This verse uses many of the same terms of the preceding verses. Hebrew appreciates this repetitive style.

The initial Hebrew waw conjunction rendered And is better translated “So” (New Revised Standard Version), since the man has virtually no choice.

For he showed them the way into the city, see comments on verse 1.24.

And they smote the city with the edge of the sword: See comments on verse 1.8. Some languages may need a transition phrase to begin this clause, such as “So they went in and killed….”

But they let the man and all his family go: But renders well this contrastive use of the Hebrew waw conjunction. The order in the Hebrew text shows that the man and his family were exceptions, saying literally “but the man and his whole family, they sent away.” Some languages will prefer this order, which contrasts the fate of the city and the fate of this man. The Hebrew expression rendered all his family does not mean only his immediate family, but certainly his extended family as well. Thus New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “all his relatives,” and New Jerusalem Bible and New American Bible, “his whole clan.”

The Hebrew verb for let … go (shalach) is literally “sent away,” which may also be rendered “spared” or “let go untouched.” This verb will occur frequently in the accounts of the Israelite victories. These spies kept their word to the man, as the spies did in the Rahab story.

Models for the translation of this verse are:

• So the man showed them how to enter the town secretly and the Israelites entered the town and killed all the inhabitants. But they spared the man and his family, letting them go away free.

• Then the man told them how they could secretly get into the town, so they went in and killed everyone there. But as for the man and his family, they sent them away [unharmed].

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 .

This unit concludes with Yahweh doing what he said he would do. However, the final clause poses some problems for interpretation.

So the LORD left those nations means the LORD allowed certain pagan peoples to remain in the Promised Land that the Israelites had conquered. Normally God would be helping his people chase out these peoples, but he allows them to stay as a way of punishing Israel. So translates the Hebrew waw conjunction, which may also be rendered “Thus” or “In this way.” The LORD has taken a deliberate decision to punish the Israelites for disobeying him. If the previous verse introduces this one, it would be better to omit this conjunction. Left does not render the same Hebrew verb as in verse 2.21. This verb means “let stay” or “let remain.” For nations see verse 2.21. We might say “So the LORD let these foreign peoples stay.”

Not driving them out at once: Yahweh refuses to drive out the other peoples immediately. For driving … out, see verse 1.19. The pronoun them refers to the other peoples. At once renders a Hebrew word meaning “quickly” or “immediately.” In colloquial English we might say “right away,” “all at once,” or “in one fell swoop.” The original plan was that the Israelites would enter the land, drive out all the inhabitants, and fully occupy their territory. But because of their disobedience, they were not allowed to enjoy complete victory.

And he did not give them into the power of Joshua: This clause poses some problems as to its meaning. The phrase give them into the power of (literally “give them into the hand of”) is easy enough to understand (see verse 1.4; verse 2.14). But the name Joshua appearing here seems odd. It sounds as if Joshua is the one being punished, when, in fact, it is the generation following Joshua who will experience this punishment. Good News Translation changes the last two clauses of this verse to read “he did not give Joshua victory over them, nor did he drive them out soon after Joshua’s death.” However, this rendering may be going farther than translation principles allow. Either this statement means that Joshua did not have complete victory, so that the later generations would experience this punishment, or it means that Joshua’s people did not have complete victory after his death. The latter interpretation understands Joshua in a collective sense. Following the latter interpretation, a possible translation is “he did not let Joshua’s people get total victory over them.”

This verse may be rendered as follows:

• So the LORD let those peoples remain [in the land]. He did not drive them out immediately, nor did he give Joshua victory over them.

• …Yahweh did not expel the peoples immediately, but let some Canaanites remain. Thus he did not allow the people of Joshua to defeat them completely.

A possible model that combines 2.22-23 is:

• Yahweh let the Canaanite peoples remain [in the land]. He did not drive them out immediately nor give Joshua power over them. This was done to test the Israelites, to find out whether or not they would follow Yahweh’s ways as their ancestors had done.

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 .

Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth: This phrase introduces the new character, Deborah. Revised Standard Version begins this unit with Now, but translators should introduce this important character in keeping with the storytelling devices of their own language, for example, “Now, there once was a woman named Deborah….” In some languages it may be even more natural to introduce her husband Lappidoth first by saying “There once was a man named Lappidoth, who had a wife named Deborah….”

