From 36b5c1d3d34479cd7a08552c4bc28e03f680cbed Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: christopherrsmith Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2024 13:28:51 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] Merge christopherrsmith-tc-create-1 into master by christopherrsmith (#3802) --- tn_JDG.tsv | 12 ++++++------ 1 file changed, 6 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-) diff --git a/tn_JDG.tsv b/tn_JDG.tsv index ee9787bd81..7a6fbcc868 100644 --- a/tn_JDG.tsv +++ b/tn_JDG.tsv @@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ front:intro v8pn 0 # Introduction to Judges\n\n## Part 1: General Introductio 3:31 xdh8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names שַׁמְגַּ֣ר בֶּן־עֲנָ֔ת 1 The words **Shamgar** and **Anath** are the names of men. 3:31 j124 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-genericnoun בְּ⁠מַלְמַ֖ד הַ⁠בָּקָ֑ר 1 The author is not referring to a specific **ox**. He means oxen in general. It may be more natural in your language to express this meaning by using a plural form. Alternate translation: “with a goad for oxen” 3:31 z3lr rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown בְּ⁠מַלְמַ֖ד הַ⁠בָּקָ֑ר 1 To make their cattle move, farmers in this culture would poke them with a long tool that had a point at one end. This tool was called a **goad**. If your readers would not be familiar with this object, in your translation you could use the name of a similar object that your readers would recognize, or you could use a general expression. Alternate translation: “with a pole used to urge cattle to move” or “with a pole used to direct cattle” -4:intro pjw5 0 # Judges 4 General Notes\n\n## Structure and Formatting\n\nTo this point, after giving an introduction to the stories of the judges (1:1–3:6), the author has briefly described the work of three judges: Othniel (3:7–11), Ehud (3:12–30), and Shamgar (3:31). In this chapter and the next chapter, he describes at more length the work of another judge, Deborah, and the man she called and helped to lead an Israelite army, Barak.\n\n## Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter\n\n### How had Yahweh already begun to fight Sisera before the Israelites attacked?\n\nIn [4:14](../04/14.md), Deborah tells Barak that it is time to attack Sisera’s forces because Yahweh has already begun to fight against them. It is not clear from this chapter entirely what this means. But readers learn in the next chapter that there was a great storm on the day of this battle. Deborah says in her song (in [5:4](../05/04.md)) that when Yahweh marched out, “dark clouds dripped down water” and “the earth shook” (perhaps a reference to thunder). She speaks in [5:21](../05/21.md) of the Kishon River flooding. The historian Josephus writes of this battle that “as soon as the armies were engaged, there arose a prodigious tempest of hail and rain, which drove in the faces of the Canaanites, and occasioned a total rout of them.” With the rain, hail, and flooding, Sisera’s forces were not able to make use of their chariots. Barak was able to lead his troops down from the relative safety of Mount Tabor onto the plain and destroy Sisera’s army and its chariots.\n\n### “Yahweh will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman”\n\nWhen Deborah tells Barak to raise an army to oppose Sisera, he replies, “If you will go with me, then I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go” ([4:8](../04/08.md)). Deborah agrees to go with him, but she also tells him that the credit and honor for killing Sisera will not go to him but to a woman. Interpreters have many different ideas about what this means. One possibility is that Barak was insisting on having visible, tangible assurance of God’s presence and help in the person of Deborah, who was a prophetess. Deborah graciously agreed to accompany Barak and provide this assurance, but at the same time she indicated to him that God’s power was so great that Barak should not have put this condition on his obedience. God would use a woman, who in this culture would not have been a warrior, to kill Sisera. At this time, great honor came from killing an enemy commander, and this honor would not go to Barak but to this woman and ultimately to God, who would arrange the circumstances for it. However, it is not necessary to resolve the meaning of this exchange in order to translate this passage. You can report the conversation between Deborah and Barak naturally in your translation without adding any interpretation. +4:intro pjw5 0 # Judges 4 General Notes\n\n## Structure and Formatting\n### The place of this story in the book\n\nTo this point, after giving an introduction to the stories of the judges (1:1–3:6), the author has briefly described the work of three judges: Othniel (3:7–11), Ehud (3:12–30), and Shamgar (3:31). In this chapter, he describes at more length the work of another judge, Deborah, and the man she called and helped to lead an Israelite army, Barak.\n\n### The ending of the story\n\nIn verses 23 and 24, the author ends the story with a summary of what happened. He presents the information in a special form called a chiasm, in which the first and last parts match and the middle parts match. These parts match: “So on that day God subdued Jabin, the king of Canaan” and “until that they destroyed Jabin, the king of Canaan.” These parts also match: “to the face of the sons of Israel” and “For going, the hand of the sons of Israel went and {became} severe against Jabin, the king of Canaan.” You may be able to show this in your translation by using some special formatting.\n\n## Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter\n\n### How had Yahweh already begun to fight Sisera before the Israelites attacked?