But six hundred men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon: This clause seems to be a repetition of what is reported in verse 20.45, but in reality it tells the audience that 600 Benjaminite soldiers were able to escape. But renders well the Hebrew waw conjunction here, since it introduces the contrast between the Benjaminites who were killed and those who managed to escape. We might say “However, 600 men were able to escape to Rimmon Rock in the desert.”

And abode at the rock of Rimmon four months: These 600 men were able to hide in the rocky area at Rimmon and avoid death, as is clear from verse 21.13. Abode renders a Hebrew word (yashab) that simply means “live,” “inhabit,” or “stay” in a location (see verse 1.9, where it is translated “dwelt”). However, in this context it might be rendered “hid.” The rock of Rimmon is repeated here, but in many languages it will be better to say simply “there” (Good News Translation). The Hebrew word for month refers to the new moon. In many languages there is a similar connection (see verse 19.2). We might say “and they stayed there for four moons.”

A translation model for this verse is:

• But 600 men escaped and ran to Rimmon Rock in the desert, where they hid out for four months.

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 .