(KJV) Judges 111

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⥃Jephthah Delivers Israel

[1] Now Jephthah2 the Gileadite was a mighty3 man of valour, and he [was] the son of an harlot45: and Gilead begat Jephthah. [2] And Gilead’s wife bare him sons; and his wife’s sons grew up, and they thrust out6 Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father’s house; for thou [art] the son of a strange7 woman. [3] Then Jephthah fled from his brethren8, and dwelt in the land of Tob9: and there were gathered vain men10 to Jephthah, and went out with him.

[4] And it came to pass in process of time11, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel.12 [5] And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war13 against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch14 Jephthah out of the land of Tob: [6] And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon. [7] And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate15 me, and expel me out of my father’s house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress? [8] And the elders16 of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn17 again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. [9] And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring18 me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the Lord deliver them before me, shall I be your head? [10] And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The Lord19 be witness20 between us, if we do21 not so according to thy words. [11] Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head22 and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered23 all his words before24 the Lord in Mizpeh25.26

[12] And Jephthah sent messengers27 unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast28 thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land? [13] And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel29 took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon30 even unto Jabbok31, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those [lands] again peaceably. [14] And Jephthah sent messengers again unto32 the king of the children of Ammon: [15] And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took33 not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon: [16] But when34 Israel came up from Egypt, and walked35 through the wilderness unto the Red sea, and came36 to Kadesh; [17] Then Israel sent messengers37 unto the king38 of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land: but the king of Edom would not hearken [thereto]. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not [consent]: and Israel abode39 in Kadesh. [18] Then they went40 along through the wilderness, and compassed41 the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by42 the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched43 on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon [was] the border of Moab. [19] And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place.44 [20] But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.45 [21] And the Lord God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country. [22] And they46 possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness47 even unto Jordan. [23] So now the Lord God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it?48 [24] Wilt not thou possess49 that which Chemosh50 thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever51 the Lord our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess. [25] And now [art] thou any thing better than Balak52 the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them, [26] While Israel dwelt in Heshbon53 and her towns, and in Aroer54 and her towns, and in all the cities that [be] along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred55 years? why therefore did ye not recover [them] within that time? [27] Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the Lord the Judge56 be judge57 this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon. [28] Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him.58

⥃Jephthah’s Tragic Vow

[29] Then the Spirit59 of the Lord came upon Jephthah60, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh61 of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over [unto] the children of Ammon. [30] And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,62 [31] Then it shall be, that whatsoever63 cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely64 be the Lord’s, and I will65 offer it up for a burnt offering.

[32] [¶]So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the Lord66 delivered them into his hands. [33] And he smote them from Aroer67, even till thou come to Minnith68, [even] twenty cities, and unto the plain69 of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

[34] [¶]And Jephthah came to Mizpeh70 unto his house, and, behold, his daughter71 came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she [was his] only child; beside her72 he had neither73 son nor daughter. [35] And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes74, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened75 my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot76 go back. [36] And she said unto him, My father, [if] thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch77 as the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, [even] of the children of Ammon. [37] And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down78 upon the mountains, and bewail79 my virginity, I and my fellows. [38] And he said, Go. And he sent her away [for] two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains. [39] And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with80 her [according] to his vow81 which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom82 in Israel,8384858687 [40] [That] the daughters of Israel went yearly88 to lament89 the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days90 in a year.

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  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. ↩

  2. Heb 11:32, called Jephthae ↩

  3. Judg 6:12; 2Kgs 5:1 ↩

  4. Heb. a woman ↩

  5. 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, 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. ↩

  6. Gen 12:10; Deut 23:2; Gal 4:30 ↩

  7. Prov 2:16, Prov 5:3, Prov 5:20, Prov 6:24-26 ↩

  8. Heb. from the face of ↩

  9. 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, 1Macc 5:13; and the Jews who inhabited this district Tubieni, 2Macc 12:17. 2Sam 10:6. ↩

  10. Judg 9:4; 1Sam 22:2, 1Sam 27:2, 1Sam 30:22-24; Job 30:1-10; Acts 17:5 ↩

  11. Heb. after days. Judg 11:4 ↩

  12. am 2817, bc 1187, An, Ex, Is, 304 ↩

  13. Judg 10:9, Judg 10:17-18 ↩

  14. 1Sam 10:27, 1Sam 11:6-7, 1Sam 11:12; Ps 118:22-23; Acts 7:35-39; 1Cor 1:27-29 ↩

  15. Gen 26:27, Gen 37:27, Gen 45:4-5; Prov 17:17; Isa 60:14; Acts 7:9-14; Rev 3:9 ↩

  16. Exod 8:8, Exod 8:28, Exod 9:28, Exod 10:17; 1Kgs 13:6; Luke 17:3-4 ↩

  17. Judg 10:18 ↩

  18. Num 32:20-29 ↩

  19. Gen 21:23, Gen 31:50; 1Sam 12:5; Jer 29:23, Jer 42:5; Rom 1:9; 2Cor 11:31 ↩

  20. be the hearer, Gen 16:5, Gen 31:53; Deut 1:16; 1Sam 24:12 ↩

  21. Exod 20:7; Zech 5:4; Mal 3:5 ↩

  22. Judg 11:8 ↩

  23. 1Sam 23:9-12; 1Kgs 3:7-9; 2Cor 3:5; Jas 1:5, Jas 1:17 ↩

  24. Judg 10:17, Judg 20:1; 1Sam 10:17, 1Sam 11:15 ↩

  25. This Mizpeh was east of Jordan in the mountains of Gilead (Gen 31:49); and hence called Mizpeh of Gilead (Judg 11:29), to distinguish it from another place of the same name, west of Jordan, in the tribe of Judah. Josh 15:38 ↩

