CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Judges 11
Chapter 11 of 21
Chapter Overview
What happens in Judges 11
Jephthah, an outcast warrior, is called back by Gilead's elders to lead the fight against Ammon. He tries diplomacy first, then wins a great victory. But a rash vow he made before the battle leads to a tragic outcome involving his only daughter.
Scripture
Judges 11
Jephthah the Outcast Is Called to Lead
Study note
Jephthah was a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a prostitute. His half-brothers drove him out, refusing to share their father's inheritance with him. Jephthah fled to the land of Tob, where he became the leader of a band of outcasts. When the Ammonites threatened, the desperate elders of Gilead came begging Jephthah to lead them. Jephthah pointed out their hypocrisy, but agreed on the condition that he would remain their leader if God gave him victory.
1 Now there was a mighty warrior from Gilead named Jephthah. His father was Gilead, but his mother was a prostitute. Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.
2 Gilead's wife also gave him sons. When those sons were grown, they kicked Jephthah out of the family. They told him, "You will not receive any inheritance from our father. Your mother was a different woman." And Gilead's wife bare him sons; and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house; for thou art the son of a strange woman.
3 So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob. He attracted a band of rough, adventurous men who followed him as their leader. Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.
4 Some time later, the Ammonites launched a war against Israel. And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel.
5 When the Ammonite attack came, the elders of Gilead rushed to the land of Tob to bring Jephthah back. And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob:
6 "Come be our military commander," they urged him, "so we can fight the Ammonites." And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.
7 Jephthah shot back, "Are you serious? You are the ones who hated me and threw me out of my father's house. Now that you are in danger, you suddenly come running to me?" And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father's house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?
8 The elders of Gilead replied, "That is exactly why we need you now. Come back with us, fight the Ammonites, and we will make you the ruler of everyone living in Gilead." And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn 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 Jephthah ensured they got the deal. "If I come back and the Lord gives me the win, will you truly make me ruler?" And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head?
10 The elders answered, "We swear it before the Lord. We will do exactly what you say." And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The LORD be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words.
11 So Jephthah went back with the elders of Gilead, and the people officially made him both their leader and their military commander. Jephthah stated all his terms before the Lord at Mizpah. Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh.
Jephthah's Diplomatic Message to Ammon
Study note
Before fighting, Jephthah tried to resolve the conflict through diplomacy. The Ammonite king claimed Israel had stolen his land when they came out of Egypt. Jephthah gave a detailed history lesson, explaining that Israel had not taken Ammonite or Moabite land. Instead, they had defeated King Sihon of the Amorites, who had attacked them first, and had lived in the disputed territory for three hundred years. He challenged the king of Ammon: if your god Chemosh gives you land, you keep it; the land our God gave us, we keep. The Ammonite king ignored Jephthah's message.
12 Jephthah sent ambassadors to the king of Ammon with this question: "What is your problem with us? Why are you invading our land?" And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land?
13 The king of Ammon told Jephthah's ambassadors, "When Israel came out of Egypt, they stole my land between the Arnon and Jabbok Rivers, all the way to the Jordan. Hand it back peacefully." And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those lands again peaceably.
14 Jephthah sent the ambassadors back with this reply: And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon:
15 "Jephthah says this: Israel never took the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites." And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:
16 "When Israel came out of Egypt, they traveled through the wilderness to the Red Sea. Then they reached Kadesh." But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh;
17 "From there, Israel politely asked the king of Edom for permission to travel through his territory, but the king refused. They asked the king of Moab too, and he also said no. So Israel stayed camped at Kadesh." Then Israel sent messengers unto the king 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 abode in Kadesh.
18 "Then they went around through the wilderness, bypassing both Edom and Moab. They came around to the eastern side of Moab and camped across the Arnon River. They never entered Moab's territory, because the Arnon was Moab's border." Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab.
19 "Next, Israel sent ambassadors to Sihon, the Amorite king who ruled from Heshbon. Israel asked him, 'Please let us pass through your land on our way home.'" 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.
