Judg 11 | TSK | STEP | The covenant between Jephthah and the Gileadites, that he should be their head. The treaty of peace between him and the Ammonites is in vain. Jephthah's vow. His conquest of the Ammonites. He performs his vow on his daughter. Jephthah. called Jephthae. a mighty. an harlot. Heb. a woman, an harlot.Probably {zonah} should be rendered as in Jos 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, ver. 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.

Judges 11

1 The covenant between Jephthah and the Gileadites, that he should be their head.

12 The treaty of peace between him and the Ammonites is in vain.

29 Jephthah's vow.

32 His conquest of the Ammonites.

34 He performs his vow on his daughter.

Jephthah.

Heb 11:32

called Jephthae. a mighty.

6:12; 2Ki 5:1

an harlot. Heb. a woman, an harlot.Probably {zonah} should be rendered as in Jos 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, ver. 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.

thrust out.

Ge 12:10; De 23:2; Ga 4:30

a strange.

Pr 2:16; 5:3,20; 6:24-26

from his brethren. Heb. from the face of. Tob.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, 1 Mac 5:13; and the Jews who inhabited this district Tubieni, 2 Mac 12:17. 2 Sa 10:6.

vain men.

9:4; 1Sa 22:2; 27:2; 30:22-24; Job 30:1-10; Ac 17:5

A.M. 2817. B.C. 1187. An. Ex. Is. 304. in process of time.Heb. after days.

made war.

10:9,17,18

to fetch.

1Sa 10:27; 11:6,7,12; Ps 118:22,23; Ac 7:35-39; 1Co 1:27-29

Did not ye hate.

Ge 26:27; 37:27; 45:4,5; Pr 17:17; Isa 60:14; Ac 7:9-14; Re 3:9

the elders.

Ex 8:8,28; 9:28; 10:17; 1Ki 13:6; Lu 17:3,4

we turn.

10:18

If ye bring.

Nu 32:20-29

The Lord.

Ge 21:23; 31:50; 1Sa 12:5; Jer 29:23; 42:5; Ro 1:9; 2Co 11:31

be witness. be the hearer.

Ge 16:5; 31:53; De 1:16; 1Sa 24:12

if we do.

Ex 20:7; Zec 5:4; Mal 3:5

head.

uttered.

1Sa 23:9-12; 1Ki 3:7-9; 2Co 3:5; Jas 1:5,17

Jephthah uttered.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.

before.

10:17; 20:1; 1Sa 10:17; 11:15

Mizpeh.This Mizpeh was east of Jordan in the mountains of Gilead (Ge 31:49); and hence called Mizpeh of Gilead (ver. 29), to distinguish it from another place of the same name, west of Jordan, in the tribe of Judah.

Jos 15:38

sent messengers.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.

Nu 20:14; 21:21; De 2:26; 20:10,11; Pr 25:8,9; Mt 18:15,16

What hast.

2Ki 14:8-12

Because Israel.

Nu 21:24-26; Pr 19:5,9

from Arnon.That is, all the land which had belonged to the Amorites and Moabites.

Jabbok.

Ge 32:22; De 2:37; 3:16

again unto.

Ps 120:7; Ro 12:18; Heb 12:14; 1Pe 3:11

Israel took.

Nu 21:13-15,27-30; De 2:9,19; 2Ch 20:10; Ac 24:12,13

But when.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.

walked.

Nu 14:25; De 1:40; Jos 5:6

came.

Ge 14:7; Nu 13:26; 20:1; De 1:46

sent messengers.

Nu 20:14-21; De 2:4-8,29

the king.

De 2:9

abode.

Nu 20:1,16

went.

Nu 20:22; 21:10-13; 33:37-44; De 2:1-8

compassed.

Nu 21:4-9

came by.

Nu 21:11

pitched.

Nu 21:13; 22:36

Nu 21:21-35; De 2:26-34; 3:1-17; Jos 13:8-12

Nu 21:23; De 2:32

Lord God.

Ne 9:22; Ps 135:10-12; 136:17-21

they smote.

Nu 21:24,25; De 2:33,34

so Israel.

Jos 13:15-32

And they.

De 2:36

from the wilderness.From Arabia Deserta on the east, to Jordan on the west. 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.

Wilt not thou possess.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."

Chemosh.

Nu 21:29; 1Ki 11:7; Jer 48:7,46

whomsoever.

De 9:4,5; 18:12; Jos 3:10; Ps 44:2; 78:55; Mic 4:5

Balak.

Nu 22:2-21; De 23:3,4; Jos 24:9,10; Mic 6:5

Heshbon.

Nu 21:25-30; De 2:24; 3:2,6; Jos 12:2,5; 13:10

Aroer.

De 2:36

three hundred.

3:11,30; 5:31; 8:28; 9:22; 10:2,3,8; Jos 11:18; 23:1

the Judge.

Ge 18:25; 1Sa 2:10; Job 9:15; 23:7; Ps 7:11; 50:6; 75:7; 82:8

Ps 94:2; 98:9; Ec 11:9; 12:14; Joh 5:22,23; Ro 14:10-12; 2Co 5:10

2Ti 4:8; Heb 12:23

be judge.

Ge 16:5; 31:53; 1Sa 24:12,15; Ps 7:8,9; 2Co 11:11

2Ki 14:11; Pr 16:18

the spirit.

3:10; 6:34; 13:25; Nu 11:25; 1Sa 10:10; 16:13-15; 1Ch 12:18

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

over Mizpeh.

10:17

Ge 28:20; Nu 30:2-16; 1Sa 1:11; Ec 5:1,2,4,5

whatsoever, etc. Heb. that which cometh forth, which shallcome forth. shall surely.

Le 27:2,3,28,29; 1Sa 1:11,28; 2:18; 14:24,44; Ps 66:13,14

and I will. or, or I will, etc.{Wehäâleetheehoo ôlah,} 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 a 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.

Le 27:11,12; De 23:18; Ps 66:13; Isa 66:3

the Lord.

1:4; 2:18; 3:10

Aroer.

De 2:36

Minnith.Situated, according to Eusebius, four miles from Heshbon, towards Philadelphia or Rabbath.

Eze 27:17

the plain. or, Abel.

Mizpeh.

11; 10:17

his daughter.

5:1-31; Ex 15:20; 1Sa 18:6,7; Ps 68:25; 148:11,12; 150:4

Jer 31:4,13

beside her. or, he had not of his own either son ordaughter. Heb. of himself. neither.

Zec 12:10; Lu 7:12; 8:42; 9:38

rent his clothes.

Ge 37:29,30,34,35; 42:36-38; 2Sa 13:30,31; 18:33; Job 1:20

have opened.

Le 27:28,29; Nu 30:2-5; Ps 15:4; Ec 5:2-6

I cannot.

21:1-7; 1Sa 14:44,45; Mt 14:7-9; Ac 23:14

forasmuch.

16:28-30; 2Sa 18:19,31; 19:30; Ac 20:24; 21:13; Ro 16:4; Php 2:30

go up and down. Heb. go and go down. bewail.

1Sa 1:6; Lu 1:25

did with.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:--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. 2. We are expressly told (ver. 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. 3. He had it in his power to redeem his daughter, (Le 27:4;) and surely his only child must have been of more value than thirty shekles. 4. 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. 5. 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.

31; Le 27:28,29; De 12:31; Isa 66:3

to his vow.

1Sa 1:11,22,24,28; 2:18

custom. or, ordinance.

yearly. Heb. from year to year. lament. or, to talk with.

5:11

four days.

1Ki 9:25