OET interlinear JDG 9:4

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

שִׁבְעִ֣ים כֶּ֔סֶף

seventy pieces_of_silver

The author is using the word silver by association to mean silver shekels, a unit of weight. Alternate translation: “70 shekels of silver”

Note 2 topic: translate-bweight

שִׁבְעִ֣ים כֶּ֔סֶף

seventy pieces_of_silver

A silver shekel weighed about 11 grams, so these 70 shekels weighed a little less than a kilogram, or almost two pounds. In your translation, you could use the ancient measurement and spell the word “shekel” the way it sounds in your language. You could also say “coins” rather than “shekels.” Alternatively, you could use the metric measurement given in the UST or another measurement that your language and culture customarily use, or you could use the ancient measurement in your translation and put a modern measurement in parentheses in the text or in a footnote. Alternate translation: “70 silver shekels” or “70 silver coins”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

מִ⁠בֵּ֖יתּ בַ֣עַל בְּרִ֑ית

from,temple בַעַל בְּרִית

The author is speaking of the temple of Baal-Berith as if it had been a house in which that false god lived. Alternate translation: “from the temple of Baal-Berith”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / hendiadys

אֲנָשִׁ֤ים רֵיקִים֙ וּ⁠פֹ֣חֲזִ֔ים

men worthless and,reckless

This phrase expresses a single idea by using two words connected with and. The idea is that because these men were worthless, that is, unprincipled, they were not careful to do what was right and avoid doing what was wrong, that is, they were reckless. So Abimelek could hire them to commit murder, as the next verse describes. Your language may have a comparable expression for people whose consciences do not keep them from doing wrong. Alternate translation: “hardened criminals”