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Judges Chapter
Eleven
Judges 11
Outlines)
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 11
This
chapter gives an account of another judge of Israel, Jephthah, of his descent
and character, Judges 11:1 of the
call the elders of Gilead gave him to be their captain general, and lead out
their forces against the Ammonites, and the agreement he made with them, Judges 11:4 of the
message he sent to the children of Ammon, which brought on a dispute between
him and them about the land Israel possessed on that side Jordan the Ammonites
claimed; Israel's right to which Jephthah defended, and made it clearly to
appear, hoping thereby to put an end to the quarrel without shedding of blood, Judges 11:12 but
the children of Ammon not attending to what he said, he prepared to give them
battle, and previous to it he made a vow, and then set forward and fought them,
and got the victory over them, Judges 11:28 and
the chapter concludes with the difficulties Jephthah was embarrassed with upon
his return home, on account of his vow, and the performance of it, Judges 11:34.
Judges 11:1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, but he was
the son of a harlot; and Gilead begot Jephthah.
YLT
1And Jephthah the Gileadite
hath been a mighty man of valour, and he [is] son of a woman, a harlot; and
Gilead begetteth Jephthah,
Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour,.... Jephthah
had his name of Gileadite either from his father, whose name was Gilead, or
from the city and country in which he was born, which is most likely, and so
was of the same country with the preceding judge; and he was a man of great
strength and valour, and which perhaps became known by his successful
excursions on parties of the enemies of Israel, the Ammonites, being at the
head of a band of men, who lived by the booty they got from them:
and he was the son of an harlot; the Targum says, an
innkeeper; and, according to Kimchi, she was a concubine, which some reckoned
no better than an harlot, but such are not usually called so; some Jewish
writers will have her to be one of another tribe his father ought not to have
married; and others, that she was of another nation, a Gentile, so JosephusF3Antiqu.
l. 5. c. 7. sect. 7. : and, according to PatricidesF4Apud Selden. de
Success. ad leg. Ebr. c. 3. p. 32. , he was the son of a Saracen woman; but
neither of these are sufficient to denominate her a harlot:
and Gilead begat Jephthah; he was his son; this was
a descendant of Gilead the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, called after the
name of his great ancestor.
Judges 11:2 2 Gilead’s wife bore sons; and when his wife’s sons grew up,
they drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You shall have no inheritance in our
father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.”
YLT
2and the wife of Gilead
beareth to him sons, and the wife's sons grow up and cast out Jephthah, and say
to him, `Thou dost not inherit in the house of our father; for son of another
woman [art] thou.'
And Gilead's wife bare him sons,.... It seems that, after
the birth of Jephthah, Gilead took him a lawful wife, who bore him sons:
and his wife's sons grew up; to the estate of men:
and they thrust out Jephthah: out of his father's
house, his father in all likelihood being dead, or he would not have suffered
it, and what follows confirms it that he was dead:
and said unto him, thou shalt not inherit in our father's house: as he might
not, if the son of an harlot, or of a woman of another tribe, or of a
concubine; though as Kimchi, from their Rabbins, observes, the son of such an
one might, provided his mother was not an handmaid nor a stranger. And it looks
as if this was not rightly done, but that Jephthah was injuriously dealt with
by his brethren, of which he complains:
for thou art the son of a strange woman: or of another
"woman"F5אשה אחרת
"mulieris alterius", Pagninus, Montanus; "exterae", Junius
& Tremellius, Piscator; so Tigurine version. , that was not their father's
lawful wife; or of a woman of another tribe, as the Targum; or of another
nation, as others, prostitutes being used to go into foreign countries to get a
livelihood, and hide the shame of their families; hence a strange woman, and a
harlot, signified the sameF6"Pro uxore hanc peregrinam",
Terent. Audria, act 1, scen. 1. l. 118. , see Judges 11:1.
Judges 11:3 3 Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and dwelt in the land of
Tob; and worthless men banded together with Jephthah and went out raiding
with him.
YLT
3And Jephthah fleeth from
the face of his brethren, and dwelleth in the land of Tob; and vain men gather
themselves together unto Jephthah, and they go out with him.
Then Jephthah fled from his brethren,.... Being ill
used by them, and a man of spirit and courage, and could not bear to be treated
with contempt, nor to live in a dependence on others, and therefore sought to
make himself another way:
and dwelt in the land of Tob; which Kimchi and Ben
Gersom think was the name of the lord and owner of the land; Abarbinel interprets
it, a good land, as Tob signifies, so the Targum; but others the name of a city
or country, and conjecture it may be the same with Ishtob, and which was not
far from the children of Ammon, since they sent thither for assistance, 2 Samuel 10:6.
JeromF7De loc. Heb. fol. 25. A. takes it for a country, in which
Jephthah dwelt, but says no more of it. Junius says it was on the entrance of
Arabia Deserta, in the Apocypha:"Yea, all our brethren that were in the
places of Tobie are put to death: their wives and their children also they have
carried away captives, and borne away their stuff; and they have destroyed
there about a thousand men.' (1 Maccabees 5:13)"Then
departed they from thence seven hundred and fifty furlongs, and came to Characa
unto the Jews that are called Tubieni.' (2 Maccabees 12:17)where
the inhabitants of it are called Tobienians or Tubienians:
and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah; not wicked
men, but empty men, whose pockets were empty; men without money, as Abarbinel
interprets it, had nothing to live upon, no more than Jephthah, and he being a
valiant man, they enlisted themselves under him:
and went out with him; not on any bad design,
as to rob and plunder, but to get their living by hunting; or rather by making
excursions into the enemy's country, and carrying off booty, on which they
lived. JosephusF8Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 7. sect. 7.) says he
maintained them at his own expense, and paid them wages.
Judges 11:4 4 It came to pass after a
time that the people of Ammon made war against Israel.
YLT
4And it cometh to pass,
after a time, that the Bene-Ammon fight with Israel,
And it came to pass in process of time,.... Some time
after Jephthah had been expelled from his father's house, and he was become
famous for his martial genius, and military exploits; or at the close of the
eighteen years' oppression of the children of Israel by the Ammonites, or some
few days after the children of Israel were gathered together at Mizpeh, that
the people and princes of Gilead were preparing for war with Ammon, and were
thinking of a proper person to be their general:
that the children of Ammon made war against Israel; not only
passed over Jordan again, and encamped in Gilead, but began to attack them in
some place or another, at least threatened them with it, and made motions
towards it.
