So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them: After Jephthah finishes his vow, he goes to fight the Ammonites. The Hebrew waw conjunction rendered So seems to begin a new episode. New International Version prefers to say “Then.” Crossed over renders the same Hebrew verb translated “passed through/on” in verse 11.29. If possible, the same verb should be used in both contexts. Good News Translation thinks this verb means “crossed the river” here, which is a possible reading. The text simply says Jephthah went over to where the Ammonites were in Gilead in order to fight against them. For fight see verse 1.1.

And the LORD gave them into his hand: Jephthah is victorious because of the LORD’s help. For gave … into his hand, see verse 1.2. As elsewhere, we might say “and the LORD gave him victory over them” or “and the LORD helped him defeat the Ammonites.”

A translation model for this verse is:

• Then Jephthah went out to meet the Ammonite troops in battle, and with the LORD’s help, he was victorious.

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 .

Only Manoah’s first question receives a reply. The angel reminds Manoah of what his wife must do, referring to the commands he gave in verse 13.4.

And the angel of the LORD said to Manoah: Interestingly, it is only the narrator who uses the phrase the angel of the LORD. It is not used by Manoah or his wife. The verb said may be rendered “replied” (New Living Translation, New Jerusalem Bible) or “answered” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version) in this context.

Of all that I said to the woman let her beware: The angel begins with Of all that I said to the woman perhaps to stress the fact that the woman’s words can be trusted or to underline the importance of observing every condition he set out previously. Let her beware is an unfortunate rendering of the Hebrew, which is literally “let her watch/keep herself.” The Hebrew verb rendered beware is the same one used in verse 13.4 (see comments there). As there, beware is much too strong a word for this context. This whole sentence may be rendered “The woman [or, Your wife] should carefully obey all that I said to her.” There is a slight textual problem here since some versions render the feminine pronouns in this verse and the next one as masculine singulars, but Hebrew Old Testament Text Project gives the feminine pronouns an {A} reading, which should be followed.

Suggested models for this verse are:

• Then the angel of the LORD replied, “Make sure the woman [or, your wife] does everything I told her to do.

• Then Yahweh’s angel answered, “Everything I told your wife to do, she must do.

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 .

Following the terrible incident in the previous verse, the Philistines do not relent. They provoke Samson again by giving his wife to his best man. In this final verse of the subsection the narrator gives background information that the main character Samson is not yet aware of.

And Samson’s wife was given to his companion … is literally “And she was the wife of Samson to his friend…,” which means Samson’s wife became the wife of another man. No details are given about this. It is likely that her father or her community thought that Samson would never return after he went back home (verse 14.19). No mention of her father is made in Hebrew, but Contemporary English Version begins this verse with “The father of the bride had Samson’s wife marry….” This rendering respects the culture of that period, but says more than the text. It would be more correct to say “Samson’s wife was given in marriage…” (Revised English Bible; similarly Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New International Version). We may also say “They [impersonal] gave Samson’s wife…” or “Samson’s wife became the wife of….” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says simply “Samson’s wife then married….” This rendering leaves open the possibility that the wife herself or the best man was involved in this arrangement, an idea that is not present in the text, and that would not follow cultural norms of that time. The Hebrew waw conjunction at the beginning of this verse could indicate a temporal sequence, so it may be rendered And or “Then.” But a connector such as “Meanwhile” or “In the meantime” might be a good transition here.

His companion, who had been his best man is literally “his friend who had befriended him.” There is a wordplay here in Hebrew, since the words for “friend” and “befriended” come from the same root. It is impossible to know for sure if this is a sarcastic remark, meaning that this man was no friend, or whether this is meant to be a comment on a heartbreaking situation. If the latter is meant, one of Samson’s thirty Philistine companions had become his best friend. For companion see verse 14.11. Best man is really a Western expression referring to the man who is the closest friend of the bridegroom and witness to the ceremony. Here it would be more correct to say “best friend.” This rendering would preserve the shock and communicate the impact of this final insult.

This verse can be considered as an end to this episode, either appearing on its own (so Contemporary English Version) or attached to the previous verse (so Good News Translation, New International Version). A translation model for it is:

• Samson’s wife then married his best friend!

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 she said to him: Though there may be a time lapse as before, here the story seems to flow directly from the previous incident. So the Hebrew waw conjunction rendered And might be translated “Then” (New Revised Standard Version, New International Version) or “After this.” Though there are no new participants, there is a change of scene, so a new paragraph can be marked here (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation). In many languages the names Delilah and Samson can reappear: “Then Delilah said to Samson.”

