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@ -803,129 +803,129 @@ front:intro v8pn 0 # Introduction to Judges\n\n## Part 1: General Introductio
9:16 nu7n rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor בֵּית֔⁠וֹ 1 Here, **house** means all the people descended from a particular person. Alternate translation: “his descendants”
9:16 j411 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy כִּ⁠גְמ֥וּל יָדָ֖י⁠ו 1 Jotham is using the word **hands** to mean to what his father **Jerubaal** (Gideon) did for the Israelites, by association with the way people use their hands to do things. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “according to what his actions deserved”
9:17 x8ae rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical אֲשֶׁר־נִלְחַ֥ם אָבִ֖⁠י עֲלֵי⁠כֶ֑ם וַ⁠יַּשְׁלֵ֤ךְ אֶת־נַפְשׁ⁠וֹ֙ מִ⁠נֶּ֔גֶד וַ⁠יַּצֵּ֥ל אֶתְ⁠כֶ֖ם מִ⁠יַּ֥ד מִדְיָֽן 1 If you have decided to translate the long sentence in verses 16–19 as a series of shorter sentences, you could make this verse a sentence of its own. Alternate translation: “Now consider how my father fought for you and threw his life in front and delivered you from the hand of Midian.”
9:17 fpm7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-background Jotham is providing background information to remind the lords of Shechem what Gideon had done for the Israelites. They already know this information, but he is bringing it their attention and emphasizing it to show that they have not treated Gideon and his family “according to the deserving of his hands,” as he said in the previous verse. In your translation, introduce this information in a way that would be natural in your own language and culture. Alternate translation: “considering that”
9:17 j412 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom and threw his life in front Jotham is using a common expression that means that Gideon risked his life by leading the armies of Israel and thus going **in front** of them into battle against the Midianites. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation. You could also state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “and put his life on the line” or “and risked his life”
9:18 j413 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast but today you have arisen against the house of my father and have killed his sons, 70 men upon one stone, and you have made Abimelek, the son of his female slave, reign over the lords of Shechem because he is your brother— The word translated as **but** shows that in this verse, Jotham is drawing a contrast between the way the lords of Shechem should implicitly have treated Gideon and what they actually did to his descendants. In your translation, introduce this contrast in a way that is natural in your language. Since this contrasting material is supplemental to the if-then condition that Jotham develops over the course of verses 16–19, you may want to use punctuation to set it apart in some way, such as by setting it off with dashes, as the ULT does, or by putting it in parentheses.
9:18 j414 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical but today you have arisen against the house of my father and have killed his sons, 70 men upon one stone, and you have made Abimelek, the son of his female slave, reign over the lords of Shechem because he is your brother— If you have decided to translate the long sentence in verses 16–19 as a series of shorter sentences, you could make this verse a sentence of its own. You may wish to state some implicit ideas explicitly for the sake of continuity. Alternate translation: “But you have not treated my father and his family fairly. Instead, today you have arisen against them and have killed his sons, 70 men upon one stone, and you have made Abimelek, the son of his female slave, reign over the lords of Shechem because he is your brother.”
9:18 cr5w rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom have arisen Jotham is using the word **arisen** within a common expression in which it ordinarily describes subjects revolting against their rulers. In [8:23](../08/23.md), Gideon refused to become king and to have his son and grandson be kings after him, so the lords of Shechem did not literally revolt against the rule of Gideon’s family. Jotham’s point may be that if anyone were to be their king, it should have been Gideon’s legal heirs (just as the olive tree, fig tree, and grapevine would have made better kings than the thornbush), so in that sense making Abimelek king was a revolt against those who should have been accepted as authorities. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “have revolted”
9:18 i5zw rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor the house of See how you translated the term **house** in [9:16](../09/16.md). Alternate translation: “the descendants of”
9:18 c154 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit the son of his female slave The author says in [8:31](../08/31.md) that Abimelek’s mother was Gideon’s “concubine.” This means that she was a legal but secondary wife whose children did not have inheritance rights. While female slaves sometimes did become the concubines of their masters, not every concubine was a female slave. Abimelek’s mother seems to have come from a family of standing in Shechem; Gideon may have married her as a concubine rather than as a full wife because she was a foreigner, from the surviving Canaanite population of Shechem. So Jotham is disparaging her by calling her a **female slave**. His main point seems to be that Abimelek has no rights of inheritance and thus no claim to become king. (Unfortunately Gideon suggested otherwise when he named this son Abimelek, meaning “my father is king.”) You could bring out this emphasis in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “who has no rights of inheritance and so no claim to become king as Gideon’s son”
9:18 j415 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor is your brother See how you translated the term **brother** in [9:3](../09/03.md). Alternate translation: “is your kinsman”
9:19 cwl5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical now if you have acted in truth and in integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, rejoice in Abimelek, and may he also rejoice in you. Jotham is concluding the long hypothetical statement he began in [9:16](../06/16.md). He is repeating the **if** part of it for clarity, since he has said many other things after first stating that part. If it would be helpful in your language, you could explicitly state the implied “then” before that part of the statement. If you have been translating verses 16–19 as a series of shorter sentences, you could make this verse a sentence of its own and indicate that Jotham is introducing his conclusion here. Alternate translation: “So to conclude, if you have acted in truth and in integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelek, and may he also rejoice in you”
9:19 r5ce rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-doublet in truth and in integrity & his house See how you translated these expressions in [9:16](../09/16.md). Alternate translation: “with complete sincerity … his descendants”
9:20 rv9v rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical But if not, may fire go forth Jotham is describing a further condition in which a second event would take place if a first event had. If it would be helpful in your language, you could explicitly state the implied “then” before the second part of this statement. Alternate translation: “But if not, then may fire go forth”
9:20 j416 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis But if not Jotham is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You can supply these words from the context if that would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “But if you have not acted in truth and in integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day”
9:20 g8i6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor 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 Jotham is speaking as if **fire** would literally **go forth** from Abimelek and burn up the lords of Shechem and Beth Millo and as if fire from them would also burn up Abimelek. Jotham is using fire to represent the destruction of warfare. He means that, if Abimelek and the lords of Shechem have not treated Gideon and his family right, then he hopes and expects that they will turn against each other and fight a war and destroy each other. (Part of what he said actually was fulfilled literally, when Abimelek burned the tower of Shechem, as verse 49 describes.) If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “may Abimelek and you lords of Shechem fight a war against each other that destroys all of you”
9:21 j417 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit escaped and fled While the words **escaped** and **fled** mean similar things, the author does not seem to be using them together for emphasis (for example, to mean “hurriedly ran away”) or to express a single idea through them (for example, to mean “escaped by running away”). He seems to mean implicitly that Jotham **escaped** from Shechem, that is, he was able to shout his message without being captures, and then **fled** to the city of Beer where he was apparently safe from Abimelek. You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “escaped from Shechem and fled for safety”
9:21 pan4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names The word **Beer** is the name of a city.
9:21 j418 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy from the face of Here the word **face** represents the presence of a person by association with the way people can see the face of someone who is present. Alternate translation: “from the presence of” or “where he was safe from”
9:21 j419 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-kinship his brother Jotham and Abimelek had the same father but not the same mother. Your language may have its own term or expression for this relationship. Alternate translation: “his father’s son”
9:22 j420 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche Israel The author is using all of **Israel** to mean one part of Israel. The narrative suggests that Abimelek ruled primarily over the city of Shechem and its surrounding towns. (Recall from [1:7](../01/07.md) that in Canaan at this time, each city and town had a ruler who had the title of “king.”) His authority and influence may have extended somewhat farther from there, through the territory of Ephraim and possibly into neighboring tribes. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “that part of Israel”
9:23 bv9r rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit Then God sent a bad spirit between Abimelek and between the lords of Shechem The word **spirit** could refer to: (1) the attitude that Abimelek and the lords of Shechem had towards 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.” Alternate translation: “Then God caused hostility between Abimelek and the lords of Shechem” (2) a spiritual being. Alternate translation: “Then God sent a spiritual being that caused Abimelek and the lords of Shechem to fight with each other”
9:23 j421 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-newevent Then The author is introducing a new event in the story. The ULT indicates this with the word **Then**. Use a word, phrase, or other method in your language that is natural for introducing a new event.
9:24 xf1e rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result the violence of the 70 sons of Jerubbaal to come, and their blood to put, upon Abimelek This verse is giving the reason why God “sent a bad spirit,” as the previous verse described. It is not indicating why or how the lords of Shechem “dealt treacherously” with Abimelek. You may wish to clarify this for your readers. It may be helpful to begin a new sentence here. Alternate translation: “God did this so that the violence of the 70 sons of Jerubbaal would come upon, and to put their blood upon, Abimelek”
9:24 j422 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-possession the violence of the 70 sons of Jerubbaal The author is using this possessive form to describe the **violence** that was committed against **the 70 sons of Jerubbaal**, not to describe any violence that they committed. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: “the violence that was committed against the 70 sons of Jerubbaal” or “the violence that the 70 sons of Jerubbaal suffered”
9:24 j423 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom and their blood to put, upon Abimelek their brother who killed them The expression **to put** the **blood** of one person on another means to hold responsible and punish that other person for killing the first one. This expression uses the term **blood** by association to mean death. Alternate translation: “and to hold their brother Abimelek, who killed them, responsible for their deaths” or “and to avenge their deaths by punishing their brother Abimelek, who killed them”
9:24 j424 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-kinship their brother & his brothers See how you translated the term “brother” in [9:21](../09/21.md). Alternate translation: “their father’s son … his father’s sons”
9:24 j425 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom who strengthened his hands This expression means that the lords of Shechem enabled Abimelek to do something he could not otherwise have done. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “who enabled him” or “who gave him the means”
9:25 b7tx rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit against him The phrase **against him** could mean: (1) to the disadvantage of Abimelek, that is, discrediting his authority and undermining the stability of his rule. Alternate translation: “to his disadvantage” (2) to watch for Abimelek and try to capture him. Alternate translation: “to try to capture him”
9:25 j426 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit on the tops of the hills By **hills**, the author may mean Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. (This word can describe either hills or mountains.) The city of Shechem was in a valley between those two mountains. See how you translated the expression “on the top of Mount Gerizim” in [9:7](../09/07.md). Alternate translation: “up high on Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal”
9:25 pd3x rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive and it was told to Abimelek If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “and someone told Abimelek about this”
9:26 r2ue rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names The words **Gaal** and **Ebed** are the names of men.
