THEOSISJakimov I.S.
From the latter part of verse 15 to verse 17, the text discusses individuals who neither engaged in nor abstained from the struggle for liberation, revealing themselves to be false-hearted. Reuben remains seated, contemplating when what is truly required is decisive action rather than deliberation. Devvor, with a touch of irony, states twice: “Ruvim has great deliberations” — protracted, significant discussions that divert him more than the cause of freeing the homeland. This phrase is repeated by Devvora not as mere repetition, but reflecting two distinct perspectives, especially evident in the Hebrew. In the first instance, the term used is chikkelev, signifying intentions or heartfelt gatherings; in the second, chikvelev refers to determinations or decrees.
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Thus, it becomes clear that while the other tribes advanced to battle the enemy, Reuben remained engaged in debate and analysis. His tribe possessed numerous flocks, yet he finds himself entranced by the soothing melodies of the shepherd’s pipes at home, rather than heeding the call of the battle horn.
Let us now examine the Slavonic rendition. The latter part of verses 15 and 16 states, “In the division of Reuben, great is the trial of the heart. Why do I sit among the Mosphatham?” The word "divisions" derives from the Hebrew term philgoth. This term can be interpreted literally (some translate it as "streams"), but it is more fitting to view it figuratively, signifying moral divisions. David enacted a similar partition within the priestly order; he did not physically separate them, but rather morally categorized them into 24 groups (1 Chronicles 24). In the same light, with respect to Reuben, the division referred to is not a physical one, but a moral categorization into classes or estates. Therefore, significant gatherings occur among the various groups within Reuben’s tribe.
“Why do you sit in the midst of Mosphatham?” The last term in the LXX translations has not been given an English equivalent. According to the Hebrew, it stems from the verb ‘shapat’; mishpat, mipshetaim, indicates anything constructed with stakes or nails. The use of the dual form here suggests two fundamental aspects of the object in question. In the East, this could refer to pens or enclosures made from woven materials intended for livestock, divided into a male and female section. The Greek translators misconstrued ‘mishpetaim’ as a proper noun, signifying a city, likely due to their unfamiliarity with the root meaning of the term. It is mentioned only three times in Scripture; in addition to this context, in Genesis 49:14 (Issachar... lies between the enclosures), and in Psalm 67:14 (if you sleep in the midst of the border). It is also acknowledged that the LXX translators did not undertake a unified translation of the Bible; different individuals translated various books at different intervals, sometimes up to fifty years apart. Hence, the translators of Judges could not grasp the meaning of a term encountered and properly understood by other translators in the books of Genesis and Psalms. This serves as another illustration that elucidates the inconsistency of the LXX translation; certain words were beyond their understanding and thus remained untranslated.