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Judges 11:4
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2 Gilead’s wife bore sons; and when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You shall have ano inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.”  
3 Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and dwelt in the land of aTob; and bworthless men banded together with Jephthah and went out raiding with him.  
4 It came to pass after a time that the apeople of Ammon made war against Israel.  
5 And so it was, when the people of Ammon made war against Israel, that the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob.
6 Then they said to Jephthah, “Come and be our commander, that we may fight against the people of Ammon.”
7 So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, a“Did you not hate me, and expel me from my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in1 distress?”  
8 aAnd the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “That is why we have bturned again to you now, that you may go with us and fight against the people of Ammon, and be cour head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”  
9 So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you take me back home to fight against the people of Ammon, and the Lord delivers them to me, shall I be your head?”
10 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, a“The Lord will be a witness between us, if we do not do according to your words.”  
11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him ahead and commander over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words bbefore the Lord in Mizpah.  
12 Now Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the people of Ammon, saying, a“What do you have against me, that you have come to fight against me in my land?”  
13 And the king of the people of Ammon answered the messengers of Jephthah, a“Because Israel took away my land when they came up out of Egypt, from bthe Arnon as far as cthe Jabbok, and to the Jordan. Now therefore, restore those lands peaceably.”  
14 So Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the people of Ammon,
15 and said to him, “Thus says Jephthah: a‘Israel did not take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the people of Ammon;  
16 for when Israel came up from Egypt, they walked through the wilderness as far as the Red Sea and acame to Kadesh.  
17 Then aIsrael sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, “Please let me pass through your land.” bBut the king of Edom would not heed. And in like manner they sent to the cking of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel dremained in Kadesh.  
18 And they awent along through the wilderness and bbypassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab, came to the east side of the land of Moab, and encamped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab.  
19 Then aIsrael sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon; and Israel said to him, “Please blet us pass through your land into our place.”  
20 aBut Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. So Sihon gathered all his people together, encamped in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.  
21 And the Lord God of Israel adelivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they bdefeated them. Thus Israel gained possession of all the land of the Amorites, who inhabited that country.  
22 They took possession of aall the territory of the Amorites, from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan.  
23 ‘And now the Lord God of Israel has1 dispossessed the Amorites from before His people Israel; should you then possess it?  
24 Will you not possess whatever aChemosh your god gives you to possess? So whatever bthe Lord our God takes possession of before us, we will possess.  
25 And now, are you any better than aBalak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel? Did he ever fight against them?  
26 While Israel dwelt in aHeshbon and its villages, in bAroer and its villages, and in all the cities along the banks of the Arnon, for three hundred years, why did you not recover them within that time?  
27 Therefore I have not sinned against you, but you wronged me by fighting against me. May the Lord, athe Judge, brender judgment this day between the children of Israel and the people of Ammon.’ ”  
28 However, the king of the people of Ammon did not heed the words which Jephthah sent him.

Jephthah’s Vow and Victory

29 Then athe Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and passed through Mizpah of Gilead; and from Mizpah of Gilead he advanced toward the people of Ammon.  
30 And Jephthah amade a vow to the Lord, and said, “If You will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands,  
31 then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, ashall surely be the Lord’s, band I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”  
32 So Jephthah advanced toward the people of Ammon to fight against them, and the Lord delivered them into his hands.
33 And he1 defeated them from Aroer as far as aMinnith—twenty cities—and to Abel Keramim, with a very great slaughter. Thus the people of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.  

Jephthah’s Daughter

34 When Jephthah came to his house at aMizpah, there was bhis daughter, coming out to meet him with timbrels and dancing; and she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter.  
35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he atore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low! You are among those who trouble me! For I bhave given my word to the Lord, and cI cannot go back on it.”  
Commentaries:
Matthew Henry
<< Judges 11:3   Judges 11:5 >>


Judges 11:1-40

Jephtah and the Gileadites. (1-11) He attempts to make peace. (12-28) Jephthah's vow. He vanquishes the Ammonites. (29-40)

Verses 1-11 Men ought not to be blamed for their parentage, so long as they by their personal merits roll away any reproach. God had forgiven Israel, therefore Jephthah will forgive. He speaks not with confidence of his success, knowing how justly God might suffer the Ammonites to prevail for the further punishment of Israel. Nor does he speak with any confidence at all in himself. If he succeed, it is the Lord delivers them into his hand; he thereby reminds his countrymen to look up to God as the Giver of victory. The same question as here, in fact, is put to those who desire salvation by Christ. If he save you, will ye be willing that he shall rule you? On no other terms will he save you. If he make you happy, shall he make you holy? If he be your helper, shall he be your Head? Jephthah, to obtain a little worldly honour, was willing to expose his life: shall we be discouraged in our Christian warfare by the difficulties we may meet with, when Christ has promised a crown of life to him that overcometh?

Verses 12-28 One instance of the honour and respect we owe to God, as our God, is, rightly to employ what he gives us to possess. Receive it from him, use it for him, and part with it when he calls for it. The whole of this message shows that Jephthah was well acquainted with the books of Moses. His argument was clear, and his demand reasonable. Those who possess the most courageous faith, will be the most disposed for peace, and the readiest to make advances to obtain; but rapacity and ambition often cloak their designs under a plea of equity, and render peaceful endeavours of no avail.

Verses 29-40 Several important lessons are to be learned from Jephthah's vow. 1. There may be remainders of distrust and doubting, even in the hearts of true and great believers. 2. Our vows to God should not be as a purchase of the favour we desire, but to express gratitude to him. 3. We need to be very well-advised in making vows, lest we entangle ourselves. 4. What we have solemnly vowed to God, we must perform, if it be possible and lawful, though it be difficult and grievous to us. 5. It well becomes children, obediently and cheerfully to submit to their parents in the Lord. It is hard to say what Jephthah did in performance of his vow; but it is thought that he did not offer his daughter as a burnt-offering. Such a sacrifice would have been an abomination to the Lord; it is supposed she was obliged to remain unmarried, and apart from her family. Concerning this and some other such passages in the sacred history, about which learned men are divided and in doubt, we need not perplex ourselves; what is necessary to our salvation, thanks be to God, is plain enough. If the reader recollects the promise of Christ concerning the teaching of the Holy Spirit, and places himself under this heavenly Teacher, the Holy Ghost will guide to all truth in every passage, so far as it is needful to be understood.


 
<< Judges 11:3   Judges 11:5 >>

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