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The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

Judges 11:31

JUDGES—NOTE ON Judges 11:31 whatever comes out. The wording here would indicate that Jephthah intended to offer some animal as a burnt offering. However, the grammar also allows for “whoever” (see esv footnote), in which case Jephthah would have intended to offer a human sacrifice all along. If so, what surprised him was not that he had to sacrifice a person, but that it was his daughter. Human sacrifice was strictly forbidden in Israel (Leviticus 18:21; Leviticus 20:2; Deuteronomy 12:31; Ezekiel 20:30). Yet, Jephthah’s foolishness drove him to make such a vow (see note on Judg. 11:39).

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See also Judges 11:31 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Judges 11:31. _SHALL SURELY BE THE LORD'S, AND I WILL OFFER IT UP FOR_ _A BURNT-OFFERING._] The text is והיה ליהוה והעליתיהו עולה _vehayah_ _layhovah, vehaalithihu olah_; the translation of whi...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    The words of this verse prove conclusively that Jephthah intended his vow to apply to human beings, not animals: for only one of his household could be expected to come forth from the door of his hous...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 11 JEPHTHAH AND THE AMMONITES _ 1. Jephthah's covenant (Judges 11:1)_ 2. The messages to Ammon (Judges 11:12) 3. Jephthah's vow and victory (Judges 11:29) 4. Jephthah keeps his vow ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    JEPHTHAH'S VOW, AND HIS CAMPAIGN AGAINST AMMON. Judges 11:29 b is probably an editorial note, a somewhat unskilful attempt to fasten the new cloth (Judges 11:12) into the old garment (Moore.) Jephthah...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    WHATSOEVER. This is _masculine._ But the issuer from his house was _feminine._ Thus his rash vow was impossible of fulfillment, and was to be repented of. AND. or. The Hebrew (_Vav_) is. connective Pa...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _whatsoever … it shall be … I will offer it up_ WHOSOEVER … HE _shall be … I will offer_ HIM _up_, so LXX, Vulgate, Peshitto Jephthah had in his mind a human victim 1 [44] [44] Early Arabian religion...

