And he caught a young man of Succoth: The Hebrew waw conjunction rendered And introduces what happened as Gideon was going through Heres Pass. Several versions render the preceding verse as a temporal clause, so And is omitted. For example, Good News Translation says “13 When Gideon was returning from the battle by way of Heres Pass, 14 he captured….” Caught renders the same Hebrew verb translated “took” in verse 8.12 (see comments there). Here it can be rendered “took” or “captured” (Good News Translation, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). A young man of Succoth is literally “a young man from the men of Succoth.” Young man renders a Hebrew word (naʿar) that can refer to a male servant or any young man in his late teens or early twenties (see comments on verse 7.10, where it is translated “servant”). For the town of Succoth, see verse 8.5. A young man of Succoth means he “lived in Succoth” (Contemporary English Version).

And questioned him: Gideon interrogates the young man. While the Hebrew verb rendered questioned can mean “ask,” “inquire,” or “request” (see verse 1.1), here it refers to a military-style questioning or interrogation. Contemporary English Version makes explicit the content of the question: “Gideon asked him who the town officials of Succoth were,” which might be a helpful model.

And he wrote down for him the officials and elders of Succoth …: And renders the Hebrew waw conjunction, which could introduce a consecutive action or a result (“so”). The pronoun he refers to the young man, and the pronoun him refers to Gideon. These pronouns may be replaced by nouns if necessary. The text does not give too many details here, but it seems likely that Gideon in some way forced the young man to write down the names of Succoth’s leaders: “he made him write down” or “he obliged him to write down.” The young man wrote down a list, which may need to be made explicit. However, the text does not say on what surface he wrote the list. Gideon wants to find out the names of the officials and elders of Succoth, since they were responsible for the town’s refusal to give his army food. For the officials … of Succoth, see the comments on verse 8.6. Here the Hebrew word for elders refers to the heads of each family living in town (see verse 2.7). Good News Translation combines these two groups by saying “leading men.” Contemporary English Version refers to “officials” for both. But if possible, it is good to keep both groups. In many languages it will be good to say explicitly that the young “wrote down … the names of the officials and elders of Succoth.”

Seventy-seven men: This number seems an exaggeration. The number seven (or multiples thereof) is often symbolic, representing completion, so seventy-seven may indicate that all the leaders were listed. The number seventy comes to the forefront several times in the sad story of Gideon’s son Abimelech (verse 8.30; verse 9.2, 4-5, 18, 24, 56). In Hebrew this phrase is placed at the end of the verse, with no conjunction. Some translators may prefer to render it as a separate sentence, for example, “All in all, he listed seventy-seven men.”

Translation models for this verse are:

• There Gideon caught a young man from Succoth and had him interrogated. And he forced the young man to write down the names of the officials and elders of Succoth. Altogether there were seventy-seven.

• On that road Gideon captured a young man from Succoth. He questioned him and made him provide the names of the leading men and elders of Succoth. The young man wrote down seventy-seven names.

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 .

Jotham’s fable ends in the previous verse, and here he begins to explain its meaning to the people of Shechem. In most languages it will be appropriate to indicate this. Good News Translation adds “Jotham continued,” and Revised English Bible begins with “Jotham said.” Contemporary English Version provides a fuller introduction by saying “After Jotham had finished telling this story, he said.” This model adds no new information to the story, but helps the readers understand what is happening. Formatting may also help them.

Now, therefore is literally “And now.” Jotham begins his explanation of the fable with these words. Translators should find an expression that can introduce the meaning of a fable or parable. Some languages may say “And so.” Many versions use “Now then” (Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).

If you acted in good faith and honor (literally “if in truth and in integrity you acted”) is the first of three conditional clauses in this verse. The pronoun you refers to the people of Shechem. Acted renders the general Hebrew verb meaning “do” or “make.” Here it refers to the people’s making Abimelech king. For in good faith, see verse 9.15. The Hebrew word for honor refers to completeness or even perfection. Good faith and honor refer to the same thing, so they may be combined. We might say “if you people of Shechem were really sincere and honest.”

When you made Abimelech king: Made … king renders the Hebrew verb malak. As noted earlier, the name Abimelech means “my father is king,” so there is an important wordplay here, with the Hebrew saying literally “and you made king My-father-is-king.”

