12 And Jephthah H3316 sent H7971 messengers H4397 unto the king H4428 of the children H1121 of Ammon, H5983 saying, H559 What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come H935 against me to fight H3898 in my land? H776
13 And the king H4428 of the children H1121 of Ammon H5983 answered H559 unto the messengers H4397 of Jephthah, H3316 Because Israel H3478 took away H3947 my land, H776 when they came up H5927 out of Egypt, H4714 from Arnon H769 even unto Jabbok, H2999 and unto Jordan: H3383 now therefore restore those lands again H7725 peaceably. H7965
14 And Jephthah H3316 sent H7971 messengers H4397 again H3254 unto the king H4428 of the children H1121 of Ammon: H5983
15 And said H559 unto him, Thus saith H559 Jephthah, H3316 Israel H3478 took not away H3947 the land H776 of Moab, H4124 nor the land H776 of the children H1121 of Ammon: H5983
16 But when Israel H3478 came up H5927 from Egypt, H4714 and walked H3212 through the wilderness H4057 unto the Red H5488 sea, H3220 and came H935 to Kadesh; H6946
17 Then Israel H3478 sent H7971 messengers H4397 unto the king H4428 of Edom, H123 saying, H559 Let me, I pray thee, pass through H5674 thy land: H776 but the king H4428 of Edom H123 would not hearken H8085 thereto. And in like manner they sent H7971 unto the king H4428 of Moab: H4124 but he would H14 not consent: and Israel H3478 abode H3427 in Kadesh. H6946
18 Then they went along H3212 through the wilderness, H4057 and compassed H5437 the land H776 of Edom, H123 and the land H776 of Moab, H4124 and came H935 by the east side H4217 H8121 of the land H776 of Moab, H4124 and pitched H2583 on the other side H5676 of Arnon, H769 but came H935 not within the border H1366 of Moab: H4124 for Arnon H769 was the border H1366 of Moab. H4124
19 And Israel H3478 sent H7971 messengers H4397 unto Sihon H5511 king H4428 of the Amorites, H567 the king H4428 of Heshbon; H2809 and Israel H3478 said H559 unto him, Let us pass, H5674 we pray thee, through thy land H776 into H5704 my place. H4725
20 But Sihon H5511 trusted H539 not Israel H3478 to pass H5674 through his coast: H1366 but Sihon H5511 gathered H622 all his people H5971 together, H622 and pitched H2583 in Jahaz, H3096 and fought H3898 against Israel. H3478
21 And the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel H3478 delivered H5414 Sihon H5511 and all his people H5971 into the hand H3027 of Israel, H3478 and they smote H5221 them: so Israel H3478 possessed H3423 all the land H776 of the Amorites, H567 the inhabitants H3427 of that country. H776
22 And they possessed H3423 all the coasts H1366 of the Amorites, H567 from Arnon H769 even unto Jabbok, H2999 and from the wilderness H4057 even unto Jordan. H3383
23 So now the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel H3478 hath dispossessed H3423 the Amorites H567 from before H6440 his people H5971 Israel, H3478 and shouldest thou possess H3423 it?
24 Wilt not thou possess H3423 that which Chemosh H3645 thy god H430 giveth thee to possess? H3423 So whomsoever the LORD H3068 our God H430 shall drive out H3423 from before H6440 us, them will we possess. H3423
25 And now art thou any thing better H2896 than Balak H1111 the son H1121 of Zippor, H6834 king H4428 of Moab? H4124 did he ever H7378 strive H7378 against Israel, H3478 or did he ever H3898 fight H3898 against them,
26 While Israel H3478 dwelt H3427 in Heshbon H2809 and her towns, H1323 and in Aroer H6177 and her towns, H1323 and in all the cities H5892 that be along by the coasts H3027 of Arnon, H769 three H7969 hundred H3967 years? H8141 why therefore did ye not recover H5337 them within that time? H6256
27 Wherefore I have not sinned H2398 against thee, but thou doest H6213 H853 me wrong H7451 to war H3898 against me: the LORD H3068 the Judge H8199 be judge H8199 this day H3117 between the children H1121 of Israel H3478 and the children H1121 of Ammon. H5983
28 Howbeit the king H4428 of the children H1121 of Ammon H5983 hearkened H8085 not unto the words H1697 of Jephthah H3316 which he sent H7971 him.