  26. Jephthah 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. ↩

  27. 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 20:10-11; Prov 25:8-9; Matt 18:15-16 ↩

  28. 2Kgs 14:8-12 ↩

  29. Num 21:24-26; Prov 19:5, Prov 19:9 ↩

  30. That is, all the land which had belonged to the Amorites and Moabites. ↩

  31. Gen 32:22; Deut 2:37, Deut 3:16 ↩

  32. Ps 120:7; Rom 12:18; Heb 12:14; 1Pet 3:11 ↩

  33. Num 21:13-15, Num 21:27-30; Deut 2:9, Deut 2:19; 2Chr 20:10; Acts 24:12-13 ↩

  34. 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. ↩

  35. Num 14:25; Deut 1:40; Josh 5:6 ↩

  36. Gen 14:7; Num 13:26, Num 20:1; Deut 1:46 ↩

  37. Num 20:14-21; Deut 2:4-8, Deut 2:29 ↩

  38. Deut 2:9 ↩

  39. Num 20:1, Num 20:16 ↩

  40. Num 20:22, Num 21:10-13, Num 33:37-44; Deut 2:1-8 ↩

  41. Num 21:4-9 ↩

  42. Num 21:11 ↩

  43. Num 21:13, Num 22:36 ↩

  44. Num 21:21-35; Deut 2:26-34, Deut 3:1-17; Josh 13:8-12 ↩

  45. Num 21:23; Deut 2:32, Lord God, Neh 9:22; Ps 135:10-12, Ps 136:17-21, they smote, Num 21:24-25; Deut 2:33-34, so Israel, Josh 13:15-32 ↩

  46. Deut 2:36 ↩

  47. From Arabia Deserta on the east, to Jordan on the west. ↩

  48. 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. ↩

  49. 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." ↩

  50. Num 21:29; 1Kgs 11:7; Jer 48:7, Jer 48:46 ↩

  51. Deut 9:4-5, Deut 18:12; Josh 3:10; Ps 44:2, Ps 78:55; Mic 4:5 ↩

  52. Num 22:2-21; Deut 23:3-4; Josh 24:9-10; Mic 6:5 ↩

  53. Num 21:25-30; Deut 2:24, Deut 3:2, Deut 3:6; Josh 12:2, Josh 12:5, Josh 13:10 ↩

  54. Deut 2:36 ↩

  55. Judg 3:11, Judg 3:30, Judg 5:31, Judg 8:28, Judg 9:22, Judg 10:2-3, Judg 10:8; Josh 11:18, Josh 23:1 ↩

  56. 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 5:22-23; Rom 14:10-12; 2Cor 5:10; 2Tim 4:8; Heb 12:23 ↩

  57. Gen 16:5, Gen 31:53; 1Sam 24:12, 1Sam 24:15; Ps 7:8-9; 2Cor 11:11 ↩

  58. 2Kgs 14:11; Prov 16:18 ↩

  59. Judg 3:10, Judg 6:34, Judg 13:25; Num 11:25; 1Sam 10:10, 1Sam 16:13-15; 1Chr 12:18 ↩

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

  61. Judg 10:17 ↩

  62. Gen 28:20; Num 30:2-16; 1Sam 1:11; Eccl 5:1-2, Eccl 5:4-5 ↩

  63. etc. Heb. that which cometh forth, which shall come forth ↩

  64. Lev 27:2-3, Lev 27:28-29; 1Sam 1:11, 1Sam 1:28, 1Sam 2:18, 1Sam 14:24, 1Sam 14:44; Ps 66:13-14 ↩

  65. 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 an 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 27:11-12; Deut 23:18; Ps 66:13; Isa 66:3 ↩

  66. Judg 1:4, Judg 2:18, Judg 3:10 ↩

  67. Deut 2:36 ↩

  68. Situated, according to Eusebius, four miles from Heshbon, towards Philadelphia or Rabbath. Ezek 27:17 ↩

  69. or, Abel ↩

  70. Judg 11:11, Judg 10:17 ↩

  71. Judg 5:1-31; Exod 15:20; 1Sam 18:6-7; Ps 68:25, Ps 148:11-12, Ps 150:4; Jer 31:4, Jer 31:13 ↩

  72. or, he had not of his own either son or daughter, Heb. of himself ↩

  73. Zech 12:10; Luke 7:12, Luke 8:42, Luke 9:38 ↩

  74. Gen 37:29-30, Gen 37:34-35, Gen 42:36-38; 2Sam 13:30-31, 2Sam 18:33; Job 1:20 ↩

  75. Lev 27:28-29; Num 30:2-5; Ps 15:4; Eccl 5:2-6 ↩

  76. Judg 21:1-7; 1Sam 14:44-45; Matt 14:7-9; Acts 23:14 ↩

  77. Judg 16:28-30; 2Sam 18:19, 2Sam 18:31, 2Sam 19:30; Acts 20:24, Acts 21:13; Rom 16:4; Phil 2:30 ↩

  78. Heb. go and go down ↩

  79. 1Sam 1:6; Luke 1:25 ↩

  80. 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 - ↩

  81. 1Sam 1:11, 1Sam 1:22, 1Sam 1:24, 1Sam 1:28, 1Sam 2:18 ↩

  82. or, ordinance ↩

    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.

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    1. We are expressly told (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.

    ↩

    1. He had it in his power to redeem his daughter (Lev 27:4); and surely his only child must have been of more value than thirty shekles.

    ↩

    1. 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.

    ↩

    1. 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 27:28-29; Deut 12:31; Isa 66:3

    ↩

  88. Heb. from year to year ↩

  89. or, to talk with, Judg 5:11 ↩

  90. 1Kgs 9:25 ↩