And if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house is literally “and if good you have done with Jerubbaal and with his house.” This conditional clause parallels the previous one. Well renders the same Hebrew word (tovah) translated “good” in verse 8.35. Revised English Bible says “the right thing.” Jerubbaal is the name used for Gideon throughout this passage (see comments on verse 9.1). His house refers to his family, including all his sons and daughters. We may say “his household” (Revised English Bible) or “his family” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New International Version). Translators may find that they need two different verbs to go with the objects Jerubbaal and his house. For example, Good News Translation renders this clause as “Did you respect Gideon’s memory and treat his family properly?” However, in most languages one verb will suffice: “if you have dealt honourably with Jerubbaal and his family” (New Jerusalem Bible).

And have done to him as his deeds deserved is literally “and if according to the dealing of his hands you have done to him.” Revised Standard Version omits the conjunction “if,” but in many languages it will have to be kept. The Hebrew phrase for “according to the dealing of his hands” comes right after this conjunction, but Revised Standard Version places it at the end of this clause, saying as his deeds deserved. The keyword “hand” appears once again, “his hands” representing Gideon. Translators should look for a natural way to express this whole phrase: “as he deserved” (New American Bible) or “as his actions deserved” (Good News Translation). We might say “and if you treated him as he deserved.”

Though there are three conditional clauses here in Hebrew, Revised English Bible expresses each one as a rhetorical question as follows: “Now have you acted fairly and honourably in making Abimelech king? Have you done the right thing by Jerubbaal and his household? Have you given my father his proper due…?” (similarly Good News Translation). Using these questions helps to show that the people did not do as they should have, since the implied answer is No. Contemporary English Version makes this clear by saying “Did you reward Gideon by being kind to his family? No, you did not!” Whether conditional clauses or rhetorical questions are used, the important thing is to make it clear that Jotham is accusing the people of Shechem of not doing these things.

Translation models for this verse are:

• “So, if you have acted in complete good faith when you made Abimelech king, and if you have done the right thing toward Jerubbaal and his family, and if you have honored Jerubbaal for the good he did to you….

• Jotham continued, “Were you really sincere when you made Abimelech your king? Did you respect Gideon and his family as you should have, considering all he did for 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 .

Abimelech plans to use a similar strategy to burn down the tower at Thebez as he did with the Tower of Shechem. This verse seems to be made up of almost parallel parts, each containing a verb of movement (came, drew near) and a verb of destruction (fought, burn). The word tower is also prominent, occurring once in each part.

And Abimelech came to the tower, and fought against it: Most English versions leave untranslated the Hebrew waw conjunction rendered And at the beginning of this verse (New Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version). Once again Abimelech is probably accompanied by his men. He could not have carried out this deed alone. For fought see verse 9.45. Not much detail is given here concerning how this fight was conducted. Revised English Bible and New Jerusalem Bible both use the verb “attacked.” Even though the first clause in this verse is independent in Hebrew and Revised Standard Version, translators may render it as a time clause, for example, “When Abimelech and his men arrived at the tower, they launched an attack against it.”

And drew near to the door of the tower …: As Abimelech had done previously, he plans to burn down the door. Drew near may be rendered “approached” (New International Version, Revised English Bible) or “came near” (New Revised Standard Version). The door of the tower refers to the entrance of the fortress. The text does not say what the door was made of, but presumably it was made of wood. Some cultures know only of doorways closed off by cloth, so it may be necessary to specify a harder substance such as wood. Contemporary English Version speaks of “the heavy wooden doors.” We may also say “the entrance way.” As above, in some languages this independent clause may be expressed as a dependent one by saying “And as he approached the door of the tower….”

To burn it with fire: Abimelech planned to burn the entrance way, thus preventing anyone from escaping. At this point in the narrative, readers/listeners do not know whether the tower burned to the ground, along with the people inside. It again looks as if Abimelech will win a victory. However, the story will now take a strange turn, one full of irony and wit.

Contemporary English Version provides a good model for this verse:

• Abimelech and his army rushed to the fortress and tried to force their way inside. Abimelech himself was about to set the heavy wooden doors on fire….

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 Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the Ammonites is literally “And Jephthah added/did again and he sent messengers….” See verse 9.12. Obviously there are steps in the negotiation process that are not made explicit here. The Ammonite king sent Jephthah’s envoys back to him with his response. Upon hearing it, Jephthah now sends messengers back. Contemporary English Version says “Jephthah sent the messengers back to the king of Ammon,” which implies that the same people were sent as before, but the text does not imply this is the case.

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 .

Samson’s parents’ lengthy response shows their disappointment. Not only does Samson break with the traditional way of doing things—he also wants to marry a girl who is not an Israelite.