29 Then the Spirit H7307 of the LORD H3068 came upon Jephthah, H3316 and he passed over H5674 Gilead, H1568 and Manasseh, H4519 and passed over H5674 Mizpeh H4708 of Gilead, H1568 and from Mizpeh H4708 of Gilead H1568 he passed over H5674 unto the children H1121 of Ammon. H5983
30 And Jephthah H3316 vowed H5087 a vow H5088 unto the LORD, H3068 and said, H559 If thou shalt without fail H5414 deliver H5414 the children H1121 of Ammon H5983 into mine hands, H3027
31 Then it shall be, that whatsoever H3318 cometh forth H3318 of the doors H1817 of my house H1004 to meet H7125 me, when I return H7725 in peace H7965 from the children H1121 of Ammon, H5983 shall surely be the LORD'S, H3068 and I will offer it up H5927 for a burnt offering. H5930
32 So Jephthah H3316 passed over H5674 unto the children H1121 of Ammon H5983 to fight H3898 against them; and the LORD H3068 delivered H5414 them into his hands. H3027
33 And he smote H5221 them from Aroer, H6177 even till thou come H935 to Minnith, H4511 even twenty H6242 cities, H5892 and unto the plain H58 of the vineyards, H3754 H64 with a very H3966 great H1419 slaughter. H4347 Thus the children H1121 of Ammon H5983 were subdued H3665 before H6440 the children H1121 of Israel. H3478
34 And Jephthah H3316 came H935 to Mizpeh H4709 unto his house, H1004 and, behold, his daughter H1323 came out H3318 to meet H7125 him with timbrels H8596 and with dances: H4246 and she was his only child; H3173 beside her he had neither son H1121 nor H176 daughter. H1323
35 And it came to pass, when he saw H7200 her, that he rent H7167 his clothes, H899 and said, H559 Alas, H162 my daughter! H1323 thou hast brought H3766 me very H3766 low, H3766 and thou art one of them that trouble H5916 me: for I have opened H6475 my mouth H6310 unto the LORD, H3068 and I cannot H3201 go back. H7725
36 And she said H559 unto him, My father, H1 if thou hast opened H6475 thy mouth H6310 unto the LORD, H3068 do H6213 to me according to that which H834 hath proceeded H3318 out of thy mouth; H6310 forasmuch H310 as the LORD H3068 hath taken H6213 vengeance H5360 for thee of thine enemies, H341 even of the children H1121 of Ammon. H5983
37 And she said H559 unto her father, H1 Let this thing H1697 be done H6213 for me: let me alone H7503 two H8147 months, H2320 that I may go up H3212 and down H3381 upon the mountains, H2022 and bewail H1058 my virginity, H1331 I and my fellows. H7464 H7474
38 And he said, H559 Go. H3212 And he sent her away H7971 for two H8147 months: H2320 and she went H3212 with her companions, H7464 and bewailed H1058 her virginity H1331 upon the mountains. H2022
39 And it came to pass at the end H7093 of two H8147 months, H2320 that she returned H7725 unto her father, H1 who did H6213 with her according to his vow H5088 which he had vowed: H5087 and she knew H3045 no man. H376 And it was a custom H2706 in Israel, H3478
40 That the daughters H1323 of Israel H3478 went H3212 yearly H3117 H3117 to lament H8567 the daughter H1323 of Jephthah H3316 the Gileadite H1569 four H702 days H3117 in a year. H8141
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Judges 11
Commentary on Judges 11 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 11
This chapter gives as the history of Jephthah, another of Israel's judges, and numbered among the worthies of the Old Testament, that by faith did great things (Heb. 11:32), though he had not such an extraordinary call as the rest there mentioned had. Here we have,
Jdg 11:1-3
The princes and people of Gilead we left, in the close of the foregoing chapter, consulting about the choice of a general, having come to this resolve, that whoever would undertake to lead their forces against the children of Ammon should by common consent be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. The enterprise was difficult, and it was fit that so great an encouragement as this should be proposed to him that would undertake it. Now all agreed that Jephthah, the Gileadite, was a mighty man of valour, and very fit for that purpose, none so fit as he, but he lay under three disadvantages:-
Jdg 11:4-11
Here is,
Jdg 11:12-28
We have here the treaty between Jephthah, now judge of Israel, and the king of the Ammonites (who is not named), that the controversy between the two nations might, if possible, be accommodated without the effusion of blood.
Neither Jephthah's apology, nor his appeal, wrought upon the king of the children of Ammon; they had found the sweets of the spoil of Israel, in the eighteen years wherein they had oppressed them (ch. 10:8), and hoped now to make themselves masters of the tree with the fruit of which they had so often enriched themselves. He hearkened not to the words of Jephthah, his heart being hardened to his destruction.
Jdg 11:29-40
We have here Jephthah triumphing in a glorious victory, but, as an alloy to his joy, troubled and distressed by an unadvised vow.