Judges 11:5 5 And so it was, when the
people of Ammon made war against Israel, that the elders of Gilead went to get
Jephthah from the land of Tob.
YLT
5and it cometh to pass, when
the Bene-Ammon have fought with Israel, that the elders of Gilead go to take
Jephthah from the land of Tob;
And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against
Israel,.... Were preparing for it, and had assembled their forces near
them, and had began to make some efforts against them:
the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob; they did not
send messengers to him, but went themselves, partly to show greater respect to
him, and partly in hopes of better success, being aware of objections he would
make, which they could better answer themselves than a deputation.
Judges 11:6 6 Then they said to
Jephthah, “Come and be our commander, that we may fight against the people of
Ammon.”
YLT 6and they say unto Jephthah,
`Come, and thou hast been to us for captain, and we fight against the
Bene-Ammon.'
And they said unto Jephthah, come and be our captain,.... The
general of their army, to conduct and lead on their forces; they did not
propose him to be their king, being convinced by Abimelech's conduct that such
a step would be wrong; nor did they say anything of his being their judge,
having no other view than to serve their present exigence; besides, a judge was
not one chosen by the people, but raised up of God, and which honour was
conferred on Jephthah afterwards:
that we may fight with the children of Ammon; with
judgment, courage, and success; they did not make this proposal to him to save
themselves from being engaged in the war, but that they might have one skilful
in military affairs at the head of them, to instruct them in the art of war,
and lead them on in a regular manner, and animate them by his brave example.
Judges 11:7 7 So Jephthah said to the
elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me, and expel me from my father’s house?
Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?”
YLT
7And Jephthah saith to the
elders of Gilead, `Have not ye hated me? and ye cast me out from the house of
my father, and wherefore have ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?'
And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead,.... In answer
to their request; who though not backward to engage in the war with them, yet
thought it proper to take this opportunity to upbraid them with their former
unkindness to him:
did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father's house? for it seems
some of these elders at least were his brethren; for who else could be thought
to hate him, and through hatred to thrust him out of his father's house, but
they? nor is it at all improbable that they were among the elders of Gilead,
considering what family they were of: though indeed the magistrates of the city
might be assisting to Jephthah's brethren in the expulsion of him, or however
connived at it, when they should, as he thought, have protected him, and taken
care that he had justice done him; for even though illegitimate, a maintenance
was due to him:
and why are ye come unto me now, when ye are in distress? intimating,
that it was not love and respect to him, but necessity, that brought them to
him with this request; and that since they used him so ill, they could not
reasonably expect he should have any regard unto them.
Judges 11:8 8 And the elders of Gilead
said to Jephthah, “That is why we have turned again to you now, that you may go
with us and fight against the people of Ammon, and be our head over all the
inhabitants of Gilead.”
YLT
8and the elders of Gilead
say unto Jephthah, `Therefore, now, we have turned back unto thee; and thou
hast gone with us, and fought against the Bene-Ammon, and thou hast been to us
for head -- to all the inhabitants of Gilead.'
And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah,.... In reply
to his objection:
therefore we turn again unto thee now; being
sensible of the injury they had done him, and repenting of it, of which their
return to him was an evidence; it being with this view to remove the disgrace
and dishonour that had been cast upon him, by conferring such honour on him, as
to be their chief ruler:
that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of
Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead; the end of
their coming to him was not only to bring him back with them to his own
country, and to fight against the Ammonites, and the defence of it, but to be
the sole governor of it; not of all Israel, but of the tribes beyond Jordan,
which inhabited the land of Gilead: more than this they could not promise,
though he afterwards was judge over all Israel, notwithstanding there was a law
in Israel, that no spurious person should enter into the congregation, or bear
any public office; so it was a law with the AtheniansF9Aelian. Var.
Hist. l. 6. c. 10. l. 13. c. 24. "Suidas in voce" δημοποιητος.
, that unless a man was born of both parents citizens, he should be reckoned
spurious, and have no share in the government, see Judges 11:2.
Judges 11:9 9 So Jephthah said to the
elders of Gilead, “If you take me back home to fight against the people of
Ammon, and the Lord
delivers them to me, shall I be your head?”
YLT
9And Jephthah saith unto the
elders of Gilead, `If ye are taking me back to fight against the Bene-Ammon,
and Jehovah hath given them before me -- I, am I to you for a head?'
And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead,....
Considering the former usage he had met with from them, and the character which
he himself bore, and the fickleness of men, when their turn is served, was
willing to make a sure bargain with them:
if ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon; that is,
should he consent to go along with them, and fight their battle for them:
and the Lord deliver them before me; or into his hands, on
whom he depended for success, and not on his own courage and valour, and
military skill:
shall I be your head? not only captain general
of their forces during the war, but the chief ruler of them when that was ended.
Judges 11:10 10 And the elders of Gilead
said to Jephthah, “The Lord
will be a witness between us, if we do not do according to your words.”
YLT
10And the elders of Gilead
say unto Jephthah, `Jehovah is hearkening between us -- if according to thy
word we do not so.'
And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah,.... Assenting
to his proposal, and not only giving their word for it, but their oath:
the Lord be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy
words; that is, make him head over them; they appealed to the
omniscient God, and called on him to be a witness of their agreement to it, and
swore by him they would fulfil it; or if they did not, that the Lord would take
vengeance on them for it, and punish the breach of this covenant and oath in
some way or another; the Targum of Jonathan is,"the Word of the Lord be a
witness between us, &c.'
Judges 11:11 11 Then Jephthah went with
the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them; and
Jephthah spoke all his words before the Lord in Mizpah.
YLT
11And Jephthah goeth with the
elders of Gilead, and the people set him over them for head and for captain,
and Jephthah speaketh all his words before Jehovah in Mizpeh.