9:26 j427 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor with his brothers Here the term **brothers** probably does not describe men who have the same parents. It could be referring to: (1) a band of men who traveled about with Gaal. Some of them may have been related to him, but they were not all necessarily his relatives. Alternate translation: “with a band of men” (2) men who were related to Gaal but who were not all necessarily his literal brothers. Alternate translation: “with some of his kinsmen”
9:27 i6sf rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns And they went out The author is using the pronoun **they** to mean the people of the city of Shechem. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: “And the people of Shechem went out”
9:27 j428 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy and cut off their vineyards The author is using the term **vineyards** by association to mean the grapes on the vines in the vineyards. Alternate translation: “and cut clusters of grapes off the vines in their vineyards”
9:27 r8w9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit and trod The author is leaving some information implicit that he assumes readers will understand. He means that the people of Shechem **trod** on the grapes that they had picked. That is, they stepped on them to squeeze the juice out of them so that they could make wine from it. You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “and squeezed the grapes to make wine”
9:27 j429 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown and they made offerings Based on its one other use in [Leviticus 19:24](../lev/19/24.md), the term translated as **offerings** refers to fruit that people brought into a temple and ate, or drank as juice, as part of a harvest thanksgiving celebration. Alternate translation: “and they prepared fruit offerings to give thanks for their harvest”
9:27 d9l2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor {into} the house of their god The author is speaking of the temple of the **god** that the people of Shechem worshiped as if it were a **house** in which that false god lived. See how you translated the similar expression in [9:4](../09/04.md). Alternate translation: “into the temple of their god”
9:28 w9hj rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion “Who {is} Abimelek, and who {is} Shechem, that we should serve him? {Is he} not the son of Jerubbaal, and {is not} Zebul his deputy? Gaal is using the question form for emphasis. If a speaker of your language would not use the question form for that purpose, you could translate these questions as statements or exclamations. Alternate translation: “We should not serve Abimelek, even though he is from Shechem! After all, he is the son of Jerubbaal! And Zebul is just somebody he appointed.”
9:28 j430 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy Who {is} Abimelek, and who {is} Shechem, that we should serve him? Gaal is using the name **Shechem** by association to mean Abimelek, probably because Abimelek is from Shechem. Alternate translation: “Who is Abimelek? Who is this man from Shechem, that we should serve him?”
9:28 dfp7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism Who {is} Abimelek, and who {is} Shechem, that we should serve him? The first two phrases mean basically the same thing. Gaal is referring to the same person by the names **Abimelek** and **Shechem**. However, there is a slight difference in meaning. The second phrase makes a mild concession, indicating that perhaps there is some basis to serve Abimelek, since he is from the city of Shechem and his mother is related to the people who live there. (In [9:3](../09/03.md), the people of the city say of Abimelek, “He is our brother,” meaning “our kinsman.”) You may wish to indicate this in your translation. Alternate translation: “Why should we serve Abimelek, even though he is from Shechem?”
9:28 j431 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive that we should serve him Gaal is using the pronoun **we** to refer to himself and his listeners, so use the inclusive form of that word if your language marks that distinction.
9:28 a6ws rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit {Is he} not the son of Jerubbaal Gaal is implicitly suggesting a reason why the people of Shechem should not serve Abimelek. His point is that Abimelek is the son of somebody outside their people group, an Israelite. Gaal may be using the name Jerubbaal instead of Gideon to make a further point, that Abimelek’s father opposed the worship of Baal, while the people of Shechem are devoted to Baal. You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “He is the son of Jerubbaal, an Israelite who opposed the worship of Baal”
9:28 j432 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-participants and {is not} Zebul his deputy? Serve the men of Hamor The author could have indicated in [9:22](../09/22.md), when he briefly described Abimelek’s reign, that Abimelek appointed a man named Zebul as his **deputy** to govern Shechem when he was not present there. However, the author is instead reporting what Gaal said at this festival as a way of introducing **Zebul** as a new participant in the story. If this would not be clear to your readers, you could explain this as background information. Alternate translation: “and is not Zebul his deputy?’ (Abimelek had appointed a man named Zebul to govern Shechem when he was not present there.) ‘Serve the men of Hamor”
9:28 b36z rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names The word **Zebul** is the name of a man.
9:28 j433 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-plural Serve the men of Hamor Gaal may be using the plural form **men** to indicate what the people of Shechem should regularly do. However, on this occasion, he means that they should serve a specific descendant of Hamor, their ancestor, instead of Abimelek. Alternate translation: “You should always be serving one of the descendants of Hamor” or “You should be serving a fellow descendant of Hamor instead”
9:28 rq5n rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor the father of Shechem While a man named **Hamor** had literally been the **father** of a man named **Shechem** ([Genesis 34:2](../gen/34/02.md)), Gaal probably means that Hamor was the ancestor of the people who lived in Shechem. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “the founder of Shechem” or “the ancestor of the people of Shechem”
9:28 j434 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns But why should we ourselves serve him? For emphasis, Gaal is stating a pronoun whose meaning is already present in the verb translated **serve**. The ULT translates this stated pronoun with the intensive pronoun **ourselves**. Gaal seems to be drawing an explicit contrast between the people of Shechem and Abimelek in terms of ancestry. Alternate translation: “But why should we, who are descendants of Hamor, serve Abimelek, who is an Israelite?”
9:28 ju72 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion But why should we ourselves serve him? Gaal is 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: “But we ourselves should not serve Abimelek!”
9:29 v1e2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom Now who will give this people into my hand? The question **who will give** was a characteristic way for a Hebrew speaker to introduce a wish. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate this question as a statement or exclamation expressing a wish. Alternate translation: “I wish that someone would give this people into my hand!”
9:29 j435 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy Now who will give this people into my hand? Here, **hand** represents the power that one person has over another person or over a group. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “I wish that someone would give me power over this people!” or “I wish that someone would make me the ruler of this people!”
9:29 j436 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-apostrophe And he said to Abimelek, ‘Increase your army and come out.’” Gaal is speaking to Abimelek even though he is not present and cannot hear him. Gaal is doing this to show in a strong way how he feels about Abimelek. He is actually speaking to the people who can hear him, the others who are present at this feast. If your readers might not understand why Gaal is speaking to someone who is not present, you could translate his words as if he were speaking directly to others who are present. You could also describe what Gaal is doing here, as the UST does. Alternate translation, continuing the direct quotation: “I would fight against him and his whole army and defeat him!”
9:29 j437 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit Increase your army Gaal is probably not saying that Abimelek should seek a larger number of troops than are already at his disposal. He is probably saying that even if Abimelek summoned all of the men who would willingly serve in his army, he would not be afraid to fight a battle with him. (Abimelek probably ordinarily traveled with just a small number of bodyguards, and Gaal is boasting that he could defeat a much larger force than that.) You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “mobilize your forces”
9:30 a53k rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy the words of Gaal The author is using the term **words** to represent what Gaal said by using words. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “what Gaal said”
9:30 u13b rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor and his nose burned See how you translated the similar expression in [2:14](../02/14.md). Alternate translation: “and he became furious”
9:31 u898 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns in deceit If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of **deceit**, you could express the same idea in another way. The idea is that Zebul sent the messengers openly but pretended that he was sending them for some other reason. The idea is not that Zebul sent the messengers secretly so that no one knew he had sent them. Alternate translation: “deceitfully”
9:31 j438 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor and his brothers {are} come to Shechem See how you translated the similar expression in [9:26](../09/26.md). Alternate translation: “has come to Shechem with a band of men”
9:31 gvg1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy the city Zebul’s messengers are using the term **city** by association to mean the people of the city. Alternate translation: “the people of the city”
9:32 j18v rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases So now The messengers are not using the word **now** to mean “at this moment.” They are using the word to draw attention to the important point that follows. Alternate translation: “So this is what you should do:”
9:32 j439 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-imperative arise & and hide While these are imperatives, the messengers are using them to communicate a recommendation from Zebul rather than a command. Translate them with a form that someone would use in your language to address a superior. Alternate translation: “I would recommend that you arise … and hide”
9:32 j440 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom arise See how you translated this word in [4:14](../04/14.md). While Abimelek and his troops would have to get up out of bed in order to travel to Shechem **at night**, the meaning is not simply that they should do that, but that they should take action to defeat the rebellion. Alternate translation: “get going” or, perhaps more deferentially, “take action”
9:32 mrh8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit and hide in the field The verb translated as **hide** here is the same one that was translated as “ambushers” in [9:25](../09/25.md). The implicit idea is that Abimelek and his troops will hide not just so that they cannot be seen, but so that they can launch a surprise attack in the morning. You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “and set an ambush in the field”
9:32 j441 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit in the field Since [9:36](../09/36.md) indicates that Abimelek and his troops launched their attack from “the tops of the hills,” and the people of Shechem grew their crops in the valley between the hills, not up on the hills, the messengers are probably using the word **field** to mean the open area outside the city. You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “in the countryside”
9:33 j442 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-declarative And it will happen in the morning, & you will start early and you will rush against the city & and you will do to him The messengers are using verb forms that could make a future statement to continue to convey a recommendation from Zebul. As in the previous verse, translate them with a form that someone would use in your language to address a superior. Alternate translation: “That way, in the morning … you will be able to start early and rush against the city … and you will be able to do to him”
9:33 j443 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-yousingular you will start early and you will rush & against you, and you will do & your hand The words **you** and **your** are singular throughout this verse because the messengers are addressing Abimelek directly. However, they are speaking of what he and his troops will do, so it may be more natural for you to use plural forms if your language marks that distinction.
