1JephThah, the Gileadite, was a mighty man, who was the son of Gilead by a whore. 2However, Gilead’s wife had also given birth to sons, and when they grew up, they drove JephThah out of the house, saying, ‘You aren’t going to receive an inheritance in the house of our father, because you’re the son of [his] mistress.’ 3So JephThah left his brothers and went to live in the land of Tob. And there a lot of worthless men started following JephThah and traveling with him. 4Well, when the children of AmMon prepared to fight against Israel, 5the elders at Gilead sent [messengers] to call JephThah from the land of Tob, 6saying, ‘Come and lead us in our fight against the sons of AmMon.’ 7But JephThah replied, ‘Aren’t you the ones who disliked me, drove me out of my father’s house, and banished me? So, how have you [the nerve] to call for me now?’ 8And the elders of Gilead said, ‘Well, we’ve now turned to you, and we’re asking you to lead us in battle against the sons of AmMon. Then you can be the head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.’ 9So JephThah told the elders of Gilead. ‘Okay, if you bring me back to fight against the children of AmMon and Jehovah hands them over to me; then I must be your leader.’ 10And the elders of Gilead replied, ‘Jehovah is our witness that we will do just as you said.’ 11So JephThah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him the head [of their army and their] ruler. Then JephThah prayed to Jehovah about this at MasSepha. 12And thereafter, he sent messengers to the king of the children of AmMon to ask, ‘What have I done to you, that you’ve come to fight against me and my land? 13And the king of the AmMonites told JephThah’s messengers, ‘Because Israel took away all our land from Arnon, to Jaboc, to the Jordan, when they came from Egypt. Now, return it peacefully and we’ll leave.’ 14Then JephThah sent messengers to the king of AmMon again, 15to tell him: ‘JephThah says that Israel didn’t just take the land of Moab or the land of the children of AmMon. 16For when we left Egypt, Israel traveled through the desert along the Red Sea until we got to Cades. 17And there Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom and asked if we could pass through their land, but the king of Edom wouldn’t allow us to do that… and Israel asked the same thing of the king of Moab, and he wouldn’t allow us [to cross his land]; so we stayed in Cades. 18And thereafter, we traveled through the desert and went around the lands of Edom and Moab. And when we got to the east side of Moab, we camped in the country on the other side of Arnon, and never crossed the borders of Moab (for Arnon is their border). 19‘Then Israel sent messengers to Seon (the king of the Amorites and the king of Esbon) to say: Please allow us cross your land to get to our land. 20But Seon didn’t trust Israel to pass through his land, so he gathered all his people to the camp at Jasa and set up battle lines against Israel. 21However, Jehovah the God of Israel gave Seon and all his people into the hands of Israel, and they them cut him down and inherited all the land of the Amorites who lived there, 22from Arnon to Jaboc, and from the desert to the Jordan.’ 23‘So, now that Jehovah the God of Israel has removed the Amorites [and given their land to] His people Israel, are you going to take it back? 24Why not accept the land that your god Chamosh has given you as your inheritance, and allow us to inherit all the land that our God Jehovah has taken from you? 25‘Are you any better than Balac (the son of SepPhor), the king of Moab? For, didn’t he fight with Israel and make war 26when Israel lived in and around EshEbone, and in the land of AroEr, and in all the cities around the Jordan for three hundred years? And just what [land] did you recover then? 27So now, I haven’t sinned against you, but you’re doing me wrong by preparing to war against me. May Jehovah our Judge serve as the judge between the children of Israel and the children of AmMon today!’ 28However, the king of the children of AmMon refused to listen to the words that JephThah sent to him. 29And Jehovah’s Breath settled upon JephThah, so he went up to Gilead (in ManasSeh), passed by its watchtower (as well as the children of AmMon), and went to the other side of the city. 30Then JephThah made a vow to Jehovah. He said, ‘If you’ll give the children of AmMon into my hands, 31then whoever is the first to come out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in peace after [conquering] the children of AmMon, must be Jehovah’s… I will offer him as a whole burnt offering.’ 32Then JephThah advanced to meet the sons of AmMon in battle, and Jehovah gave them into his hands. 33He cut them down all the way from AroEr to Arnon… twenty of their cities as far as Ebel Charmim. It was a huge destruction and the children of AmMon were conquered before the children of Israel. 34Then, when JephThah returned to his home in MasSepha, he saw his daughter coming out to meet him, dancing and shaking a tambourine. Well, she was his only child… for he didn’t have any other sons or daughters. 35And when he saw her, he ripped his clothes and shouted, ‘Oh no, my daughter! You’ve ruined me! Oh, I’m so sad, because I made a promise about you to Jehovah, and now I can’t change it.’ 36And she said: ‘Father, do to me whatever you’ve promised to Jehovah, for He has given you vengeance on our enemies, the children of AmMon.’ 37Then she said, ‘Father, I know that you must do this thing, but let me have two months as my friends and I travel through the mountains to wail over my virginity.’ 38And he said, ‘Then go.’ So he allowed her to leave for two months as she and her friends went into the mountains and cried over the fact that she was to remain a virgin. 39Well after two months, she returned to her father and he kept his vow concerning her, and she never [had sex with] a man. 40And it became a rule that the daughters of Israel were to go and cry over the daughter of JephThah (the Gileadite) for four days each year.
