111 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a valiant warrior , but he was the son of a harlot e . And Gilead was the father of Jephthah . 2 Gilead's wife bore him sons ; and when his wife's sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, "You shall not have an inheritance in our father's house , for you are the son of another woman ." 3 So Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob ; and worthless fellows gathered themselves about Jephthah , and they went out with him.
4 It came about after a while that the sons of Ammon fought against Israel . 5 When the sons of Ammon fought against Israel , the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob ; 6 and they said to Jephthah , "Come and be our chief that we may fight against the sons of Ammon ." 7 Then Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead , " Did you not hate me and drive me from my father's house ? So why have you come to me now when you are in trouble ?" 8 The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah , "For this reason we have now returned to you, that you may go with us and fight with the sons of Ammon and become head over all the inhabitants of Gilead ." 9 So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead , "If you take me back to fight against the sons of Ammon and the Lord gives them up to me, will I become your head ?" 10 The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah , " The Lord is witness between us; surely e we will do as you have said ." 11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead , and the people made him head and chief over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words before the Lord at Mizpah .
12 Now Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon , saying , "What is between you and me, that you have come to me to fight against my land ?" 13 The king of the sons of Ammon said to the messengers of Jephthah , "Because Israel took away my land when they came up from Egypt , from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok and the Jordan ; therefore, return them peaceably now ." 14 But Jephthah sent messengers again e to the king of the sons of Ammon , 15 and they said to him, "Thus says Jephthah , 'Israel did not take away the land of Moab nor the land of the sons of Ammon . 16 'For when they came up from Egypt , and Israel went through the wilderness to the Red e Sea and came to Kadesh , 17 then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom , saying , "Please let us pass through your land ," but the king of Edom would not listen . And they also sent to the king of Moab , but he would not consent . So Israel remained at Kadesh . 18 'Then they went through the wilderness and around the land of Edom and the land of Moab , and came to the east e side e of the land of Moab , and they camped beyond the Arnon ; but they did not enter the territory of Moab , for the Arnon was the border of Moab . 19 'And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites , the king of Heshbon , and Israel said to him, "Please let us pass through your land to our place ." 20 'But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory ; so Sihon gathered all his people and camped in Jahaz and fought with Israel . 21 'The Lord , the God of Israel , gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel , and they defeated them; so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites , the inhabitants of that country . 22 ' So they possessed all the territory of the Amorites , from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok , and from the wilderness as far as the Jordan . 23 'Since now the Lord , the God of Israel , drove out the Amorites from before His people Israel , are you then to possess it? 24 'Do you not possess what Chemosh your god gives you to possess ? So whatever e the Lord our God has driven out before e us, we will possess it. 25 'Now are you any better than Balak the son of Zippor , king of Moab ? Did he ever strive with Israel , or did he ever fight against them? 26 ' While Israel lived in Heshbon and its villages , and in Aroer and its villages , and in all the cities that are on the banks of the Arnon , three hundred years , why did you not recover them within that time ? 27 'I therefore have not sinned against you, but you are doing me wrong by making war against me; may the Lord , the Judge , judge today between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon .' " 28 But the king of the sons of Ammon disregarded e the message which Jephthah sent him.
29 Now the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah , so that he passed through Gilead and Manasseh ; then he passed through Mizpah of Gilead , and from Mizpah of Gilead he went on to the sons of Ammon . 30 Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said , "If You will indeed give the sons of Ammon into my hand , 31 then it shall be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon , it shall be the Lord'S , and I will offer it up as a burnt offering ." 32 So Jephthah crossed over to the sons of Ammon to fight against them; and the Lord gave them into his hand . 33 He struck them with a very great slaughter from Aroer to the entrance of Minnith , twenty cities , and as far as Abel-keramim . So the sons of Ammon were subdued before e the sons of Israel .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Judges 11:1-33
Commentary on Judges 11:1-11
(Read Judges 11:1-11)
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?
Commentary on Judges 11:12-28
(Read Judges 11:12-28)
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.
Commentary on Judges 11:29-40
(Read Judges 11:29-40)
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.