The name Deborah means “honey bee” in Hebrew. She is described as a prophetess, a title also given to Miriam (Exo 15.20). In Hebrew a prophetess, the wife of is literally “a woman, a prophetess, the woman of,” which is an impressive sounding expression with an obvious emphasis on the word “woman.” Deborah’s role as a prophetess is not explained, but certainly she was acknowledged as one who brought God’s messages to the community. Translators should take care here and elsewhere not to give the impression that prophets told only about future events. The role of prophets was to communicate God’s message, involving the past, present or future. We can describe Deborah as “God’s spokesperson” or “woman who spoke God’s message.”

The name Lappidoth means “torches” in Hebrew. Other than this episode, he does not appear anywhere else in the Bible. His name is important because it plays a role in a number of plays on words, as the “honey bee” is married to the “torches.” Peoples who are familiar with bees know that to get the honey, a smoking torch is held up to the hive, driving the bees away and allowing the honey to be collected. Many scholars note the link between this story and the story of Samson, where “bees” and “torches” figure prominently (verse 14.8; verse 15.4-5). In a way this could be a kind of inclusio, since these words occur near the beginning of the judges’ saga, with a closing mention toward its end. The tie between the two passages could be mentioned in a footnote, but most translators will not consider these links to be important for the reader.

Was judging Israel at that time describes Deborah’s specific role in her community. Was judging renders the same Hebrew root (sh-f-t) that was used previously (verse 2.16; verse 3.10). However, here this verb has its primary meaning of settling conflicts and making judgments (see verse 2.16). Like Moses (Exo 18.13-27) and Huldah (verse 2 Kgs 22.14), Deborah gave advice and decided legal cases. However, it is clear from the story that Deborah is also a “leader” (Contemporary English Version), even if she may not be in the forefront of the battle. In this context, quite exceptionally in this book, this verb should be rendered “was [or, served as] a judge.” In many languages there is an idiomatic expression for such a person, for example, “one who cuts the truth” or “one who cuts judgments.” Thus, in the whole book of Judges, Deborah seems to be the only person who qualifies as a real (legal) judge, in the modern sense of the term.

As elsewhere the narrator presents Israel as a unified nation, when in fact, Deborah probably served as judge in one small part of the country. See the comments on “the people of Israel” at verse 1.1. At that time is the same expression used in verse 3.29. This temporal phrase can of course be moved to the beginning of the sentence, according to constraints of style in the target language.

Some translation examples for this verse are:

• Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was a woman prophet. At the time she served as a judge for the people of Israel.

• At that time there was a man named Lappidoth who had a wife named Deborah. She was God’s spokesperson and she made judgments for the people of Israel.

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 .

As is sometimes the case in poetry, lines of emotive dialogue can emerge out of nowhere. The lines here contain seven imperatives marking this verse as a unique and very emphatic call. It is seemingly addressed to Deborah and Barak, though presumably Deborah herself was leading the singing in the preceding lines (verse 5.7). These shifts of addressee, sometimes known as “enallage,” are common in Hebrew poetry. To Western ears, this may be puzzling or even distracting, but in many languages around the world, this is a common feature of songs or other types of oral literature. Here apparently Yahweh’s people are calling out to Deborah and Barak, in celebration of their victory. If this unidentified quote causes problems, translators can begin with “They said,” “We said,” or “There was a cry.”

Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, utter a song!: These first two lines are parallel, featuring repetition of words and sounds, and an important play on words in Hebrew between Deborah’s name and the verb dabar meaning “say” or “speak”:

Awake, awake, Deborah! ʿuri ʿuri deborah
Awake, awake, utter a song! ʿuri ʿuri daberi shir

The imperative Awake occurs four times in these short lines. In this context the verb does not mean to wake someone from sleep, but to rouse or to incite someone to activity, in this case Deborah. However, it is not a call to go to war, but a call to celebrate. Translators need to find an appropriate equivalent for this call. Good News Translation says “Lead on,” which seems appropriate. Contemporary English Version has “let’s go,” which might be “reenacting” the call to battle.

Utter a song (literally “say a song”) is the goal or purpose of the call. The people are calling Deborah to lead them in singing, possibly as a lead singer gives the refrain before all the others join in. In the Old Testament there are several examples of women singing songs as troops return victorious from the battle (verse 1 Sam 18.7-8; Psalm 68.11-13). Utter renders the Hebrew verb dabar, which means “say” or “speak.” It is certainly used here as a wordplay on the name Deborah, which has the same consonants in Hebrew. The Hebrew word for song (shir) is the general term used throughout the Old Testament to refer to all types of songs. It is used in the descriptive titles of many Psalms as well as in the title of Song of Songs. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh speaks of a “chant” here (see verse 5.11), but this is a victory song, so translators should choose their expression for it carefully. For this whole clause Good News Translation says “Sing a song!” but it might be better to be more specific, for example, “Lead us in your victory song!”