\n\nIn [4:14](../04/14.md), Deborah tells Barak that it is time to attack Sisera’s forces because Yahweh has already begun to fight against them. It is not clear from this chapter entirely what this means. But readers learn in the next chapter that there was a great storm on the day of this battle. Deborah says in her song (in [5:4](../05/04.md)) that when Yahweh marched out, “dark clouds dripped down water” and “the earth shook” (perhaps a reference to thunder). She speaks in [5:21](../05/21.md) of the Kishon River flooding. The historian Josephus writes of this battle that “as soon as the armies were engaged, there arose a prodigious tempest of hail and rain, which drove in the faces of the Canaanites, and occasioned a total rout of them.” With the rain, hail, and flooding, Sisera’s forces were not able to make use of their chariots. Barak was able to lead his troops down from the relative safety of Mount Tabor onto the plain and destroy Sisera’s army and its chariots.\n\n### “Yahweh will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman”\n\nWhen Deborah tells Barak to raise an army to oppose Sisera, he replies, “If you will go with me, then I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go” ([4:8](../04/08.md)). Deborah agrees to go with him, but she also tells him that the credit and honor for killing Sisera will not go to him but to a woman. Interpreters have many different ideas about what this means. One possibility is that Barak was insisting on having visible, tangible assurance of God’s presence and help in the person of Deborah, who was a prophetess. Deborah graciously agreed to accompany Barak and provide this assurance, but at the same time she indicated to him that God’s power was so great that Barak should not have put this condition on his obedience. God would use a woman, who in this culture would not have been a warrior, to kill Sisera. At this time, great honor came from killing an enemy commander, and this honor would not go to Barak but to this woman and ultimately to God, who would arrange the circumstances for it. However, it is not necessary to resolve the meaning of this exchange in order to translate this passage. You can report the conversation between Deborah and Barak naturally in your translation without adding any interpretation. 4:1 aq65 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy הָ⁠רַ֖ע בְּ⁠עֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה 1 See how you translated the same expression in [2:11](../02/11.md). Alternate translation: “what was evil in Yahweh’s judgment” 4:1 jogu rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וְ⁠אֵה֖וּד מֵֽת 1 Since readers already have information about **Ehud**, and since what happened after his death is new information, it may be more natural in your language to put the phrase **after Ehud died** at the beginning of this verse. 4:2 yji4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor וַ⁠יִּמְכְּרֵ֣⁠ם יְהוָ֗ה בְּ⁠יַד֙ 1 See how you translated the same expression in [2:14](../02/14.md). Alternate translation: “So Yahweh made them subjects of” @@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ front:intro v8pn 0 # Introduction to Judges\n\n## Part 1: General Introductio 4:24 y25t rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וַ⁠תֵּ֜לֶךְ יַ֤ד בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ הָל֣וֹךְ וְ⁠קָשָׁ֔ה 1 Here, **hand** represents the power of a person or group. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “So the Israelites became more and more powerful in their opposition to Jabin” 4:24 j160 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-reduplication יָבִ֣ין מֶֽלֶךְ־כְּנָ֑עַן & יָבִ֥ין מֶֽלֶךְ־כְּנָֽעַן 1 The author is repeating this phrase for emphasis. If it would not be natural in your language to do that, you may have another way of expressing the emphasis. The UST models one way to do this. 4:24 zcb9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy הִכְרִ֔יתוּ אֵ֖ת יָבִ֥ין 1 The author is using the name **Jabin** by association to mean the army of this king, which the Israelites **destroyed**. (The book does not say specifically that the Israelites killed Jabin himself.) Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation. Alternate translation: “they broke the power of Jabin” -5:intro jgd9 0 # Judges 5 General Notes\n\n## Structure and Formatting\n\nThe author continues to tell the story of Deborah and Barak in this chapter.\n\nSome translations prefer to set apart quotations, prayers, and songs with special formatting. The ULT and many other English translations set the lines of chapter 5, which is a song, farther to the right on the page than the rest of the text.\n\n## Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter\n\n### How were the Israelites able to fight against Sisera if they had no weapons?\n\nIn [5:8](../05/08.md), this song describes how Jabin’s occupying soldiers took away the weapons that the Israelites had. So how were the Israelites able to fight a battle against Sisera’s forces? As a note to [4:2](../04/02.md) explains, the name Harosheth Haggoyim may describe a place where Jabin forced captive peoples to cut wood for him. It has been suggested that the conscripted Israelites who joined Barak’s army took their axes and hatchets with them and used them as weapons. This would be another example of irony in the book of Judges: Jabin supplied the people he had conquered with the weapons that they needed to defeat him and regain their freedom.