[1] 1:5 ruler of Bezek Or, "Adoni Bezek."

[2] 1:9 Negev The desert area in the southern part of Judah.

[3] 1:10 Sheshai, Ahiman, Talmai Three sons of a man named Anak. They were giants. See Num. 13:22.

[4] 1:14 Othniel told Acsah Or, "Acsah told Othniel."

[5] 1:15 Give me a blessing Or, "Please welcome me" or "Give me a stream of water."

[6] 1:15 Negev The desert area in the southern part of Judah.

[7] 1:17 Hormah This name means "completely destroyed" or "a gift given totally to God." See Lev. 27:28-29.

[8] 1:19 chariot A small, two-wheeled cart pulled by horses and used in war.

[9] 1:20 three sons of Anak Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, mentioned above in verse 10.

[10] 1:21 even today That is, at the time the book was written.

[11] 2:1 ancestors Literally, "fathers," meaning a person's parents, grandparents, and all the other people that person is descended from. In the New Testament it usually refers to people who lived during Old Testament times.

[12] 2:2 altar A raised area, pile of stones, or table where sacrifices were offered as gifts to God. An important altar was the one in front of the Temple in Jerusalem. See also "golden altar."

[13] 2:5 Bokim This name means "people crying."

[14] 2:7 elders (Old Testament) Older men who were city leaders and helped make decisions for the people.

[15] 2:11 Baal A false god worshiped by the Canaanites. They believed he brought rain and storms and made the land produce good crops.

[16] 2:12 ancestors Literally, "fathers," meaning a person's parents, grandparents, and all the other people that person is descended from. In the New Testament it usually refers to people who lived during Old Testament times.

[17] 2:13 Ashtoreth Or "Astarte," an important Canaanite goddess, the wife of the Canaanite god Baal and possibly El. Called the "Queen of Heaven," she was the goddess of love and war.

[18] 2:17 were not faithful . other gods Literally, "acted like a prostitute to other gods."

[19] 3:7 Baal A false god worshiped by the Canaanites. They believed he brought rain and storms and made the land produce good crops.

[20] 3:7 Asherah An important Canaanite goddess, the wife of the Canaanite god El and possibly Baal. People thought she could help them have children.

[21] 3:8 Aram Naharaim The area in northern Syria between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

[22] 3:16 12 inches Or, 30 cm. Literally, "1 gomed," probably equivalent to 2/3 of a cubit.

[23] 3:19 statues These were probably statues of gods or animals that "protected" the entrance to the city. Also in verse 26.

[24] 3:21 He was very close . throne This section of the text is found in the ancient Greek version, but it is not in the Hebrew text.

[25] 3:31 Anath The Canaanite goddess of war. Here, this might be Shamgar's father or mother, or it might mean "Shamgar the great soldier" or "Shamgar from the town of Anath."

[26] 3:31 goad A sharp stick that a person used to make animals go the right way.

[27] 4:3 chariot A small, two-wheeled cart pulled by horses and used in war.

[28] 4:7 chariot A small, two-wheeled cart pulled by horses and used in war.

[29] 4:7 Kishon River A river about ten miles from Mount Tabor.

[30] 4:11 father-in-law Or possibly, "son-in-law."

[31] 5:1 Chapter 5 This is a very old song, and many of the lines are hard to understand in the original language.

[32] 5:2 The men . battle This might also mean "When leaders led in Israel" or "When men wore long hair in Israel." Soldiers often dedicated their hair as a special gift to God.

[33] 5:4 Seir Another name for the land of Edom.

[34] 5:4 Edom A country southeast of Judah. It is also known as Seir after the mountain range by that name in Edom. The Edomites are descendants of Esau, Jacob's twin brother. At times, they were enemies of the Israelites.

[35] 5:6 Shamgar son of Anath A judge of Israel. See Judges 3:31.

[36] 5:6 caravan A group of traders with their animals that carried products from one place to another.

[37] 5:7 until you . to Israel Or, "until I came, Deborah, until I came, mother of Israel." Or, "until I established you, Deborah, until I established you, mother of Israel."

[38] 5:8 God chose . gates Or, "They chose to follow new gods. So they had to fight at their city gates." Here, the Hebrew is hard to understand.

[39] 5:10 saddle blankets We are not sure of the meaning of this Hebrew word.