Then Jephthah went with the elders of Israel,.... From the
land of Tob into the land of Gilead, his native country:
and the people made him head and captain over them; ratified and
confirmed what the elders had promised, and by a general unanimous vote
appointed him both to be the captain of their forces, and to be the chief ruler
and governor of them. And this they did, though he was the son of an harlot;
and according to the law in Deuteronomy 23:2,
such an one was not to be a civil magistrate; but this was a case of necessity,
and in which, no doubt, they were directed by the Lord, who could dispense with
his own law: besides, they had come to such an agreement before they had
pitched on any particular person, that who should begin to fight with the
children of Ammon should be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead so that
they were obliged to it by their vote and decree, when they assembled at
Mizpeh, where it is probable they consulted the Lord, and acted under his
direction, Judges 10:17 and
where this was confirmed, as seems from the following clause:
and Jephthah uttered all his words before the Lord in Mizpeh; where the
congregation of Israel were assembled, and in which the Shechinah, or divine
Majesty, dwelt, as is observed by Jarchi and Kimchi, and not Mizpeh in Joshua 11:3, as the
latter says, but this was on the other side Jordan, in the land of Gilead;
however, as it was a solemn meeting, the Lord was there, and, as in his
presence, Jephthah rehearsed all that passed between him and the elders of
Gilead; and, no doubt, in prayer to God, desired he would signify his
approbation and ratification of their agreement, and would give him success in
his undertakings against the children of Ammon.
Judges 11:12 12 Now Jephthah sent
messengers to the king of the people of Ammon, saying, “What do you have
against me, that you have come to fight against me in my land?”
YLT
12And Jephthah sendeth
messengers unto the king of the Bene-Ammon, saying, `What -- to me and to thee,
that thou hast come in unto me, to fight in my land.'
And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of
Ammon,.... Being now declared chief and sole governor of the tribes on
the other side Jordan, he acted in character, and as such sent messengers to
the king of the Ammonites, to know the reason of his invading the land that
belonged to Israel, being desirous of adjusting things in an amicable way, and
to prevent the shedding of blood; in which he behaved as a good man, and not at
all inconsistent with a man of valour and courage:
saying, what hast thou to do with me; to invade my
land, and disturb my people, what have I or they done to give occasion for it?
that thou art come against me to fight in my land? he speaks in
the language of a governor, and as a man of spirit concerned for the good of
his country, and determined to defend the rights and liberties of it.
Judges 11:13 13 And the king of the people
of Ammon answered the messengers of Jephthah, “Because Israel took away my land
when they came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok, and to the
Jordan. Now therefore, restore those lands peaceably.”
YLT
13And the king of the
Bene-Ammon saith unto the messengers of Jephthah, `Because Israel took my land
in his coming up out of Egypt, from Arnon, and unto the Jabbok, and unto the
Jordan; and now, restore them in peace.'
And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers
of Jephthah,.... Who this king of Ammon was is not said, however he returned
an answer to Jephthah's messengers, which they brought to him, and it was to
this purpose; that the reason of his invading the land, and bringing war into
it, was:
because Israel took away my land when they came out of Egypt; not as soon
as they came out of Egypt, for it was thirty nine years afterwards, and
upwards, even a little before they entered into the land of Canaan; and the
land they took was not theirs, but in the possession of Sihon and Og, kings of
the Amorites; though indeed, before their conquest of it, it had been in the
hands of the Moabites and Ammonites, and who being confederates, or subjects of
the same king, is here claimed by the king of the children of Ammon:
from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan; the river
Arnon was the border between Moab and the Amorites, and the river Jabbok was
the border of the children of Ammon, Numbers 21:13, the
one was to the south of the country claimed, and the other to the north and to
the west, which was Jordan, and the wilderness to the east, Judges 11:22,
now therefore restore these lands again peaceably; this is
demanded or proposed as terms or conditions of peace, and what would prevent a
war, and nothing short of this would do it.
Judges 11:14 14 So Jephthah again sent
messengers to the king of the people of Ammon,
YLT
14And Jephthah addeth yet and
sendeth messengers unto the king of the Bene-Ammon,
And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children
of Ammon. Being willing to give him all the satisfaction he could, and if
possible live peaceably with him, and prevent the effusion of blood.
Judges 11:15 15 and said to him, “Thus
says Jephthah: ‘Israel did not take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the
people of Ammon;
YLT
15and saith to him, `Thus
said Jephthah, Israel took not the land of Moab, and the land of the
Bene-Ammon,
And said unto him,.... By his messengers:
thus saith Jephthah; in a majestic style, as
governor of Israel:
Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the
children of Ammon; they were charged not to take any, nor did they take any that
belonged to any of these countries, or that was then in the possession of
either of them, Deuteronomy 2:9
what they did take was in the hands of Sihon and Og, and they had obtained it
by conquest, and so no more belonging to either of these.
Judges 11:16 16 for when Israel came up
from Egypt, they walked through the wilderness as far as the Red Sea and came
to Kadesh.
YLT
16for in their coming up out
of Egypt, Israel goeth in the wilderness unto the Red Sea, and cometh in to
Kadesh,
But when Israel came up from Egypt,.... In order to go to
the land of Canaan, which was higher than the land of Egypt, which lay lowF11 χθαμαλος αιγυπτος Theocrit.
Idyll. 17. ver. 79. :
and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea; which is to
be understood not of their walking to it; when they first came out of Egypt,
they indeed then came to the edge of the wilderness of Etham, and so to the Red
sea, and walked through it as on dry land, and came into the wilderness of
Shur, Sin, and Sinai; and after their departure from Mount Sinai they came into
the wilderness of Paran, in which they were thirty eight years; and this is the
wilderness meant they walked through, and came to Eziongaber, on the shore of
the Red sea, Numbers 33:35.
and came to Kadesh; not Kadeshbarnea, from whence the spies
were sent, but Kadesh on the borders of Edom, from whence messengers were sent
to the king of it, as follows.
Judges 11:17 17 Then Israel sent
messengers to the king of Edom, saying, “Please let me pass through your land.”
But the king of Edom would not heed. And in like manner they sent to the king
of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel remained in Kadesh.
