Judges 11:9-10

11:9 Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, “All right! ¹  If you take me back to fight with the Ammonites and the Lord gives them to me, ²  I will be your leader.” ³  11:10 The leaders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The Lord will judge any grievance you have against us, ⁴  if we do not do as you say.” ⁵ 

[11:9]  ¹ tn “All right” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[11:9]  ² tn Heb “places them before me.”

[11:9]  ³ tn Some translate the final statement as a question, “will I really be your leader?” An affirmative sentence is preferable. Jephthah is repeating the terms of the agreement in an official manner. In v. 10 the leaders legally agree to these terms.

[11:10]  ⁴ tn Heb “The Lord will be the one who hears between us.” For the idiom שָׁמַע בַּיִן (shama’ bayin, “to hear between”), see Deut 1:16.

[11:10]  ⁵ sn The Lord will judge…if we do not do as you say. The statement by the leaders of Gilead takes the form of a legally binding oath, which obligates them to the terms of the agreement.