[40] 5:14 hill country of Amalek The area settled by the tribe of Ephraim. See Judges 12:15.

[41] 5:14 Makir This family was part of the tribe of Manasseh that settled in the area east of the Jordan River.

[42] 5:16 walls of your sheep pens Or, "campfires" or "saddlebags."

[43] 5:17 Gilead This area was east of the Jordan River.

[44] 5:21 My soul . strength Or, with some changes it could be, "His mighty charging horses marched forward."

[45] 5:28 chariot A small, two-wheeled cart pulled by horses and used in war.

[46] 6:5 locusts Insects like grasshoppers that could destroy a large crop very quickly. See Ex. 10. The law of Moses said that locusts could be eaten. See Lev. 11:21-22.

[47] 6:7 Verses 7-10 do not appear in the oldest Hebrew copy of the book of Judges, the Dead Sea Scroll fragment, 4QJudgesA.

[48] 6:11-12 beating some wheat That is, separating the grains of wheat from the hulls. Usually this is done near the top of a hill.

[49] 6:11-12 winepress A place dug in rock used to mash grapes and collect the juice for making wine.

[50] 6:13 ancestors Literally, "fathers," meaning a person's parents, grandparents, and all the other people that person is descended from. In the New Testament it usually refers to people who lived during Old Testament times.

[51] 6:15 sir Or, "My Master," a title for God.

[52] 6:19 20 pounds Literally, "1 ephah" (22 l).

[53] 6:23 Calm down Literally, "Peace."

[54] 6:23 You will not die Gideon thought he would die because he had seen the Lord face to face.

[55] 6:24 altar A raised area, pile of stones, or table where sacrifices were offered as gifts to God. An important altar was the one in front of the Temple in Jerusalem. See also "golden altar."

[56] 6:25 altar A raised area, pile of stones, or table where sacrifices were offered as gifts to God. An important altar was the one in front of the Temple in Jerusalem. See also "golden altar."

[57] 6:25 Baal A false god worshiped by the Canaanites. They believed he brought rain and storms and made the land produce good crops.

[58] 6:25 Asherah An important Canaanite goddess, the wife of the Canaanite god El and possibly Baal. People thought she could help them have children.

[59] 6:28 Asherah pole A wooden pole (originally, perhaps, a tree trunk) that was set up to honor the goddess Asherah.

[60] 6:28 altar A raised area, pile of stones, or table where sacrifices were offered as gifts to God. An important altar was the one in front of the Temple in Jerusalem. See also "golden altar."

[61] 6:32 Jerub Baal This is like the Hebrew words meaning "Let Baal argue." The same verb is translated "take one's side" and "defend" in verse 31.

[62] 6:37 threshing Putting newly harvested wheat or other grain on a hard floor and walking on it or beating it with special tools to separate the hulls from the grain.

[63] 7:12 locusts Insects like grasshoppers that could destroy a large crop very quickly. See Ex. 10. The law of Moses said that locusts could be eaten. See Lev. 11:21-22.

[64] 8:2 vineyard A garden or farm where grapes are grown.

[65] 8:4 hungry This is from the ancient Greek version. The Hebrew has "chasing."

[66] 8:26 43 pounds Literally, "1700 [shekels]" (19.55 kg).

[67] 8:27 ephod We don't know exactly what this was. It may have been a special vest or coat, like the high priest of Israel wore. See Ex. 28. Or, it may have been an idol.

[68] 8:27 were not faithful . ephod Literally, "acted like a prostitute to it."

[69] 8:31 slave woman Or "concubine," a woman who was owned by a man and treated like a wife.

[70] 8:33 were not faithful . Baal Literally, "they acted like a prostitute to Baal."

[71] 8:33 Baal Berith A name that means "Lord of the Agreement." It shows that the people were confusing the worship of the true God with the worship of local idols. Also in 9:4.

[72] 9:5 all at the same time Literally, "on one stone." Also in verse 18.

[73] 9:6 Millo This was probably a well-protected part of the city. It might have been in the city itself or somewhere near the city.

[74] 9:7 Mount Gerizim This mountain is right beside the city of Shechem.

[75] 9:20 house of Millo Or, "Royal Family of Millo." The Millo was probably a well-protected part of the city, perhaps even the palace area.

[76] 9:27 vineyard A garden or farm where grapes are grown.