\n\n## Translation Issues in This Chapter\n\n### Hebrew poetry\n\nExcept for a brief introduction and conclusion, this chapter is poetry that consists of pairs of phrases that repeat the same meaning. The second phrase advances the idea of the first by affirming, contrasting, or supplementing it in different words. (Sometimes there is a third line with similar meaning.) Hebrew poetry was based on this kind of repetition, and it would be good to show this to your readers by including both (or all three) phrases in your translation. It may be clearer in your language to connect the phrases with a word other than **and** in order to show that the second phrase is repeating the idea the first one, not saying something different. For example, in [5:2](../05/02.md) you might say, “For the loosening of long hair in Israel, yes, for the volunteering of the people.” (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]])\n\n### Deborah and Barak singing this song together\n\nWhile the author says in [5:1](../05/01.md) that both “Deborah and Barak” sang this song, the first-person verbs and pronouns in it are singular. It was common for the Israelites to sing in responsive parts, so it may be that Deborah and Barak each sang parts of this song individually, responding to one another. For example, it seems probable that in [5:12](../05/12.md) Barak sang “awake, Deborah” and Deborah responded “Arise, Barak.”\n\nHebrew does not mark first-person pronouns or verbs for gender, so it is not clear in many cases which of them sang which parts, although in some cases the text does give us a fair idea. For the sake of languages that do mark first-person singular pronouns or verbs for gender, here are some suggestions as to who might be singing when the song says “I” or “my.” This is, however, largely a matter of interpretation, so use your own best judgment in your translation. Since Deborah and Barak are, in a sense, speaking for each other, another alternative would be to use plural first-person pronouns. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]] and [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-youcrowd]])\n- In [5:3](../05/03.md), you could consider using masculine forms for “I … {even} I, let me sing” and feminine forms for “I will make music.” The verb translated as “make music” refers to singing with an instrumental accompaniment. Deborah was a prophetess, and the Old Testament prophets appear to have sung at least some of their prophecies to instrumental accompaniment. (See, for example, [Ezekiel 33:32](../ezk/33/32.md).) So it is perhaps more likely that Deborah sang “I will make music” and Barak sang “let me sing.”\n- Deborah is speaking of herself as “I” in [5:7](../05/07.md), so it would be appropriate to use feminine forms there.\n- It has been suggested that [5:9](../05/09.md), it would be more appropriate for Deborah to thank the leaders, who would have included Barak, and for Barak to thank those who volunteered in response to his summons. So you may wish to mark “My” as feminine.\n- Barak is probably referring to himself as “me” in [5:13](../05/13.md), since he was the one who led the Israelite army “against the warriors” of Sisera.\n- Barak seems to be speaking in [5:15](../05/05.md), “my princes in Issachar were with Deborah,” because otherwise Deborah would be speaking of herself in the third person, which she does not seem to do in this song.\n- It has been suggested that in [5:21](../05/21.md), Barak may have described the Kishon River flooding, since he saw this first-hand in the battle, and then said, “March on, my soul, in strength,” recalling how the Israelite soldiers pursued the attack against Sisera vigorously when they saw how the flooding had put them and their chariots at a disadvantage. +5:intro jgd9 0 # Judges 5 General Notes\n\n## Structure and Formatting\n\nIn this chapter, the author presents a song that Deborah and Barak sang to celebrate the victory that Yahweh enabled them to win over Sisera.\n\nSome translations prefer to set apart quotations, prayers, and songs with special formatting. The ULT and many other English translations set the lines of chapter 5, which is a song, farther to the right on the page than the rest of the text.\n\n## Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter\n\n### How were the Israelites able to fight against Sisera if they had no weapons?\n\nIn [5:8](../05/08.md), this song describes how Jabin’s occupying soldiers took away the weapons that the Israelites had. So how were the Israelites able to fight a battle against Sisera’s forces? As a note to [4:2](../04/02.md) explains, the name Harosheth Haggoyim may describe a place where Jabin forced captive peoples to cut wood for him. It has been suggested that the conscripted Israelites who joined Barak’s army took their axes and hatchets with them and used them as weapons. This would be another example of irony in the book of Judges: Jabin supplied the people he had conquered with the weapons that they needed to defeat him and regain their freedom.\n\n## Translation Issues in This Chapter\n\n### Hebrew poetry\n\nExcept for a brief introduction and conclusion, this chapter is poetry that consists of pairs of phrases that repeat the same meaning. The second phrase advances the idea of the first by affirming, contrasting, or supplementing it in different words. (Sometimes there is a third line with similar meaning.) Hebrew poetry was based on this kind of repetition, and it would be good to show this to your readers by including both (or all three) phrases in your translation. It may be clearer in your language to connect the phrases with a word other than **and** in order to show that the second phrase is repeating the idea the first one, not saying something different. For example, in [5:2](../05/02.md) you might say, “For the loosening of long hair in Israel, yes, for the volunteering of the people.” (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]])\n\n### Deborah and Barak singing this song together\n\nWhile the author says in [5:1](../05/01.md) that both “Deborah and Barak” sang this song, the first-person verbs and pronouns in it are singular. It was common for the Israelites to sing in responsive parts, so it may be that Deborah and Barak each sang parts of this song individually, responding to one another. For example, it seems probable that in [5:12](../05/12.md) Barak sang “awake, Deborah” and Deborah responded “Arise, Barak.”