Now the six hundred men of the Danites …: Now renders the Hebrew waw conjunction. Good News Translation uses “Meanwhile,” which is a good way to heighten the drama. As the Danite spies greet the Levite, their fellow 600 soldiers wait at the gate of Micah’s compound. The Hebrew phrase rendered of the Danites (literally “from the sons/children of Dan”) occurs at the end of this verse, perhaps heightening the suspense. The beginning of this verse repeats the sh sound in Hebrew, which adds to the dramatic effect.

For armed with their weapons of war, see verse 18.11.

Stood by the entrance of the gate: The Hebrew verb rendered stood is a participle, which Good News Translation translates “were standing.” Boling believes this verb has a military sense here, so he says “had stationed themselves.” Another possible rendering is “took position.” The situation described borders on the ridiculous and would make any audience laugh, as 600 men are called into service to intervene at one individual’s house. The entrance of the gate probably refers to the gateway into Micah’s compound, which had a wall around it (see comments on verse 9.35). Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version say simply “the gate.”

A translation model for this verse is:

• Meanwhile the 600 Danites, fully armed for battle, took up their positions outside Micah’s compound.

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 the old man said: The Hebrew waw conjunction rendered And may be translated “Then.” The narrator is careful to distinguish the two primary male participants, the Levite and the old man, and also seems to emphasize through this repetition the fact that this man is old. This may be an important detail for what follows, when the old man seems powerless. Here he responds with kindness to the Levite’s proposal. The general verb said may be rendered “answered” or “replied.”

Peace be to you renders the traditional greeting in Hebrew, literally “Peace [shalom] to you” (compare verse 6.23). However, this is not an initial greeting here, so probably the old man is trying to put the Levite at ease. Thus we might rather say “Rest easy” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “You are welcome in my home!” (Good News Translation). Other possible models are “That’s alright” and “Don’t worry about that.” Translators should look for an expression that is natural in their language in such a context.

I will care for all your wants; only, do not spend the night in the square: The old man states two conditions for receiving the Levite, both beginning with the Hebrew word raq (“only”), literally:

Only all your want [is] upon me.
Only in the square do not spend the night.

I will care for all your wants: The old man is taking exception to what the Levite is saying. He does not want the Levite to squander his supplies, which he may need on his further journey, so he graciously offers to supply all the travelers’ needs. We might say “But please, let me supply everything you need” or “But please, I insist, I will be the one to provide all that you need.” The old man’s speech is extremely polite and translators should try to capture this tone.

Only, do not spend the night in the square: In Hebrew the fronting of the phrase “in the square” hints at the dangers of staying outside overnight in this town. For the Hebrew verb rendered spend the night (lin), see verse 19.4. This verb is singular in Hebrew, so it is addressed directly to the Levite. It was customary for someone to address the head of a group of travelers, which is the Levite here. However, in some languages a plural verb may be needed in this context. For square see verse 19.15. This clause may be rendered “Only please don’t stay overnight in the town square” or “But please, you [plural] should not spend the night out in the square.”

Translation models for this verse are:

• Then the old man replied, “Don’t worry. I’ll look after you and give you everything you need. You can spend the night in my home. Only please, don’t spend the night in the town square.”

• Then the old man said, “That’s alright. I will provide you with all you need. Just don’t stay out in the town square all night.”

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 describes another great slaughter of the Israelites. Once again the text recounts the great numbers of Israelites who were killed, but says nothing about the Benjaminite casualties. See the comments on verse 20.21.

And Benjamin went against them out of Gibe-ah the second day is literally “And Benjamin went out to meet them from the Gibeah on the second day.” And, which renders the Hebrew waw conjunction, introduces the next event. Went renders the Hebrew verb yatsaʾ meaning “come out” or “go out,” which occurs throughout this passage. The literal expression “went out to meet them” does not refer to a meeting, but to an attack. So New International Version says “came out … to oppose them.” Out of Gibe-ah implies that the Benjaminite soldiers had returned to the town of Gibeah following their first victory. For the second day, see verse 20.24. There is much repetition here, so we might combine 20.24 and the beginning of 20.25, for example, “So on the second day the Israelites repositioned themselves to fight, and the Benjaminites came out of Gibeah to attack them.”