9:33 j444 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns he The pronoun **he** refers to Gaal. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: “Gaal”
9:33 k1f3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom according to what your hand finds The messengers are using a common expression that means that Abimelek would do what the opportunity allowed and the situation directed. In other words, Zebul was not making any further recommendation about what Abimelek should do at this point but leaving it to his discretion. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “as the opportunity presents”
9:34 be8t rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom arose See how you translated the similar expression in [9:32](../09/32.md). Alternate translation: “got going”
9:34 j445 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit and they ambushed against Shechem The verb translated as **ambushed** here is the same one that was translated as “ambushers” in [9:25](../09/25.md) and as “hide” in [9:32](../09/32.md). Abimelek and his troops followed Zebul’s advice to hide so that they could not be seen and so that they could launch a surprise attack in the morning. Alternate translation: “and they set up an ambush against Shechem”
9:35 j446 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit And Gaal, the son of Ebed, went out and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city See the discussion of this verse in the General Notes to this chapter. Since the author does not say explicitly why Gaal **stood in the entrance of the gate of the city**, it would probably be best to say no more about this in your translation than the original text does.
9:35 j447 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom arose from the ambush In this context, the word **arose** does refer literally to standing up from a sitting or lying position. Alternate translation: “stood up from where they had been hiding”
9:36 j448 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit to Zebul The author expects readers to understand implicitly that Zebul had gone out to the city gate with Gaal. You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “to Zebul, who had gone out to the gate with him”
9:36 gz9v rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit But Zebul said to him The author expects readers to understand implicitly that Zebul is not sharing an honest opinion with Gaal. Zebul is trying to deceive him into thinking that Abimelek has not yet arrived, so that Gaal will not be able to prepare his defenses sufficiently. You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “But Zebul said to him deceptively”
9:37 j449 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-plural people {are} coming down Here the expression **coming down** is plural, even though the subject, **people**, is singular. In the previous verse, with the same subject, “coming down” was singular. This suggests that Gaal was speaking of a single group of people in the previous verse and that here he is using **people** in a collective sense to mean several groups of people. He is now able to distinguish the separate companies, as Abimelek’s troops get closer. If it would be helpful to your readers, you may wish to reflect this distinction in your translation. The UST models one way to do that.
9:37 j450 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-transliterate the navel of the land This expression could be: (2) a description of some geographic feature. Alternate translation: “the center of the land” or “the crest of that hill” (1) the name of one of the hills around Shechem. Gaal could be pointing out a specific location by name, as he does later in the verse by naming a large tree. If you represent this as a name, you could translate the meaning into your own language, or you could use the words of the Hebrew text and spell them the way they sound in your language. Alternate translation: “the Navel of the Land” or “Tabbur-haarez”
9:37 j451 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-transliterate the Oak of the Diviners This expression could be: (1) the name of a large tree near Shechem. You could translate the meaning of this name into your own language, or you could use the words of the Hebrew text and spell them the way they sound in your language. Alternate translation: “the Fortunetellers’ Tree” or “Elon-meonenim” (2) a description of some geographic feature. Alternate translation: “that large tree over there where people tell fortunes”
9:38 j452 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy “Where now {is} your mouth, by which you said, ‘Who {is} Abimelek, that we should serve him?’ Zebul is referring to the confidence that led Gaal to boast against Abimelek by association with the **mouth** with which Gaal made this boast. Alternate translation: “Where now is the confidence that led you to say, ‘Who {is} Abimelek, that we should serve him?’”
9:38 qap7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion “Where now {is} your mouth, by which you said, ‘Who {is} Abimelek, that we should serve him?’ Zebul is 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 no longer seem as confident as when you said, ‘Who {is} Abimelek, that we should serve him?’”
9:38 j453 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes by which you said, ‘Who {is} Abimelek, that we should serve him?’ If it would be clearer in your language, you could translate this so that there is not a quotation within a quotation. Alternate translation: “by which you asked who Abimelek was, that you should serve him”
9:38 fub2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion Who {is} Abimelek, that we should serve him? If you translated the similar expression in [9:28](../09/28.md) as a statement or an exclamation, you could do the same thing here. Alternate translation: “We should not serve Abimelek!”
9:38 j454 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive that we should serve him In the statement he made in [9:28](../09/28.md), which Zebul is quoting here, Gaal was using the pronoun **we** to refer to himself and his listeners, so use the inclusive form of that word if your language marks that distinction. If you translate this statement as an indirect quotation, the word “you” that is equivalent to **we** should be plural.
9:38 qdj1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion {Is} this not the people that you despised? Gaal is 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: “These is the people that you despised!”
9:38 j455 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-collectivenouns against it Gaal is thinking of these **people** as a group and so he is using the singular pronoun **it**. It may be more natural in your language to use a plural pronoun. Alternate translation: “against them”
9:39 j456 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche So Gaal went out & and he fought with Abimelek. As the General Introduction to Judges discuss, the author is using **Gaal** and **Abimelek** to represent them and their armies. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “So Gaal led his soldiers into battle … against Abimelek and his soldiers”
9:39 j457 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom to the face of the lords of Shechem This could mean: (1) that the **lords of Shechem** watched as Gaal went out to fight Abimelek. They may have wanted to see whether he could fulfill the boasts he made in [9:29](../09/29.md) when he said he wanted to be their ruler. Alternate translation: “as the lords of Shechem watched” (2) that Gaal led the **lords of Shechem** and their men into battle. This seems less likely, as the story only describes the people of Shechem going out of the city the next day. Alternate translation: “as the commander of the lords of Shechem and their men”
9:40 j458 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche And Abimelek pursued him The author is using the last thing that happened in this battle to mean everything that happened in the battle. Abimelek and his army defeated Gaal and his men, so they retreated, and Abimelek **pursued** them. Alternate translation: “And Abimelek routed him” or “And Abimelek defeated him so that he gave up and retreated”
9:40 j459 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-nominaladj wounded The author is using the adjective **wounded** as a noun to mean a certain kind of person. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you can translate this adjective with an equivalent phrase. Alternate translation: “wounded soldiers”
9:40 p7lv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy fell The author is using the word **fell** to mean “died,” by association with the way that people fall down when they die. Alternate translation: “died”
9:40 j460 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit unto the entrance of the gate The implication is that Gaal’s men would have been safe if they had been able to go through the **gate** back into the city. You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “before they could get safely back inside the city gate”
9:41 y21z rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names The word **Arumah** is the name of a town. It was about five miles away from Shechem.
9:41 j461 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor and his brothers See how you translated the same expression in [9:26](../09/26.md). Alternate translation: “and his band of men”
9:42 j462 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-tense went out It is clear from the narrative that this action was not completed by the time it was **reported** to Abimelek. It was something that the people were planning to do and that was in process. It may be more natural in your language to use a different verb tense to indicate this. Alternate translation: “were going out”
9:42 j463 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-collectivenouns to the field The author is using the word **field** to mean all of the cultivated land around Shechem. It may be more natural in your language to use the plural form of that word, here and in the next two verses. Alternate translation: “to the fields”
9:42 em2h rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns and they reported {this} to Abimelek The pronoun **they** is indefinite here; it does not have a specific referent in the immediate context. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate this with a different expression that does not use an indefinite pronoun. Alternate translation: “and this was reported to Abimelek”
9:43 j464 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit the people & the people In its first instance in this verse, the expression **the people** refers to Abimelek’s army, as in [9:34–38](../01/01.md). In its second instance, this expression refers to the citizens of Shechem, as in [9:42](../09/42.md). You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. The UST models one way to do this.
9:43 e8ph rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit and hid See how you translated the word “hide” in [9:32](../09/32.md). Alternate translation: “and set an ambush”
9:44 j465 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases For Abimelek In this verse, the author provides fuller details about how Abimelek and his soldiers killed the people of Shechem who had gone out into the fields, as he described briefly at the end of the previous verse. The ULT indicates this with the word **For**. Your language may have a connecting word that you can use in your translation to indicate that this verse is providing fuller details about what the author has just said.
9:44 h6g9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns And they stood The context indicates that the pronoun **they** refers Abimelek and the soldiers who were with him in one of the three **companies** into which he had divided his army. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: “And Abimelek and the men who were with him in one company stood”
9:44 a246 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit {at} the entrance of the gate of the city The author means implicitly that Abimelek and one group of soldiers went to the **gate of the city** to keep anyone who was in the fields from getting back into the city for safety. You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “{at} the entrance of the gate of the city to keep anyone from getting back into the city for safety”
9:45 j466 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor and sowed it {with} salt The author is speaking as if Abimelek literally took **salt** and **sowed** it as seed that would grow up from the ground. He means that Abimelek scattered salt all over the ruins of Shechem the way people in this culture scattered seed that they were planting. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “and scattered salt all over it”
9:45 t928 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction and sowed it {with} salt Scattering salt all over the ruins of Shechem was a symbolic action. Abimelek did this to express the wish that the city would always be an uninhabited wasteland, like a salt desert. It was as if he was saying, “May no one ever live here again.” If it would be helpful to your readers, you could explain the significance of this action. Alternate translation: “and sowed it {with} salt to express the wish that it would always be an uninhabited wasteland”
9:46 j467 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-participants the lords of the tower of Shechem These are probably old participants in the story, that is, people whom the author has mentioned earlier. They seem to be the same people who are described in [9:6](../09/06.md) as “Beth Millo,” officers from a military post near the city that included its defensive tower. If your language has its own way of introducing new participants, you can use it here in your translation. Alternate translation: “the officers of the military post that included the tower of Shechem”
9:46 lty1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor the house of See how you translated the same expression in [9:4](../09/04.md). Alternate translation: “the temple of”
9:46 kw6q rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names El-Berith The expression **El-Berith** seems to be another name for the false god that is called Baal-Berith in [8:33](../08/33.md) and [9:4](../09/04.md). El-Berith means “god of the covenant,” while Baal-Berith means “master of the covenant.” So that readers will know that this is the same false god, you could use the name Baal-Berith here, or you could use a general expression. Alternate translation: “their false god”
9:47 hnv1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive And it was reported to Abimelek If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “And someone reported to Abimelek”
9:48 h1s8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names The word **Zalmon** is the name of a mountain near Shechem.