But his father and mother said to him: But, which renders the Hebrew waw conjunction, introduces a contrast here. Samson expects his parents to comply with his request, but they oppose him. Translators should try to find a way of expressing this opposition. The phrase his father and mother occurs repeatedly in this subsection to show their solidarity and mutual concern for their son (see verse 14.2). If this repetition is inappropriate, translators may say “his parents” (Contemporary English Version, Revised English Bible). The general verb said may be rendered “protested” (Revised English Bible), which conveys well the parents’ disappointment and opposition.

Is there not a woman among the daughters of your kinsmen…?: This negative rhetorical question implies a positive answer. It may be rendered as a strong statement by saying “Surely there is a woman….” Is there not reflects the Hebrew, but in some languages it may be more natural to say “Surely you can find” or “Can’t you find.” Woman renders the Hebrew word ʾishshah again, which can also mean “wife” (see verse 14.2). It occurs twice in this verse and may be rendered either way. Among the daughters of your kinsmen is literally “among the daughters of your brothers.” Among the Israelites there were fixed rules concerning marriage. Israelites were not to marry outside their own people (Deut 7.3-4). At the same time, there were also strict rules against incest. The expression “among the daughters of your brothers” refers to the female Israelites whom Samson could have married. It may be rendered “among your own people.” Revised English Bible suggests “among your cousins,” but this rendering may be too specific, especially in cultures where this could be considered incest. Certainly in Israel, not all cousins could be married. So we might say more generally “from our clan” or “from our own tribe.”

Or among all our people: This phrase emphasizes what Samson’s parents have to say: Can’t you find a suitable wife among all the people of Israel? Why do you have to marry a foreigner? Or renders the Hebrew waw conjunction, which may be translated “and” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), depending on the receptor language. All our people is literally “all my people.” Almost all versions render “my” as “our.” The pronoun “my” may reflect the fact that the father seems to be the main person talking (see the comments below). The Hebrew word for people (ʿam) can point to other nations, but more often it refers to the people of Israel. Here it refers to fellow Israelites. Contemporary English Version renders this phrase and the previous one as “in our clan and even more in the rest of Israel.” We might say “from our clan and all our other people.”

That you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines: That, which renders the Hebrew particle ki, introduces a result of what precedes. Is it really true, the parents ask, that there are no marriageable young women in our clan, which would force you to go outside to the Philistines for a wife against the customs of our people? The tone here is one of bitter disappointment. Some might say “so that you feel you must marry…,” “so you’re going to marry…,” or “so you’ve decided to marry….” The auxiliary verb must does not appear in Hebrew. Revised Standard Version adds it to express well the bitter tone here. Take renders the same Hebrew verb translated “get” in verse 14.2 (see comments there). The real extent of the parents’ anger and disappointment can be seen here as they insult the ethnic group of Samson’s future wife by calling them uncircumcised. Circumcision was commonly practiced by peoples throughout the region, but not by the Philistines. In Israel circumcision was the sign of their covenant relationship with Yahweh (Gen 17.11). Calling someone uncircumcised was a serious insult. David used this same word when he spoke about the Philistine giant Goliath (verse 1 Sam 17.26). The Israelites considered the Philistines as unclean because they were not circumcised. In many cultures circumcision is known and is the mark of true male adulthood and status in the society. If this is the case, translating uncircumcised will not pose a problem. But in some languages it will not be easy to render this phrase, either because circumcision is not known or because it does not have the same connotation. In some cultures circumcision is not something that can be mentioned openly. In these languages translators will need to find a word or expression that conveys some of the negative impact of the word uncircumcised. Good News Translation says “heathen,” and New Living Translation uses “pagan.” Both these words are religious terms conveying the kind of strong negative feelings that Israelites had toward Philistines. In this passage the exact details of circumcision are not in focus, but throughout the Bible this practice plays an important role, so another possibility is to refer to it literally here and explain in a footnote or in the glossary its connotation here and other similar contexts.

Good News Translation reverses the order of the two clauses in this rhetorical question, and this is acceptable. Another possible model is “Among all our clan and all the rest of our people, can’t you find a [suitable/good] woman to marry? Why do you have to find one among the heathen Philistines?”

But Samson said to his father: Once again But renders well the Hebrew waw conjunction, since it introduces another contrast here. Samson now addresses his father alone. Normally he should listen to his father, but unexpectedly, he refuses.

Get her for me: This is the same request Samson made in verse 14.2. But in light of what the parents have said, the statement seems even more disrespectful here. In Hebrew the word order changes and the demand is briefer here, literally “Her get for me.” Samson makes it clear this is the only woman he wants. Good News Translation attempts to convey this emphasis by saying “She is the one I want you to get for me.” We may also say “It’s her [and her alone] I want. Get her for me.” Samson is being impatient and almost childish.