YLT
17and Israel sendeth
messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me pass over, I pray thee,
through thy land, and the king of Edom hearkened not; and also unto the king of
Moab hath [Israel] sent, and he hath not been willing; and Israel abideth in
Kadesh,
Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom,.... The
history of which may be read in Numbers 20:14,
&c.
saying, let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land; the land of
Edom, from the south to the north of it, according to Jarchi, which was the
nearest and shortest way to the land of Canaan; so far were the Israelites from
invading and seizing upon the properties of others, that they would not attempt
to set their foot in another's country without leave; which they asked in an
humble manner, promising to do no injury to any, but pay for whatever they ate
and drank in their passage:
but the king of Edom would not hearken thereto; or
grant their request, but refused them passage through his country:
and in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab, but he would
not consent; that they should pass through his country, which lay, as Jarchi
says, at the end of the land of Edom, to the west of it, and to the south of
Canaan; and though we nowhere else read of their sending messengers to the king
of Moab, and of the denial he made them, it is not at all to be doubted of, and
the Jewish commentators observe, that it is clearly intimated by Moses, Deuteronomy 2:29.
as the children of Esau, who dwelt in Seir, and the Moabites which
dwelt in Ar, did unto me; which they interpret thus, as the children of Esau would not
suffer Israel to pass through their land, when desired of them, so neither
would the Moabites, when the same request was made to them:
and Israel abode in Kadesh; quietly and peaceably,
and did not attempt to force their way through either country, but continued in
Kadesh some little time to consider what way they should take, and to wait for
divine direction.
Judges 11:18 18 And they went along
through the wilderness and bypassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab, came
to the east side of the land of Moab, and encamped on the other side of the
Arnon. But they did not enter the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the
border of Moab.
YLT
18and he goeth through the
wilderness, and compasseth the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and cometh in
at the rising of the sun of the land of Moab, and they encamp beyond Arnon, and
have not come into the border of Moab, for Arnon [is] the border of Moab.
Then they went along the wilderness,.... The wilderness of
Paran, which lay along the borders of Edom; they went, according to Jarchi,
from the west to the east on the south border of Edom and Moab:
and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab; all the south
of the land of Edom, and all the south of the land of Moab; towards the
sunrising, as in Numbers 21:11.
and pitched on the other side of Arnon; the river
Arnon, which, according to Jarchi, was at the east end of the land of Moab,
where began the country of Sihon and Og:
but came not within the border of Moab; so far were
they from attempting to take away any part of that land from the king of it,
though ill treated by him:
for Arnon was the border of Moab; which divided between
Moab and the Amorites, Numbers 21:13.
Judges 11:19 19 Then Israel sent
messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon; and Israel said to
him, “Please let us pass through your land into our place.”
YLT
19`And Israel sendeth
messengers unto Sihon, king of the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and Israel saith to
him, Let us pass over, we pray thee, through thy land, unto my place,
And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the
king of Heshbon,.... Which was his royal city, where he had his palace, and kept
his court, and is therefore particularly mentioned; and the rather, because he
had taken it from the Moabites, and was part of that land now in dispute; and
this Sihon was not only in possession of, when Israel sent messengers to him,
but it was his royal seat, the metropolis of his kingdom, and he was called
king of it:
and Israel said unto him, let us pass, we pray thee, through thy
land unto my place; the land of Canaan, prepared and reserved for them when the Most
High divided to the nations their inheritance, promised by the Lord to their
ancestors and to them, and given unto them, who is sovereign Lord of all; and
all that Israel desired of Sihon was only a passage through his land to that,
promising the same as to the king of Edom; see the history of it in Numbers 21:21.
Judges 11:20 20 But Sihon did not trust
Israel to pass through his territory. So Sihon gathered all his people
together, encamped in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.
YLT 20and Sihon hath not trusted
Israel to pass over through his border, and Sihon gathereth all his people, and
they encamp in Jahaz, and fight with Israel;
But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through, his coast,.... For fear
they should seize upon his dominions, and retain them; and the more fearful he
might be, as he knew that his people were one of the seven nations of the
Canaanites, whose land they were going to possess, and whom they were to
destroy:
but Sihon gathered all his people together; in some
certain place, and armed them, and went out in an hostile manner against Israel
in the wilderness, to attack them; whereby it appears that he was the
aggressor, and therefore Israel was not to be blamed, as not for fending
themselves, so neither for seizing and possessing his country when they had
conquered him:
and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel; there was a
battle between them at the place mentioned, and the victory was on Israel's
side, see Numbers 21:23.
Judges 11:21 21 And the Lord God of Israel
delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they defeated
them. Thus Israel gained possession of all the land of the Amorites, who
inhabited that country.
YLT
21and Jehovah, God of Israel,
giveth Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smite them,
and Israel possesseth all the land of the Amorite, the inhabitant of that land,
And the Lord God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into
the hand of Israel,.... So that as Sihon, his people, and his country, fell into the
hands of Israel through the victory the Lord gave them over him, they had a
divine right to the land now in dispute:
and they smote them: destroyed him and all
his people, as they were ordered to destroy the seven nations of Canaan, of
which the Amorites were one, Deuteronomy 7:1,
so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants
of that country; by means of the above victory they came into the lawful and
rightful possession of all the land that belonged to the Amorites, who were at
that time, and none else, the inhabitants of it; and therefore the Ammonites
could have no claim to it, nor was any made till now.
Judges 11:22 22 They took possession of
all the territory of the Amorites, from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the
wilderness to the Jordan.
YLT
22and they possess all the
border of the Amorite from Arnon, and unto the Jabbok, and from the wilderness,
and unto the Jordan.
And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites,.... Peaceably
and quietly, nor did any pretend to call their right in question, or dispute
their title, or give them any disturbance:
from Arnon unto Jabbok: which was the length of
the country, and the direction was from south to north, and reached from the
river Arnon, the border of Moab, to the river Jabbok, the border of Ammon; so
that it included no part of what was at this time in the possession of either:
and from the wilderness even unto Jordan; which was the
breadth of it, and its direction was from the west to the east, reaching from
the wilderness of Arabia to the river Jordan.
Judges 11:23 23 ‘And now the Lord God of Israel
has dispossessed the Amorites from before His people Israel; should you then
possess it?
YLT
23`And now, Jehovah, God of
Israel, hath dispossessed the Amorite from the presence of His people Israel,
and thou wouldst possess it!
So now the Lord God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from
before his people Israel,.... It is his doing, and not the work of the Israelites; it is
he that dispossessed the Amorites, and put the Israelites into the possession
of their land, and therefore they enjoy it by a good tenure:
and shouldest thou possess it? what through the
blessing of God on their arms they have obtained by conquest, and he has
settled them in; did they conquer, that thou should possess what they
conquered? did their God put it into their hands to deliver it into thine? did
they fight to recover for thee what thou hadst lost, and to put thee into the
possession of it? did not they fight in their own defence, and their enemies
and their land fell into their hands, and by the laws and right of nations
became theirs? and canst thou expect to possess it? what reason is there for
it?