9:48 j468 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom took axes in his hand In this context, as the similar uses in [1 Samuel 14:34](../1sa/14/34.md) and [Jeremiah 38:10](../jer/38/10.md) show, this expression means that Abimelek brought axes with him. That is, he had his men bring as many axes with them as they could. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “brought axes with him” or “had his men bring axes with them”
9:49 thc7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit and they burned the citadel upon them with fire This could mean: (1) that Abimelek and his men burned the citadel by means of the branches. Alternate translation: “and they used them to burn the citadel with fire” (2) that the flames from the branches went up and burned the walls and tower of the citadel. Alternate translation: “and they burned with fire the citadel that was above the branches”
9:49 j469 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicitinfo and they burned the citadel upon them with fire It might seem that the expression **burned … with fire** contains extra information that would be unnatural to express in your language. If so, you can shorten it. Alternate translation: “and they used them to set fire to the citadel” or “and they burned the citadel with them”
9:50 j8hf rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names The word **Thebez** is the name of a town.
9:50 nyj8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit The author is leaving some information implicit that he assumes readers will understand. The people of **Thebez** had apparently also rebelled against Abimelek. You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. The UST models one way to do this.
9:51 j470 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole and all of the men and women and all of the lords of the city The author is making an overstatement for emphasis. If it would be clearer in your language, you could express the emphasis in a different way. Alternate translation: “and a large number of the men and women and of the lords of the city”
9:52 jgq2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy and fought with it The author is using the tower, represented by the pronoun **it**, by association to mean the people who were in the tower. Alternate translation: “and fought with the people who were in the tower”
9:52 j471 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicitinfo to burn it with fire See how you translated the similar expression in [9:49](../09/49.md). Alternate translation: “to set it on fire” or “to burn it down”
9:53 j472 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-participants But one woman The author is using the phrase **one woman** to introduce this woman as a participant in the story. While she has only a brief role, it is an important one. If your language has its own way of introducing new participants, you can use it here in your translation. Alternate translation: “But a certain woman”
9:53 z9j6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown an upper millstone A **millstone** was a large, flat, round stone that was used to grind grain. Two of these stones were used together, with the grain between them. The **upper millstone** was the top one that was rolled on the lower one to crush the grain. If your readers would not be familiar with this object, in your translation you could use the name of a similar thing that your readers would recognize, or you could use a general expression. Alternate translation: “a heavy stone”
9:54 j473 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes lest they say about me, ‘A woman killed him.’ If it would be clearer in your language, you could translate this so that there is not a quotation within a quotation. Alternate translation: “lest they say about me that a woman killed me”
9:55 j474 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit And the men of Israel The author assumes that his readers will know that the people of Thebez were Canaanites and that he can therefore use the phrase **the men of Israel** to mean the soldiers who were fighting with Abimelek against Thebez. (Apparenly many Israelites were loyal to Abimelek, even though it was the Canaanites who lived in Shechem who first made him king on the basis that he had a Canaanite mother.) You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “And the Israelites who had been supporting Abimelek”
9:56 j475 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-endofstory So God turned back the evil of Abimelek, which he did to his father by killing his 70 brothers. In this verse and the next one, the author concludes the story by explaining that God punished Abimelek and the men of Shechem for what they did to Gideon’s family. Your language may have its own way of concluding a story.
9:56 j476 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor So God turned back the evil of Abimelek The author is speaking as if the **evil** that Abimelek did had literally been moving away from him and God **turned** it **back** so that it returned to him and harmed him. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “So God made Abimelek experience the same kind of harm he had done to other people”
9:56 j477 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns the evil of Abimelek, which he did to his father If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of **evil**, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “the evil thing that Abimelek had done to his father”
9:57 fx65 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor And all of the evil of the men of Shechem, God turned back upon their head The expression **turned back** has the same meaning here as in the previous verse, except that the author speaks more fully of the **evil** that the **men of Shechem** did as if God literally made it come back and land **upon their head**. While he is using one part of them, their **head**, to represent all of them, this expression is especially apt in light of the story, in which Abimelek dies when a heavy stone lands on his head. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “And God also made the people of Shechem experience painfully the same kind of harm that they had done to other people”
9:57 j478 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns And all of the evil of the men of Shechem If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of **evil**, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “And all of the evil things that the men of Shechem had done”
9:57 j479 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-gendernotations the men of Shechem Here the masculine term **men** seems to have a generic sense. The author specifies in [9:49](../09/49.md) that both “men and women” died when the tower of Shechem burned, so this summary reference to that punishment would include both men and women. Alternate translation: “the people of Shechem”
9:57 j480 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-collectivenouns their head Since the author is referring to a group of people, if you retain this image in your translation, it might be more natural in your language to use the plural form of **head**. Alternate translation: “their heads”
9:57 hua1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor and the curse of Jotham, the son of Jerubbaal, came upon them The author is speaking as if the **curse of Jotham** literally **came upon** the people of Shechem. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “and everything happened to them just as Jotham, the son of Jerubbaal, said it would when he cursed them”
9:17 fpm7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-background אֲשֶׁר 1 Jotham is providing background information to remind the lords of Shechem what Gideon had done for the Israelites. They already know this information, but he is bringing it their attention and emphasizing it to show that they have not treated Gideon and his family “according to the deserving of his hands,” as he said in the previous verse. In your translation, introduce this information in a way that would be natural in your own language and culture. Alternate translation: “considering that”
9:17 j412 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַ⁠יַּשְׁלֵ֤ךְ אֶת־נַפְשׁ⁠וֹ֙ מִ⁠נֶּ֔גֶד 1 Jotham is using a common expression that means that Gideon risked his life by leading the armies of Israel and thus going **in front** of them into battle against the Midianites. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation. You could also state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “and put his life on the line” or “and risked his life”
9:18 j413 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast וְ⁠אַתֶּ֞ם קַמְתֶּ֨ם עַל־בֵּ֤ית אָבִ⁠י֙ הַ⁠יּ֔וֹם וַ⁠תַּהַרְג֧וּ אֶת־בָּנָ֛י⁠ו שִׁבְעִ֥ים אִ֖ישׁ עַל־אֶ֣בֶן אֶחָ֑ת וַ⁠תַּמְלִ֜יכוּ אֶת־אֲבִימֶ֤לֶךְ בֶּן־אֲמָת⁠וֹ֙ עַל־בַּעֲלֵ֣י שְׁכֶ֔ם כִּ֥י אֲחִי⁠כֶ֖ם הֽוּא 1 The word translated as **but** shows that in this verse, Jotham is drawing a contrast between the way the lords of Shechem should implicitly have treated Gideon and what they actually did to his descendants. In your translation, introduce this contrast in a way that is natural in your language. Since this contrasting material is supplemental to the if-then condition that Jotham develops over the course of verses 16–19, you may want to use punctuation to set it apart in some way, such as by setting it off with dashes, as the ULT does, or by putting it in parentheses.
9:18 j414 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical וְ⁠אַתֶּ֞ם קַמְתֶּ֨ם עַל־בֵּ֤ית אָבִ⁠י֙ הַ⁠יּ֔וֹם וַ⁠תַּהַרְג֧וּ אֶת־בָּנָ֛י⁠ו שִׁבְעִ֥ים אִ֖ישׁ עַל־אֶ֣בֶן אֶחָ֑ת וַ⁠תַּמְלִ֜יכוּ אֶת־אֲבִימֶ֤לֶךְ בֶּן־אֲמָת⁠וֹ֙ עַל־בַּעֲלֵ֣י שְׁכֶ֔ם כִּ֥י אֲחִי⁠כֶ֖ם הֽוּא 1 If you have decided to translate the long sentence in verses 16–19 as a series of shorter sentences, you could make this verse a sentence of its own. You may wish to state some implicit ideas explicitly for the sake of continuity. Alternate translation: “But you have not treated my father and his family fairly. Instead, today you have arisen against them and have killed his sons, 70 men upon one stone, and you have made Abimelek, the son of his female slave, reign over the lords of Shechem because he is your brother.”
