Judges 11:1-35
Jephthah <03316> [Jephthah.]
[called Jephthae. a mighty.]
mother <0802> [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.
<01644> [thrust out.]
another <0312> [a strange.]
half-brothers <06440 0251> [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.
Lawless men <07386 0582> [vain men.]
time <03117> [A.M. 2817. B.C. 1187. An. Ex. Is. 304. in process of time.]
Heb. after days.
attacked <03898> [made war.]
<03947> [to fetch.]
hated <08130> [Did not ye hate.]
leaders <02205> [the elders.]
we pledge <07725> [we turn.]
back <07725> [If ye bring.]
Lord <03068> [The Lord.]
grievance ... have <08085> [be witness. be the hearer.]
do <06213> [if we do.]
leader <07218> [head.]
repeated <01696> [uttered.]
Jephthah ................ Jephthah repeated <01696 03316> [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 <06440> [before.]
Mizpah <04709> [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.
sent messengers <07971 04397> [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.
come against <0935> [What hast.]
Israel <03478> [Because Israel.]
Arnon <0769> [from Arnon.]
That is, all the land which had belonged to the Amorites and Moabites.
Jabbok <02999> [Jabbok.]
king <03254 04428> [again unto.]
Israel .... steal <03478 03947> [Israel took.]
Israel <03478> [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.
<03212> [walked.]
left ................ came <05927 0935> [came.]
sent messengers ......................... sent <07971 04397> [sent messengers.]
king ............... king .............. king <04428> [the king.]
stayed <03427> [abode.]
<03212> [went.]
bypassed <05437> [compassed.]
traveled east .................... go <0935 04217> [came by.]
camped <02583> [pitched.]
[Lord God.]
[they smote.]
[so Israel.]
took <03423> [And they.]
desert <04057> [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.
take ........... take ............ driven <03423> [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 <03645> [Chemosh.]
Lord <03068> [whomsoever.]
Balak <01111> [Balak.]
Heshbon <02809> [Heshbon.]
Aroer <06177> [Aroer.]
three hundred <07969 03967> [three hundred.]
May ..... Judge judge <08199> [the Judge.]
May ..... Judge judge <08199> [be judge.]
spirit <07307> [the spirit.]
Jephthah <03316> [Jephthah.]
"Jephthah seems to have been judge only of north-east Israel."
passed through ...... went ... Mizpah ....... approached <04708 05674> [over Mizpeh.]
then ....... come through <03318> [whatsoever, etc. Heb. that which cometh forth, which shall come forth. shall surely.]
up <05927> [and I will. or, or I will, etc.]
{Weh„ƒleetheehoo “lah,} 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.
Lord <03068> [the Lord.]
Aroer <06177> [Aroer.]
Minnith <04511> [Minnith.]
Situated, according to Eusebius, four miles from Heshbon, towards Philadelphia or Rabbath.
Abel <058> [the plain. or, Abel.]
Mizpah <04709> [Mizpeh.]
daughter .......................... daughter <01323> [his daughter.]
son <01121> [beside her. or, he had not of his own either son or daughter. Heb. of himself. neither.]
ripped ... clothes <0899 07167> [rent his clothes.]
made an oath <06475> [have opened.]
cannot <03201> [I cannot.]