Judges 11:24 24 Will you not possess
whatever Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whatever the Lord our God takes
possession of before us, we will possess.
YLT
24That which Chemosh thy god
causeth thee to possess -- dost thou not possess it? and all that which Jehovah
our God hath dispossessed from our presence, -- it we do possess.
Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to
possess?.... Chemosh was the idol of the Moabites, see Numbers 21:29,
which has led some to think, that the present king of Ammon was also king of
Moab, and who insisted on that part of the country, which formerly belonged to
Moab, to be delivered to him, as well as that which had belonged to Ammon. Now
since the land, which they now inhabited, as well as what they had lost, they
had taken away from others, Deuteronomy 2:10,
having conquered them, and which they ascribed to the help and assistance they
had from their idol, and possessed as his gift; Jephthah argues with them
"ad hominem", from the less to the greater:
so whomsoever the Lord our God shall drive out from before us,
them will we possess; we have surely as good a claim to what the Lord our God gives to
us in a way of conquest, as you have, or can think you have, to what your idol,
as you suppose, has given you: however, what we have got, or get this way, we
are determined to possess, and keep possession of.
Judges 11:25 25 And now, are you
any better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive
against Israel? Did he ever fight against them?
YLT
25`And now, [art] thou at all
better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he at all strive with
Israel? did he at all fight against them?
And now art thou anything better than Balak the son of Zippor king
of Moab?.... This argument seems to strengthen the conjecture, that this
king was king of Moab at this time, and so Balak was one of his predecessors.
Now he is asked, whether he thought he was a wiser and more knowing prince than
he, as to what was his right and due; or whether he had a better claim, or any
additional one to the land in dispute the other had not; or whether he judged
he was more able to regain what belonged to him:
did he ever strive against Israel? for the land they took
away from Sihon formerly in the possession of the Moabites? did he ever lay any
claim to it, or enter into any dispute, or litigate with Israel about it? not
at all:
or did he ever fight against Israel? that is, on that account;
no, he sent for Balaam to curse Israel, and sought to defend and secure his own
country he was in possession of, which he thought was in danger by the
Israelites being so near him; but he never made war with them under any such
pretence, that they had done him any injury by inheriting the land they had
taken from Sihon and Og, kings of the Amorites.
Judges 11:26 26 While Israel dwelt in
Heshbon and its villages, in Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities
along the banks of the Arnon, for three hundred years, why did you not recover them
within that time?
YLT
26In Israel's dwelling in
Heshbon and in its towns, and in Aroer and in its towns, and in all the cities
which [are] by the sides of Arnon three hundred years -- and wherefore have ye
not delivered them in that time?
While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns,.... This was
the principal city, which formerly belonged to the Moabites, and was taken from
them by Sihon; who being conquered by Israel, it fell into their hands, and
they inhabited it, and the towns adjacent to it, from that time to the present;
see Numbers 21:25.
and in Aroer and her towns; another city with its
villages, taken at the same time, and ever since inhabited by the Israelites,
even by the tribe of Gad, who rebuilt it; it lay near the river Arnon; see Numbers 32:34.
and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon; which lay
along by the side of that river, which divided Moab from the kingdom of the
Amorites; these Israel had dwelt in three hundred years; and during this time,
neither Balak king of Moab, nor any of his successors, had ever disputed
Israel's title to those cities, or commenced a war with them on account of
them; but they had continued in the peaceable enjoyment of them so long as
three hundred years; which are thus reckoned in the Jewish chronologyF26Seder
Olam Rabba, c. 12. Vid. Jarchium & Kimchium in loc. ; Joshua governed
Israel twenty eight years, Othniel forty, Ehud eighty, Deborah forty, Gideon
forty, Abimelech three, Tola twenty three, Jair twenty two, and eighteen years
Israel was oppressed by the children of Ammon, which with the six years of
Jephthah make just three hundred; so that, according to this computation, there
were six years short of it; but being so near, the round number is given:
why therefore did ye not recover them within that time? signifying
they ought to have put in their claim sooner, and endeavoured to have recovered
them long before this time, if they had any right unto them; wherefore Jephthah
pleads prescription, and which in a course of time ought to take place; or
otherwise the world would be full of endless contentions and controversies, and
kingdoms and states would never be at peace, nor each one know and enjoy for
certainty its proper domains.
Judges 11:27 27 Therefore I have not
sinned against you, but you wronged me by fighting against me. May the Lord, the Judge,
render judgment this day between the children of Israel and the people of
Ammon.’”
YLT
27And I -- I have not sinned
against thee, and thou art doing with me evil -- to fight against me. Jehovah,
the Judge, doth judge to-day between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon.'
Wherefore I have not sinned against thee,.... Had done
him no injury, not wronged him of anything, nor had taken away any part of his
country from him; this Jephthah said in the name of all Israel, of whom he was
governor:
but thou doest me wrong to war against me; meaning that
he had no just cause to commence a war against Israel, but acted an injurious
part; and seeing things could not be adjusted in an amicable way, but must be
decided by the sword, he leaves the affair with the Lord, and appeals to him:
the Lord the Judge; the Judge of the whole earth, the
omniscient God, that knows all things, the right and wrong of every cause, on
which side truth and justice lie:
be Judge this day between the children of Israel and the children
of Ammon; not that he expected a decision of the controversy between them
would be made that precise and exact day; but that from henceforward the Lord
would appear, by giving success to that party which was in the right in this
contest.
Judges 11:28 28 However, the king of the
people of Ammon did not heed the words which Jephthah sent him.
YLT
28And the king of the
Bene-Ammon hath not hearkened unto the words of Jephthah which he sent unto
him,
Howbeit, the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the
words of Jephthah which he sent him. He attended not to the
arguments Jephthah made use of, and did not choose to seem at least to be
convinced by them, nor to regard the awful appeal he had made to the great
Jehovah.
Judges 11:29 29 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon
Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and passed through Mizpah
of Gilead; and from Mizpah of Gilead he advanced toward the people of
Ammon.