9:18 cr5w rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom קַמְתֶּ֨ם 1 Jotham is using the word **arisen** within a common expression in which it ordinarily describes subjects revolting against their rulers. In [8:23](../08/23.md), Gideon refused to become king and to have his son and grandson be kings after him, so the lords of Shechem did not literally revolt against the rule of Gideon’s family. Jotham’s point may be that if anyone were to be their king, it should have been Gideon’s legal heirs (just as the olive tree, fig tree, and grapevine would have made better kings than the thornbush), so in that sense making Abimelek king was a revolt against those who should have been accepted as authorities. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “have revolted”
9:18 i5zw rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor בֵּ֤ית 1 See how you translated the term **house** in [9:16](../09/16.md). Alternate translation: “the descendants of”
9:18 c154 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit בֶּן־אֲמָת⁠וֹ֙ 1 The author says in [8:31](../08/31.md) that Abimelek’s mother was Gideon’s “concubine.” This means that she was a legal but secondary wife whose children did not have inheritance rights. While female slaves sometimes did become the concubines of their masters, not every concubine was a female slave. Abimelek’s mother seems to have come from a family of standing in Shechem; Gideon may have married her as a concubine rather than as a full wife because she was a foreigner, from the surviving Canaanite population of Shechem. So Jotham is disparaging her by calling her a **female slave**. His main point seems to be that Abimelek has no rights of inheritance and thus no claim to become king. (Unfortunately Gideon suggested otherwise when he named this son Abimelek, meaning “my father is king.”) You could bring out this emphasis in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “who has no rights of inheritance and so no claim to become king as Gideon’s son”
9:18 j415 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor אֲחִי⁠כֶ֖ם 1 See how you translated the term **brother** in [9:3](../09/03.md). Alternate translation: “is your kinsman”
9:19 cwl5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical וְ⁠אִם־בֶּ⁠אֱמֶ֨ת וּ⁠בְ⁠תָמִ֧ים עֲשִׂיתֶ֛ם עִם־יְרֻבַּ֥עַל וְ⁠עִם־בֵּית֖⁠וֹ הַ⁠יּ֣וֹם הַ⁠זֶּ֑ה שִׂמְחוּ֙ בַּ⁠אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ וְ⁠יִשְׂמַ֥ח גַּם־ה֖וּא בָּ⁠כֶֽם 1 Jotham is concluding the long hypothetical statement he began in [9:16](../06/16.md). He is repeating the **if** part of it for clarity, since he has said many other things after first stating that part. If it would be helpful in your language, you could explicitly state the implied “then” before that part of the statement. If you have been translating verses 16–19 as a series of shorter sentences, you could make this verse a sentence of its own and indicate that Jotham is introducing his conclusion here. Alternate translation: “So to conclude, if you have acted in truth and in integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelek, and may he also rejoice in you”
9:19 r5ce rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-doublet בֶּ⁠אֱמֶ֨ת וּ⁠בְ⁠תָמִ֧ים & בֵּית֖⁠וֹ 1 See how you translated these expressions in [9:16](../09/16.md). Alternate translation: “with complete sincerity … his descendants”
9:20 rv9v rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical וְ⁠אִם־אַ֕יִן תֵּ֤צֵא אֵשׁ֙ 1 Jotham is describing a further condition in which a second event would take place if a first event had. If it would be helpful in your language, you could explicitly state the implied “then” before the second part of this statement. Alternate translation: “But if not, then may fire go forth”
9:20 j416 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis וְ⁠אִם־אַ֕יִן 1 Jotham is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You can supply these words from the context if that would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “But if you have not acted in truth and in integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day”
9:20 g8i6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor תֵּ֤צֵא אֵשׁ֙ מֵ⁠אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ וְ⁠תֹאכַ֛ל אֶת־בַּעֲלֵ֥י שְׁכֶ֖ם וְ⁠אֶת־בֵּ֣ית מִלּ֑וֹא וְ⁠תֵצֵ֨א אֵ֜שׁ מִ⁠בַּעֲלֵ֤י שְׁכֶם֙ וּ⁠מִ⁠בֵּ֣ית מִלּ֔וֹא וְ⁠תֹאכַ֖ל אֶת־אֲבִימֶֽלֶךְ 1 Jotham is speaking as if **fire** would literally **go forth** from Abimelek and burn up the lords of Shechem and Beth Millo and as if fire from them would also burn up Abimelek. Jotham is using fire to represent the destruction of warfare. He means that, if Abimelek and the lords of Shechem have not treated Gideon and his family right, then he hopes and expects that they will turn against each other and fight a war and destroy each other. (Part of what he said actually was fulfilled literally, when Abimelek burned the tower of Shechem, as verse 49 describes.) If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “may Abimelek and you lords of Shechem fight a war against each other that destroys all of you”
9:21 j417 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַ⁠יָּ֣נָס יוֹתָ֔ם וַ⁠יִּבְרַ֖ח 1 While the words **escaped** and **fled** mean similar things, the author does not seem to be using them together for emphasis (for example, to mean “hurriedly ran away”) or to express a single idea through them (for example, to mean “escaped by running away”). He seems to mean implicitly that Jotham **escaped** from Shechem, that is, he was able to shout his message without being captures, and then **fled** to the city of Beer where he was apparently safe from Abimelek. You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “Then Jotham escaped from Shechem and fled for safety”
9:21 pan4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names בְּאֵ֑רָ⁠ה 1 The word **Beer** is the name of a city.
9:21 j418 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy מִ⁠פְּנֵ֖י 1 Here the word **face** represents the presence of a person by association with the way people can see the face of someone who is present. Alternate translation: “from the presence of” or “where he was safe from”
9:21 j419 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-kinship אָחִֽי⁠ו 1 Jotham and Abimelek had the same father but not the same mother. Your language may have its own term or expression for this relationship. Alternate translation: “his father’s son”
9:22 j420 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל 1 The author is using all of **Israel** to mean one part of Israel. The narrative suggests that Abimelek ruled primarily over the city of Shechem and its surrounding towns. (Recall from [1:7](../01/07.md) that in Canaan at this time, each city and town had a ruler who had the title of “king.”) His authority and influence may have extended somewhat farther from there, through the territory of Ephraim and possibly into neighboring tribes. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “that part of Israel”
9:23 bv9r rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַ⁠יִּשְׁלַ֤ח אֱלֹהִים֙ ר֣וּחַ רָעָ֔ה בֵּ֣ין אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ וּ⁠בֵ֖ין בַּעֲלֵ֣י 1 The word **spirit** could refer to: (1) the attitude that Abimelek and the lords of Shechem had towards 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.” Alternate translation: “Then God caused hostility between Abimelek and the lords of Shechem” (2) a spiritual being. Alternate translation: “Then God sent a spiritual being that caused Abimelek and the lords of Shechem to fight with each other”
9:23 j421 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-newevent וַ⁠יִּשְׁלַ֤ח אֱלֹהִים֙ 1 The author is introducing a new event in the story. The ULT indicates this with the word **Then**. Use a word, phrase, or other method in your language that is natural for introducing a new event.
9:24 xf1e rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result לָ⁠ב֕וֹא חֲמַ֖ס שִׁבְעִ֣ים בְּנֵֽי־יְרֻבָּ֑עַל וְ⁠דָמָ֗⁠ם לָ⁠שׂ֞וּם עַל־אֲבִימֶ֤לֶךְ 1 This verse is giving the reason why God “sent a bad spirit,” as the previous verse described. It is not indicating why or how the lords of Shechem “dealt treacherously” with Abimelek. You may wish to clarify this for your readers. It may be helpful to begin a new sentence here. Alternate translation: “God did this so that the violence of the 70 sons of Jerubbaal would come upon, and to put their blood upon, Abimelek”
9:24 j422 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-possession חֲמַ֖ס שִׁבְעִ֣ים בְּנֵֽי־יְרֻבָּ֑עַל 1 The author is using this possessive form to describe the **violence** that was committed against **the 70 sons of Jerubbaal**, not to describe any violence that they committed. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: “the violence that was committed against the 70 sons of Jerubbaal” or “the violence that the 70 sons of Jerubbaal suffered”
9:24 j423 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְ⁠דָמָ֗⁠ם לָ⁠שׂ֞וּם עַל־אֲבִימֶ֤לֶךְ אֲחִי⁠הֶם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָרַ֣ג אוֹתָ֔⁠ם 1 The expression **to put** the **blood** of one person on another means to hold responsible and punish that other person for killing the first one. This expression uses the term **blood** by association to mean death. Alternate translation: “and to hold their brother Abimelek, who killed them, responsible for their deaths” or “and to avenge their deaths by punishing their brother Abimelek, who killed them”
9:24 j424 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-kinship אֲחִי⁠הֶם֙ & אֶחָֽי⁠ו 1 See how you translated the term “brother” in [9:21](../09/21.md). Alternate translation: “their father’s son … his father’s sons”
9:24 j425 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom אֲשֶׁר־חִזְּק֥וּ אֶת־יָדָ֖י⁠ו 1 This expression means that the lords of Shechem enabled Abimelek to do something he could not otherwise have done. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “who enabled him” or “who gave him the means”
9:25 b7tx rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit ל⁠וֹ֩ 1 The phrase **against him** could mean: (1) to the disadvantage of Abimelek, that is, discrediting his authority and undermining the stability of his rule. Alternate translation: “to his disadvantage” (2) to watch for Abimelek and try to capture him. Alternate translation: “to try to capture him”
9:25 j426 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit עַ֚ל רָאשֵׁ֣י הֶ⁠הָרִ֔ים 1 By **hills**, the author may mean Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. (This word can describe either hills or mountains.) The city of Shechem was in a valley between those two mountains. See how you translated the expression “on the top of Mount Gerizim” in [9:7](../09/07.md). Alternate translation: “up high on Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal”
9:25 pd3x rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וַ⁠יֻּגַּ֖ד לַ⁠אֲבִימֶֽלֶךְ 1 If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “and someone told Abimelek about this”
9:26 r2ue rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names גַּ֤עַל & עֶ֨בֶד֙ 1
9:26 j427 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor וְ⁠אֶחָ֔י⁠ו 1 Here the term **brothers** probably does not describe men who have the same parents. It could be referring to: (1) a band of men who traveled about with Gaal. Some of them may have been related to him, but they were not all necessarily his relatives. Alternate translation: “with a band of men” (2) men who were related to Gaal but who were not all necessarily his literal brothers. Alternate translation: “with some of his kinsmen”
9:27 i6sf rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַ⁠יֵּצְא֨וּ 1 The author is using the pronoun **they** to mean the people of the city of Shechem. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: “And the people of Shechem went out”
9:27 j428 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וַֽ⁠יִּבְצְר֤וּ אֶת־כַּרְמֵי⁠הֶם֙ 1 The author is using the term **vineyards** by association to mean the grapes on the vines in the vineyards. Alternate translation: “and cut clusters of grapes off the vines in their vineyards”
9:27 r8w9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַֽ⁠יִּדְרְכ֔וּ 1 The author is leaving some information implicit that he assumes readers will understand. He means that the people of Shechem **trod** on the grapes that they had picked. That is, they stepped on them to squeeze the juice out of them so that they could make wine from it. You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “and squeezed the grapes to make wine”
9:27 j429 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown וַֽ⁠יַּעֲשׂ֖וּ הִלּוּלִ֑ים 1 Based on its one other use in [Leviticus 19:24](../lev/19/24.md), the term translated as **offerings** refers to fruit that people brought into a temple and ate, or drank as juice, as part of a harvest thanksgiving celebration. Alternate translation: “and they prepared fruit offerings to give thanks for their harvest”
9:27 d9l2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor בֵּ֣ית אֱֽלֹֽהֵי⁠הֶ֔ם 1 The author is speaking of the temple of the **god** that the people of Shechem worshiped as if it were a **house** in which that false god lived. See how you translated the similar expression in [9:4](../09/04.md). Alternate translation: “into the temple of their god”
9:28 w9hj rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion מִֽי־אֲבִימֶ֤לֶךְ וּ⁠מִֽי־שְׁכֶם֙ כִּ֣י נַעַבְדֶ֔⁠נּוּ הֲ⁠לֹ֥א בֶן־יְרֻבַּ֖עַל וּ⁠זְבֻ֣ל פְּקִיד֑⁠וֹ 1 Gaal is using the question form for emphasis. If a speaker of your language would not use the question form for that purpose, you could translate these questions as statements or exclamations. Alternate translation: “We should not serve Abimelek, even though he is from Shechem! After all, he is the son of Jerubbaal! And Zebul is just somebody he appointed.”