And felled to the ground eighteen thousand men of the people of Israel is literally “and they destroyed/killed among the sons [or, children] of Israel again 18,000 man to [the] ground,” with the pronoun “they” referring to the Benjaminites. Those killed are less than the first time. See verse 20.21 for all the vocabulary items here. Revised Standard Version omits the Hebrew word meaning “again,” but Contemporary English Version expresses it by saying “leaving another eighteen thousand Israelite soldiers dead on the battlefield.”

All these were men who drew the sword: This sentence adds a note of sadness to the narrative, since the Israelites who died were capable, well trained soldiers. It also emphasizes the strength of the Benjaminites who were able to defeat such qualified men. For men who drew the sword, see verse 8.10 and verse 20.2.

Translation models for this verse are:

• The Benjaminites came out of [or, emerged from] Gibeah to attack the Israelites a second time, killing eighteen thousand men, all armed warriors.

• From Gibeah the Benjaminites attacked them once again. That day they killed eighteen thousand Israelite armed soldiers.

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 .

After the Israelites heard that no one had come from Jabesh, they decided to carry out their oath and kill the inhabitants of that town.

So the congregation sent thither twelve thousand of their bravest men: So renders well the Hebrew waw conjunction, which introduces a result here. The word congregation (see verse 20.1) may cause confusion for some English speakers. This does not refer to a group of believers making up a church, but to all the Israelites who met together at Bethel to worship the LORD and to plan concerning the surviving Benjaminite soldiers. Good News Translation uses the word “assembly,” and Revised English Bible has “community.” Contemporary English Version simply uses the pronoun “they.” The Hebrew verb rendered sent (shalach) is a keyword that often occurs in the context of conflict (see verse 3.15). The locative thither refers to the town of Jabesh, and may be rendered “there” or “to that place.”

Twelve thousand of their bravest men is literally “twelve thousand man from the sons of strength.” This phrase certainly has an ironic twist. Twelve thousand is a huge number to send to a relatively small town. Twelve is also a symbolic number, often used to refer to the twelve tribes of Israel. Its appearance here emphasizes the fact that Israel was not unified. As noted earlier, one tribe was missing (verse 21.3). In many languages twelve thousand is better rendered “12,000” (New Living Translation) or “twelve thousand (12,000).” For bravest men, see the comments on verse 20.44, where a similar expression is used in reference to the Benjaminites. Here it refers ironically to the Israelite soldiers who went to kill more of their own brothers. This phrase could be rendered “strongest warriors” or “bravest soldiers.”

And commanded them is literally “and they commanded them, saying.” Contemporary English Version says simply “with these orders” (similarly Good News Translation). Some languages will prefer indirect speech here (see first model below), but this may diminish the force of the command.

Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword: This is the order given to the 12,000 Israelite soldiers. Some languages might say “Go strike down…,” while in others the initial verb Go might be omitted. For smite … with the edge of the sword, see verse 1.8.

Also the women and the little ones is literally “and the women and the little one.” The incidents in the appendices are already horrific, but the narrative takes yet another downward turn, as Israelites are ordered to also put to death the women and the children of the town of Jabesh-gilead. In all Israel’s history, such acts had never been committed. The Israelite soldiers were given orders, not just to kill those who were considered “deserters,” but to slaughter totally innocent women and children. The reference to women could be confusing, since the point of this raid was to capture women to marry the Benjaminite survivors. Only later is it revealed that not all the women were to be killed, but only those who were married or who were not virgins. In Hebrew the little ones is singular, but it has a collective sense (see verse 18.21). A good rendering for this whole phrase is “including the women and children” (New International Version).