YLT
29and the Spirit of Jehovah
is on Jephthah, and he passeth over Gilead and Manasseh, and passeth over
Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he hath passed over to the
Bene-Ammon.
Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah,.... The
spirit of strength, as the Targum; of fortitude of mind, of uncommon valour and
courage, and of zeal for God and Israel, and against their enemies; such a
spirit as used to be given to men, when they were in an extraordinary manner
raised up by the Lord, to be judges, saviours, and deliverers of his people; so
that as Jephthah was before chosen by the people to be the general and head of
the tribes beyond Jordan, he was raised up and qualified by the Lord now to be
the judge of all Israel; of which the Spirit of the Lord coming on him was a
sufficient proof and evidence:
and he passed over Gilead and Manasseh; the countries
that belonged to Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh; however, all that
part of it which lay from the place where he was, to the land of the children
of Ammon:
and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead; which lay to the north
of the land of Gilead, or tribe of Gad:
and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over to the children of Ammon; did not stay
for them, to bring on the war in the land of Gilead, but prevented it by carrying
it into the land of the children of Ammon. It seems by this, that though the
children of Ammon had encamped in Gilead some time before, Judges 10:17, yet
for some reason or another they had decamped, and had retired into their own
country; but yet threatening Israel with a war, and preparing for it.
Judges 11:30 30 And Jephthah made a vow to
the Lord,
and said, “If You will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands,
YLT
30And Jephthah voweth a vow
to Jehovah, and saith, `If Thou dost at all give the Bene-Ammon into my hand –
And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord,.... Before he
set out for the land of the children of Ammon, and to fight with them; hoping
that such a religious disposition of mind would be regarded by the Lord, and be
acceptable to him, and he should be blessed with success in his enterprise:
and said, if thou shall without fail deliver the children of Ammon
into mine hands; though he was assured of the justness of his cause, and of his
call to engage in it, he seems to have some little diffidence in his mind about
the success of it; at least, was not fully certain of it.
Judges 11:31 31 then it will be that
whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace
from the people of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord’s, and I will
offer it up as a burnt offering.”
YLT
31then it hath been, that
which at all cometh out from the doors of my house to meet me in my turning
back in peace from the Bene-Ammon -- it hath been to Jehovah, or I have offered
up for it -- a burnt-offering.'
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, or servant, or any
other of mankind; for none else could come forth with a design to meet him: but
if this is to be understood eventually, of what might meet him, though not with
design, then any other creature may be intended; and it must be meant what came
forth first, as the Vulgate Latin version expresses it, or otherwise many might
come forth at such a time:
when I return in peace from the children of Ammon: safe in his
own person, and having conquered the Ammonites, and restored peace to Israel:
shall surely be the Lord's; be devoted to him, and
made use of, or the price of it, with which it is redeemed, in his service: and
I will offer it for a burnt offering; that is, if it is what according to the
law may be offered up, as an ox, sheep, ram, or lamb; some read the words
disjunctively, "or I will offer it", &c. it shall either be
devoted to the Lord in the manner that persons or things, according to the law,
are directed to be; or it shall be offered up for a burnt offering, if fit and
proper for the service; so Joseph and David Kimchi, Ben Melech, and Abarbinel,
with others, interpret it; but such a disjunction is objected to as improper
and ridiculous, to distinguish two sentences, when the one is more general, and
the other more special.
Judges 11:32 32 So Jephthah advanced
toward the people of Ammon to fight against them, and the Lord delivered them
into his hands.
YLT
32And Jephthah passeth over
unto the Bene-Ammon to fight against them, and Jehovah giveth them into his
hand,
So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon, to fight
against them,.... As in Judges 11:29, after
he had made the above vow:
and the Lord delivered them into his hands; when both
armies met and engaged, victory was on the side of Jephthah; the Lord being
with him, and giving him success, to where all is justly ascribed.
Judges 11:33 33 And he defeated them from
Aroer as far as Minnith—twenty cities—and to Abel Keramim,[a] with a
very great slaughter. Thus the people of Ammon were subdued before the children
of Israel.
YLT
33and he smiteth them from
Aroer, and unto thy going in to Minnith, twenty cities, and unto the meadow of
the vineyards -- a very great smiting; and the Bene-Ammon are humbled at the
presence of the sons of Israel.
And he smote them from Aroer,.... A city which lay
near the river Arnon, on the borders of Moab, Deuteronomy 3:12.
even till thou come to Minnith; which seems to have been
a place famous for wheat, Ezekiel 27:17 so
David de PomisF1Tzemach David, fol. 81. 3. says it was a place where
the best wheat grew. Jerom saysF2De loc. Heb. fol. 93. E. in his
time was shown a village called Mannith, four miles from Esbus (or Heshbon), as
you go to Philadelphia. JosephusF3Antiqu. l. 5. c. 7. sect. 10.
calls it Maniathe, and it is thought by some to be the Anitha of PtolemyF4Geograph.
l. 5. c. 17. , which he places in Arabia Petraea even "twenty
cities"; which he pursued them through and took:
and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter; or, Abel
Ceramim. Jerom saysF5De loc. Heb. fol. 88. K. in his time was seen a
village called Abela, planted with vineyards, seven miles from Philadelphia:
thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of
Israel; so that they were not able to oppress them any more.
Judges 11:34 34 When Jephthah came to his
house at Mizpah, there was his daughter, coming out to meet him with timbrels
and dancing; and she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son
nor daughter.
YLT
34And Jephthah cometh into
Mizpeh, unto his house, and lo, his daughter is coming out to meet him with
timbrels, and with choruses, and save her alone, he hath none, son or daughter.
And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house,.... Where he
had uttered his words before the Lord, which had passed between him and the
elders of Gilead, and from whence he set out to fight the children of Ammon,
and whither he returned after he had got the victory over them, Judges 11:11 and
where it seems he had a house, and his family dwelt; for upon his being fetched
from the land of Tab, he brought what family he had with him, and settled them
at Mizpeh, while he went on the expedition against the children of Ammon:
and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him, with timbrels, and
with dances; accompanied with young women, having timbrels in their hands,
and playing upon them, and dancing as they came along; expressing their joy at,
and congratulating him upon, the victory he had obtained over the children of
Ammon:
and she was his only child: and so dear unto him,
and upon whom all his hopes and expectations of a posterity from him depended:
besides her he had neither son nor daughter: some read it,
"of her"F6ממנה Targum apud
Kimchi. Vid. Masoram in loc. "ex ea", so some in Vatablus. ; that is,
she had neither son nor daughter; and so by this vow, be it understood in which
way it may be, if fulfilled, she must die without any issue; though the phrase
in the Hebrew text is, "of himself"F7ממנו
"ex se", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius; so Noldius, p.