9:28 j430 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy מִֽי־אֲבִימֶ֤לֶךְ וּ⁠מִֽי־שְׁכֶם֙ כִּ֣י נַעַבְדֶ֔⁠נּוּ 1 Gaal is using the name **Shechem** by association to mean Abimelek, probably because Abimelek is from Shechem. Alternate translation: “Who is Abimelek? Who is this man from Shechem, that we should serve him?”
9:28 dfp7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism מִֽי־אֲבִימֶ֤לֶךְ וּ⁠מִֽי־שְׁכֶם֙ כִּ֣י נַעַבְדֶ֔⁠נּוּ 1 The first two phrases mean basically the same thing. Gaal is referring to the same person by the names **Abimelek** and **Shechem**. However, there is a slight difference in meaning. The second phrase makes a mild concession, indicating that perhaps there is some basis to serve Abimelek, since he is from the city of Shechem and his mother is related to the people who live there. (In [9:3](../09/03.md), the people of the city say of Abimelek, “He is our brother,” meaning “our kinsman.”) You may wish to indicate this in your translation. Alternate translation: “Why should we serve Abimelek, even though he is from Shechem?”
9:28 j431 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive נַעַבְדֶ֔⁠נּוּ 1 Gaal is using the pronoun **we** to refer to himself and his listeners, so use the inclusive form of that word if your language marks that distinction.
9:28 a6ws rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit הֲ⁠לֹ֥א בֶן־יְרֻבַּ֖עַל 1 Gaal is implicitly suggesting a reason why the people of Shechem should not serve Abimelek. His point is that Abimelek is the son of somebody outside their people group, an Israelite. Gaal may be using the name Jerubbaal instead of Gideon to make a further point, that Abimelek’s father opposed the worship of Baal, while the people of Shechem are devoted to Baal. You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “He is the son of Jerubbaal, an Israelite who opposed the worship of Baal”
9:28 j432 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-participants וּ⁠זְבֻ֣ל פְּקִיד֑⁠וֹ עִבְד֗וּ אֶת־אַנְשֵׁ֤י חֲמוֹר֙ 1 The author could have indicated in [9:22](../09/22.md), when he briefly described Abimelek’s reign, that Abimelek appointed a man named Zebul as his **deputy** to govern Shechem when he was not present there. However, the author is instead reporting what Gaal said at this festival as a way of introducing **Zebul** as a new participant in the story. If this would not be clear to your readers, you could explain this as background information. Alternate translation: “and is not Zebul his deputy?’ (Abimelek had appointed a man named Zebul to govern Shechem when he was not present there.) ‘Serve the men of Hamor”
9:28 b36z rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וּ⁠זְבֻ֣ל 1 The word **Zebul** is the name of a man.
9:28 j433 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-plural עִבְד֗וּ אֶת־אַנְשֵׁ֤י חֲמוֹר֙ 1 Gaal may be using the plural form **men** to indicate what the people of Shechem should regularly do. However, on this occasion, he means that they should serve a specific descendant of Hamor, their ancestor, instead of Abimelek. Alternate translation: “You should always be serving one of the descendants of Hamor” or “You should be serving a fellow descendant of Hamor instead”
9:28 rq5n rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor אֲבִ֣י שְׁכֶ֔ם 1 While a man named **Hamor** had literally been the **father** of a man named **Shechem** ([Genesis 34:2](../gen/34/02.md)), Gaal probably means that Hamor was the ancestor of the people who lived in Shechem. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “the founder of Shechem” or “the ancestor of the people of Shechem”
9:28 j434 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וּ⁠מַדּ֖וּעַ נַעַבְדֶ֥⁠נּוּ אֲנָֽחְנוּ 1 For emphasis, Gaal is stating a pronoun whose meaning is already present in the verb translated **serve**. The ULT translates this stated pronoun with the intensive pronoun **ourselves**. Gaal seems to be drawing an explicit contrast between the people of Shechem and Abimelek in terms of ancestry. Alternate translation: “But why should we, who are descendants of Hamor, serve Abimelek, who is an Israelite?”
9:28 ju72 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion וּ⁠מַדּ֖וּעַ נַעַבְדֶ֥⁠נּוּ אֲנָֽחְנוּ 1 Gaal is 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: “But we ourselves should not serve Abimelek!”
9:29 v1e2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וּ⁠מִ֨י יִתֵּ֜ן אֶת־הָ⁠עָ֤ם הַ⁠זֶּה֙ בְּ⁠יָדִ֔⁠י 1 The question **who will give** was a characteristic way for a Hebrew speaker to introduce a wish. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate this question as a statement or exclamation expressing a wish. Alternate translation: “I wish that someone would give this people into my hand!”
9:29 j435 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וּ⁠מִ֨י יִתֵּ֜ן אֶת־הָ⁠עָ֤ם הַ⁠זֶּה֙ בְּ⁠יָדִ֔⁠י 1 Here, **hand** represents the power that one person has over another person or over a group. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “I wish that someone would give me power over this people!” or “I wish that someone would make me the ruler of this people!”
9:29 j436 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-apostrophe וַ⁠יֹּ֨אמֶר֙ לַ⁠אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ רַבֶּ֥ה צְבָאֲ⁠ךָ֖ וָ⁠צֵֽאָ⁠ה 1 Gaal is speaking to Abimelek even though he is not present and cannot hear him. Gaal is doing this to show in a strong way how he feels about Abimelek. He is actually speaking to the people who can hear him, the others who are present at this feast. If your readers might not understand why Gaal is speaking to someone who is not present, you could translate his words as if he were speaking directly to others who are present. You could also describe what Gaal is doing here, as the UST does. Alternate translation, continuing the direct quotation: “I would fight against him and his whole army and defeat him!”
9:29 j437 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit רַבֶּ֥ה צְבָאֲ⁠ךָ֖ 1 Gaal is probably not saying that Abimelek should seek a larger number of troops than are already at his disposal. He is probably saying that even if Abimelek summoned all of the men who would willingly serve in his army, he would not be afraid to fight a battle with him. (Abimelek probably ordinarily traveled with just a small number of bodyguards, and Gaal is boasting that he could defeat a much larger force than that.) You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “mobilize your forces”
9:30 a53k rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֖י גַּ֣עַל 1 The author is using the term **words** to represent what Gaal said by using words. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “what Gaal said”
9:30 u13b rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor וַ⁠יִּ֖חַר אַפּֽ⁠וֹ 1 See how you translated the similar expression in [2:14](../02/14.md). Alternate translation: “and he became furious”
9:31 u898 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns בְּ⁠תָרְמָ֣ה 1 If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of **deceit**, you could express the same idea in another way. The idea is that Zebul sent the messengers openly but pretended that he was sending them for some other reason. The idea is not that Zebul sent the messengers secretly so that no one knew he had sent them. Alternate translation: “deceitfully”
9:31 j438 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor וְ⁠אֶחָי⁠ו֙ בָּאִ֣ים שְׁכֶ֔מָ⁠ה 1 See how you translated the similar expression in [9:26](../09/26.md). Alternate translation: “has come to Shechem with a band of men”
9:31 gvg1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy אֶת־הָ⁠עִ֖יר 1 Zebul’s messengers are using the term **city** by association to mean the people of the city. Alternate translation: “the people of the city”
9:32 j18v rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases וְ⁠עַתָּה֙ 1 The messengers are not using the word **now** to mean “at this moment.” They are using the word to draw attention to the important point that follows. Alternate translation: “So this is what you should do:”
9:32 j439 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-imperative ק֣וּם & וֶ⁠אֱרֹ֖ב 1 While these are imperatives, the messengers are using them to communicate a recommendation from Zebul rather than a command. Translate them with a form that someone would use in your language to address a superior. Alternate translation: “I would recommend that you arise … and hide”
9:32 j440 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom ק֣וּם 1 See how you translated this word in [4:14](../04/14.md). While Abimelek and his troops would have to get up out of bed in order to travel to Shechem **at night**, the meaning is not simply that they should do that, but that they should take action to defeat the rebellion. Alternate translation: “get going” or, perhaps more deferentially, “take action”
9:32 mrh8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וֶ⁠אֱרֹ֖ב בַּ⁠שָּׂדֶֽה 1 The verb translated as **hide** here is the same one that was translated as “ambushers” in [9:25](../09/25.md). The implicit idea is that Abimelek and his troops will hide not just so that they cannot be seen, but so that they can launch a surprise attack in the morning. You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “and set an ambush in the field”
9:32 j441 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit בַּ⁠שָּׂדֶֽה 1 Since [9:36](../09/36.md) indicates that Abimelek and his troops launched their attack from “the tops of the hills,” and the people of Shechem grew their crops in the valley between the hills, not up on the hills, the messengers are probably using the word **field** to mean the open area outside the city. You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “in the countryside”
9:33 j442 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-declarative וְ⁠הָיָ֤ה בַ⁠בֹּ֨קֶר֙ & תַּשְׁכִּ֖ים וּ⁠פָשַׁטְתָּ֣ עַל־הָ⁠עִ֑יר & וְ⁠עָשִׂ֣יתָ לּ֔⁠וֹ 1 The messengers are using verb forms that could make a future statement in order to keep conveying a recommendation from Zebul. As in the previous verse, translate them with a form that someone would use in your language to address a superior. Alternate translation: “That way, in the morning … you will be able to start early and rush against the city … and you will be able to do to him”
9:33 j443 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-yousingular תַּשְׁכִּ֖ים וּ⁠פָשַׁטְתָּ֣ & אֵלֶ֔י⁠ךָ וְ⁠עָשִׂ֣יתָ & יָדֶֽ⁠ךָ 1 The words **you** and **your** are singular throughout this verse because the messengers are addressing Abimelek directly. However, they are speaking of what he and his troops will do, so it may be more natural for you to use plural forms if your language marks that distinction.