For she pleases me well: The Hebrew conjunction ki rendered for introduces the reason Samson wants her, but in many languages this conjunction may be omitted (Good News Translation). She pleases me well is literally “she is straight in my eyes,” which means “She’s the right one for me” (New International Version). Good News Translation‘s “I like her” seems weak here. In light of verse 14.7, it seems that Samson has only seen this woman and not yet talked to her. Nevertheless, this declaration seems quite strong. Some languages may prefer to reverse this clause and the previous one and say “She is the one for me. Get her for me.”

Translation models for this verse are:

• But his parents objected, saying, “Why do you need to look for a wife among those heathen Philistine girls? In all our clan and in all the rest of our people, surely you can find a [suitable] wife!”
But Samson replied, “Get her! She’s the right one for me!”

• But Samson’s parents protested, “Surely, you can marry one of our own. Why do you insist on marrying somebody from those uncircumcised Philistines?”
But Samson said to his father, “I said, she is the one I want. Get her for me!”

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 introduces some poetic lines that were probably set to music. As with verse 5.1-31, victory songs were often composed following a great defeat. This is Samson’s song of triumph. Like the Song of Deborah, these lines are probably much older than the written narrative found here. The word jawbone occurs twice, as well as other repetitive phrases. Translators should place these lines in poetic format.

And Samson said: And renders well the Hebrew waw conjunction here, but another possible connector is “Then” (New International Version, New American Bible). The mention of Samson by name shows that this literary unit is coming to a close. The general verb said may be rendered “sang” (Good News Translation) since a song follows.

Following the rendering of Revised Standard Version, the special poetic pattern of the song here becomes clear. It reads literally:

With the jawbone of the donkey,
one heap, two heaps;
with the jawbone of the donkey,
I struck a thousand man.

The first line is repeated in the third line. The second line is explained in the last line. When rendering this song, translators may make use of any stylistic devices in their language to show that this is poetry, for example, rhythm, rhyme, and reversals in word order. They may also want to capitalize each line.

With the jawbone of an ass: This first line gives the main theme of Samson’s song. As with other heroes in Israel (for example, Ehud and Jael), his weapon was small and held in his hand. It is not just the fact that he killed 1,000 men that is astounding. It is also how he did it. For the jawbone of an ass, see verse 15.15.

Heaps upon heaps: The Hebrew word for heaps refers to a pile of objects. This same word occurs in Exo 8.14, when following the second plague, there were heaps of dead frogs everywhere. Here there are heaps upon heaps of dead Philistines. This line expresses the great number of people Samson killed—1,000 men in all. In Hebrew this line consists of two words, which are chamor chamoratayim (literally “one heap, two heaps”). However, Good News Translation follows the Septuagint by saying “I piled them up in piles.” New International Version proposes “I have made donkeys of them,” noting in a footnote that the words for “heap” and “donkey” are very similar in Hebrew. By repointing the Hebrew text, another possible meaning emerges: “thrashing I thrashed them,” a reading that Hebrew Old Testament Text Project gives a {C} rating. This reading fits the context of boasting that is part of this song, so can clearly serve as a reliable text here. Translators will have to make their choice, but can put the alternative readings in a footnote. If Revised Standard Version is followed here, it can be noted there may be a wordplay, since the Hebrew word for ass has the same root letters as the word for heaps (ch-m-r). Indeed, whichever reading is followed, these sounds occur repeatedly throughout the first three lines.

With the jawbone of an ass is repeated in the third line. Most languages enjoy repetition in songs, but in some languages the two lines may occur one after the other, with the rest of the material following, or one line at the beginning and the repetition at the end. If such repetition is not appreciated, this redundant line may be removed, but it is strongly recommended to respect the text if it all possible.

Have I slain a thousand men: Here Revised Standard Version reverses the normal order of the auxiliary verb and the subject in English to convey a poetic style. Slain renders the same Hebrew verb translated “slew” in the previous verse (see comments there). In some languages a thousand men will be a long and non-poetic sounding expression. If so, an ideophone or idiomatic expression may be used, for example, “I killed many, many, many men” or “I killed many men, you cannot count them!”

Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version change the order of the lines in this poem for naturalness in English. Contemporary English Version says:

I used a donkey’s jawbone
to kill a thousand men.
I beat them with this jawbone
over and over again.

