And the trees said to the fig tree: Because the olive tree refuses, the trees turn to the fig tree. And is a rather weak rendering of the Hebrew waw conjunction here. In this literary genre a connector such as “So” (Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) would be more appropriate. The fig tree, like the olive tree, plays an important part of the life in Israel and is important part of the diet. Its fresh fruit is appreciated for its sweetness, but it can also be easily dried and preserved. The large leaves of the fig tree are also often used to wrap things. Fig trees may not be known in the target culture, but since they play such an important role in biblical texts, some equivalent must be found. A transliterated expression such as “figi-tree” would be better in this context of a fable than a phrase such as “tree that produces sweet fruits called ‘figs.’ ” Explanations can be given in the glossary. In some parts of Africa there are trees that resemble fig trees, but such equivalents should only be used where such trees are known to produce edible sweet fruit.

Come you, and reign over us: This request to the fig tree is similar to the one to the olive tree. Here the fig tree is addressed more directly with Come you, which is slightly unnatural in English. In Hebrew the pronoun for you is emphatic. For reign over us, see verse 9.8. This sentence may be rendered “You come be our king,” “Come, you reign over us,” or even, “You! You come and be our king.”

A translation model for this verse is:

• So the trees turned to Fig Tree and said, ‘You! Come be our king.’

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 explains that the battle against the city of Shechem was intense and long. The word city occurs three times, emphasizing that this place and its inhabitants were completely destroyed.

And Abimelech fought against the city all that day: The Hebrew waw conjunction rendered And introduces the next event in the story, so it is an appropriate connector here. However, many versions prefer to omit it, moving the temporal phrase all that day to the beginning of this verse (New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible). Fought renders the Hebrew verb lacham meaning “battle” or “wage war” (see verse 1.1). Translators must find a word here that can describe continued fighting and not a single attack. Though the word city often refers to its inhabitants, here it probably also refers to its strongholds, walls, and other defenses. The phrase all that day means throughout the entire day, probably referring to the daylight hours.

He took the city, and killed the people that were in it: This sentence has a chiasmb in Hebrew to emphasize the total destruction of Shechem. It reads literally:

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 .

With this new turn of events, and the mention of both Manoah and his wife, a new subsection seems to begin here, so translators will probably begin a new paragraph here. Manoah turns to his wife and expresses the traditional belief that to see God would bring about their death. Gideon had the same fear (see verse 6.22-23).

And Manoah said to his wife: In much of this section Manoah’s wife seems to take everything at face value and believe. However, Manoah is very agitated, needs to be convinced, and imagines various problems.

We shall surely die renders an emphatic statement in Hebrew, which is literally “Dying we will die.” Manoah believes that death is certain. Translators should try to communicate some of the emphasis here.

For we have seen God: The Hebrew connector ki rendered for introduces the reason for fearing that they will die. Throughout the Old Testament, there is a belief that anyone who sees God face to face will immediately die. The Hebrew word for God here is ʾelohim, which could refer either to the God of Israel (Yahweh) or a “divine being” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Contemporary English Version says “an angel.” However, in light of the wife’s statement in the next verse, it is clear she understands her husband to mean Yahweh. It is possible that this statement is a way of making fun of the husband, with the husband still not believing, and the wife sure they had seen the LORD. However, like Revised Standard Version, most versions say “God,” which is recommended here. If so desired, a footnote may be included to explain the ambiguity here.

Translation models for this verse are:

• Then Manoah said to his wife, “We will surely die because we have seen God.”

• Manoah said to his wife, “I am sure we will die. We have seen God.”*
* The word for “God” in Hebrew can refer to the God of Israel or a divine being.

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 men of Judah said: The Hebrew waw conjunction rendered And may also be translated “Then” or left untranslated (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). The men of Judah is literally “a man of Judah.” However, this singular expression has a plural sense here, referring to “The people Judah” (Contemporary English Version). They see Philistine soldiers camped near their town of Lehi, and do not understand why they are being attacked. In this context the general verb said may be rendered “asked” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version).

Why have you come up against us?: This seems to be a real question, rather than a rhetorical one, especially since the Philistines answer it. The narrator does not say here whether or not the people of Judah know that Samson is in their territory. Here the Hebrew verb for come up (ʿalah) clearly means “attack” or “fight” (see verse 1.1). Contemporary English Version says “Why have you invaded our land?” but Good News Translation is closer to the original text: “Why are you attacking us?”

They said: Revised Standard Version omits the Hebrew waw conjunction at the beginning of this clause, but it may be rendered “And” (English Standard Version) or “Then.” The pronoun They refers to the Philistine soldiers. We might say “And they replied [or, answered].”

We have come up to bind Samson: The Philistines answer the question of the people of Judah, using the same key verb come up, which here might be rendered as a verb of movement. They are very direct and clear about what their objectives are. Their first goal is to bind Samson. Bind means to tie a person tightly so he cannot move or escape. Good News Translation, New International Version, and Revised English Bible say “to take Samson prisoner.” Contemporary English Version is more general with “to get Samson.” However, the verb bind (ʾasar in Hebrew) occurs throughout this unit and in the next chapter (verse 15.12-13; verse 16.5-8, 10-13, 21), and should be kept here. We might say “We have come to capture Samson and tie him up.”