Translators should try to retain the rhythm of these two lines, using poetic features in their own language. If need be, Deborah’s name may occur first, and in light of the repetition of various words in the source text, it may itself be repeated as follows:

• Deborah, come on!
Deborah, come on!
Lead us in a victory song!

Arise, Barak: This call to Barak parallels the one to Deborah to Awake. But significantly, the imperative here is Arise, which renders the Hebrew verb qum, the verb associated with the numerous deliverers God provided for Israel (see comments on verse 2.16). There may be some irony here, since Deborah was the one who was active and courageous, while Barak was reluctant to arise to go to battle (see verse 4.8-10). Translators should try to use the same verb that addresses or describes the deliverers of Israel. If not, a natural expression can be substituted here, for example, “Up, Barak!” (Revised English Bible), “Get up, Barak!” ( NET Bible), or “Forward, Barak” (Good News Translation). However some languages may prefer to place the name Barak initially, for example, “Barak, get up.”

Lead away your captives: This line is also very poetic since the Hebrew root sh-v occurs twice in a special emphatic construction: sheveh sheveka. This key root has several different meanings in the Old Testament, depending on context (see comments on verse 2.19). In later books of the Old Testament (Isaiah, Ezekiel), it refers to the Israelites “returning” from captivity or it speaks of a “return” of prosperity. However, in this context it seems to refer directly to the battle, so Good News Translation says “lead your captives away,” and New International Version has “Take captive your captives.” New Jerusalem Bible follows a slightly different text, saying “capture your captors.” New American Bible also attempts to render this wordplay: “make despoilers your spoil.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project gives an {A} rating to the text followed by Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. Translators may attempt to form similar wordplays in their language or use some sound effects or ideophones to express this call to action.

O son of Abino-am: O is added by Revised Standard Version to show that this is a vocative expression. For son of Abino-am, see verse 4.6. This phrase describing Barak is separated from his name, which is typical of praise songs. Translators can try to imitate this style, or combine Barak and son of Abino-am and place these names wherever it is natural in the target language (so Good News Translation).

The end of the call here signals the end of a stanza, and a blank line can therefore be left between this verse and the next one.

Translation models for this verse are:

• ‘Sing, Deborah!
Come sing a victory song!
Up Barak, son of Abinoam!
Lead your captives away!’

• ‘Deborah! Rise up and sing!
Sing us a song of celebration!
Barak, son of Abinoam,
rise and capture those who have tried to capture you!’

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 .

This verse is one of the high points of this story.

And the LORD turned to him and said: Here it is not the LORD’s angel who responds, but the LORD himself. In verse 2.1-5 and in other Old Testament passages, it is clear that the LORD’s angel is one and the same with the LORD, but there is a significant shift here, with Yahweh turning to face Gideon. While Revised Standard Version renders the Hebrew waw conjunction as And, “Then” may do a better job of marking this moment as significant. Contemporary English Version tries to capture the solemnity of the moment by saying “Then the LORD himself said,” but both Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version omit turned to him, a notion that should be kept.

Go in this might of yours and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian: With these words God commissions and commands Gideon to fulfill the role of deliverer of the Israelites. Go renders the common Hebrew verb meaning “go” or “walk” (halak), but here it could refer to going out to battle. In this might of yours is literally “in your strength this.” The Hebrew word for might differs from the one rendered “valor” in verse 6.12. The demonstrative pronoun this emphasizes the strength Gideon has, so New American Bible renders this expression as “the strength you have.” New Jerusalem Bible and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh say “this strength of yours.” Go in this might of yours may be translated “Use the power you have and go” or “With the strength you have, go.” Contemporary English Version says “you will be strong,” but this does not express the meaning of the text.

And deliver Israel from the hand of Midian uses a key verb of the book of Judges. The verb deliver signals to the hearers or readers that Gideon is next in line to serve as a savior-judge or hero in Israel. For the Hebrew verb rendered deliver (yashaʿ), see the comments on verse 2.16, where it is translated “saved.” The hand of Midian (literally “the palm of Midian”) renders the same Hebrew expression as in the previous verse.