How can you say, ‘I love you,’ …?: Delilah tries a new tactic to get Samson to tell his secret. Compare the words of Samson’s first wife in verse 14.16. This rhetorical question can be retained or translators may use other forms, such as say “You say you love me, but you’re lying!” or “Don’t say you love me…!” The verb love can pose problems in a number of languages. Here it renders the common Hebrew verb (ʾahav) for the love between a man and a woman (see verse 14.16). Samson has apparently already said I love you to Delilah, so she is quoting his words back to him. In this case of a quote within a quote, translators need to follow closely the rules for punctuation in their own language. If there is any difficulty or problem in knowing who is saying what, they can simplify matters by using an indirect form, such as “You say you love me but you don’t.”

When your heart is not with me renders an independent clause in Hebrew, which is literally “and your heart is not with me.” Delilah points out a contradiction in Samson’s behavior. He says he loves her, but does not show it in the way he acts. In Hebrew the heart is the seat of the emotions and will (see verse 5.9), so she is accusing Samson of is not being sincere. Thus Good News Translation says “when you don’t mean it.” However, Revised English Bible and New American Bible think it is rather a matter of trust: “when you do not confide in me.” Another possible model is “when you don’t really trust me.”

You have mocked me these three times: Samson lied to Delilah three times. For mocked see verse 16.10. In Hebrew the phrase these three times occurs at the beginning of this clause, showing Delilah’s insistence. The number three and its multiples play an important role in the judges’ stories (see, for example, verse 7.6-8; verse 8.4; verse 9.22; verse 14.11-14).

And you have not told me wherein your great strength lies: See verse 16.5-6.

Two translation models for this verse are:

• Then Delilah complained to Samson, saying, “You say you love me, but you don’t mean it! Three times now you have made a fool of me. You haven’t told me the secret of your great strength.”

• Then Delilah said to Samson, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you don’t love me at all? Three times now you’ve lied to me and you still haven’t told me the source of your great strength!”

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 .

Suddenly the narrator calls the Levite a priest, and tells the audience how the Levite, with much assurance, and without consulting Yahweh, tells the Danites that Yahweh will be with them. Certainly the narrator is trying to show how the situation is continuing to deteriorate.

And the priest said to them: The Hebrew waw conjunction rendered And may be translated “Then” or “So,” but many versions omit it (New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation). The general verb said may be rendered “replied” (New Revised Standard Version) or “answered” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version) in this context.

Go in peace renders a traditional farewell greeting in Hebrew. The Hebrew word for peace (shalom) does not just refer to the absence of conflict, but also to well-being and prosperity (see verse 4.17). Thus Revised English Bible says renders this clause as “Go and prosper.” Good News Translation‘s “You have nothing to worry about” does not seem formal enough for this occasion. It would be better to say “Go, and may all be well” or “Go, and may God be with you.”

The journey on which you go is under the eye of the LORD is literally “In front of Yahweh is your way on which you go.” While in their request, the Danites speak of “God” (ʾelohim), the Levite tells them the LORD (YHWH), the God of Israel, will go with them. Despite this, the audience gets the feeling that the Levite is acting on his own. Ironically, the Levite is telling these men they are under the eye of the LORD, while the narrator makes the point that in Israel everyone is “doing what is right in their own eyes.” While it is possible the priest and the Danites are sincere, it is more likely there is irony here. Nevertheless, the words need to be rendered as they stand, for example, “Yahweh is blessing your way” or “Yahweh is with you—your trip will be successful.” If possible, translators should choose words that may express some irony.

Translation models for this verse are:

• So the priest reassured them and said, “Go in confidence. Yahweh himself is watching over your trip.”

• Then the priest said to the spies, “Yahweh is with you. Your journey is under his protection.”

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 they were near Jebus: This clause links back to verse 19.10 (see comments there). The pronoun they refers to the Levite and his traveling companions.

The day was far spent is literally “and the day was going down greatly.” This idiomatic expression is similar to the ones used in verse 19.8-9 for the setting of the sun. Here the narrator uses the key Hebrew verb yarad meaning “go down,” which in some other contexts expresses military action (see verse 1.9). Here it seems to foreshadow the troubling events to come. It may be difficult for translators to find several different expressions to express the same idea of the sun setting, and if necessary, they may have to use the same one several times. Here they may say “it was getting quite late” ( NET Bible) or “the sun was going down a lot.”

