1And Jephthah the Gileadite hath been a mighty man of valour, and he is son of a woman, a harlot; and Gilead begetteth Jephthah, 2and the wife of Gilead beareth to him sons, and the wife's sons grow up and cast out Jephthah, and say to him, "Thou dost not inherit in the house of our father; for son of another woman art thou." 3And Jephthah fleeth from the face of his brethren, and dwelleth in the land of Tob; and vain men gather themselves together unto Jephthah, and they go out with him. 4And it cometh to pass, after a time, that the Bene-Ammon fight with Israel, 5and it cometh to pass, when the Bene-Ammon have fought with Israel, that the elders of Gilead go to take Jephthah from the land of Tob; 6and they say unto Jephthah, "Come, and thou hast been to us for captain, and we fight against the Bene-Ammon." 7And Jephthah saith to the elders of Gilead, "Have not ye hated me? and ye cast me out from the house of my father, and wherefore have ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?" 8and the elders of Gilead say unto Jephthah, "Therefore, now, we have turned back unto thee; and thou hast gone with us, and fought against the Bene-Ammon, and thou hast been to us for head -- to all the inhabitants of Gilead." 9And Jephthah saith unto the elders of Gilead, "If ye are taking me back to fight against the Bene-Ammon, and Jehovah hath given them before me -- I, am I to you for a head?" 10And the elders of Gilead say unto Jephthah, "Jehovah is hearkening between us -- if according to thy word we do not so." 11And Jephthah goeth with the elders of Gilead, and the people set him over them for head and for captain, and Jephthah speaketh all his words before Jehovah in Mizpeh. 12And Jephthah sendeth messengers unto the king of the Bene-Ammon, saying, "What -- to me and to thee, that thou hast come in unto me, to fight in my land." 13And the king of the Bene-Ammon saith unto the messengers of Jephthah, "Because Israel took my land in his coming up out of Egypt, from Arnon, and unto the Jabbok, and unto the Jordan; and now, restore them in peace." 14And Jephthah addeth yet and sendeth messengers unto the king of the Bene-Ammon, 15and saith to him, "Thus said Jephthah, Israel took not the land of Moab, and the land of the Bene-Ammon, 16for in their coming up out of Egypt, Israel goeth in the wilderness unto the Red Sea, and cometh in to Kadesh, 17and Israel sendeth messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me pass over, I pray thee, through thy land, and the king of Edom hearkened not; and also unto the king of Moab hath Israel sent, and he hath not been willing; and Israel abideth in Kadesh, 18and he goeth through the wilderness, and compasseth the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and cometh in at the rising of the sun of the land of Moab, and they encamp beyond Arnon, and have not come into the border of Moab, for Arnon is the border of Moab. 19"And Israel sendeth messengers unto Sihon, king of the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and Israel saith to him, Let us pass over, we pray thee, through thy land, unto my place, 20and Sihon hath not trusted Israel to pass over through his border, and Sihon gathereth all his people, and they encamp in Jahaz, and fight with Israel; 21and Jehovah, God of Israel, giveth Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smite them, and Israel possesseth all the land of the Amorite, the inhabitant of that land, 22and they possess all the border of the Amorite from Arnon, and unto the Jabbok, and from the wilderness, and unto the Jordan. 23"And now, Jehovah, God of Israel, hath dispossessed the Amorite from the presence of His people Israel, and thou wouldest possess it! 24That which Chemosh thy god causeth thee to possess -- dost thou not possess it? and all that which Jehovah our God hath dispossessed from our presence, -- it we do possess. 25"And now, art thou at all better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he at all strive with Israel? did he at all fight against them? 26In Israel's dwelling in Heshbon and in its towns, and in Aroer and in its towns, and in all the cities which are by the sides of Arnon three hundred years -- and wherefore have ye not delivered them in that time? 27And I -- I have not sinned against thee, and thou art doing with me evil -- to fight against me. Jehovah, the Judge, doth judge to-day between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon." 28And the king of the Bene-Ammon hath not hearkened unto the words of Jephthah which he sent unto him, 29and the Spirit of Jehovah is on Jephthah, and he passeth over Gilead and Manasseh, and passeth over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he hath passed over to the Bene-Ammon. 30And Jephthah voweth a vow to Jehovah, and saith, "If Thou dost at all give the Bene-Ammon into my hand -- 31then it hath been, that which at all cometh out from the doors of my house to meet me in my turning back in peace from the Bene-Ammon -- it hath been to Jehovah, or I have offered up for it -- a burnt-offering." 32And Jephthah passeth over unto the Bene-Ammon to fight against them, and Jehovah giveth them into his hand, 33and he smiteth them from Aroer, and unto thy going in to Minnith, twenty cities, and unto the meadow of the vineyards -- a very great smiting; and the Bene-Ammon are humbled at the presence of the sons of Israel. 34And Jephthah cometh into Mizpeh, unto his house, and lo, his daughter is coming out to meet him with timbrels, and with choruses, and save her alone, he hath none, son or daughter. 35And it cometh to pass, when he seeth her, that he rendeth his garments, and saith, "Alas, my daughter, thou hast caused me greatly to bend, and thou hast been among those troubling me; and I -- I have opened my mouth unto Jehovah, and I am not able to turn back." 36And she saith unto him, "My father -- thou hast opened thy mouth unto Jehovah, do to me as it hath gone out from thy mouth, after that Jehovah hath done for thee vengeance on thine enemies, on the Bene-Ammon." 37And she saith unto her father, "Let this thing be done to me; desist from me two months, and I go on, and have gone down on the hills, and I weep for my virginity -- I and my friends." 38And he saith, "Go;" and he sendeth her away two months, and she goeth, she and her friends, and she weepeth for her virginity on the hills; 39and it cometh to pass at the end of two months that she turneth back unto her father, and he doth to her his vow which he hath vowed, and she knew not a man; and it is a statute in Israel: 40from time to time the daughters of Israel go to talk to the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite, four days in a 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