Do not I send you?: This negative rhetorical question is actually a statement assuring Gideon that the LORD is sending him. Translators must reflect on how to communicate this idea in their language, whether with a question or a solemn affirmation. New Jerusalem Bible keeps the question form with “Am I not sending you myself?” However, some versions use a statement that seems to delegate authority to Gideon. For example, New Revised Standard Version says “I hereby commission you,” and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “I herewith make you My messenger.” Yahweh thus promises Gideon he will be with him, guaranteeing him victory (compare Exo 3.10, 12).

Translation models for this verse are:

• Then the LORD himself turned to Gideon and said, “It is I who is sending you. You are strong, so use your strength and save Israel from the Midianites.”

• The LORD turned to face Gideon and commanded, “Go now, show how powerful you are and save Israel from Midianite control. Am I not the one sending you?”

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 .

And you shall hear what they say closely renders the Hebrew. The pronoun you refers to Gideon. Hear may be rendered “overhear,” since Gideon is sneaking close to the Midianite camp. What they say is literally “what they speak,” which refers to the conversation between two Midianites that Gideon will overhear. They say may be translated “the Midianite soldiers say to each other.” Some versions understand this whole clause to be an instruction. For example, New International Version says “and listen to what they are saying” (similarly New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). However, Revised English Bible renders it as a temporal clause with “and when you hear what they are saying” (similarly Contemporary English Version, New American Bible).

And afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp expresses what the result will be when Gideon overhears what his enemies are saying: he will be encouraged. And afterward (literally “and after”) may be rendered “as a result,” “thus,” or “and if you do.” Your hands shall be strengthened is a Hebrew idiom that speaks of “becoming stronger” or “being encouraged.” Your hands represents the person of Gideon, so most versions say simply “you.” Once again the storyteller is using the word hand in the context of delivering Israel. For this whole idiom Good News Translation says “you will have the courage,” while Contemporary English Version has “you’ll be brave enough.” These are both good models to follow. Another possibility is “you will find the strength.”

To go down against the camp renders an independent clause in Hebrew, literally “and you will go down against the camp.” In this context the verb go down means “attack” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version), as in verse 7.9. This clause can be understood as a purpose or result clause. Like Revised Standard Version, most other versions take it to be a purpose clause, for example, “to attack the camp” (New International Version). Another possible rendering with this understanding is “so that you will be able to attack the Midianites.” NET Bible takes it as a result clause by saying “and [you will] attack the camp.”

Translation models for the first half of this verse are:

• Listen to what the Midianites are saying. This will encourage you to attack their camp.”

• When you hear what they are talking about, you will become brave enough to attack them.”

This is the end of Yahweh’s instructions to Gideon, and as is often the case in Hebrew stories, the narrative and dialogue are closely linked. Contemporary English Version and New Living Translation begin a new paragraph here with Gideon carrying out the LORD’s instructions.

Then he went down with Purah his servant …: Then renders the Hebrew waw conjunction. Here it introduces Gideon’s response to God’s instructions, so it may be rendered “So” (Good News Translation, New International Version, Revised English Bible) or even “So right away.” For he went down with Purah his servant, see the comments on verse 7.10. This clause may be rendered “Gideon took Purah, his weapons bearer, and sneaked down to the camp.”

To the outposts of the armed men that were in the camp: This phrase shows that Gideon and Purah intend to spy on the Midianites. They do not go into the middle of the camp where they would be recognized and captured. Rather, they position themselves at the outposts of the camp, that is, on its outskirts. The outposts may be rendered “the edge of the enemy camp” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). The armed men refers to the Midianite soldiers inside the camp. The Hebrew word for armed men is an unusual one, referring to soldiers who are armed for combat or guard duty. NET Bible has “sentries.” That were in the camp tells where the armed men were, but many versions prefer to put this reference to the camp earlier. For example, Contemporary English Version says “Gideon and Purah worked their way to the edge of the enemy camp, where soldiers were on guard duty.” Other possible models are:

• So Gideon took Purah, his weapons bearer, and went to the edge of the Midianite camp, where soldiers were standing guard.

• So he went down to the camp with his helper Purah. They went as far as the armed soldiers stationed at the outposts of their camp.

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 .

When the son of Gideon is incapable of killing the two Midianite kings, they challenge Gideon to kill them himself.

