# It happened in the days when the judges ruled that

"It happened that" was a common way of beginning to tell about something that happened. Alternate translation: "In the days when the judges ruled" or "In the days when the judges ruled, this is what happened."

# in the days when the judges ruled

"during the time when judges led and governed Israel"

# in the land

This refers to the land of Israel. Alternate translation: "in the land of Israel" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit]])

# a certain man

"a man." This is a common way of introducing a character into a story.