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge 1 Judg 11:1 The covenant between Jephthah and the Gileadites, that he should be their head.
Judg 11:12 The treaty of peace between him and the Ammonites is in vain.
Judg 11:29 Jephthah's vow.
Judg 11:32 His conquest of the Ammonites.
Judg 11:34 He performs his vow on his daughter.
Jephthah.
Heb 11:32called Jephthae. a mighty.
Judg 6:12 2Kgs 5:1an harlot. Heb. a woman, an harlot. Probably
zonah should be rendered as in
Josh 2:1, a hostess, or inn-keeper: so Targum of Jonathan,
wehoo bar ittetha pundekeetha, "and he was the son of a woman, a tavern-keeper." She was very probably a Canaanite, as she is called, ver. 2
Judg 11:2, a strange woman,
ishah achereth, "a woman of another race;" and on this account his brethren drove him from the family, as not having a full right to the inheritance.
2 thrust out.
Gen 12:10 Deut 23:2 Gal 4:30a strange.
Pro 2:16 Pro 5:3 Pro 5:20 Pro 6:24 -
Pro 6:26 3 from his brethren. Heb. from the face of. Tob. Probably the same as Ish-Tob; and appears to have been a part of Syria, near Zobah, Rehob, and Maachah, east of Jordan, and in the most northern part of the portion of Manasseh. If so, it could not be far from Gilead, the country of Jephthah. This country is called Tobie or Tubin, 1 Mac 5:13; and the Jews who inhabited this district Tubieni, 2 Mac 12:17.
2Sam 10:6.
vain men.
Judg 9:4 1Sam 22:2 1Sam 27:2 1Sam 30:22 -
1Sam 30:24 Job 30:1 -
Job 30:10 Acts 17:5 4 A.M. 2817. B.C. 1187. An. Ex. Is. 304. in process of time. Heb. after days.
Judg 11:4 5 made war.
Judg 10:9 Judg 10:17 Judg 10:18to fetch.
1Sam 10:27 1Sam 11:6 1Sam 11:7 1Sam 11:12 Ps 118:22 Ps 118:23 Acts 7:35 -
Acts 7:39 1Cor 1:27 -
1Cor 1:29 6 Judg 11:6 7 Did not ye hate.
Gen 26:27 Gen 37:27 Gen 45:4 Gen 45:5 Pro 17:17 Isa 60:14 Acts 7:9 -
Acts 7:14 Rev 3:9 8 the elders.
Exod 8:8 Exod 8:28 Exod 9:28 Exod 10:17 1Kgs 13:6 Luke 17:3 Luke 17:4we turn.
Judg 10:18 9 If ye bring.
Num 32:20 -
Num 32:29 10 The Lord.
Gen 21:23 Gen 31:50 1Sam 12:5 Jer 29:23 Jer 42:5 Rom 1:9 2Cor 11:31be witness. be the hearer.
Gen 16:5 Gen 31:53 Deut 1:16 1Sam 24:12if we do.
Exod 20:7 Zech 5:4 Mal 3:5 11 head.
Judg 11:8uttered.