Translation models for this verse are:

• Thus they sent twelve thousand of their bravest warriors with orders to kill all the residents of Jabesh-gilead, including [all] the women and the children.

• So they sent 12,000 of their best soldiers to Jabesh in Gilead, and told them “Go and put to death every inhabitant, even the women and children.

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 .

The previous verse seems to give a summary of the attack on Bethel, while the rest of this unit gives the details of the attack. For this reason Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version combine 1.22-23. However, in most languages this will not be necessary.

And the house of Joseph sent to spy out Bethel: And renders the Hebrew waw conjunction, which may also be translated “first” since this clause describes how the tribe of Joseph went about capturing Bethel. Once again the phrases house of Joseph and “house of God” (Bethel) seem to be placed together for a contrastive effect. If repeating the house of Joseph is unacceptable, the translator may simply use the pronoun “they.” See verse 1.22 for comments on the house of Joseph and Bethel.

Sent to spy out renders a single verb in Hebrew (tur), which is also used in Num 13–14. We could say “sent out spies to find out what they could about Bethel.” If a word for spy does not exist, translators might say “sent men out to observe/look around the city.” Many languages will need to make explicit “to see how they could capture it.”

(Now the name of the city was formerly Luz): Gen 28.19 gives this same information, noting that Jacob is the one who named the town Bethel. Once again Revised Standard Version puts background information in parentheses. See verse 1.10. New Jerusalem Bible says “In olden days, the name of the town was Luz.” We might also say “Previously, Bethel was known as Luz.” The name Luz is repeated at the end of this unit (verse 1.26), forming an inclusio.

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 .

While the previous verse explained what the Israelites had done to merit their punishment, this verse describes it. In most languages this order will make sense. If not, 2.20-21 might be combined. If there is a full stop at the end of the previous verse, it may be helpful to begin this verse with “Therefore,” “Because of this,” or “That’s why.”

I will not henceforth drive out before them …: In Hebrew this is an emphatic statement from God, similar to verse 2.3, beginning with the words “also I,” conveying the idea that a conclusion is being expressed. Revised Standard Version does not render this emphasis. It may be expressed by saying “So, this is what I’ve decided to do….” Revised English Bible and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh have “I for my part…,” an emphatic phrase that could serve as a model in some languages.

The emphatic opening is followed by an emphatic negative statement, will not henceforth drive out (literally “will not add to drive out a man”), which means God will not continue to drive out any more Canaanites. The period of divine assistance is now at an end. Good News Translation translates “I will no longer drive out.” For drive out see verse 1.19. Here the verb has a direct object, “a man,” not expressed by Revised Standard Version. This is an emphatic way of saying “not a single man,” “not even one,” or “not any.” If possible, translators should try to express this emphasis. Before them refers to the Israelites and this can be made explicit if need be. Some versions leave this phrase out, since it may be understood from the context.

Any of the nations that Joshua left when he died: This clause completes and adds emphasis to the declaration of the LORD. It mentions a number of important elements. First, the Hebrew word for nations (goyim) ties back to the ironic remark made in verse 2.20, where Israel is designated a goy, a nation like any other. Also the mention of Joshua evokes a time when Israel was successful in entering the Promised Land and driving out their enemies. Joshua’s death is seen as a decisive turning point, when things start to go downhill, as the people no longer serve the LORD. Very often the term nations has to be rendered according to context. Here it refers to non-Israelite nations, but these are not large countries as the modern term might imply. Rather, these nations are tribal groups, whether large or small, such as the Canaanites (verse 1.4), the Jebusites (verse 1.21), and the Amorites (verse 1.34). If possible, the translation should imply that these are peoples who do not worship Yahweh. So we might speak of “foreign peoples,” “foreign clans,” or “foreign tribes.” The nations that Joshua left when he died refers to the non-Israelite tribes that were still living in the Promised Land when Joshua died. We might speak of “the foreign peoples who remained when Joshua died” or “the foreign tribes who were still there after Joshua died.” Good News Translation translates “the nations that were still in the land when Joshua died.” This is a good model to follow.