[77] 9:28 men from Hamor This refers to native born citizens of Shechem. Hamor was the father of Shechem in a story in Gen. 34. The city of Shechem is said to have been named after Hamor's son.

[78] 9:31 in the city of Arumah Or, "secretly" or "in Tormah," the town where Abimelech lived as king. It was probably about eight miles south of Shechem.

[79] 9:37 Land's Navel . Magician's Tree Two places in the hills near Shechem.

[80] 9:46 Tower of Shechem This was probably a place near Shechem but not actually part of the city.

[81] 9:46 safest room We are not sure of the meaning of this Hebrew word. Also in verse 49.

[82] 9:46 El Berith The name of this god means "God of the Agreement." Also in verse 49.

[83] 9:48 Mount Zalmon This is probably another name for Mount Ebal, a mountain near Shechem.

[84] 10:4 30 sons who rode 30 donkeys This showed that these men were important leaders, possibly the mayors of the 30 towns in Gilead.

[85] 10:6 Baal A false god worshiped by the Canaanites. They believed he brought rain and storms and made the land produce good crops.

[86] 10:6 Ashtoreth Or "Astarte," an important Canaanite goddess, the wife of the Canaanite god Baal and possibly El. Called the "Queen of Heaven," she was the goddess of love and war.

[87] 10:12 Midianites This is the ancient Greek version. The Hebrew has "The Maonites."

[88] 11:5 elders (Old Testament) Older men who were city leaders and helped make decisions for the people.

[89] 11:14 So the messengers . Jephthah This is from the ancient Greek version. The Hebrew text does not have this sentence.

[90] 11:24 Chemosh The national god of the country of Moab.

[91] 11:25 Balak son of Zippor See Num. 22-24 for his story.

[92] 11:31 burnt offering A gift to God. Usually these were animals that were killed and completely burned on the altar.

[93] 12:14 They rode on 70 donkeys This showed that they were important leaders, possibly mayors of their towns.

[94] 13:4 unclean Or "unacceptable." Not pure or not fit to be eaten or used in worshiping God. See Lev. 11-15 for the Old Testament rules about clean and unclean things.

[95] 13:5 dedicate To set apart something for God or for a special purpose, which means it can then be used only for that purpose.

[96] 13:5 Nazirite A person who has made a special vow of dedication to God. This name is from the Hebrew word meaning "to separate" or "to consecrate" and refers to the promise Nazirites made to set themselves apart for God and to separate themselves from others by not drinking wine or any other intoxicating drink or eating anything made from grapes, by not touching a dead body, and by not cutting their hair.

[97] 13:6 man of God Another title for a prophet. See "prophet."

[98] 13:16 burnt offering A gift to God. Usually these were animals that were killed and completely burned on the altar.

[99] 13:18 It is too amazing . to believe Or, "It is Pelei." This means "amazing" or "wonderful." This is like the name "Wonderful Counselor" in Isa. 9:6.

[100] 13:19 Lord and to the One Who Does Amazing Things Or, "The Lord Who Does Amazing Things." Both of these are names for God, but Manoah didn't know the man was really the Angel of the Lord.

[101] 13:20 altar A raised area, pile of stones, or table where sacrifices were offered as gifts to God. An important altar was the one in front of the Temple in Jerusalem. See also "golden altar."

[102] 14:3 circumcise, circumcision Cutting off the foreskin of the male sex organ, which was done to every Jewish baby boy. It was a mark of the agreement God made with Abraham. Read Gen. 17:9-14.

[103] 14:5 vineyard A garden or farm where grapes are grown.

[104] 14:15 fourth day This is from the ancient Greek version. The Hebrew has "seventh day."

[105] 15:5 vineyard A garden or farm where grapes are grown.

[106] 15:16 piled In Hebrew, the word "pile" is like the word "donkey."

[107] 15:17 Ramath Lehi This name means "Jawbone Heights."

[108] 15:19 En Hakkore This means "The spring of the one who calls."

[109] 16:5 28 pounds Literally, "1100 [shekels]" (12.6 kg).

[110] 16:7 fresh, new bowstrings Bowstrings were often made from sinew (tendons) which is brittle after it becomes old and dry.

[111] 16:13 loom A machine used for making cloth.

[112] 16:13 so Delilah . head This is found in the ancient Greek version. It is not in the Hebrew text.