614. No. 1641. ; he had none, though his wife whom he married might have sons
and daughters by an husband she had before him, and so these were brought up in
Jephthah's house as his children; yet they were not begotten by him, they were
not of his body, not his own children; he had none but this daughter, which
made the trial the more grievous to him; her name, according to Philo, was
Seila.
Judges 11:35 35 And it came to pass, when
he saw her, that he tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have
brought me very low! You are among those who trouble me! For I have given my
word to the Lord,
and I cannot go back on it.”
YLT
35And it cometh to pass, when
he seeth her, that he rendeth his garments, and saith, `Alas, my daughter, thou
hast caused me greatly to bend, and thou hast been among those troubling me;
and I -- I have opened my mouth unto Jehovah, and I am not able to turn back.'
And it came to pass, when he saw her,.... She being
the first person that presented to his view, as she was at the head of the
virgins with their timbrels and dances:
that he rent his clothes; as was the usual manner,
when anything calamitous and distressing happened; see Genesis 37:34.
and said, alas, my daughter, thou hast brought me very low; damped his
spirits, sunk him very low, so that he was ready to drop into the earth, as we
say; he that was now returning in triumph, amidst the acclamations of the
people, in the height of his glory, and extolled to the skies, and perhaps
elated in his own mind; on a sudden, at the sight of his daughter, was so
depressed in his spirits, that he could not bear up; but was ready to sink and
die away, all his honour being as it were laid in the dust, and nothing to him:
and thou art one of them that trouble me: or among his
troublers, and the greatest he ever met with; he had been in trouble from his
brethren, when they drove him from his father's house, and he had had trouble
with the children of Ammon to subdue them; but this was the greatest trouble of
all, that his daughter should be the first that should meet him; of whom,
according to his vow, he was to be deprived, and so all his future comforts,
hopes, and expectations from her gone; and therefore ranks her among, and at
the head of, his troublers:
for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord; in a vow; not
only had purposed it in his heart, but had expressed it with his lips:
and I cannot go back; or retract it; looking
upon himself under an indispensable obligation to perform it; of which, be it
as it may, he seems to have had mistaken notions and apprehensions; for if his
vow was to sacrifice her, as some think, he was not obliged to do it, since it
was contrary to the law of God, and abominable in his sight; and besides, what
was vowed to be the Lord's, or devoted to him, might be redeemed according to
the law, a female for thirty pieces of silver, Leviticus 27:2 and
if the vow was to separate his daughter from the company of men, and oblige her
never to marry, such a power as this parents had not allowed them over their
children, according to the laws of God or of men, in the Jewish nation; and
therefore, be it which it will, what he had to do was to repent of this rash
vow, and humble himself before God for making it, and not add sin to sin by
performing it.
Judges 11:36 36 So she said to him, “My
father, if you have given your word to the Lord, do to me
according to what has gone out of your mouth, because the Lord has avenged
you of your enemies, the people of Ammon.”
YLT
36And she saith unto him, `My
father -- thou hast opened thy mouth unto Jehovah, do to me as it hath gone out
from thy mouth, after that Jehovah hath done for thee vengeance on thine
enemies, on the Bene-Ammon.'
And she said unto him, my father, if thou hast opened thy
mouth unto the Lord,.... The conditional word "if" may be left out, as it
is not in the original text; for her father had told her that he had opened his
mouth, or made a vow to the Lord, and had no doubt explained it to her what it
was, though it is not expressed; she knew it respected her, as it had issued,
and was concerning her, as appears by her later request:
do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; which is a
remarkable instance of filial subjection and obedience to a parent, and which
perhaps was strengthened by a like mistaken notion as that of her father
concerning the vow, that it could not be dispensed with; and therefore was
moved under a sense of religion, as well as filial duty, to express herself in
this manner, as well as by what follows:
forasmuch as the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine
enemies, even of the children of Ammon: such was her public
spirit, and the grateful sense she had of the divine goodness, in giving
victory over Israel's enemies, and delivering them from them, with vengeance on
them, she cared not what was done to her; yea, desired that what was vowed
might be performed.
Judges 11:37 37 Then she said to her
father, “Let this thing be done for me: let me alone for two months, that I may
go and wander on the mountains and bewail my virginity, my friends and I.”
YLT
37And she saith unto her
father, `Let this thing be done to me; desist from me two months, and I go on,
and have gone down on the hills, and I weep for my virginity -- I and my
friends.'
And she said unto her father, let this thing be done for me,.... She had
but one favour to ask of him, which she thought might be granted, without any
breach of the vow:
let me alone two months she desired such a space
of time might be allowed her before the vow took place; and the rather she
might be encouraged to expect that her request would be granted, since no time
was fixed by the vow for the accomplishment of it, and since the time she asked
was not very long, and the end to be answered not unreasonable
that I may go up and down upon the mountains; or,
"ascend upon the mountains"F8וירדתי
על ההרים "et descendam
super montes", Pagninus, Montanus; "descendamque ad montes",
Tigurine version. ; Jepthah's house in Mizpeh being higher than the mountains;
or there might be, as Kimchi and Ben Melech note, a valley between that and the
mountains, to which she descended in order to go up to the mountains; see Judges 9:25 these
she chose to make her abode, and take her walks in, during the time she asked,
as being most fit for retirement and solitude; where she might give up herself
to meditation and prayer, and conversation with her fellow virgins she would
take with her, and so be wrought up to a greater degree of resignation and
submission to her father's will, and to the will of God in it, as she might
suppose:
and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows; the virgins
her companions; this she proposed to be the subject that she and her associates
would dwell upon, during this time of solitude; and the rather, as this may be
thought to be the thing contained in the vow, that as she was a virgin, so she
should continue; by which means she would not be the happy instrument of
increasing the number of the children of Israel, nor of being the progenitor of
the Messiah; upon which accounts it was reckoned in those times to be very
grievous and reproachful to live and die without issue, and so matter of
lamentation and weeping.