Translation suggestions for this verse are:

• Because of this, I have firmly decided I will no longer drive out even one of the foreign peoples/tribes remaining in the land when Joshua died.

• So here is my decision: I will no longer help them remove any of these pagan peoples who remained in the land after Joshua’s death.

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 the LORD sold them into the hand of …: For this idiom, see verse 2.14.

Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor: King of Canaan appears to be an old and well known title. However, some scholars doubt that there ever was a king of Canaan, and think that the expression is used here simply to give status to Jabin who was the king of Hazor at that time. Good News Translation calls him “a Canaanite king,” implying that he is one of many kings in the region. For king see verse 1.7; for Canaan see verse 1.1. Reigned renders a word from the same Hebrew root (m-l-k) as the word for king, thus putting heavy emphasis on Jabin’s power and authority. Obviously, from the storyteller’s viewpoint, the more powerful the enemy, the more impressive Israel’s victory will be.

Hazor was a city-state north of the Sea of Galilee, in the region assigned to Naphtali. According to verse 11.10, it was the “head” of many kingdoms. Thus the administrative center of Jabin’s realm was located at this important crossroads of the trade routes running between Damascus and the coast at Sidon.

The commander of his army was Sisera: The storyteller now introduces a new character who will play an important role in this episode. The Hebrew word translated commander (sar) can refer to an official, ruler, or leader, whether political or religious. But in this military context it refers to a general who is head of the troops. An appropriate term should be used, for example, “commander,” “chief,” or “general.” The pronoun his refers back to Jabin, the king. Unlike Ehud who had to rally his men, Jabin already has a full standing army. The word for army is singular in Hebrew, but of course, translators can use a plural term here, for example, “troops” or “soldiers.”

Who dwelt in Harosheth-ha-goiim: As with most main characters in this book, the origins of Sisera are spelled out. His Canaanite origins are reflected in the name of the town in which he lived, Harosheth-ha-goiim, which means “Harosheth of the nations.” The Hebrew word goyim (“nations”) is consistently used in the Old Testament to refer to the nations or peoples who did not recognize Yahweh as Lord (see verse 2.21, verse 23; verse 3.1). Non-Israelites were goyim, that is, “Gentiles” (Good News Translation) or “pagans.” The mention of the word here would have made listeners laugh with contempt. The precise location of this town is not certain, though it probably lies somewhere in the Plain of Sharon. Translators can decide if they want to transliterate this name (Revised Standard Version) or translate it (Good News Translation). However, there is a real advantage to translating it, since the reference to goyim sets the scene for the conflict here.

Models for the translation of this verse are:

• So the LORD gave Jabin, king of Canaan, power over them, and he ruled over them from Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who came from the town of Harosheth-ha-goiim.

• So the LORD made them subject to Jabin, the Canaanite king who ruled in Hazor. The leader of his soldiers was named Sisera, from the town called Harosheth-of-the-Gentiles [or, Pagans].

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 .

In Hebrew the structure of this verse is quite distinctive. Though Revised Standard Version begins with the imperative, Tell of it, this expression occurs at the end of the verse. The verse begins with three parallel participial clauses that identify those addressed and concludes with an imperative. It reads literally:

Those riding on tawny donkeys,
those sitting on saddle blankets,
and those walking on the road,
ponder!

These lines could be a call to the same set of people or to two or three different groups. Several versions see a progression from rich people, those who ride on donkeys, to poorer ones, those who walk (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version).