9:33 j444 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns ה֞וּא 1 The pronoun **he** refers to Gaal. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: “Gaal”
9:33 k1f3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom כַּ⁠אֲשֶׁ֖ר תִּמְצָ֥א יָדֶֽ⁠ךָ 1 The messengers are using a common expression that means that Abimelek would do what the opportunity allowed and the situation directed. In other words, Zebul was not making any further recommendation about what Abimelek should do at this point but leaving it to his discretion. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “as the opportunity presents”
9:34 be8t rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַ⁠יָּ֧קָם 1 See how you translated the similar expression in [9:32](../09/32.md). Alternate translation: “So … got going”
9:34 j445 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַ⁠יֶּאֶרְב֣וּ עַל־שְׁכֶ֔ם 1 The verb translated as **ambushed** here is the same one that was translated as “ambushers” in [9:25](../09/25.md) and as “hide” in [9:32](../09/32.md). Abimelek and his troops followed Zebul’s advice to hide so that they could not be seen and so that they could launch a surprise attack in the morning. Alternate translation: “and they set up an ambush against Shechem”
9:35 j446 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַ⁠יֵּצֵא֙ גַּ֣עַל בֶּן־עֶ֔בֶד וַ⁠יַּעֲמֹ֕ד פֶּ֖תַח שַׁ֣עַר הָ⁠עִ֑יר 1 See the discussion of this verse in the General Notes to this chapter. Since the author does not say explicitly why Gaal **stood in the entrance of the gate of the city**, it would probably be best to say no more about this in your translation than the original text does.
9:35 j447 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַ⁠יָּ֧קָם & מִן־הַ⁠מַּאְרָֽב 1 In this context, the word **arose** does refer literally to standing up from a sitting or lying position. Alternate translation: “and … stood up from where they had been hiding”
9:36 j448 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit אֶל־זְבֻ֔ל 1 The author expects readers to understand implicitly that Zebul had gone out to the city gate with Gaal. You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “to Zebul, who had gone out to the gate with him”
9:36 gz9v rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַ⁠יֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָי⁠ו֙ זְבֻ֔ל 1 The author expects readers to understand implicitly that Zebul is not sharing an honest opinion with Gaal. Zebul is trying to deceive him into thinking that Abimelek has not yet arrived, so that Gaal will not be able to prepare his defenses sufficiently. You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “But Zebul said to him deceptively”
9:37 j449 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-plural עָם֙ יֽוֹרְדִ֔ים 1 Here the expression **coming down** is plural, even though the subject, **people**, is singular. In the previous verse, with the same subject, “coming down” was singular. This suggests that Gaal was speaking of a single group of people in the previous verse and that here he is using **people** in a collective sense to mean several groups of people. He is now able to distinguish the separate companies, as Abimelek’s troops get closer. If it would be helpful to your readers, you may wish to reflect this distinction in your translation. The UST models one way to do that.
9:37 j450 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-transliterate טַבּ֣וּר הָ⁠אָ֑רֶץ 1 This expression could be: (2) a description of some geographic feature. Alternate translation: “the center of the land” or “the crest of that hill” (1) the name of one of the hills around Shechem. Gaal could be pointing out a specific location by name, as he does later in the verse by naming a large tree. If you represent this as a name, you could translate the meaning into your own language, or you could use the words of the Hebrew text and spell them the way they sound in your language. Alternate translation: “the Navel of the Land” or “Tabbur-haarez”
9:37 j451 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-transliterate אֵל֥וֹן מְעוֹנְנִֽים 1 This expression could be: (1) the name of a large tree near Shechem. You could translate the meaning of this name into your own language, or you could use the words of the Hebrew text and spell them the way they sound in your language. Alternate translation: “the Fortunetellers’ Tree” or “Elon-meonenim” (2) a description of some geographic feature. Alternate translation: “that large tree over there where people tell fortunes”
9:38 j452 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy אַיֵּ֨ה אֵפ֥וֹא פִ֨י⁠ךָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֹּאמַ֔ר מִ֥י אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ כִּ֣י נַעַבְדֶ֑⁠נּוּ 1 Zebul is referring to the confidence that led Gaal to boast against Abimelek by association with the **mouth** with which Gaal made this boast. Alternate translation: “Where now is the confidence that led you to say, ‘Who {is} Abimelek, that we should serve him?’”
9:38 qap7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion אַיֵּ֨ה אֵפ֥וֹא פִ֨י⁠ךָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֹּאמַ֔ר מִ֥י אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ כִּ֣י נַעַבְדֶ֑⁠נּוּ 1 Zebul is 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 no longer seem as confident as when you said, ‘Who {is} Abimelek, that we should serve him?’”
9:38 j453 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֹּאמַ֔ר מִ֥י אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ כִּ֣י נַעַבְדֶ֑⁠נּוּ 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: “by which you asked who Abimelek was, that you should serve him”
9:38 fub2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion מִ֥י אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ כִּ֣י נַעַבְדֶ֑⁠נּוּ 1 If you translated the similar expression in [9:28](../09/28.md) as a statement or an exclamation, you could do the same thing here. Alternate translation: “We should not serve Abimelek!”
9:38 j454 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive כִּ֣י נַעַבְדֶ֑⁠נּוּ 1 In the statement he made in [9:28](../09/28.md), which Zebul is quoting here, Gaal was using the pronoun **we** to refer to himself and his listeners, so use the inclusive form of that word if your language marks that distinction. If you translate this statement as an indirect quotation, the word “you” that is equivalent to **we** should be plural.
9:38 qdj1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הֲ⁠לֹ֨א זֶ֤ה הָ⁠עָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר מָאַ֣סְתָּה 1 Gaal is 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: “This is the people that you despised!”
9:38 j455 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-collectivenouns בּֽ⁠וֹ 1 Gaal is thinking of these **people** as a group and so he is using the singular pronoun **it**. It may be more natural in your language to use a plural pronoun. Alternate translation: “with them”
9:39 j456 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche וַ⁠יֵּ֣צֵא גַ֔עַל & וַ⁠יִּלָּ֖חֶם בַּ⁠אֲבִימֶֽלֶךְ 1 As the General Introduction to Judges discuss, the author is using **Gaal** and **Abimelek** to represent them and their armies. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “So Gaal led his soldiers into battle … against Abimelek and his soldiers”
9:39 j457 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom לִ⁠פְנֵ֖י בַּעֲלֵ֣י שְׁכֶ֑ם 1 This could mean: (1) that the **lords of Shechem** watched as Gaal went out to fight Abimelek. They may have wanted to see whether he could fulfill the boasts he made in [9:29](../09/29.md) when he said he wanted to be their ruler. Alternate translation: “as the lords of Shechem watched” (2) that Gaal led the **lords of Shechem** and their men into battle. This seems less likely, as the story only describes the people of Shechem going out of the city the next day. Alternate translation: “as the commander of the lords of Shechem and their men”
9:40 j458 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche וַ⁠יִּרְדְּפֵ֣⁠הוּ אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ 1 The author is using the last thing that happened in this battle to mean everything that happened in the battle. Abimelek and his army defeated Gaal and his men, so they retreated, and Abimelek **pursued** them. Alternate translation: “And Abimelek routed him” or “And Abimelek defeated him so that he gave up and retreated”
9:40 j459 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-nominaladj חֲלָלִ֥ים 1 The author is using the adjective **wounded** as a noun to mean a certain kind of person. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you can translate this adjective with an equivalent phrase. Alternate translation: “wounded soldiers”
9:40 p7lv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וַֽ⁠יִּפְּל֛וּ 1 The author is using the word **fell** to mean “died,” by association with the way that people fall down when they die. Alternate translation: “And … died”
9:40 j460 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit עַד־פֶּ֥תַח הַ⁠שָּֽׁעַר 1 The implication is that Gaal’s men would have been safe if they had been able to go through the **gate** back into the city. You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “before they could get safely back inside the city gate”
9:41 y21z rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names בָּ⁠ארוּמָ֑ה 1 The word **Arumah** is the name of a town. It was about five miles away from Shechem.
9:41 j461 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor וְ⁠אֶת־אֶחָ֖י⁠ו 1 See how you translated the same expression in [9:26](../09/26.md). Alternate translation: “and his band of men”
9:42 j462 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-tense וַ⁠יֵּצֵ֥א 1 It is clear from the narrative that this action was not completed by the time it was **reported** to Abimelek. It was something that the people were planning to do and that was in process. It may be more natural in your language to use a different verb tense to indicate this. Alternate translation: “that … were going out”
9:42 j463 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-collectivenouns הַ⁠שָּׂדֶ֑ה 1 The author is using the word **field** to mean all of the cultivated land around Shechem. It may be more natural in your language to use the plural form of that word, here and in the next two verses. Alternate translation: “to the fields”
9:42 em2h rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַ⁠יַּגִּ֖דוּ לַ⁠אֲבִימֶֽלֶךְ 1 The pronoun **they** is indefinite here; it does not have a specific referent in the immediate context. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate this with a different expression that does not use an indefinite pronoun. Alternate translation: “and this was reported to Abimelek”
9:43 j464 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit הָ⁠עָ֗ם & הָ⁠עָם֙ 1 In its first instance in this verse, the expression **the people** refers to Abimelek’s army, as in [9:34–38](../01/01.md). In its second instance, this expression refers to the citizens of Shechem, as in [9:42](../09/42.md). You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. The UST models one way to do this.