[113] 16:14 shuttle The tool used to pull the threads back and forth on a loom to make cloth.

[114] 16:17 dedicate To set apart something for God or for a special purpose, which means it can then be used only for that purpose.

[115] 16:23 Dagon A false god worshiped by the Canaanites in the hope that he would give them a good harvest of grain. When the Philistines settled in Canaan, they adopted Dagon as their most important god.

[116] 17:2 28 pounds Literally, "1100 [shekels]" (12.6 kg). Also in verse 3.

[117] 17:4 5 pounds Literally, "200 [shekels]" (2.3 kg).

[118] 17:4 silversmith A person who makes things from silver.

[119] 17:5 ephod We don't know exactly what this was. It may have been a special vest or coat, like the high priest of Israel wore. See Ex. 28. Or, it may have been an idol.

[120] 17:7 Levite Any of the men from the tribe of Levi, who helped the Israelite priests in the Holy Tent (Tabernacle) and Temple. In later periods some Levites worked for the civil government.

[121] 17:10 4 ounces Literally, "10 [shekels]" (115g).

[122] 18:3 Levite Any of the men from the tribe of Levi, who helped the Israelite priests in the Holy Tent (Tabernacle) and Temple. In later periods some Levites worked for the civil government.

[123] 18:7 they did not have . Aram Or, "they did not have any dealings with people."

[124] 18:12 Mahaneh Dan This name means "The Camp of Dan."

[125] 18:14 ephod We don't know exactly what this was. It may have been a special vest or coat, like the high priest of Israel wore. See Ex. 28. Or, it may have been an idol. Also in verse 20.

[126] 18:29 ancestors Literally, "fathers," meaning a person's parents, grandparents, and all the other people that person is descended from. In the New Testament it usually refers to people who lived during Old Testament times.

[127] 18:30 Moses Or, "Manasseh."

[128] 19:1 Levite Any of the men from the tribe of Levi, who helped the Israelite priests in the Holy Tent (Tabernacle) and Temple. In later periods some Levites worked for the civil government.

[129] 19:2 slave woman Or "concubine," a woman who was owned by a man and treated like a wife.

[130] 19:12 Gibeah Gibeah was a few miles north of Jebus. Jebus was the old name for Jerusalem.

[131] 19:18 my house This is from the ancient Greek version. The Hebrew has "the Lord's house."

[132] 19:23 This man . my house At this time, it was a custom that if you invited people to be your guests, you had to protect and care for those people.

[133] 20:1 from everywhere in Israel Literally, "from Dan to Beersheba."

[134] 20:1 Gilead This area was east of the Jordan River.

[135] 20:4 slave woman Or "concubine," a woman who was owned by a man and treated like a wife.

[136] 20:9 lots Stones, sticks, or bones used like dice for making decisions. See Prov. 16:33.

[137] 20:16 trained . left hand Literally, "restrained in their right hand."

[138] 20:16 sling A strip of leather used for throwing rocks.

[139] 20:26 burnt offering A gift to God. Usually these were animals that were killed and completely burned on the altar.

[140] 20:26 fellowship offering An offering to God that was also eaten by the person giving the sacrifice and shared with others, especially during New Moon celebrations.

[141] 20:27 Box of the Agreement Or, traditionally, "Ark of the Covenant." The special box kept in the Most Holy Place of the Israelite Holy Tent and, later, the Jerusalem Temple. It contained the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments written on them, which were evidence or "proof " of the agreement between God and his people. In some passages it is literally, "Box of the Testimony." See Ex. 25:10-22; 1 Kings 8:1-9.

[142] 21:4 altar A raised area, pile of stones, or table where sacrifices were offered as gifts to God. An important altar was the one in front of the Temple in Jerusalem. See also "golden altar."

[143] 21:4 burnt offering A gift to God. Usually these were animals that were killed and completely burned on the altar.

[144] 21:4 fellowship offering An offering to God that was also eaten by the person giving the sacrifice and shared with others, especially during New Moon celebrations.

[145] 21:11 But do not kill . these things This is in the ancient Greek version, but not in the Hebrew.

[146] 21:20 elders (Old Testament) Older men who were city leaders and helped make decisions for the people.

[147] 21:20 vineyard A garden or farm where grapes are grown.

© Copyright 2004 World Bible Translation Center.