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 272 JEPHTHAH’S VOW Judges 11:30. _And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, then it shall be, that whatsoe...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    SHALL SURELY BE THE LORD'S; AND I WILL OFFER IT UP FOR A BURNT-OFFERING— _Shall be consecrated to the Lord, or I will offer it,_ &c. Waterland. It is very evident, that this translation by Dr. Waterla...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    _Jephthah's Vow Judges 11:29-31_ 29 Then the spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _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, SHALL SURELY BE THE LORD'S, AND I WILL OFFER IT UP FOR A BURNT O...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    JEPHTHAH'S VICTORY OVER THE AMMONITES. HIS RASH VOW 1-11. The Choice of Jephthah....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    LIFE WITHOUT LAW JUDGES _PHILIP SMITH_ CHAPTER 11 V1 Jephthah, a man from Gilead’s family, was a brave soldier. Gilead was his father. V2 His mother was a woman who sold her body for sex. Gilead’...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    WHATSOEVER COMETH FORTH. — The true rendering undoubtedly is, _Whosoever cometh forth_ (LXX., ὁ ἐκπορευόμενος; Vulg., _quicunque_). Nothing can be clearer than that the view held of this passage, from...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וְ הָיָ֣ה הַ יֹּוצֵ֗א אֲשֶׁ֨ר יֵצֵ֜א מִ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    THE TERRIBLE VOW Judges 11:12 AT every stage of their history the Hebrews were capable of producing men of passionate religiousness. And this appears as a distinction of the group of nations to which...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    A SHADOWED VICTORY Judges 11:29 All the nations around were accustomed to offer those dearest to them in sacrifice to their cruel national deities. This was pre-eminently the case with the neighborin...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    At last deliverance came through Jephthah, whose history is full of interest. He was the son of a harlot and had been thrust out from his inheritance by the legitimate sons of his father. Evidently th...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    The coming of the Spirit of the Lord on Jephthah proved he was God's appointed leader. He immediately rose up and traveled through the area gathering an army to fight for the freedom of Gilead. This a...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Whosoever, &c. Some are of opinion, that the meaning of this vow of Jephte, was to consecrate to God whatsoever should first meet him, according to the condition of the thing; so as to offer it up as...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Surely the vow of Jephthah proceeded from the want of faith; else why did he doubt, why did he say if the Lord would deliver Ammon into his hands? And Reader! make an observation of it in your own exp...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    My object being no more than a sketch, as most of you know, I desire to say but a few words on such of the Chapter s as bear a similar character to that which has been already pointed out in the early...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 9, 10, 11, AND 12. After Gideon's death we see the results of this distance from God in the internal struggles which took place between the children of Israel...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    THEN IT SHALL BE, THAT WHATSOEVER COMETH FORTH OF THE DOORS OF MY HOUSE TO MEET ME,.... If this phrase, "to meet me", is meant intentionally, then no other than an human creature can be meant; a child...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    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, shall surely be the LORD'S, and I will offer it up for a burnt of...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Shall surely be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt- offering_ Dr. Waterland translates it, _shall be consecrated to the Lord_, or, _I will offer it_, &c. “It is very evident,” says Dr. Do...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 The Couenant betweene Iephthah and the Gileadites, that hee should be their head. 12 The treaty of peace betweene him and the Ammonites is in vaine. 29 Iephthahs vow. 32 His conquest of the Ammon...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    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...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    JEPHTHAH, AFTER HIS VICTORY, KEEPS HIS VOW...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    WHATSOEVER COMETH FORTH: _ Heb._ that which cometh forth shall come forth AND I WILL OFFER IT: Or, I will offer it, etc....

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    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 n...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    No text from Poole on this verse....

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Judges 11:31 whatever H3318 (H8802) out H3318 (H8799) doors H1817 house H1004 meet H7125 (H8800) return...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Jeptha's awful vow and the victory over the Ammorites. CHARACTERS: God, Holy Spirit, Jeptha, his daughter. CONCLUSION: A Christian in the hands of the Spirit is assured of success in the u...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Judges 11:1. _Jephthah son of a harlot._ The Hebrew is the same as in Joshua 2:1. The rabbins mostly read here, as Joshua 2., son of a hostess. Judges 11:3. Vain men,

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Jephthah the Gileadite._ JEPHTHAH It is common to regard Jephthah as one of the wildest characters of the Bible--a rough and heedless man; alike rash in vowing and heartless in fulfilling; one whom...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _JEPHTHAH’S VOW_ (Judges 11:30; Judges 11:34) CRITICAL NOTES.— JUDGES 11:30. VOWED A VOW UNTO THE LORD.] He looked entirely to Jehovah for victory ...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _CHOICE OF A LEADER; AND SLAUGHTER OF THE ENEMY_ Judges 11:1. CRITICAL NOTES.— JUDGES 11:1. THE GILEADITE.] Many regard this as not a definite patronymic, but indicating that he belonged to the clan...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION JUDGES 11:29 THEN THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD CAME UPON JEPHTHAH, as upon Othniel, upon Gideon, and upon Samson (Judges 3:16; Judges 6:34;...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    He was a mighty man of valour, he was the son of a harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah. And Gilead's wife bore him sons; and the wife's sons when they grew up, they threw Jephthah out, and they said, Yo...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Samuel 1:11; 1 Samuel 1:28; 1 Samuel 14:24; 1 Samuel 14:44; 1 S

  • When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties, Norman L. Geisler and Thomas Howe, 1960

    How could God allow Jephthah to offer his daughter up as a burnt offering? PROBLEM: Just before Jephthah went into battle against the people of Ammon, he made a vow to the Lord. The vow he made was th...

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