The detailed description of the spoils of war in the previous verse is the storyteller’s way of slowing down the story and building suspense. However, instead of a climax of victory, readers and listeners discover to their horror that Gideon, the chosen “savior” of Israel, is leading his people into idolatry.

And Gideon made an ephod of it is literally “And Gideon made it into an ephod.” The long description of the booty is stopped short by this short, direct clause. In Hebrew the clause begins with a waw conjunction, which many versions omit. Translators will have to determine what transition is needed here. NET Bible provides a good rendering by referring back to the previous text: “Gideon used all this to make an ephod.” Gideon is reintroduced to focus on him, as well as to put the blame on him. Made renders a general Hebrew verb meaning “do” or “fabricate.” Since metal is involved, the verb “forged” would also be appropriate. The Hebrew word for ephod poses a lot of problems for translators because it refers to several different items, depending on context. In the Pentateuch it is used to refer to a garment worn by Aaron and his successors, the high priests. This garment had a breastplate decorated with twelve precious stones, each representing one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Inside the pocket of this garment were the Urim and Thummim, objects used to determine God’s will (see, for example, Exo 25.7; verse 28.15; Lev 8.7). As a boy, Samuel wore a small linen ephod (verse 1 Sam 2.18). But obviously the ephod referred to here and later in the book of Judges (verse 17.5; verse 18.14-20) is not a garment, but rather some kind of idol. A few scholars think this ephod may refer to a cloth garment that was draped over an image or other object of worship. Translators have several options here. One possibility is to transliterate this word. However, if this solution is adopted, there will need to be some explanation, either in the glossary or in a footnote. Some versions use two different words for the Hebrew noun rendered ephod, one in the context of the priests, and another here. Good News Translation calls this ephod an “idol,” while Contemporary English Version speaks of a “statue.” Translations are almost always better understood than transliterations, so that is what we recommend here. We could say “Gideon took the gold from the earrings and made [or, forged] an idol.” However, it is unlikely that Gideon did this work himself, so another possible model is “Gideon had an idol made.”

And put it in his city, in Ophrah: The Hebrew verb rendered put is not the common verb often seen in this book. It is a more emphatic verb, which may be rendered “set up” or “installed.” Obviously this statue or idol is set up to be worshiped. In his city, in Ophrah refers to the hometown of Gideon. With the mention of Ophrah, the inclusio begun in verse 6.11 comes to a close here. With this detail the narrator brings strong irony to the text, since in verse 6.25-32 Gideon destroyed the false idols in Ophrah. This story comes full circle.

And all Israel played the harlot after it there: All Israel is not a common expression in this book. It is probably an exaggeration and communicates some of the narrator’s distress at seeing what happened. Contemporary English Version modifies this expression by saying “the Israelites,” but Good News Translation stays closer to the text with “All the Israelites.” It is probably better to tell the story as the narrator does, rather than to modify the text. In the Old Testament played the harlot is a common figurative expression for being unfaithful to God (see comments on verse 2.17). Played the harlot after it means the Israelites were unfaithful to God, here pledging their allegiance to the idol rather than to Yahweh. It is good to preserve this figure of speech if possible. New Revised Standard Version and New Jerusalem Bible say the Israelites “prostituted themselves to it” (similarly New International Version). However, if such language is not understood, translators can follow Good News Translation, which has “abandoned God and went … to worship the idol.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh’s “went astray after it” seems rather weak in light of the circumstances and the strong language used here. A better model is “abandoned Yahweh and worshiped the idol/statue instead.”

And it became a snare to Gideon and to his family: Here the narrator not only recounts an incident, but assesses what is happening, again using figurative language. The pronoun it refers to the idol Gideon made. The idol was like a snare or trap that lured Gideon and his family away from their worship of God. For this imagery see the comments on verse 2.3. To his family is literally “for his house,” which refers not just to the nuclear family, but to all the relatives making up the extended family. Contemporary English Version says “and even Gideon and his family were trapped into worshiping the statue.”

Translation models for this verse are:

• Gideon used the gold earrings to make a statue that he set up in his hometown, Ophrah. All the people of Israel were unfaithful to Yahweh and began to worship the statue there. This statue was a trap, causing the heart of Gideon and his family to turn away from Yahweh.

• Gideon took the gold from the earrings and made an idol for the Israelites to worship. He set it up in his hometown, Ophrah, and everybody went there to worship it. This idol caused Gideon and his whole family to abandon their worship of Yahweh.

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 .