\n\nHebrew does not mark first-person pronouns or verbs for gender, so it is not clear in many cases which of them sang which parts, although in some cases the text does give us a fair idea. For the sake of languages that do mark first-person singular pronouns or verbs for gender, here are some suggestions as to who might be singing when the song says “I” or “my.” This is, however, largely a matter of interpretation, so use your own best judgment in your translation. Since Deborah and Barak are, in a sense, speaking for each other, another alternative would be to use plural first-person pronouns. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]] and [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-youcrowd]])\n- In [5:3](../05/03.md), you could consider using masculine forms for “I … {even} I, let me sing” and feminine forms for “I will make music.” The verb translated as “make music” refers to singing with an instrumental accompaniment. Deborah was a prophetess, and the Old Testament prophets appear to have sung at least some of their prophecies to instrumental accompaniment. (See, for example, [Ezekiel 33:32](../ezk/33/32.md).) So it is perhaps more likely that Deborah sang “I will make music” and Barak sang “let me sing.”\n- Deborah is speaking of herself as “I” in [5:7](../05/07.md), so it would be appropriate to use feminine forms there.\n- It has been suggested that [5:9](../05/09.md), it would be more appropriate for Deborah to thank the leaders, who would have included Barak, and for Barak to thank those who volunteered in response to his summons. So you may wish to mark “My” as feminine.\n- Barak is probably referring to himself as “me” in [5:13](../05/13.md), since he was the one who led the Israelite army “against the warriors” of Sisera.\n- Barak seems to be speaking in [5:15](../05/05.md), “my princes in Issachar were with Deborah,” because otherwise Deborah would be speaking of herself in the third person, which she does not seem to do in this song.\n- It has been suggested that in [5:21](../05/21.md), Barak may have described the Kishon River flooding, since he saw this first-hand in the battle, and then said, “March on, my soul, in strength,” recalling how the Israelite soldiers pursued the attack against Sisera vigorously when they saw how the flooding had put them and their chariots at a disadvantage. 5:1 w7ex rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit בַּ⁠יּ֥וֹם הַ⁠ה֖וּא 1 The author is referring to the same phrase in [4:23](../04/23.md). He may not mean that Deborah and Barak sang this song on the actual day on which the Israelites defeated the forces of King Jabin. The word **day** may refer to a more general time. Alternate translation: “at the time when the Israelites defeated the forces of King Jabin” 5:1 j161 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations לֵ⁠אמֹֽר 1 The author is using the term **saying** to introduce a direct quotation of the song that Deborah and Barak **sang**. In your translation, use a natural way of introducing direct quotations in your language. Alternate translation: “the following song” 5:2 j162 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotemarks בִּ⁠פְרֹ֤עַ פְּרָעוֹת֙ בְּ⁠יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּ⁠הִתְנַדֵּ֖ב עָ֑ם 1 This is the beginning of the song that Deborah and Barak sang. You may wish to indicate this with an opening first-level quotation mark or with some other punctuation or convention that your language uses to indicate the start of a first-level quotation. You may also be able to use special formatting to set off the song as poetry, as the ULT does. @@ -478,7 +478,7 @@ front:intro v8pn 0 # Introduction to Judges\n\n## Part 1: General Introductio 5:31 bi4x rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-simile כְּ⁠צֵ֥את הַ⁠שֶּׁ֖מֶשׁ בִּ⁠גְבֻרָת֑⁠וֹ 1 The **strength** of the sun could be its brightness or its heat. So the point of this comparison may be that just as the sun, once it rises, is too bright to look at or so hot that people must get out of its rays into the shade, so no one will be able to resist those who love Yahweh. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point explicitly. Alternate translation: “irresistibly strong, like the unbearable brightness of the risen sun” or “irresistibly strong, like the unbearable heat of the risen sun” 5:31 j230 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotemarks כְּ⁠צֵ֥את הַ⁠שֶּׁ֖מֶשׁ בִּ⁠גְבֻרָת֑⁠וֹ 1 This is the end of the song that Deborah and Barak sang. (In the next sentence, the author resumes the story.) If you began the song with an opening first-level quotation mark or similar opening convention, indicate its ending here with a closing first-level quotation mark or similar closing convention. If you have been using special formatting to set off the song as poetry, resume regular formatting with the next sentence. 