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Judges 5 describes a time of chaos when there were no good leaders, followed by the return of order. The Greek Septuagint, however, inconsistently replaces “leaders” with “gods,” likely showing how it was confused by the difficult Hebrew text.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Judges 5:8
Hebrew Bible
6 “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael caravans disappeared; travelers had to go on winding side roads. 7 Warriors were scarce; they were scarce in Israel, until you arose, Deborah, until you arose as a motherly protector in Israel. 8 God chose new leaders, then fighters appeared in the city gates; but, I swear, not a shield or spear could be found among 40 military units in Israel. 9 My heart went out to Israel’s leaders, to the people who answered the call to war. Praise the Lord! 10 “You who ride on light-colored female donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, you who walk on the road, pay attention!
Date: 600–501 BCE (based on scholarly estimates)
LXX Judges 5:8
Septuagint
6 In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, they deserted the ways, and went in by-ways; they went in crooked paths. 7 The mighty men in Israel failed, they failed until Deborah arose, until she arose a mother in Israel. 8 They chose new gods; then the cities of rulers fought; there was not a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel. 9 My heart inclines to the orders given in Israel; you that are willing among the people, bless the Lord. 10 You that mount a female donkey at noon-day, you that sit on the judgment-seat, and walk by the roads of those who sit in judgment by the way;
Date: 200–101 BCE (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... Judges 5:8 ... “When new gods were chosen, then war was in the gates” (NRSV); “they chose new gods, like barley bread” (= LXX A); “they chose new gods; then the cities of the rulers fought” (= LXX B) ... Some of the LXX translations in these verses seem little short of nonsense. The translator has made his best guess at the meaning of individual words (and in this it may be said that he shows his intent to be faithful to the Hebrew), but these guesses taken together do not yield coherent sense. In most cases it is rare Hebrew words that have caused the problem. Things become a little better as the chapter proceeds, because many of the difficulties are found in the opening section. But it is impossible to read a modern, philologically informed translation of Judges 5 such as the NRSV without feeling that it has come closer to what the Hebrew likely meant ..."
Albert Pietersma and Benjamin G. Wright, A New English Translation of the Septuagint (New York: Oxford University Press, 2007), 197.
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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