When the men of the town rose early in the morning is rendered in many versions by a similar time clause. We can follow Revised Standard Version or the Hebrew text, which is literally “And the men of the town arose early in the morning.” The men of the town is the same expression used in verse 6.27 (see comments there). However, in many languages it may be simpler here to refer to “the people,” “the townspeople,” or “the inhabitants of the town.” Rose early does not render the Hebrew keyword qum, which is found throughout the book of Judges, but a more specific word referring to “waking up early.” It may be translated “woke up” or “got up” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). Gideon took down the altar during the night. Rose early in the morning refers to the people getting up early the next morning. Many languages will have an idiomatic expression or even an ideophone to emphasize that this took place very early in the day. This whole clause may be rendered “Early the next day, when the people of the town got up” or “As soon as the townspeople got up the next morning.” The word morning reappears in verse 6.31, right before the conclusion, thus forming an inclusio around this subunit.

Behold renders the Hebrew word hinneh, which can call attention to a particular situation, express surprise, or mark a climax in a story. Here it seems to have all these functions. It expresses the townspeople’s surprise when they woke up to discover that their altar and idol were destroyed. It also marks this discovery as a high point in the story, as readers and hearers wonder what the townspeople will do to Gideon for such an audacious act. Some languages will have particles or ideophones to express the surprised reaction. We may also say “Look!” or “to their great surprise, they discovered.”

The altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah beside it was cut down: The vocabulary used here is similar to that in verse 6.25 (see comments there). The major difference is the use of passive verbs without agents. These verbs do not specify who did the action and thus enables the storyteller to continue the suspense. The townspeople did not know who performed these acts that many would consider a sacrilege. Some languages do not have such passives, so these clauses must be cast in active form, perhaps with an indefinite subject as follows: “someone had broken down the altar of Baal and had cut down the Asherah pole beside it.” In verse 6.25 the verb “pull down” is used for the destruction of the altar, but here it is broken down, which is the same verb used in verse 2.2 (see comments there). There is little difference in meaning between the Hebrew verbs rendered “pull down” and broken down. In some languages it may be necessary to use the same verb for both of them.

And the second bull was offered upon the altar which had been built: This clause shows what the townspeople also saw. At the place where the altar to Baal stood, they found a different altar, one with a sacrifice on it. The second bull refers to the same bull as in verse 6.25-26 (see the comments there for the textual problems affecting this expression). In many languages it will be more natural to say simply “the bull.” Was offered and had been built are two more passive verbs without an agent. They maintain the suspense. Again, if this verb form does not exist in the receptor language, this clause may be rendered “and they saw that someone had offered/sacrificed a bull on a new altar that someone had built.” In many languages it will be more logical to say “and they saw a new altar [in its place] with a bull sacrificed on it.” It is important to preserve the secret of who did all these things until the storyteller decides to reveal his name.

Translation models for this verse are:

• Next morning, very early, the townspeople got up and discovered that the altar to Baal had been broken down and the pole for Asherah cut down. In their place was a new altar with a bull sacrificed on it.

• When the people of the town got up early the next morning, to their great surprise, they saw that the altar to Baal and the Asherah pole had been destroyed. In their place they saw an altar that someone had built, with a bull offered as a sacrifice on top of it.

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 .