5:31 q1yt rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-personification וַ⁠תִּשְׁקֹ֥ט הָ⁠אָ֖רֶץ אַרְבָּעִ֥ים שָׁנָֽה 1 See how you translated the same expression in [3:11](../03/11.md). Alternate translation: “After this, there were no more wars for 40 years” -6:intro p5sj 0 # Judges 6 General Notes\n\n## Structure and Formatting\n\nThis chapter begins a section about Gideon. (Chapters 6–8)\n\n### Special concepts in this chapter\n\n### Israel’s punishment\nIn Judges, Israel’s actions are connected to their obedience to Yahweh. When Israel does evil, they are oppressed. (See: [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/evil]] and [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/other/oppress]]) +6:intro p5sj 0 # Judges 6 General Notes\n\n## Structure and formatting\n\nThis chapter tells the first part of the story of the next judge, Gideon. That story continues in Chapters 7 and 8.\n\n### Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter\n\n### The angel of Yahweh\n\nIn 6:11–12 and 6:21, the author uses a special phrase, “the angel of Yahweh.” (He uses an equivalent expression, “the angel of God,” in 6:20.) This could mean “an angel who represented Yahweh,” or it could refer to Yahweh himself, who looked like an angel as he talked to Gideon. Either one of these meanings would explain the author’s use of the name “Yahweh” for this same figure in 6:14 and 6:16. the angel’s use of “I” in those verses as if Yahweh himself was talking. See the notes to these verses for suggestions about how to translate this expression.\n\n\n\n 6:1 ht3z rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy הָ⁠רַ֖ע בְּ⁠עֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה 1 See how you translated the same expression in [2:11](../02/11.md). Alternate translation: “what was evil in Yahweh’s judgment” 6:1 l9nl rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וַ⁠יִּתְּנֵ֧⁠ם יְהוָ֛ה בְּ⁠יַד 1 See how you translated the same expression in [2:14](../02/14.md). Alternate translation: “so Yahweh made them subject to” 6:2 bs4z rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וַ⁠תָּ֥עָז יַד־מִדְיָ֖ן עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל 1 Here, **hand** represents the power of a group. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “So Israel was under the power of Midian” @@ -570,7 +570,7 @@ front:intro v8pn 0 # Introduction to Judges\n\n## Part 1: General Introductio 6:39 j281 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַ⁠אֲדַבְּרָ֖ה אַ֣ךְ הַ⁠פָּ֑עַם אֲנַסֶּ֤ה נָּא־רַק־הַ⁠פַּ֨עַם֙ 1 Since Gideon has already done a test with the fleece once, by **only this time** he means, in both instances, “just one more time.” You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “just one more time … just one more time” 6:39 j282 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns יְהִי & חֹ֤רֶב אֶל־הַ⁠גִּזָּה֙ לְ⁠בַדָּ֔⁠הּ 1 If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of **dryness**, you could express the same idea in another way. See how you translated the similar expression in [6:37](../06/37.md). Alternate translation: “may only the fleece be dry” 6:40 j283 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns וַ⁠יְהִי־חֹ֤רֶב אֶל־הַ⁠גִּזָּה֙ לְ⁠בַדָּ֔⁠הּ 1 See how you translated the similar expression in the previous verse. Alternate translation: “For only the fleece was dry” -7:intro q545 0 # Judges 7 General Notes\n\n## Structure and Formatting\n\nThe account of Gideon continues in this chapter.\n\n## Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter\n\n### God gets all of the credit\n\nGod said, “There are too many soldiers for me to give you victory over the Midianites. Make sure that Israel will not boast against me, saying, ‘Our own power has saved us.’” By lowering the number of fighting soldiers, it emphasizes that the victory is achieved through God’s power. (See: [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/glory]]) +7:intro q545 0 # Judges 7 General Notes\n\n## Structure and formatting\n\nThe account of Gideon, which began in chapter 6, continues in this chapter.\n\n## Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter\n\n### Why does the barley loaf represent Gideon?\n\nIn [7:13](../07/13.md), a Midianite solider tells his friend that the loaf of barley bread in the dream the friend has just recounted must represent Gideon. He says this because barley was a grain that only poorer people ate, and as [6:6](../06/06.md) states, the Midianites had reduced the Israelites to poverty. In [6:11](../06/11.md), Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites; they may have taken the wheat from Israel but left the barley because they did not want to eat it. Beyond this, the “sons of the east” were nomadic herders, so they would have associated grain with a farming culture such as the Israelites had. For these reasons, the soldier recognizes that the loaf of barley bread represents the Israelite army under the command of Gideon. A note to verse 13 suggests a way to indicate this in your translation.\n\n### Mount Gilead\n\nIn [7:3](../07/03.md), Yahweh tells Gideon to announce to his troops that anyone who is afraid can depart from “Mount Gilead.” In this context, that name cannot refer, as it usually does, to the mountainous region east of the Jordan river. The Valley of Jezreel, where the two armies had gathered for battle, was west of the Jordan river. Since Gilead was the ancestor of a major part of the tribe of Manasseh, including the Abiezrites, and since that tribe had territory on both sides of the Jordan, it is possible that the people of Manasseh had named a mountain after Gilead on the west side of the river, near where Gideon’s army had assembled. But such a mountain is not known from any other source. Some commentators have suggested instead that “Mount Gilead” might have been a name that the soldiers of Manasseh gave to their army, to describe both its strength and its lineage. However, there is no evidence elsewhere for that either. But since this is ultimately a matter of interpretation rather than of translation, is probably best to translate the expression as “Mount Gilead” and allow preachers and teachers of the Bible to explain the possible meanings.\n\n## Translation Issues in This Chapter\n\n### “into their hand”/“into your hand” (plural “you”)\n\nIn several places in this chapter, the author or characters use the expressions “into their hand” and “into your hand” (with a plural “you”). Since this expression refers to a group of people, it might be more natural in your language to use the plural form of **hand**. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-collectivenouns]])\n\n\n\n 7:1 q9lu rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names חֲרֹ֑ד & הַ⁠מּוֹרֶ֖ה 1 The word **Harod** is the name of a spring. It means “trembling,” and it probably got this name because, as [7:3](../07/03.md) describes, all the soldiers who were “afraid and trembling” were dismissed from Gideon’s army there. The word **Moreh** is the name of a hill. 7:2 ja78 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy מִ⁠תִּתִּ֥⁠י אֶת־מִדְיָ֖ן בְּ⁠יָדָ֑⁠ם 1 Here Yahweh is using the term **hand** in the sense of possession. The image is of someone holding something in his hand. That is, when Yahweh speaks of **giving Midian into** the **hand** of the Israelites, the idea is that the Israelites will conquer the Midianites, who will then become subject to them. Alternate translation: “for me to enable them to conquer the Midianites” 7:2 j284 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-collectivenouns בְּ⁠יָדָ֑⁠ם 1 As the General Notes to this chapter discuss, since a group of people is in view here and in similar instances, it might be more natural in your language to use the plural form of **hand**. Alternate translation: “into their hands” @@ -635,7 +635,7 @@ front:intro v8pn 0 # Introduction to Judges\n\n## Part 1: General Introductio 7:25 hn84 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names בְּ⁠צוּר־עוֹרֵב֙ & בְ⁠יֶֽקֶב־זְאֵ֔ב 1 The expressions **the rock of Oreb** and **the winepress of Zeeb** are the names of places. Some languages may present these names as titles. Alternate translation: “at the Rock of Zeeb … at the Winepress of Oreb” 7:25 j321 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-collectivenouns וְ⁠רֹאשׁ־עֹרֵ֣ב וּ⁠זְאֵ֔ב 1 Since the author is referring to two people, it might be more natural in your language to use the plural form of **head**. Alternate translation: “and … the heads of Oreb and Zeeb” 7:25 j322 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit אֶל־גִּדְע֔וֹן מֵ⁠עֵ֖בֶר לַ⁠יַּרְדֵּֽן 1 This could mean: (1) that the soldiers from Ephraim pursued the fleeing Midianite soldiers across the Jordan River, bringing the heads of Oreb and Zeeb with them, and when they met Gideon on the east side of the river, they presented the heads to him. This would mean that [8:4](../08/04.md) is resuming the story after this episode. Alternate translation: “to Gideon after he crossed the Jordan” (2) that the soldiers from Ephraim pursued the fleeing Midianite soldiers across the Jordan River, found and killed Oreb and Zeeb on the east side of the river, and then brought their heads back to Gideon on the west side of the river. This would mean that the phrase **they chased after Midian** is a summary of what happened in the first part of the verse. Alternate translation: “back across the river to Gideon” -8:intro zh95 0 # Judges 8 General Notes\n\n## Structure and Formatting\n\nThe account of Gideon concludes in this chapter.\n\n## Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter\n\n### Succoth’s refusal to help Gideon\nThe men of Succoth feared the Midianites more than Gideon. This is why they refused to help Gideon. By allying themselves with the Midianites, they aligned themselves against Yahweh. Because of this, Gideon treated them like he treated the Midianites. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]])\n\n### Gideon refuses to be king\n\nGideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, neither will my son rule over you. Yahweh will rule over you.” Although the book of Deuteronomy anticipates a king in Israel, it was sinful for Israel to desire to have a king. He did though take a share of everyone’s plunder as a king would have done through taxes. This may serve as a warning to Israel about their desire to have a king. (See: [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/sin]]) +8:intro zh95 0 # Judges 8 General Notes\n\n## Structure and Formatting\n\nThe account of Gideon concludes in this chapter.\n\n## Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter\n\n### The tower in Penuel\n\nAncient cities and towns often built protective towers. Their citizens could go inside them for safety, and from the top of them their soldiers had an advantage in fighting attacking armies. The leaders of Penuel probably thought that they were safe from the Midianites because they had such a tower. Gideon told them that he was going to tear down their tower to show that they should have taken his side in the fight against the Midianites.\n\n### Why did Gideon kill the men of Penuel?\n\nIt seems difficult to understand why, when Gideon returned to Penuel (8:17), he “killed the men of the city.” He had only said he would tear down their tower, just as he had only told the leaders of Succoth that he would whip them with thorny branches, and that was all he did to them. Here is one possible explanation. In 8:16, the author uses the phrase “the men of Succoth” to mean the same thing as “the elders of the city.” So the phrase “the men of the city” in 8:17 may refer to the town leaders of Peniel. The author may be saying that when Gideon tore down the tower, this killed the town leaders. That may have happened because those leaders took refuge in the tower, thinking they would be safe from Gideon there because he would not be able to tear down the tower or that he would not tear it down if they were in it. A note to 8:17 suggests an alternate translation that suggests this meaning.