1Sam 23:9 -
1Sam 23:12 1Kgs 3:7 -
1Kgs 3:9 2Cor 3:5 Jas 1:5 Jas 1:17Jephthah 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.
before.
Judg 10:17 Judg 20:1 1Sam 10:17 1Sam 11:15Mizpeh. This Mizpeh was east of Jordan in the mountains of Gilead (
Gen 31:49); and hence called Mizpeh of Gilead (ver. 29
Judg 11:29), to distinguish it from another place of the same name, west of Jordan, in the tribe of Judah.
Josh 15:38 12 sent messengers. In this Jephthah acted in accordance with the law of Moses; and hence the justice of his cause would appear more forcibly to the people.
Num 20:14 Num 21:21 Deut 2:26 Deut 20:10 Deut 20:11 Pro 25:8 Pro 25:9 Matt 18:15 Matt 18:16What hast.
2Kgs 14:8 -
2Kgs 14:12 13 Because Israel.
Num 21:24 -
Num 21:26 Pro 19:5 Pro 19:9from Arnon. That is, all the land which had belonged to the Amorites and Moabites.
Jabbok.
Gen 32:22 Deut 2:37 Deut 3:16 14 again unto.
Ps 120:7 Rom 12:18 Heb 12:14 1Pet 3:11 15 Israel took.
Num 21:13 -
Num 21:15 Num 21:27 -
Num 21:30 Deut 2:9 Deut 2:19 2Chr 20:10 Acts 24:12 Acts 24:13 16 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.
walked.
Num 14:25 Deut 1:40 Josh 5:6came.
Gen 14:7 Num 13:26 Num 20:1 Deut 1:46 17 sent messengers.
Num 20:14 -
Num 20:21 Deut 2:4 -
Deut 2:8 Deut 2:29the king.
Deut 2:9abode.
Num 20:1 Num 20:16 18 went.
Num 20:22 Num 21:10 -
Num 21:13 Num 33:37 -
Num 33:44 Deut 2:1 -
Deut 2:8compassed.
Num 21:4 -
Num 21:9came by.
Num 21:11pitched.
Num 21:13 Num 22:36 19 Num 21:21 -
Num 21:35 Deut 2:26 -
Deut 2:34 Deut 3:1 -
Deut 3:17 Josh 13:8 -
Josh 13:12 20 Num 21:23 Deut 2:32Lord God.
Neh 9:22 Ps 135:10 -
Ps 135:12 Ps 136:17 -
Ps 136:21they smote.
Num 21:24 Num 21:25 Deut 2:33 Deut 2:34so Israel.
Josh 13:15 -
Josh 13:32 21 Judg 11:21 22 And they.
Deut 2:36from the wilderness. From Arabia Deserta on the east, to Jordan on the west.
23 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.
Judg 11:23 24 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."
Chemosh.
Num 21:29 1Kgs 11:7 Jer 48:7 Jer 48:46whomsoever.
Deut 9:4 Deut 9:5 Deut 18:12 Josh 3:10 Ps 44:2 Ps 78:55 Mic 4:5 25 Balak.
Num 22:2 -
Num 22:21 Deut 23:3 Deut 23:4 Josh 24:9 Josh 24:10 Mic 6:5 26 Heshbon.
Num 21:25 -
Num 21:30 Deut 2:24 Deut 3:2 Deut 3:6 Josh 12:2 Josh 12:5 Josh 13:10Aroer.
Deut 2:36three hundred.
Judg 3:11 Judg 3:30 Judg 5:31 Judg 8:28 Judg 9:22 Judg 10:2 Judg 10:3 Judg 10:8 Josh 11:18 Josh 23:1 27 the Judge.
Gen 18:25 1Sam 2:10 Job 9:15 Job 23:7 Ps 7:11 Ps 50:6 Ps 75:7 Ps 82:8 Ps 94:2 Ps 98:9 Eccl 11:9 Eccl 12:14 John 5:22 John 5:23 Rom 14:10 -
Rom 14:12 2Cor 5:10 2Tim 4:8 Heb 12:23be judge.
Gen 16:5 Gen 31:53 1Sam 24:12 1Sam 24:15 Ps 7:8 Ps 7:9 2Cor 11:11 28 2Kgs 14:11 Pro 16:18 29 the spirit.
