translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: JDG

label: NET translator note

text: Heb “by not summoning us.”


text: Heb “gleanings.”


text: Heb “What was I able to do compared to you?”


text: Heb “Then their spirits relaxed from against him, when he spoke this word.”


text: Heb “And Gideon arrived at the Jordan, crossing over, he and the three hundred men who were with him, exhausted and chasing.” The English past perfect (“had crossed”) is used because this verse flashes back chronologically to an event that preceded the hostile encounter described in vv. 1-3 . (Note that 7:25 assumes Gideon had already crossed the Jordan.)


text: Or perhaps, “sell.”


text: Heb “people.” The translation uses “men” because these were warriors and in ancient Israelite culture would have been exclusively males.


text: Heb “who are at my feet.”


text: Heb “Are the palms of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give to your army bread?” Perhaps the reference to the kings’ “palms” should be taken literally. The officials of Succoth may be alluding to the practice of mutilating prisoners or enemy corpses (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 155). sn The officials of Succoth are hesitant to give (or sell) food to Gideon’s forces because they are not sure of the outcome of the battle. Perhaps they had made an alliance with the Midianites which demanded their loyalty.


text: Heb “Therefore.”


text: Or “flesh.”


text: This is apparently a rare instrumental use of the Hebrew preposition אֵת (’ et , note the use of ב [ bet ] in v. 16 ). Some, however, argue that אֵת more naturally indicates accompaniment (“together with”). In this case Gideon envisions threshing their skin along with thorns and briers, just as the stalks and grain are intermingled on the threshing floor. See C. F. Burney, Judges , 229-30.


text: Heb “and spoke to them in the same way.”


text: Heb “The men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth answered.”


text: Heb “said to.” The translation “threatened” is interpretive, but is clearly indicated by the context.


text: Heb “saying.”


text: Or “safely.” Heb “in peace.”


text: Heb “About fifteen thousand [in number] were all the ones remaining from the army of the sons of the east. The fallen ones were a hundred and twenty thousand [in number], men drawing the sword.”


text: Heb “the ones living in tents.”


text: Heb “and attacked the army, while the army was secure.” The Hebrew term בֶטַח ( vetakh , “secure”) probably means the army was undefended (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 156), not suspecting an attack at that time and place.


text: Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Or “routed”; Heb “caused to panic.”


text: Or “ascent.”


text: Heb “from the men of Succoth.”


text: Heb “wrote down for him the officials of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men.”


text: Heb “Look!” The words “what I have” are supplied in the translation for clarification.


text: Heb “Are the palms of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give to your exhausted men bread?” sn Gideon changes their actual statement (see v. 6 ) by saying exhausted men rather than “army.” In this way he emphasizes the crisis his men were facing and highlights the insensitivity of the men of Succoth.


text: Heb “elders.”


label: NET textual note

text: The translation follows the reading of several ancient versions (LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate) in assuming the form וַיָּדָשׁ ( vayyadash ) from the verb דּוֹשׁ ( dosh , “thresh”) as in v. 7 . The MT reads instead the form וַיֹּדַע ( vayyoda ’, “make known”), a Hiphil form of יָדַע ( yadah ). In this case one could translate, “he used them [i.e., the thorns and briers] to teach the men of Succoth a lesson.”


text: Heb “Where are?”


text: Heb “each one like the appearance of sons of the king.”


text: The words “I swear” are supplied in the translation for clarification.


text: Or “Arise!”


text: Heb “did not draw his sword for he was afraid.”


text: The words “to Gideon” are supplied in the translation for clarification.


text: Or “Arise.”


text: Heb “for as the man is his strength.”


text: Heb “arose and killed.”


text: Heb “hand.”


text: Heb “said to them.”


text: Heb “Give to me, each one, an earring from his plunder.”


text: Heb “they”; the referent (the Midianites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Heb “We will indeed give.”


text: In the LXX the subject of this verb is singular, referring to Gideon rather than to the Israelites.


text: Or “pendants.”


text: Heb “the ornaments which were on the necks of their camels.”


text: Heb “made it into.”


text: Heb “Israel” (a collective singular).


text: The words “by worshiping it” are supplied in the translation for clarity.


text: Heb “Midian was humbled before the Israelites, and they no longer lifted their heads.”


text: Heb “in the days of Gideon.”


text: Heb “went and lived in his house.”


text: Heb “Gideon had seventy sons who went out from his thigh, for he had many wives.” The Hebrew word יָרֵךְ ( yarekh , “thigh”) is a euphemism here for the penis.


text: Heb “good.”


text: Heb “remember.”


text: Heb “did not do loyalty with,” or “did not act faithfully toward.”