9:43 e8ph rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַ⁠יֶּאֱרֹ֖ב 1 See how you translated the word “hide” in [9:32](../09/32.md). Alternate translation: “and set an ambush”
9:44 j465 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases וַ⁠אֲבִימֶ֗לֶךְ 1 In this verse, the author provides fuller details about how Abimelek and his soldiers killed the people of Shechem who had gone out into the fields, as he described briefly at the end of the previous verse. The ULT indicates this with the word **For**. Your language may have a connecting word or phrase that you can use in your translation to indicate that this verse is providing fuller details about what the author has just said. Alternate translation: “They were able to do this because”
9:44 h6g9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַ⁠יַּ֣עַמְד֔וּ 1 The context indicates that the pronoun **they** refers Abimelek and the soldiers who were with him in one of the three **companies** into which he had divided his army. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: “And Abimelek and the men who were with him in one company stood”
9:44 a246 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit פֶּ֖תַח שַׁ֣עַר הָ⁠עִ֑יר 1 The author means implicitly that Abimelek and one group of soldiers went to the **gate of the city** to keep anyone who was in the fields from getting back into the city for safety. You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “{at} the entrance of the gate of the city to keep anyone from getting back into the city for safety”
9:45 j466 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor וַ⁠יִּזְרָעֶ֖⁠הָ מֶֽלַח 1 The author is speaking as if Abimelek literally took **salt** and **sowed** it as seed that would grow up from the ground. He means that Abimelek scattered salt all over the ruins of Shechem the way people in this culture scattered seed that they were planting. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “and scattered salt all over it”
9:45 t928 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וַ⁠יִּזְרָעֶ֖⁠הָ מֶֽלַח 1 Scattering salt all over the ruins of Shechem was a symbolic action. Abimelek did this to express the wish that the city would always be an uninhabited wasteland, like a salt desert. It was as if he was saying, “May no one ever live here again.” If it would be helpful to your readers, you could explain the significance of this action. Alternate translation: “and sowed it {with} salt to express the wish that it would always be an uninhabited wasteland”
9:46 j467 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-participants בַּעֲלֵ֖י מִֽגְדַּל־שְׁכֶ֑ם 1 These are probably old participants in the story, that is, people whom the author has mentioned earlier. They seem to be the same people who are described in [9:6](../09/06.md) as “Beth Millo,” officers from a military post near the city that included its defensive tower. If your language has its own way of introducing new participants, you can use it here in your translation. Alternate translation: “the officers of the military post that included the tower of Shechem”
9:46 lty1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor בֵּ֖ית 1 See how you translated the same expression in [9:4](../09/04.md). Alternate translation: “the temple of”
9:46 kw6q rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names אֵ֥ל בְּרִֽית 1 The expression **El-Berith** seems to be another name for the false god that is called Baal-Berith in [8:33](../08/33.md) and [9:4](../09/04.md). El-Berith means “god of the covenant,” while Baal-Berith means “master of the covenant.” So that readers will know that this is the same false god, you could use the name Baal-Berith here, or you could use a general expression. Alternate translation: “their false god”
9:47 hnv1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וַ⁠יֻּגַּ֖ד לַ⁠אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ 1 If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “And someone reported to Abimelek”
9:48 h1s8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names צַלְמ֗וֹן 1 The word **Zalmon** is the name of a mountain near Shechem.
9:48 j468 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַ⁠יִּקַּח֩ אֲבִימֶ֨לֶךְ אֶת־הַ⁠קַּרְדֻּמּ֜וֹת בְּ⁠יָד֗⁠וֹ 1 In this context, as the similar uses in [1 Samuel 14:34](../1sa/14/34.md) and [Jeremiah 38:10](../jer/38/10.md) show, this expression means that Abimelek brought axes with him. That is, he had his men bring as many axes with them as they could. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “and Abimelek brought axes with him” or “and Abimelek had his men bring axes with them”
9:49 thc7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַ⁠יַּצִּ֧יתוּ עֲלֵי⁠הֶ֛ם אֶֽת־הַ⁠צְּרִ֖יחַ בָּ⁠אֵ֑שׁ 1 This could mean: (1) that Abimelek and his men burned the citadel by means of the branches. Alternate translation: “and they used them to burn the citadel with fire” (2) that the flames from the branches went up and burned the walls and tower of the citadel. Alternate translation: “and they burned with fire the citadel that was above the branches”
9:49 j469 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicitinfo וַ⁠יַּצִּ֧יתוּ עֲלֵי⁠הֶ֛ם אֶֽת־הַ⁠צְּרִ֖יחַ בָּ⁠אֵ֑שׁ 1 It might seem that the expression **burned … with fire** contains extra information that would be unnatural to express in your language. If so, you can shorten it. Alternate translation: “and they used them to set fire to the citadel” or “and they burned the citadel with them”
9:50 nyj8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַ⁠יֵּ֥לֶךְ אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ אֶל־תֵּבֵ֑ץ וַ⁠יִּ֥חַן בְּ⁠תֵבֵ֖ץ 1 The author is leaving some information implicit that he assumes readers will understand. The people of **Thebez** had apparently also rebelled against Abimelek. You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. The UST models one way to do this.
9:50 j8hf rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names תֵּבֵ֑ץ 1 The word **Thebez** is the name of a town.
9:51 j470 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole כָּל־הָ⁠אֲנָשִׁ֣ים וְ⁠הַ⁠נָּשִׁ֗ים וְ⁠כֹל֙ בַּעֲלֵ֣י הָ⁠עִ֔יר 1 The author is making an overstatement for emphasis. If it would be clearer in your language, you could express the emphasis in a different way. Alternate translation: “and a large number of the men and women and of the lords of the city”
9:52 jgq2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וַ⁠יִּלָּ֖חֶם בּ֑⁠וֹ 1 The author is using the tower, represented by the pronoun **it**, by association to mean the people who were in the tower. Alternate translation: “and fought with the people who were in the tower”
9:52 j471 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicitinfo לְ⁠שָׂרְפ֥⁠וֹ בָ⁠אֵֽשׁ 1 See how you translated the similar expression in [9:49](../09/49.md). Alternate translation: “to set it on fire” or “to burn it down”
9:53 j472 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-participants אִשָּׁ֥ה אַחַ֛ת 1 The author is using the phrase **one woman** to introduce this woman as a participant in the story. While she has only a brief role, it is an important one. If your language has its own way of introducing new participants, you can use it here in your translation. Alternate translation: “a certain woman”
9:53 z9j6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown פֶּ֥לַח רֶ֖כֶב 1 A **millstone** was a large, flat, round stone that was used to grind grain. Two of these stones were used together, with the grain between them. The **upper millstone** was the top one that was rolled on the lower one to crush the grain. If your readers would not be familiar with this object, in your translation you could use the name of a similar thing that your readers would recognize, or you could use a general expression. Alternate translation: “a heavy stone”
9:54 j473 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes פֶּן־יֹ֥אמְרוּ לִ֖⁠י אִשָּׁ֣ה הֲרָגָ֑תְ⁠הוּ 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: “lest they say about me that a woman killed me”
9:55 j474 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit אִֽישׁ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל 1 The author assumes that his readers will know that the people of Thebez were Canaanites and that he can therefore use the phrase **the men of Israel** to mean the soldiers who were fighting with Abimelek against Thebez. (Apparenly many Israelites were loyal to Abimelek, even though it was the Canaanites who lived in Shechem who first made him king on the basis that he had a Canaanite mother.) You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “the Israelites who had been supporting Abimelek”
9:56 j475 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-endofstory וַ⁠יָּ֣שֶׁב אֱלֹהִ֔ים אֵ֖ת רָעַ֣ת אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֤ר עָשָׂה֙ לְ⁠אָבִ֔י⁠ו לַ⁠הֲרֹ֖ג אֶת־שִׁבְעִ֥ים אֶחָֽי⁠ו 1 In this verse and the next one, the author concludes the story by explaining that God punished Abimelek and the men of Shechem for what they did to Gideon’s family. Your language may have its own way of concluding a story.
9:56 j476 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor וַ⁠יָּ֣שֶׁב אֱלֹהִ֔ים אֵ֖ת רָעַ֣ת אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ 1 The author is speaking as if the **evil** that Abimelek did had literally been moving away from him and God **turned** it **back** so that it returned to him and harmed him. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “So God made Abimelek experience the same kind of harm he had done to other people”
9:56 j477 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns רָעַ֣ת אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֤ר עָשָׂה֙ לְ⁠אָבִ֔י⁠ו 1 If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of **evil**, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “the evil thing that Abimelek had done to his father”
9:57 fx65 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor וְ⁠אֵ֗ת כָּל־רָעַת֙ אַנְשֵׁ֣י שְׁכֶ֔ם הֵשִׁ֥יב אֱלֹהִ֖ים בְּ⁠רֹאשָׁ֑⁠ם 1 The expression **turned back** has the same meaning here as in the previous verse, except that the author speaks more fully of the **evil** that the **men of Shechem** did as if God literally made it come back and land **upon their head**. While he is using one part of them, their **head**, to represent all of them, this expression is especially apt in light of the story, in which Abimelek dies when a heavy stone lands on his head. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “And God also made the people of Shechem experience painfully the same kind of harm that they had done to other people”
9:57 j478 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns וְ⁠אֵ֗ת כָּל־רָעַת֙ אַנְשֵׁ֣י שְׁכֶ֔ם 1 If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of **evil**, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “And all of the evil things that the men of Shechem had done”
9:57 j479 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-gendernotations אַנְשֵׁ֣י שְׁכֶ֔ם 1 Here the masculine term **men** seems to have a generic sense. The author specifies in [9:49](../09/49.md) that both “men and women” died when the tower of Shechem burned, so this summary reference to that punishment would include both men and women. Alternate translation: “the people of Shechem”
9:57 j480 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-collectivenouns בְּ⁠רֹאשָׁ֑⁠ם 1 Since the author is referring to a group of people, if you retain this image in your translation, it might be more natural in your language to use the plural form of **head**. Alternate translation: “upon their heads”
9:57 hua1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor וַ⁠תָּבֹ֣א אֲלֵי⁠הֶ֔ם קִֽלֲלַ֖ת יוֹתָ֥ם בֶּן־יְרֻבָּֽעַל 1 The author is speaking as if the **curse of Jotham** literally **came upon** the people of Shechem. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “and everything happened to them just as Jotham, the son of Jerubbaal, said it would when he cursed them”
10:intro zqn2 0 # Judges 10 General Notes\n\n## Structure and Formatting\n\nThis chapter begins the account of Jephthah ([Judges 10–12](./01.md)).\n\n## Religious and Cultural 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]])
10:1 g7ww rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names Tola … Puah … Dodo 0 These are names of men.
10:1 ti4g rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names Shamir 0 This is the name of a place.

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