\n\n### Why did Gideon tell his son Jether to kill the Midianite kings?\n\nIn 8:20, Gideon tells his son Jether, who was still a young man, to kill the Midianite kings Zeba and Zalmunna. This was in some way a symbolic action, but interpreters are not entirely sure of what kind. Here are some possibilities: (1) Gideon could have been intending to give an honor to his son. Gideon had already appeased the Ephraimites by telling them what an honor it had been for them to kill Oreb and Zeeb ([8:3](../08/03.md)), and he may have wanted his firstborn son to have a similar honor. If that is the significance of this action, in your translation you might have Gideon say to Jether, “I will give you the honor of killing these kings.” (2) Gideon could have been intending to dishonor Zeba and Zalmunna. They had apparently killed Gideon’s brothers by murder rather than in battle, and so Gideon did not consider them worthy of being killed by a person of status, such as himself. (In this culture, it was customary for someone to be executed by a person of equal status; see, for example, [1 Kings 2:29](../1ki/02/29.md).) If that is the significance, you might have Gideon say to Jether, “I am going to have you, a youth, kill them.” (3) Gideon could have wanted to emphasize to Jether that he needed to be prepared to fight against the oppressors of Yahweh’s people, just as he had. In that case, you might have Gideon say, “Kill these enemy kings, as you must be prepared to fight to free Yahweh’s people from oppression.”\n 8:1 sea3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion מָֽה־הַ⁠דָּבָ֤ר הַ⁠זֶּה֙ עָשִׂ֣יתָ לָּ֔⁠נוּ לְ⁠בִלְתִּי֙ קְרֹ֣אות לָ֔⁠נוּ כִּ֥י הָלַ֖כְתָּ לְ⁠הִלָּחֵ֣ם בְּ⁠מִדְיָ֑ן 1 The soldiers from Ephraim are using the question form for emphasis. If a speaker of your language would not use the question form for that purpose, you could translate this as a statement or as an exclamation. Alternate translation: “You should not have acted toward us like this! When you went out to fight against the army of Midian, you should have called us to help you!” 8:1 whc1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns בְּ⁠חָזְקָֽה 1 If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of **strength**, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “vehemently” 8:2 wpi2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion מֶה־עָשִׂ֥יתִי עַתָּ֖ה כָּ⁠כֶ֑ם הֲ⁠ל֗וֹא ט֛וֹב עֹלְל֥וֹת אֶפְרַ֖יִם מִ⁠בְצִ֥יר אֲבִיעֶֽזֶר 1 Gideon is using the question form in order to make a point without being confrontational. If a speaker of your language would not use the question form for that purpose, you could translate these questions as statements or as exclamations, particularly if they would not be regarded as confrontational in your culture. Alternate translation: “What I have done is not like what you have done! The gleanings of Ephraim are better than the vintage of Abiezer!” @@ -728,7 +728,7 @@ front:intro v8pn 0 # Introduction to Judges\n\n## Part 1: General Introductio 8:35 j368 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns וְ⁠לֹֽא־עָשׂ֣וּ חֶ֔סֶד עִם 1 If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of **covenant faithfulness**, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “And they did not behave loyally toward” 8:35 svf8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor בֵּ֥ית יְרֻבַּ֖עַל גִּדְע֑וֹן 1 See how you translated the term **house** in [8:27](../08/27.md). Alternate translation: “the descendants of Jerubbaal, that is, Gideon” 8:35 j369 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns הַ⁠טּוֹבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָׂ֖ה עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל 1 If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of **good**, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “the good things that he did for Israel” -9:intro zl19 0 # Judges 9 General Notes\n\n## Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter\n\n### Jotham’s curse\n\nGideon’s son, Abimelech, killed all of his brothers except Jotham in order to become king of Shechem. Jotham cursed Abimelech for having murdered Gideon’s other sons. “Let fire come out from Abimelech and burn up the men of Shechem and the house of Millo. Let fire come out from the men of Shechem and Beth Millo, to burn up Abimelech.” (See: [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/curse]])\n\n## Translation Issues in This Chapter\n\n### Tree metaphor\n\nThis chapter contains an extended metaphor about trees. This metaphor functions as a parable instructing Israel about their sinful desire to have a king. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]] and [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/sin]]) +9:intro zl19 0 # Judges 9 General Notes\n\n## Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter\n\n### “upon one stone”\n\nThe author says in 9:5 that Abimelek and the men he hired brought all of his half-brothers, the other sons of Gideon, to “one stone” and killed them there. There seems to have been some symbolic significance to this action. The stone might have been a place of formal execution. Abimelek could have killed his half-brothers there to indicate that he had taken authority as king and so no threats to his rule should be allowed to exist. The stone might also have been a religious altar of some kind. Some interpreters believe that Abimelek and the leaders of Shechem were executing Gideon’s sons on a stone altar to avenge his desecration of Baal’s altar. This would explain why money from the temple of Baal-Berith paid for the action. However, since the exact purpose is unclear, it would be best to say no more about this in your translation than the original text does.