translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: JDG

label: NET translator note

text: The word “death” has been supplied in the translation for clarification.


text: Heb “son.”


text: Heb “a man of Issachar.”


text: Traditionally, “judged.”


text: Heb “they call them Havvoth Jair to this day – which are in the land of Gilead.”


text: Heb “in the eyes of the Lord .”


text: Or “served;” or “followed.”


text: For location see Map1-A1 ; JP3-F3 ; JP4-F3 .


text: Heb “the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines.”


text: Or “serve”; or “follow.”


text: Or “the Lord ’s anger burned [or “raged”] against Israel.”


text: Heb “sold them into the hands of.”


text: Heb “shattered and crushed.” The repetition of similar sounding synonyms ( רָעַץ [ ra ’ ats ] and רָצַץ [ ratsats ]) is for emphasis; רָצַץ appears in the Polel, adding further emphasis to the affirmation.


text: The phrase שְׁמֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה ( shemoneh ’ esreh shanah ) could be translated “eighteen years,” but this would be difficult after the reference to “that year.” It is possible that v. 8 b is parenthetical, referring to an eighteen year long period of oppression east of the Jordan which culminated in hostilities against all Israel (including Judah, see v. 9 ) in the eighteenth year. It is simpler to translate the phrase as an ordinal number, though the context does not provide the point of reference. (See Gen 14:4-5 and R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 191-92.) In this case, the following statement specifies which “Israelites” are in view.


text: Heb “the house of Ephraim.”


text: Or “Israel experienced great distress.” Perhaps here the verb has the nuance “hemmed in.”


text: Or “served”; or “followed.”


label: NET textual note

text: The translation follows the LXX which reads “Midian”; the Hebrew text has “Maon.”


text: The words “Did I not deliver you” are interpretive. The Hebrew text simply reads, “Is it not from Egypt…when they oppressed you?” Perhaps the incomplete sentence reflects the Lord ’s frustration.


text: Heb “hand.”


text: Heb “in your time of trouble.”


text: Heb “according to all whatever is good in your eyes.”


text: Heb “from their midst.”


text: Heb “And his spirit grew short [i.e., impatient] with the suffering of Israel.” The Hebrew noun נֶפֶשׁ ( nefesh ) also appears as the subject of the verb קָצַר ( qatsar ) in Num 21:4 (the Israelites grow impatient wandering in the wilderness), Judg 16:16 (Samson grows impatient with Delilah’s constant nagging), and Zech 11:8 (Zechariah grows impatient with the three negligent “shepherds”).


text: Or “were summoned;” or “were mustered.”


text: Heb “the people, the officers.”


text: Heb “Who is the man who will begin fighting.”