That the daughters of Israel went year by year …: This verse appears to be a closing statement that explains a custom in Israel which developed to commemorate this young woman’s tragedy. No conjunction is present in Hebrew here. In Hebrew this verse begins with a very rhythmic “from days to days” (miyyamim yamimah), which repeats several sounds, the consonants m and y and the vowels i and a. Translators can find a way of rendering some of the sadness and perhaps repetitiveness expressed here. It may appropriate to begin with an expression such as “And so” or “Thus.” The daughters of Israel refers to all the young women in Israel. The word daughters can refer to the inhabitants of a place in the Old Testament (see, for example, Psalm 48.11; verse 97.8), but here it refers to women (compare Song of Songs 1.5). Good News Translation says “the Israelite women,” and Contemporary English Version has “Israelite girls.” Went year by year is literally “from days to days they went.” The place they went to was probably “on the mountains” (see verse 11.37). The Hebrew phrase rendered year by year indicates this was an annual event (compare Exo 13.10). However, despite this claim, there is no other information about this custom in the Bible. Many languages will prefer to follow the Hebrew order here: “And so, every year the women of Israel went….”

To lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite: The Hebrew verb rendered lament is not the same one translated “bewail” in verse 11.37. This verb means “recount,” “celebrate” or “remember,” as in verse 5.11. New International Version and Revised English Bible say “commemorate,” which is a good model. It became a custom for Israelite women to commemorate what happened to this young woman and possibly her willingness to respect her father and the LORD. The narrator uses the full noun phrase Jephthah the Gileadite (see verse 11.1) as this episode comes to a close.

Four days in the year: This was the time period for the memorial. The four days were consecutive, not four days scattered throughout the year.

Translation models for this verse are:

• It became customary for the women of Israel to commemorate what happened to the daughter of Jephthah of Gilead four days every year.

• And so each year for four days, the women in Israel went out [on the mountains] to remember what happened to the daughter of Jephthah of Gilead.

Quoted with permission from Zogbo, Lynell and Ogden, Graham S. A Handbook on Judges. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .