9
votes
What does Gideon's new name, Jerub-baal, mean?
In fact this is a case of a pretty simple and straightforward verse that has been unnecessarily complicated by its translators. The word in question ירב pretty much translates into fight, contend. See ...
- 7,340
8
votes
Accepted
Ehud, a Left-Handed Man
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges explains this succinctly:
This peculiarity has a bearing upon what follows: being left-handed he naturally fastened his sword on the right side instead ...
- 12.9k
7
votes
Has anyone seen God or not?
Can God make a rock so big that even He can't lift it?
God is generally held to be omnipotent, and there's a classical logical paradox involving that omnipotence: can God make a rock so big even He ...
- 344
6
votes
In Judges 11:39-40 did Jephthah actually sacrifice his daughter?
In addition to Soldarnal's point I would like to add that there is evidence that Jephthah's dagheter's request to "mourn her virginity" was an ancient cultic rite associated with the cult of Anath and ...
- 7,340
6
votes
Accepted
How did Deborah (or any of the Judges) get their position?
There are mainly two ways in which the Judges were chosen by the people:
By proving oneself to be a mighty warrior and capable to lead and protect the people.
By providing the people with guidance in ...
- 7,340
6
votes
Accepted
Could Abimelech be regarded as the first king of Israel?
It is only the men of Shechem and the house of Millo which the text mentions. It is not even a complete tribe. So, therefore, significant though the use of the word 'king' is, the last words in Judges ...
- 32.4k
6
votes
Apparently a DOUBLE contradiction: Can this be explained?
Deuteronomy says you are not to cut yourself or your hair "for the dead". Deuteronomy is talking about acts indicating a state of mourning. It is the mourning that God doesn't like in his ...
- 7,053
5
votes
Ehud, a Left-Handed Man
Ehud was a Benjamite and the phrase translated "left handed man" is a very interesting Hebrew idiom. It literally reads "a man bound/restricted in his right hand." The same phrase ...
- 22.6k
5
votes
Has anyone seen God or not?
"Has anyone seen God or not?"
That depends upon what you think "God" means.
If you believe that the God of the Old Testament is the same person as the Father of the New Testament, ...
- 7,143
5
votes
Where were Samson's parents when he was attacked by the lion?
When Samson encountered the lion, he was an adult, and had asked his father to obtain a Philistine wife for him.
Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman. When he returned, ...
- 9,205
5
votes
Order the child
The KJV translation of Judges 13:12 is a little foreign to modern ears. Here is a sampling of more modern versions that translate the Hebrew well.
NIV: So Manoah asked him, “When your words are ...
- 114k
4
votes
Accepted
In Judges 14, is it fourth or seventh day?
There seems to be a confusion here.
They are not different biblical texts reflecting different traditions from different authors that may or may not be reconciled, but different versions of the same ...
- 7,340
4
votes
Accepted
Which land were the Ammonites demanding in Judges 11:13?:
The conquest of this part of the land from Sihon comes from Numbers 21:24 (NRSV):
Israel put him to the sword, and took possession of his [Sihon's] land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as to ...
- 3,804
4
votes
Accepted
Did the Angel leave and return or was it a different event in Judges?
There are Old and New Testament references to “angels of the Lord,” “an angel of the Lord,” and “the angel of the Lord.”
It seems when the definite article “the” is used, it is specifying a unique ...
- 9,205
4
votes
What does Gideon's new name, Jerub-baal, mean?
The name Jerubbaal (yerubba'al) is clearly a compound word. If we follow the etymology given by the verse, it would have been derived from yarib (fight,, root ריב) + ba'al. But the first etymology ...
- 3,804
4
votes
Accepted
Why are there so many unusual weapons used in Judges?
Historical interpretation
In the time of judges the people were disorganized, there was no king, and no army, no tax base to support dedicated weapons production or a standing army and thus and no ...
- 8,588
4
votes
(Judges 7:16) Gideon's empty pitchers
As Nigel pointed out, a pitcher would normally carry something - see 1 Sam 26.12 (Saul's water jug), 1 Kings 17.12 (the jug of oil) and Mark 14.13 (a man carrying a pitcher of water).
Not only that, ...
- 167
4
votes
What is the significance of Ehud hiding the sword on his right thigh in Judges 3:21?
The answer is a practical one on Judges 3. If a sword is strapped to the right side it cannot be drawn by the right hand. Similarly, if a sword is strapped to the left side it cannot be drawn by the ...
- 114k
4
votes
Has anyone seen God or not?
This question is actually a very god question. To understand the answer, you need to understand the Hebraic concept of representation - a very important one to grasp.
Essentially.... if a ‘person’ or ‘...
- 8,256
4
votes
Does Judges 5:14 imply that Ephraim had distant Amalekite roots?
Without disputing any of other answers, I wanted to provide more interpretations and arguments:
Emendation switching "Amalek" with "valley"
Several manuscripts of the LXX have “in ...
- 8,588
4
votes
Accepted
Did Samson pull the door off by his own strength?
The act of pulling the very heavy door from their moorings was certainly a superhuman act - else anyone could have done it and the city would have been unsafe from intruders.
There are many other ...
- 114k
4
votes
Why does the angel of the LORD speak in the first person in Judges 2:1-5?
The angel presents himself to Gideon as that angel that took them out of Egypt.
EXODUS 23:21 Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your ...
- 8,256
4
votes
How would Christians answer Dan Barker?
Q: How would Christians answer Dan Barker?
The short answer is, Christians would want to do what Jesus would do, and Jesus would not argue even with the devil.
"Yet Michael the archangel, when ...
- 6,250
4
votes
Accepted
What age should we understand Samson, his bride and his bride's younger sister as being?
Samson age is never mentioned in the bible but we have this;
30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed
himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and
upon ...
- 3,958
4
votes
Accepted
If the LXX version of Judges 18:30 states "Μωυσῆ" (Moses), why would New Testament bibles prefer מְנַשֶּׁ֜ה (Menasseh) from Tanakh's MT?
You ask: "What makes the Tanakh's "Menasseh" מְנַשֶּׁ֜ה more accurate than the LXX Μωυσῆ "Moses"?"
It's actually the other way around! משה is more original than מנשה.
The ...
- 7,340
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