This version, however, does not render in a clear way the second line of the poem. Possible models for the whole verse are:

• Then Samson said:
“With a donkey’s jawbone, I thrashed them thoroughly;*
with a donkey’s jawbone, I killed a thousand men.”
* Some think the Hebrew here says “heaps upon heaps [of dead bodies].”

• Samson sang:
“A simple donkey’s jawbone,
dead bodies everywhere!
A simple donkey’s jawbone,
and I slaughtered 1,000 men!”

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 happened with Gideon (verse 8.32), Samson was buried in the tomb of his father. In this final verse of the Samson story there are many links back to the story’s beginning. The name Manoah (verse 13.2) forms an inclusio, as does the phrase between Zorah and Eshta-ol (verse 13.25).

Then his brothers and all his family …: Then renders well the Hebrew waw conjunction, introducing the next event after Samson’s death. His brothers and all his family refers to Samson’s extended family. Samson’s father and mother appear several times in this story (see, for example, verse 14.2, 9), but it is only at his death that his other relatives are mentioned. This is certainly because his parents are now deceased, as becomes clear below. All his family (literally “all the house of his father”) may be rendered “the rest of his family” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version) or “his other relatives” (similarly New Living Translation).

Came down and took him and brought him up and buried him: This series of four verbs reflects a typical Hebrew style. However, it is important to note that in this final journey for Samson, his family came down and then brought … up his body for burial. This final use of the Hebrew verbs meaning “go down” (yarad) and “go up” (ʿalah) seems to have special significance (see verse 14.1-2). If possible, these verbs should be kept. In many languages it will be necessary to speak of Samson’s body, rather than him at this point. We might say “Then Samson’s brothers and the rest of his family came down and took his body back for burial….”

For between Zorah and Eshta-ol, see verse 13.25. This fact, which seems insignificant, is actually very pertinent. It was between Zorah and Eshta-ol that Yahweh first empowered Samson. This fact is a reminder that Samson, despite all his faults, was empowered by the LORD and was truly a hero in Israel.

In the tomb of Manoah his father: No mention has been made of the death of Samson’s father, but of course it was a very common practice to keep the bones of a family in the same place (see verse 8.32). Tomb refers to the actual place where these bones were kept, usually in a cave or underground. The Hebrew word for tomb comes from the same root as the verb rendered buried. If the notion of tomb is hard to express, we might simply say “in the same place his father Manoah was buried.”

He had judged Israel twenty years: See verse 15.20. This is the narrator’s final note on Samson’s life. In this summary statement Samson’s name does not appear, but rather an emphatic pronoun for He in Hebrew. In many languages it will be necessary to mention Samson’s name here, as in Contemporary English Version and New Living Translation. The Hebrew verb for judged (shafat) is yet another case of this word having a broader sense than someone judging legal cases (see verse 3.10). There is no evidence Samson ever acted in this way, but it is clear he was a national hero. So it very important that translators use the exact same terminology used when describing the other leaders or heroes in this book. We can say Samson “led,” “was a leader,” or even “was [a major] hero.” In this context Israel refers to the area around the Philistine region, but since this way of speaking is a major feature of this book, no modification should be made here. Twenty years is the time that Samson was active in the land. Though it is a long period, it is only half the time that the Philistines oppressed the Israelites (verse 13.1).

As far as we know, Samson is the only judge to die an unnatural death, this at his own hand. Though premeditated murder is against God’s Law (Exo 20.13; Deut 5.17), other cases of suicide are known in the Old Testament, notably when Saul falls on his own sword (verse 1 Sam 31.4).

History’s view of Samson is mixed. Though empowered by Yahweh, Samson broke his Nazirite vow on several occasions, and in several ways strayed far from the standards of the more righteous Israelite leaders. His connection to foreign women who trick him is particularly and universally condemned. However, more space is allotted to this “hero” than to any other one in this book. And despite the fact that his contribution to Israel’s history seems limited to acts of vengeance, he is known throughout history for gaining spectacular victories over Israel’s enemies, all empowered by Yahweh’s “spirit” and strength. Nevertheless, most scholars consider him as part of the lesser leaders of Israel, and in many ways he can be seen as at the bottom of the “downward spiral” in this period of Israel’s history. Perhaps significantly, he is the last “judge-hero” to appear in the book.

The sections that follow (17.1–21.25) are considered appendices. Indeed, in terms of sheer horror, immorality and chaos, they surpass all the previous stories in this book. Interestingly, they also follow the same general pattern as the judges’ episodes. Beginning with a troubling story of idolatry and thievery among the Israelites, the appendices continue on with an horrific account of a bloody civil war.

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 .