complete verse (Judges 13:1)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Judges 13:1:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then the people of Israel again sinned against God. Then, God allowed the Philistines to oppress them for forty years.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Again the Israelites did evil work in eyes of the LORD. So he gave them into the hand of the Philistines for 40 years.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Again the Israelinhon did evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD caused- them -to-be-subjected by the Filistinhon for a period/[lit. inside] of 40 years.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Again the Israeli people did things that Yahweh said were very evil. So Yahweh enabled the people of Philistia to conquer them. They ruled over the Israelis for 40 years.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Judges 13:1

And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD: See the comments on verse 2.11 and verse 3.12. After Jephthah three judges led Israel for a number of years. When all these leaders died, the Israelites once again fell back into their old ways. They sinned against LORD. The adverb again links this episode to the previous failures of Israel.

And the LORD gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years: For gave them into the hand of, see verse 1.4 and verse 2.14; for the Philistines, see verse 3.3. Forty years is a traditional long period of time (see verse 3.11).

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Judges 13:1

Section 13:1-25

Samson was born

13:1a Again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD,

The people of Israel sinned against Yahweh again.
-or-
The people of Israel again offended Yahweh by what they did.

13:1b so He delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.

Because of that, Yahweh let the Philistines rule over Israel for forty years.
-or-
And so Yahweh allowed the Philistine people to defeat them and to rule them for forty years.

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