Judges 11

Judges 11:1

Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor; he was the son of a prostitute, and Gilead was his father.

Judges 11:1 · BSB

an harlot Heb. a woman

Judges 11:2

And Gilead's wife bore him sons who grew up, drove Jephthah out, and said to him, "You shall have no inheritance in our father's house, because you are the son of another woman."

Judges 11:2 · BSB

Judges 11:3

So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where worthless men gathered around him and traveled with him.

Judges 11:3 · BSB

from his brethren Heb. from the face of

Judges 11:4

Some time later, when the Ammonites fought against Israel

Judges 11:4 · BSB

am 2817 , bc 1187 , An , Ex , Is , 304

Judges 11:5

and made war with them, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob.

Judges 11:5 · BSB

Judges 11:6

“Come,” they said, “be our commander, so that we can fight against the Ammonites.”

Judges 11:6 · BSB

Judges 11:7

Jephthah replied to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and expel me from my father’s house? Why then have you come to me now, when you are in distress?”

Judges 11:7 · BSB

Judges 11:8

They answered Jephthah, “This is why we now turn to you, that you may go with us, fight the Ammonites, and become leader over all of us who live in Gilead.”

Judges 11:8 · BSB

Judges 11:9

But Jephthah asked them, “If you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the LORD gives them to me, will I really be your leader?”

Judges 11:9 · BSB

Judges 11:10

And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The LORD is our witness if we do not do as you say.”

Judges 11:10 · BSB

Judges 11:11

So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him their leader and commander. And Jephthah repeated all his terms in the presence of the LORD at Mizpah.

Judges 11:11 · BSB

Jephthah uttered That is , upon his elevation , he immediately retired to his devotion , and in prayer spread the whole matter before God , both his choice to the office , and his execution of the office , as one that had his eye ever toward the Lord , and would do nothing without him; that leaned not to his own understanding or courage , but depended on the Almighty God , and his favour. This is an ensample worthy of universal imitation; in All Our Ways , whether great or apparently subordinate , let us acknowledge God and seek his direction. So shall we make our way prosperous , and obtain that peace which passeth all understanding. Jephthah opened his campaign with prayer.

Judges 11:12

Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites, saying, “What do you have against me that you have come to fight against my land?”

Judges 11:12 · BSB

Judges 11:13

The king of the Ammonites answered Jephthah’s messengers, “When Israel came up out of Egypt, they seized my land, from the Arnon to the Jabbok and all the way to the Jordan. Now, therefore, restore it peaceably.”

Judges 11:13 · BSB

from Arnon That is , all the land which had belonged to the Amorites and Moabites.

Judges 11:14

Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites

Judges 11:14 · BSB

Judges 11:15

to tell him, "This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take away the land of Moab or of the Ammonites.

Judges 11:15 · BSB

Judges 11:16

But when Israel came up out of Egypt, they traveled through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh.

Judges 11:16 · BSB

But when The whole of these messages shew , Jephthah had well studied the book of Moses. His arguments also are very clear and cogent , and his demands reasonable; for he only required that the Ammonites should cease to harass a people who had neither injured them , nor intended to do so.

Judges 11:17

Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let us pass through your land,’ but the king of Edom would not listen. They also sent messengers to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel stayed in Kadesh.

Judges 11:17 · BSB

Judges 11:18

Then Israel traveled through the wilderness and bypassed the lands of Edom and Moab. They came to the east side of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the territory of Moab, since the Arnon was its border.

Judges 11:18 · BSB

Judges 11:19

And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him, ‘Please let us pass through your land into our own place.’

Judges 11:19 · BSB

Judges 11:20

But Sihon would not trust Israel to pass through his territory. So he gathered all his people, encamped in Jahaz, and fought with Israel.

Judges 11:20 · BSB

Judges 11:21

Then the LORD, the God of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, who defeated them. So Israel took possession of all the land of the Amorites who inhabited that country,

Judges 11:21 · BSB

Judges 11:22

seizing all the land from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan.