Then Zebah and Zalmunna said: Then renders the Hebrew waw conjunction, which signals the quick reply here. In some languages translators may say “So” or “And,” or they may leave this conjunction untranslated. The Hebrew verb for said has a singular form, but it is not unusual in Hebrew for a combined subject such as Zebah and Zalmunna to take a singular verb.

Rise yourself, and fall upon us: Rise yourself renders an emphatic Hebrew expression, literally “Rise you.” Once again the key Hebrew verb for Rise (qum) occurs at a high point in the narrative, when an Israelite enemy will be killed or defeated. Ironically this word is placed in the mouths of the enemy. It can be better rendered “Come on” (Good News Translation) or simply “Come” (New International Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or by another emphatic word. Fall upon us is a figurative expression for “attack us,” but the Hebrew verb for fall (pagaʿ), is not the typical one found in this book. Here the root means “meet” or “encounter.” In some contexts it can suggest a violent meeting or confrontation (see verse 18.25). We might say “Come on, kill us yourself.” Contemporary English Version thinks the kings were mocking Gideon because his son was afraid, so it says “What’s the matter, Gideon? … Do it yourself.” This rendering is quite dynamic, but it seems to go further than the text.

For as the man is, so is his strength: The two Midianite kings cite another proverb here. In many cultures this is a way to show one’s wisdom and even to win an argument. There is a slight textual problem here. Revised English Bible proposes “for you have a man’s strength,” but Revised Standard Version follows the Masoretic Text, which Hebrew Old Testament Text Project gives a {B} rating. Many versions try to adapt the proverb into a modern saying with a touch of irony, for example, “This is a job for a real man!” or “It takes a man to do a man’s job” (Good News Translation). Contemporary English Version takes the kings’ statement to be defiant by saying “if you’re not too much of a coward!” But proverbs are meant to be open-ended, so a literal rendering would be a very good option, which allows readers to decide what it means. Though Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version try to express mockery here, it is more likely that in such a culture where honor and shame were fundamental, the kings remained dignified, even though death was certain. Most likely as well, they would prefer to be executed by a hero, than by a young man.

And Gideon arose and slew Zebah and Zalmunna: Gideon does what the Midianite kings tell him to do. It is often the case in Hebrew narrative that what is spoken in dialogue is carried out—almost word for word—in the narration. The Hebrew waw conjunction rendered And may be translated “So” (New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation) or “Then” (New Jerusalem Bible). As earlier in this verse, the Hebrew verb for arose (qum) is used to signal the action of an Israelite hero. However, here translators will have to decide if they want to render it literally or say “went ahead.” Contemporary English Version says “jumped up,” but this seems somewhat undignified for Gideon. Slew is the past tense of the verb “slay” (see verse 8.17). Hebrew repeats the names of the kings Zebah and Zalmunna once more to end the inclusio that began at verse 8.18. Many languages will use this same style, which adds a note of finality here.

And he took the crescents that were on the neck of their camels: Gideon takes the spoils of war. This clause closes out a bigger section of the Gideon story, since it ties back to verse 6.5 and verse 7.12, which describe the enemy troops and their great number of camels. The pronoun he refers to Gideon. In this context the general verb take may be rendered “removed,” “took off,” or “took possession of.” In many parts of the world, beasts of burden such as horses and camels were often decorated by their owners. The camels belonging to the Midianite kings wore necklaces with crescents around their necks. Crescents were ornaments in the shape of half-moons. Since these were the kings’ camels, the crescents were probably elaborate and expensive, made of precious metals and stones. It is not known if the crescent or half-moon shape had some religious significance. Contemporary English Version has “the fancy gold ornaments,” which says more than the text, but its rendering seems to anticipate verse 8.27, where Gideon melts down these ornaments and makes an idol for worship. Crescents may be rendered “expensive/costly ornaments” or “precious decorations.” For camels see verse 6.5.

Translation models for this verse are:

• Then Zebah and Zalmunna said [to Gideon], “Kill us yourself! This is work for a real man!” So Gideon killed Zebah and Zalmunna and took the decorative crescents that hung around their camels’ necks.

• Then the two kings said, “Kill us yourself, Gideon! Strength comes with age.” So Gideon killed both of them and took the expensive decorations hanging around their camels’ necks.

This episode ends with Gideon triumphant over his enemies. However, there is no mention of Yahweh here and the next episode reveals how Gideon leads the Israelites back into the worship of idols.

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 .