To do to him as he did to us: This clause explains why the Philistines want to capture Samson: to get revenge for what he did to them. This “eye for an eye” mentality was typical of that period. One harmful action would be punished by an equally harmful one. In the case of Samson, this led to an unending cycle of violence and revenge. Do and did render the same general Hebrew verb that occurred in verse 15.7, where Samson expressed his desire for revenge. Here it means “do harm.” We might say “We want to do to him what he has done to us” or “What Samson has done to us, we want to do to him.”

Translation models for this verse are:

• When the people of Judah asked the Philistines why they were attacking them, they were told, “We are after Samson. We want to pay him back for what he has done to us.”

• So the people of Judah asked the Philistines, “Why have you come to attack us?”
And the Philistines responded, “We want to tie up Samson and take him as our prisoner. The bad things he did to us, we want to do to him.”

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 when their hearts were merry is literally “And it was when their hearts were good,” which implies that the people had been drinking and celebrating for some time. The same expression is used to describe Boaz feeling satisfied after a good meal (Ruth 3.7). The phrase their hearts refers to the Philistine people themselves, so we might say “When the people began to feel good,” “While they were in high spirits” (New International Version; similarly New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), or “When they were having a good time” (similarly Contemporary English Version).

They said: The pronoun they refers to the Philistines at the celebration. In this context the general verb said may be rendered “shouted” (Contemporary English Version).

Call Samson is literally “Call for Samson.” The Philistines want Samson to come before them. They want him to be brought from the prison where he was. We might say “Go get Samson,” “Bring us Samson,” or “Bring Samson here for us.” The Hebrew verb for Call occurs twice in this verse, underlining that Samson is literally at their “beck and call.” The use of this verb also foreshadows Samson’s “call” to the LORD for help in verse 16.28.

That he may make sport for us: That renders the Hebrew waw conjunction, which introduces a purpose clause here, so it may also be translated “so that” or “in order that.” Make sport is an old English expression meaning “entertain,” but here the Hebrew verb means “laugh.” Thus we might say “so we can laugh at him” or “so he can make us laugh.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh’s “and let him dance for us” has no textual basis. New Jerusalem Bible‘s “to amuse us” is a possible model.

So they called Samson out of the prison: So is a good rendering of the Hebrew waw conjunction. The narration here copies the dialogue, a common technique in Hebrew storytelling. The Philistines called for Samson, and so it was done. The pronoun they refers to those who were sent to get Samson. If possible, the rendering of called should match that of the verb used above. Out of the prison is literally “from the house of those who were bound” (see verse 16.21).

And he made sport before them: Samson did as he was told. He was a prisoner and had no choice. The Hebrew verb rendered made sport is different from the one used in the quote, but its meaning is very similar. The text does not say exactly how Samson entertained the Philistines, but it is likely that he used his strength in some way to entertain the crowd. New International Version says “he performed for them,” and New Jerusalem Bible has “he performed feats in front of them.” New American Bible communicates some of the humiliation that Samson experienced, saying “he played the buffoon before them.” The strong hero is now blind and reduced to performing in front of a rowdy and mocking crowd.

They made him stand between the pillars: This clause begins with the Hebrew waw conjunction, which seems to introduce the next action here. We might begin with “then” (New Jerusalem Bible) or “and” (New Living Translation). After Samson finished entertaining the people, he was placed between the pillars of Dagon’s temple. Certainly those knowing this story anticipate what will occur next. For they made him stand, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “they put him.” Contemporary English Version‘s “they told him to stand” says slightly more than the original text. Samson was blind, and was probably led to this place rather than told to go there. Between the pillars should be rendered with care. It is not enough to say “next to the pillars” or “near the pillars,” since it is crucial to the story that Samson be located between the columns.

The pillars were the central supports for the roof of the temple where Samson was entertaining the people (see verse 16.29). Good News Translation says “the columns,” while Contemporary English Version is more explicit with “the columns that supported the roof.” In some languages it may be necessary to say “the pillars of the building” or even “the pillars of the temple.” There is an important wordplay here, since the Hebrew verb for made … stand and the noun for pillars come from the same root. New Jerusalem Bible provides a good model here, saying “then he was put to stand between the pillars.” Revised English Bible is similar with “They then stood him between the pillars.” It would be helpful to add an illustration here showing Samson standing between the columns.

Translation models for this verse are:

• When they had celebrated for some time and were feeling good, they called for Samson to come and entertain them. So they brought him out of the prison and he performed various feats for them. Then they put him between the pillars [of the building].

• When they were feeling very happy, they said, “Bring Samson out to entertain us!” So Samson was brought from the prison and he entertained them. Then they placed him between the columns of the temple.

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 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 .