Judges 11:22 · BSB

from the wilderness From Arabia Deserta on the east , to Jordan on the west.

Judges 11:23

Now since the LORD, the God of Israel, has driven out the Amorites from before His people Israel, should you now possess it?

Judges 11:23 · BSB

Jephthah shews that the Israelites did not take the land of the Moabites or Ammonites , but that of the Amorites , which they had conquered from Sihon their king; and although the Amorites had taken the lands in question from the Ammonites , yet the title by which Israel held them was good , because they took them , not from the Ammonites , but from the Amorites.

Judges 11:24

Do you not possess whatever your god Chemosh grants you? So also, we possess whatever the LORD our God has granted us.

Judges 11:24 · BSB

Wilt not thou possess This is simply an argumentum ad hominem; in which Jephthah argues on this principles recognized by the king of Ammon. As if he had said , "You suppose that the land which you possess was given you by your god Chemosh; and therefore will not relinquish what you believe you hold by a divine right. Now we know that Jehovah , our God , has given us the land of the Israelites; and therefore we will not give it up."

Judges 11:25

Are you now so much better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever contend with Israel or fight against them?

Judges 11:25 · BSB

Judges 11:26

For three hundred years Israel has lived in Heshbon, Aroer, and their villages, as well as all the cities along the banks of the Arnon. Why did you not take them back during that time?

Judges 11:26 · BSB

Judges 11:27

I have not sinned against you, but you have done me wrong by waging war against me. May the LORD, the Judge, decide today between the Israelites and the Ammonites.”

Judges 11:27 · BSB

Judges 11:28

But the king of the Ammonites paid no heed to the message Jephthah sent him.

Judges 11:28 · BSB

Judges 11:29

Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, then through Mizpah of Gilead. And from there he advanced against the Ammonites.

Judges 11:29 · BSB

Jephthah "Jephthah seems to have been judge only of north-east Israel."

Judges 11:30

Jephthah made this vow to the LORD: “If indeed You will deliver the Ammonites into my hand,

Judges 11:30 · BSB

Judges 11:31

then whatever comes out the door of my house to greet me on my triumphant return from the Ammonites will belong to the LORD, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”

Judges 11:31 · BSB

whatsoever etc. Heb. that which cometh forth , which shall come forth

Judges 11:32

So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his hand.

Judges 11:32 · BSB

Judges 11:33

With a great blow he devastated twenty cities from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel-keramim. So the Ammonites were subdued before the Israelites.

Judges 11:33 · BSB

the plain or , Abel

Judges 11:34

And when Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, there was his daughter coming out to meet him with tambourines and dancing! She was his only child; he had no son or daughter besides her.

Judges 11:34 · BSB

beside her or , he had not of his own either son or daughter , Heb. of himself

Judges 11:35

As soon as Jephthah saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “No! Not my daughter! You have brought me to my knees! You have brought great misery upon me, for I have given my word to the LORD and cannot take it back.”

Judges 11:35 · BSB

Judges 11:36

“My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the LORD. Do to me as you have said, for the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites.”

Judges 11:36 · BSB

Judges 11:37

She also said to her father, “Let me do this one thing: Let me wander for two months through the mountains with my friends and mourn my virginity.”

Judges 11:37 · BSB

go up and down Heb. go and go down

Judges 11:38

“Go,” he said. And he sent her away for two months. So she left with her friends and mourned her virginity upon the mountains.

Judges 11:38 · BSB

Judges 11:39

After two months, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. And she had never had relations with a man. So it has become a custom in Israel

Judges 11:39 · BSB

did with That Jephthah did not sacrifice his daughter , but consecrated her to the service of God in the tabernacle , in a state of celibacy , will we imagine be evident from the following consideration .

custom or , ordinance

Judges 11:40

that each year the young women of Israel go out for four days to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.

Judges 11:40 · BSB

yearly Heb. from year to year