And the servant said to his master: The Hebrew waw conjunction rendered and could be translated “so” (Good News Translation) since the servant notices that it was getting late. For the servant, see verse 19.3. His master refers to the Levite. The Hebrew word for master is ʾadon, which is sometimes used to refer to Yahweh. Here there may be a link to the name “Adoni-bezek” (“lord of Bezek”), which occurs at the beginning of the book (see verse 1.5). The servant suggests that they go toward Jebus to pass the night. It seems odd that the servant rather than his master suggests where they should go, but in this part of the book lots of events are contrary to the norm. There is both suspense and irony as the audience knows that the Levite is heading into a dangerous predicament.

Come now, let us turn aside to this city of the Jebusites: Come renders the Hebrew verb meaning “go,” which is followed by the politeness marker naʾ translated now. This tone of extreme politeness contrasts with the violence of the scenes to come. Come now may be translated “Let’s go” or “Why don’t we go…?” Turn aside renders the Hebrew verb sur, which is used sometimes to foreshadow dangerous acts in this book (see comments on verse 4.18). Contemporary English Version begins the servant’s words with “Let’s stop…” (similarly Good News Translation). This city of the Jebusites is another way of referring to Jebus. The emphasis here is on its inhabitants, and as the Levite will make soon make clear, these people were not Israelites, but foreigners.

And spend the night in it: For the Hebrew verb rendered spend the night (lin), see verse 19.4. The pronoun it refers to the city of Jebus. Translators can simply say “and spend the night there.”

Translation models for this verse are:

• When they were near Jebus, the sun had almost set. So the servant suggested to his master that they turn off the road and go into the town of the Jebusites to spend the night there.

• As they got closer to Jebus, it was beginning to get dark, so the servant said to his master, “Why don’t we turn into the town of the Jebusites and stay there overnight?”

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 Benjaminites mustered out of their cities on that day twenty-six thousand men that drew the sword: The Hebrew waw conjunction rendered And introduces more information about the gathering of Benjaminite troops. Words used to describe the Benjaminites’ efforts to fight the Israelites are used later to describe the Israelites’ preparations, including mustered and men that drew the sword (see verse 20.17). The Hebrew verb rendered mustered describes the gathering and mustering of soldiers for battle. The verb form here and in verse 20.17 and verse 21.9 is an unusual reflexive form. It may be rendered “called up,” “mobilized” (New International Version), or “called out” (Good News Translation).

On that day renders a Hebrew phrase that may refer to a general time, rather than a single day, so it may be translated “at that time.” Some languages may prefer to put this phrase at the beginning of the verse (so New Jerusalem Bible).

The number twenty-six thousand poses several problems for translators. First, some ancient texts have different numbers. But Hebrew Old Testament Text Project and the vast majority of versions favor the number 26,000. Second, the numbers twenty-six thousand and seven hundred do not tally with those in verse 20.44-47. 26,700 is 1,100 more than what is mentioned there. Finally, the Hebrew word for thousand may refer to a military group rather than 1,000 soldiers (see verse 1.4). Most of these problems are not ones translators can solve, so it is better to render the text as it stands.

For men that drew the sword, see verse 20.2, where it also refers to “soldiers” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version).

Besides the inhabitants of Gibe-ah indicates that these 26,000 fighting men were added onto the soldiers from the town of Gibeah. For the Hebrew phrase rendered besides (literally “not including”), see verse 8.26. Here it may be translated “along with.” The word inhabitants seems to refer to everyone who lived in the town, but the following clause shows that these were the fighting men who lived in Gibeah.

Who mustered seven hundred picked men: This clause describes those the town of Gibeah mobilized for the war effort. Though New Revised Standard Version omits this clause, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project recommends keeping it with an {A} rating. The same information is repeated for emphasis in the following verse. For mustered see the comments above. The soldiers from Gibeah constitute seven hundred picked men, with 700 expressing completeness. Picked men (literally “man chosen”) is an expression that occurs only three times in this book, all in this section (verse 20.15-16, 34), referring here to the Benjaminites and in the final battle in verse 20.34 to the other Israelites. However, the Hebrew verb rendered picked (bachur) occurs twice before in reference to the Israelites choosing to worship foreign gods (verse 5.8; verse 10.14). Again there is much irony here as the community made up of men who gang-raped the Levite’s concubine suddenly produce 700 disciplined and skillful soldiers.

Translation models for this verse are:

• At that time the Benjaminites put together an army of 26,000 warriors from their various towns together with 700 special troops from Gibeah.

• At that point the Benjaminites gathered 26 units of soldiers from their towns, along with 700 specially chosen warriors from Gibeah.

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 .