by the vine. As “fatness” and “sweetness” are the main features of the olive tree and the fig tree respectively, so wine is the main product of the grapevine. Wine is the fermented juice of grapes. In some cultures wine is only known for its ability to make people drunk, causing them to commit foolish or violent acts. However, in Old Testament times wine was a positive element, and like olive oil, was a symbol of prosperity and the blessing of God. In many cultures around the world, wine is known, and there may be a transliterated word already existing in the language. Otherwise, a generic word referring to alcoholic drinks may be used here. For various reasons some translators may want to avoid this term or one for fermented drinks, but it is important to render the text as it stands and to faithfully reflect the biblical culture. If this word is transliterated, it too can be explained in the glossary.

Which cheers gods and men: This relative clause parallels the one for olive oil in verse 9.9 (see comments there). The Hebrew verb rendered cheers means “makes happy” or “gives pleasure and enjoyment.” It comes from the same root as the noun meaning “joy.” The same problems of interpretation surround the phrase gods and men as in verse 9.9. It was often the case that wine was poured out to pagan gods, so this would confirm the interpretation made by the majority of English versions at 9.9. People believed that wine poured out in libation made the gods happy. Of course, when people drink wine, they feel happy too. This clause may be rendered “which makes both the gods and people happy.”

And go to sway over the trees: See verse 9.9.

Again, the most important thing about translating this fable is to retain the same forms and expressions for each part in order to emphasize the repetition, which is an important literary feature of this genre.

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 .