Tell of it renders a Hebrew verb that can mean “think about,” “ponder,” or “meditate on,” so New International Version says “consider.” It can also mean “complain out loud” or “speak out loud,” which seems behind the Revised Standard Version rendering. In Hebrew there is no word corresponding to the pronoun it, but many languages will need to add an object here. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “declare it.” Good News Translation puts “Tell of it” in the text and “Think about [it]” in a footnote. Some languages may prefer to be more explicit by saying “Consider what the LORD has done” or “Meditate on this victory.” Many versions prefer to place this imperative at the beginning of the verse as Revised Standard Version has done. However, New Jerusalem Bible follows the Hebrew order and puts the verb at the end of this verse, but its rendering “sing” does not seem accurate. New International Version presents this verb as introducing what follows in the next verse, saying “consider sup 11sup* the voice of the singers at the watering places.” Translators should study this verse and the next one and see how to best present the ideas here, all the while not forgetting that we are dealing with poetic lines.

You who ride on tawny asses is the first group of addressees. You who ride renders a Hebrew participle, which is literally “those riding” or “ones riding.” Revised Standard Version adds the pronoun you to help the reader know these people are being addressed. Ride translates a Hebrew verb that means “mount and ride” or “ride in a chariot.” Here the object is donkeys, so a verb used for mounting or riding a horse or donkey should be used. Tawny asses are light-colored donkeys. For asses see the comments on verse 1.14, where a different Hebrew word is used. The word for asses here refers specifically to female donkeys, so Revised English Bible says “she-donkeys,” but many versions simply say “donkeys” (Good News Translation, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible). Female donkeys were the common means of transport in biblical times, transporting both people and goods. In languages where donkeys are unknown, an expression such as “small beasts of burden” or “small horses” could be used. The Hebrew word for tawny refers to a color that many versions suggest is “white” (New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible). However, it is more likely that this word refers to a light color, closer to gray. In languages with few colors, translators might say “clear” or “light.” This detail may imply that lighter colored donkeys were favored or more expensive than darker ones. Even though in some cultures riding on donkeys would not be a sign of status, in biblical times just possessing a donkey meant the person was fairly wealthy. This whole line may be rendered “those of you who ride light-colored donkeys.”

You who sit on rich carpets: Many scholars think this line refers to the same people as in the previous one. This would mean the people who sit on rich carpets are riding on donkeys (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). This seems logical, but others see a reference to another group of people of slightly lower status (Revised Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Like the previous line, you who sit renders a Hebrew participle, which is literally “those sitting.” Once again, Revised Standard Version adds the pronoun you to express the idea that these people are being addressed. The Hebrew word rendered rich carpets can also mean “saddles” (Good News Translation) or “saddle-blankets” (New Jerusalem Bible). To avoid direct contact with riding animals and to provide a more comfortable seat, people placed small rugs or leather saddles on beasts of burden (that is, horses, donkeys, or camels). This line may be rendered “those of you who sit on [saddle] blankets.” Translators will need to decide whether or not this line describes the same people as in the previous one. If they describe the same group of people, one possible rendering for both lines is “you who ride on light-colored donkeys, seated on comfortable saddles.”

And you who walk by the way is literally “and those walking on the road.” The Hebrew verb here means “go” or “walk.” Though it is possible to consider this line as referring to the same people as in the first two lines, most versions believe there is a contrast here between rich people who can afford donkeys and those who are forced to walk. New American Bible takes the first approach, seeing only one group: “They who ride on white asses, seated on saddlecloths, as they go their way.” However, most see a contrast with these people “who go on foot” (New Jerusalem Bible). Good News Translation has “you that must walk wherever you go.”

For this whole verse Contemporary English Version says:

Listen, everyone!
Whether you ride a donkey
with a padded saddle
or have to walk.

Though several interpretations of this verse are possible, it seems likely that the singers are calling out to all members of the community, including all classes of people to “consider” what the LORD has done. If this wider interpretation is adopted, a possible model is:

• “You who ride on light-colored donkeys,
sitting [comfortably] on padded saddles,
and you too, who are forced to walk on foot,
consider [what the LORD has done]!

If only one group is understood to be in view, this verse may be rendered as follows:

• “Think about it, people!
You who ride light-colored donkeys,
on comfortable saddles,
as you go on your way.

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 .