Judges 11:1

Now Jephthah, the Gileadite, was a mighty man of valor, distinguished for courage and energy, BUT HE WAS THE SON OF AN HARLOT, born outside of wedlock; AND GILEAD, one of the prominent men of the tribe, BEGAT JEPHTHAH, afterwards acknowledging him and rearing him in his house.... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:2

And Gilead's wife bare him sons; and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, expelled him from the home as not on the same level with them, AND SAID UNTO HIM, THOU SHALT NOT INHERIT IN OUR FATHER'S HOUSE; FOR THOU ART THE SON OF A STRANGE WOMAN, of one who was not properly a wife, eve... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:3

Then Jephthah, unable to find support among the elders of Gilead, FLED FROM HIS BRETHREN, an outcast of society, AND DWELT IN THE LAND OF TOB, a region toward the northeast, on the boundary of Syria; AND THERE WERE GATHERED VAIN MEN, idle adventurers, TO JEPHTHAH, AND WENT OUT WITH HIM, on expeditio... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:4

And it came to pass in process of time that the children of Ammon made war against Israel, as related in the preceding chapter.... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:5

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, for they believed him, with his qualities of valor and sagacity, with his military ability, to be the very man in this emergency;... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:6

and they said unto Jephthah, who had meanwhile acquired fame, rest, a family, and possessions, and was a worshiper of the true God, COME AND BE OUR CAPTAIN, THAT WE MAY FIGHT WITH THE CHILDREN OF AMMON.... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:7

And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, in reminding them of the former harsh treatment which he had received at their hands, DID NOT YE HATE ME AND EXPEL ME OUT OF MY FATHER'S HOUSE, namely, by not taking his part against the jealous brothers of his family? AND WHY ARE YE COME UNTO ME NOW, WHE... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:8

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. That was their way of acknowledging the wrong they had done and trying to atone for it.... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:9

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? It is a condition rather than a question: If you bring me back, and then stand united to fight Ammon and Jehovah finds you worthy o... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:10

And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, with a solemn oath, THE LORD BE WITNESS BETWEEN US IF WE DO NOT SO ACCORDING TO THY WORDS. Not only in their obedience toward him, but also in their behavior toward Jehovah they were willing to be guided by his instruction and direction.... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:11

Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them, leader in both peace and war; AND JEPHTHAH UTTERED ALL HIS WORDS BEFORE THE LORD IN MIZPEH, he repeated the conditions under which he would accept the office, and stated the obligations which devolved u... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:12

And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, for he intended to remove every suspicion as though he had ruthlessly violated the Lord's command not to molest the children of Ammon, Deuteronomy 2:5 to Deuteronomy 9:19, SAYING, WHAT HAST THOU TO DO WITH ME, what matter should ca... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:13

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, for a part of the land of Sihon, king of the Amorites, had originally been in the hands of Moab and Ammon, Num... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:16

but when Israel came up from Egypt and walked through the wilderness unto the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh, Numbers 14:25; Numbers 13:26,... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:17

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, Numbers 20:18; Numbers 20:21. AND IN LIKE MANNER THEY SENT UNTO THE KING OF MOAB; BUT HE WOULD NOT CONSENT; AND ISRAEL ABODE IN KADESH. This was at t... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:18

Then they went along through the wilderness, marching south to the Elanitic Gulf, and thence east into the desert, AND COMPASSED THE LAND OF EDOM AND THE LAND OF MOAB, AND CAME BY THE EAST SIDE OF THE LAND OF MOAB, Numbers 21:11, AND PITCHED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF ARNON, on the south side, BUT CAME NO... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:19

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.... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:20

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.... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:21

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.... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:22

And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan. This account agrees exactly and almost verbally with Numbers 21:21. Jephthah relates the history as it concerned the children of Israel and shows the false pretense of the king o... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:23

So now the Lord God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before His people Israel, by a war of extermination, AND SHOULDEST THOU POSSESS IT? For Ammon had not conquered Sihon and his host.... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:24

Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh, thy god, giveth thee to possess? They would surely consider such a procedure as just and fair, if they believed their war-god to have given them the victory in battle. SO WHOMSOEVER THE LORD, OUR GOD, SHALL DRIVE OUT FROM BEFORE US, THEM WILL WE POSSESS, for... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:25

And now art thou anything better than Balak, the son of Zipper, king of Moab, namely, at the time when Israel conquered the land east of Jordan? DID HE EVER STRIVE, enter into litigation, AGAINST ISRAEL, OR DID HE EVER FIGHT AGAINST THEM, although he might have claimed an interest in the land with g... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:26

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, if so sure of their ownership, DID YE NOT RECOVER THEM WITHIN THAT TIME? Possession, so long undisputed, could not be called in qu... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:27

Wherefore I, Israel, HAVE NOT SINNED AGAINST THEE, BUT THOU DOEST ME WRONG TO WAR AGAINST ME; the Ammonites were using their supposed claim to the land as a pretext for attacking Israel. THE LORD, THE JUDGE, BE JUDGE THIS DAY BETWEEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL AND THE CHILDREN OF AMMON. Jephthah placed... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:28

Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him; he refused to change his plans. The fact that God occasionally suffers the wickedness of the enemies to continue as a punishment upon His people does not change the fact that their doing is still wi... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:29

Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead and Manasseh, through the entire country east of Jordan, in order to muster as large an army as possible, AND PASSED OVER MIZPEH OF GILEAD, to Remote in Gilead, with his entire army, to join that already assembled in camp at t... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:30

And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord and said, If Thou shalt without fail, most assuredly, DELIVER THE CHILDREN OF AMMON INTO MINE HANDS,... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:31

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, after having gained the victory over them, SHALL SURELY BE THE LORD'S, AND I WILL OFFER IT UP FOR A BURNT OFFERING.... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:33

And he smote them from Aroer, the northern city of this name, EVEN TILL THOU COME TO MINNITH, a city not far from Heshbon, EVEN TWENTY CITIES, AND UNTO THE PLAIN OF THE VINEYARDS, Abel Keramim, whose location is not known, WITH A VERY GREAT SLAUGHTER. THUS THE CHILDREN OF AMMON WERE SUBDUED BEFORE T... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:34

And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels, castanets, AND WITH DANCES, an expression of highest joy, a springing and leaping for happiness; AND SHE WAS HIS ONLY CHILD; BESIDE HER HE HAD NEITHER SON NOR DAUGHTER, he lavished upon her as h... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:35

And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, as a sign of deep distress and mourning, AND SAID, ALAS, MY DAUGHTER! THOU HAST BROUGHT ME VERY LOW, AND THOU ART ONE OF THEM THAT TROUBLE ME, literally, "Deeply hast thou caused me to bow, and thou alone art distressing me," unwittingl... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:36

And she said unto him, in a most beautiful and, at the same time, a most profoundly pathetic manner, 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... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:37

And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, so long he should delay the paying of his vow, THAT I MAY GO UP AND DOWN UPON THE MOUNTAINS, far from the haunts of men, AND BEWAIL MY VIRGINITY, I AND MY FELLOWS, for by the vow of her father she was destined to p... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:38

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.... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:39

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, by consecrating her to the service of the Lord, Exodus 13:12; Numbers 18:15, as one of the women serving at the door of the Tabernacle, Exodus 38:8; 1 Samuel 2:22... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 11:40

that the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah, the Gileadite, four days in a year, celebrating her in songs, in a festival, of which nothing further is known. That, then, was the sacrifice of Jephthah's daughter: she had to leave the house of her father and was deprived... [ Continue Reading ]

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