\n\n### Jotham’s curse\n\nIn 9:20, Jotham, the one son of Gideon who survived Abimelek’s massacre, says, “may fire go forth from Abimelek and may it consume the lords of Shechem and Beth Millo, and may fire go forth from the lords of Shechem and from Beth Millo and may it consume Abimelek.” This was a curse. Jotham was expressing a desire for bad things to happen to the people who had murdered the sons of the man who had delivered them from the Midianites. What Jotham was ultimately wishing for was God’s justice. He wanted people who had done such bad things to have bad things happen to them. His curse was fulfilled in a literal way when Abimelek burned the lords of Shechem to death in 9:49. (See: [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/curse]])\n\n## Translation Issues in This Chapter\n\n### Jotham’s parable about the trees\n\nIn 9:8–15, Gideon’s surviving son Jotham tells the lords of Shechem a parable. A parable is a short story that teaches something that is true. It delivers its lesson in a way that is easy to understand and hard to forget. In many cases the events in a parable could happen, though they did not actually happen. But in this case they could not have happened, since this parable is about trees talking to each other about appointing a king. However, either way, the events of a parable are told only to teach the lesson that the listeners are meant to learn. See the first note to 9:8 for suggestions about how to introduce and begin this parable in your translation.\n\n### Did God send an “evil spirit” to Shechem?\n\nIn [9:23](../09/23.md), the author says that God sent a “bad spirit” that made the lords of Shechem hostile toward Abimelek. The word that the ULT translates as “bad” can also mean “evil,” depending on the context. Some versions of the Bible in various languages translate it as “evil” here. Translators may have encountered that reading. However, the context does not seem to support it. The teaching of the Bible as a whole suggests that God would not use something evil to accomplish his purposes. Also, evil spirits have rebelled against God, and so they have forfeited the right to be part of what he is doing. Moreover, the word “spirit” does not necessarily refer to a spiritual being here. It could refer instead to the attitude that Abimelek and the lords of Shechem had toward one another. This would be the same meaning as in [8:3](../08/03.md), “their spirit abated toward him,” which means, “they no longer had a hostile attitude toward him.” So it seems appropriate to understand the author to be saying in 9:23 that God caused hostility between Abimelek and the lords of Shechem.\n\n### Why did Gaal go and stand in the gate of Shechem? \n\nIn [9:35](../09/35.md), the author says that “Gaal, the son of Ebed, went out and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city” of Shechem. He does not say explicitly why Gaal did this. Gaal does not seem to have known that Abimelek and his troops were nearby, since Zebul was able to convince him otherwise at first (as the next verse describes). Gaal, given his boast against Abimelek at the temple banquet, may have wanted to watch and see whether there was any danger. He may have expected to be able to see approaching troops while they were still far away and arrange a defense before they arrived. But since the author does not say explicitly why Gaal went out to the city gate, it would probably be best not to suggest any reason for this in your translation.\n\n### Why did the people of Shechem go out of their city the day after Abimelek defeated Gaal?\n\nIn 9:42, the author says that the people of Shechem went out of their city the day after Abimelek defeated Gaal, but he does not say why. In this verse, “went out” does not seem to describe a military operation, as it does in 9:39 in the case of Gaal. Instead, the people of Shechem seem to have thought mistakenly that they could let Gaal try to defeat Abimelek and become their ruler and that if he failed, they could still serve Abimelek. So they were probably just going out to work in their fields. You may find it appropriate to use a different expression in your translation for “went out” in 9:42 than you do for that phrase in 9:39.\n 9:1 j370 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-newevent וַ⁠יֵּ֨לֶךְ אֲבִימֶ֤לֶךְ בֶּן־יְרֻבַּ֨עַל֙ שְׁכֶ֔מָ⁠ה 1 The author is introducing a new event in the story. Use a word, phrase, or other method in your language that is natural for introducing a new event. 9:1 j371 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-kinship אֲחֵ֖י אִמּ֑⁠וֹ & אֲבִ֥י אִמּ֖⁠וֹ 1 Your language may have its own term or expression for these relationships. Alternate translation: “his maternal uncles … his maternal grandfather” 9:2 gfl5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes דַּבְּרוּ־נָ֞א בְּ⁠אָזְנֵ֨י כָל־בַּעֲלֵ֣י שְׁכֶם֮ מַה־טּ֣וֹב לָ⁠כֶם֒ הַ⁠מְשֹׁ֨ל בָּ⁠כֶ֜ם שִׁבְעִ֣ים אִ֗ישׁ כֹּ֚ל בְּנֵ֣י יְרֻבַּ֔עַל אִם־מְשֹׁ֥ל בָּ⁠כֶ֖ם אִ֣ישׁ אֶחָ֑ד 1 If it would be clearer in your language, you could translate this so that there is not a quotation within a quotation. Alternate translation: “Please ask all the lords of Shechem out loud whether it is better for them to have 70 men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, ruling over them or to have one man ruling over them.”