20 "But Sihon did not trust Israel. Instead, he assembled his whole army and attacked Israel at Jahaz." 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.
21 "The Lord, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and his whole army to Israel. Israel beat them and took over all the Amorite land in that area." 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 "They took over all the Amorite land between the Arnon and the Jabbok. It stretched from the wilderness to the Jordan River." And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan.
23 "It was the Lord, the God of Israel, who cleared out the Amorites to make room for his people. So why do you think you should have it?" So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it?
24 "You keep whatever your god Chemosh gives you. And we will hold onto whatever the Lord our God has given us." Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.
25 "Do you think you are any better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever pick a fight with Israel or go to war against them?" And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them,
26 "Israel has been living in Heshbon, Aroer, and all the towns along the Arnon for three hundred years! If these places were rightfully yours, why did you never try to take them back during all that time?" While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover them within that time?
27 "I have done nothing wrong to you. You are the one starting this fight by attacking me. Let the Lord, who is the ultimate Judge, settle this today between Israel and Ammon." Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the LORD the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.
28 The king of Ammon completely ignored Jephthah's message. Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him.
Jephthah's Vow and Victory
Study note
The Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah as he marched against the Ammonites. Before the battle, he made a rash vow to God: whatever came out of his house first to greet him when he returned would be offered to the Lord. He then defeated the Ammonites in a great victory, striking them across twenty cities.
29 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah. He marched through Gilead and Manasseh, then through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced to attack the Ammonites. Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.
30 Jephthah made a solemn vow to the Lord: "If you give me victory over the Ammonites," And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,
31 "then the first thing that comes through the door of my house to greet me when I return home safely will belong to the Lord. I will offer it up as a burnt sacrifice." Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.
32 Jephthah crossed into Ammonite land and attacked. The Lord gave him a great victory. So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands.
33 He crushed them all the way from Aroer to Minnith, destroying twenty towns, and pushed on to Abel-keramim. It was a devastating defeat, and the Ammonites were completely overpowered. And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
Jephthah's Tragic Vow Fulfilled
Study note
When Jephthah returned home, his only daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and dancing. He was devastated because of his vow. His daughter bravely accepted her fate but asked for two months to go to the mountains and mourn with her friends. After two months she returned, and Jephthah kept his vow. Scholars debate whether she was actually sacrificed or dedicated to lifelong service at the tabernacle. Each year the young women of Israel spent four days remembering Jephthah's daughter.
34 When Jephthah came home to Mizpah, the very first person to come out and greet him was his own daughter, dancing joyfully with tambourines. She was his only child; he had no other sons or daughters. And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.
35 The moment he saw her, he ripped his clothes in anguish and cried out, "My daughter! You are tearing my heart apart! You have brought me unspeakable grief, because I made a vow to the Lord and there is no means to take it back." And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back.
36 His daughter replied, "Father, you gave your word to the Lord. You must do to me whatever you promised, since the Lord gave you such a great victory over the Ammonites." 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; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.
37 Then she asked for one favor: "Please allow me two months. Let me go into the hills with my friends to grieve, because I will never get to marry." And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.
38 "Go," he told her. She went into the hills with her friends and wept for two months over the fact that she would never marry. 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 When the two months were over, she came back to her father, and he carried out the vow he had made. She never married. After that, it became a tradition in Israel And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel,
40 So each year, Israel's young women spent four days. They would recall Jephthah's daughter from Gilead. That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.
Key Themes
Themes in Judges 11
God using the rejected and marginalizedThe tragedy of rash vowsKnowing your history strengthens your faithThe cost of leadership
Apply This Today
Living Judges 11
Jephthah was rejected by his family yet became their deliverer. His story reminds us that God specializes in using people the world has discarded. However, Jephthah's rash vow shows the danger of making promises to God without thinking them through. We should be careful with our words, especially our commitments to God.
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