Judg 3:10 Judg 6:34 Judg 13:25 Num 11:25 1Sam 10:10 1Sam 16:13 -
1Sam 16:15 1Chr 12:18Jephthah. "Jephthah seems to have been judge only of north-east Israel."
over Mizpeh.
Judg 10:17 30 Gen 28:20 Num 30:2 -
Num 30:16 1Sam 1:11 Eccl 5:1 Eccl 5:2 Eccl 5:4 Eccl 5:5 31 whatsoever, etc. Heb. that which cometh forth, which shall come forth. shall surely.
Lev 27:2 Lev 27:3 Lev 27:28 Lev 27:29 1Sam 1:11 1Sam 1:28 1Sam 2:18 1Sam 14:24 1Sam 14:44 Ps 66:13 Ps 66:14and I will. or, or I will, etc.
Wehaaleetheehoo olah, rather, as Dr. Randolph and others contend, "and I will offer Him (or to Him, i.e., Jehovah) a burnt offering;" for
hoo may with much more propriety be referred to the person to whom the sacrifice was to be made, than to the thing to be sacrificed. Unless understood in this way, or as the marginal reading, it must have been the vow of a heathen or a madman. If a dog, or other uncleaned animal had met him, he could not have made it a burnt offering; or if his neighbour's wife, sons, etc., his vow gave him no right over them.
Lev 27:11 Lev 27:12 Deut 23:18 Ps 66:13 Isa 66:3 32 the Lord.
Judg 1:4 Judg 2:18 Judg 3:10 33 Aroer.
Deut 2:36Minnith. Situated, according to Eusebius, four miles from Heshbon, towards Philadelphia or Rabbath.
Ezek 27:17the plain. or, Abel.
34 Mizpeh.
Judg 11:11 Judg 10:17his daughter.
Judg 5:1 -
Judg 5:31 Exod 15:20 1Sam 18:6 1Sam 18:7 Ps 68:25 Ps 148:11 Ps 148:12 Ps 150:4 Jer 31:4 Jer 31:13beside her. or, he had not of his own either son ordaughter. Heb. of himself. neither.
Zech 12:10 Luke 7:12 Luke 8:42 Luke 9:38 35 rent his clothes.
Gen 37:29 Gen 37:30 Gen 37:34 Gen 37:35 Gen 42:36 -
Gen 42:38 2Sam 13:30 2Sam 13:31 2Sam 18:33 Job 1:20have opened.
Lev 27:28 Lev 27:29 Num 30:2 -
Num 30:5 Ps 15:4 Eccl 5:2 -
Eccl 5:6I cannot.
Judg 21:1 -
Judg 21:7 1Sam 14:44 1Sam 14:45 Matt 14:7 -
Matt 14:9 Acts 23:14 36 forasmuch.
Judg 16:28 -
Judg 16:30 2Sam 18:19 2Sam 18:31 2Sam 19:30 Acts 20:24 Acts 21:13 Rom 16:4 Phil 2:30 37 go up and down. Heb. go and go down. bewail.
1Sam 1:6 Luke 1:25 38 Judg 11:38 39 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:--
1. Human sacrifices were ever an abomination to Jehovah, of which Jephthah could not be ignorant; and consequently he would neither have made such a vow, nor carried it into execution.
2. We are expressly told (ver. 29
Judg 11:29) that Jephthah was under the influence of the Spirit of God, which would effectually prevent him from embruing his hands in the blood of his own child.
3. He had it in his power to redeem his daughter, (
Lev 27:4;
Lev 27:4) and surely his only child must have been of more value than thirty shekles.
4. Besides, who was to perform the horrid rite? Not Jephthah himself, who was no priest, and in whom it would have been most unnatural and inhuman; and the priests would certainly have dissuaded him from it.
5. The sacred historian informs us, that she bewailed her virginity, that she knew no man, and that the Israelitish women went yearly to comfort or lament with her.
Judg 11:31 Lev 27:28 Lev 27:29 Deut 12:31 Isa 66:3to his vow.
1Sam 1:11 1Sam 1:22 1Sam 1:24 1Sam 1:28 1Sam 2:18custom. or, ordinance.
40 yearly. Heb. from year to year. lament. or, to talk with.
Judg 5:11four days.
1Kgs 9:25