Judges 11:38 38 So he said, “Go.” And he
sent her away for two months; and she went with her friends, and
bewailed her virginity on the mountains.
YLT
38And he saith, `Go;' and he
sendeth her away two months, and she goeth, she and her friends, and she
weepeth for her virginity on the hills;
And he said, go,.... He granted her request at once:
and he sent her away for two months; as she desired:
and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon
the mountains; for the space of two months: the Jewish commentators make
mention of an allegorical exposition of a writerF9Tanchuma. of
theirs, who by mountains understands the sanhedrim, to whom she proposed to go,
who perhaps might find a way for the loosing of the vow; but it is a question
whether there was such a court then in Israel; and had there been one, and
either she or her father had applied to it, in this case the priests would have
pointed out what was to be done, and especially if the vow had any regard to
the sacrifice of his daughter; and even to her virginity, which he had no power
to oblige her to; but the literal sense is no doubt to be followed.
Judges 11:39 39 And it was so at the end
of two months that she returned to her father, and he carried out his vow with
her which he had vowed. She knew no man. And it became a custom in Israel
YLT
39and it cometh to pass at
the end of two months that she turneth back unto her father, and he doth to her
his vow which he hath vowed, and she knew not a man; and it is a statute in
Israel:
And it came to pass at the end of two months she returned to her
father,.... For the request she made was not a pretence to make her
escape out of his hands; but having done what she proposed to do, and the time
fixed for it being come, she returned to her father's house, and delivered
herself to him:
who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: but what he
did is a question, and which is not easily resolved; some think he really
sacrificed her, through a mistaken sense of Leviticus 27:29 and
which his action are accounted for through his living a military life, and in a
distant part of the country, and at a time when idolatry had greatly prevailed
in Israel, and to such a degree as it had not before, and no doubt that branch
of it, sacrificing children to Molech; and Jephthah might think that though
that was sinful, yet such a sacrifice might be acceptable to the Lord; and
especially since his vow, as he thought, bound him to it; and how far the
instance of Abraham offering up his son Isaac might encourage him to it, cannot
be said: of this mind were JosephusF11Antiqu l. 5. c. 7. sect. 10. ,
Jonathan Ben Uzziah the Targumist, and some other Jewish writersF12Bereshit
Rabba, sect. 60, fol. 52. 3. Vajikra Rabba, sect. 37. fol. 176. 4. ; and many
of the ancient Christian fathers, and many modern authors of every name among
Christians; and it has been thought that the story of Iphigenia, who CapellusF13De
Voto Jephthae, sect. 12. thinks is the same with Jepthigenia, that is, the
daughter of Jephthah, and was slain by her father Agamemnon, having several
circumstances in it similar to this, is taken from hence: and there is much
such a case as this relatedF14Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 3. c.
22. Servius in Virgil. Aeneid. l. 3. col. 693. in l. 11. col. 1634. of
Idomeneus, a king of the Cretians, who upon his return after the destruction of
Troy, being in a tempest, vowed, should he be saved, that he would sacrifice
the first he met with to the gods; and as it was his son he first met with, he
sacrificed him; or, as others say, would have done it, but was prevented by the
citizens, and who on this account drove him from his kingdom. But others are of
opinion that what Jephthah did according to his vow was, that he shut up his
daughter, and separated her from the company of men, and obliged her to live
unmarried all her days, and therefore she is said to bewail her virginity.
Kimchi and Ben Melech say, he built a house for her without the city, where she
dwelt alone, and knew no man; and where her father supported her, and obliged
her to live all her days; and Abarbinel thinks, that the Romanists from hence
learnt to build their cloisters to put their nuns in; and so Ben Gersom interprets
this vow of her being separated from men, and devoted to the service of God;
and which is the sense of many Christian interpreters. Now though Jephthah had
no such power over his daughter, as to oblige her to perpetual virginity, nor
did his vow bind him to it; for persons devoted to the Lord were not obliged to
abstain from marriage, nor have we any instances of a monastic life in those
times, nor among the Jews at any time; yet as he did something not right, which
he thought his vow obliged him to, one would be rather tempted to think, in
charity to him, that of the two evils he did the least; for if she was put to
death, it must be done either by the magistrates, or by the priests, or by
Jephthah himself; neither of which is probable:
and she knew no man; never married, but lived
and died a virgin: "and it was a custom in Israel"; the Targum
adds,"that a man might not offer his son or his daughter for a burnt
offering, as Jephthah the Gileadite did, and did not consult Phinehas the
priest; for had he consulted Phinehas the priest, he would have redeemed her
with a price;'so Jarchi, according to Leviticus 27:4 but
each stood upon their honour, as the Jews sayF15; Jephthah being a
king would not go to Phinehas, and Phinehas being an high priest; and the son
of an high priest, would not go to a plebeian; and so, between them both, the
maiden was lost: but the custom refers to what follows.
Judges 11:40 40 that
the daughters of Israel went four days each year to lament the daughter of
Jephthah the Gileadite.
YLT
40from time to time the
daughters of Israel go to talk to the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite, four
days in a year.
That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of
Jephthah the Gileadite,.... Either the death of her, as some, or her virginity, as
others; though the wordF16לתנות "ad
alloquendum", Pagninus, Montanus; "ut dissererent", Tigurine
version; "ut colloquerentur", Vatablus; "ad confabulandum",
Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. used may signify to talk and discourse with
her, to hold a confabulation with her, and comfort her, as Kimchi and Ben
Melech interpret it; to bring her some news, and tell her some diverting
stories, to cheer and refresh her in her solitude. De Dieu observes, that the
word signifies in the Arabic language to "praise", or speak in commendation
of a person or thing; and indeed in this sense it seems to be used in this
book, Judges 5:11,
"they shall rehearse", that is, with praise and thanksgiving,
"the righteous acts of the Lord"; and so the daughters of Israel went
every year to the place where the daughter of Jephthah was, to speak in the
praise of her, of her heroism, in so cheerfully submitting to her father's vow,
and expressing such gratitude and joy at the same time for victory over the
enemies of Israel; and this they did in her presence and while she lived, to
keep up her spirits; or it may be, in some public place, and even after her
death, in memory of her, and to celebrate her praise. Epiphanius saysF17Contr.
Haeres. l. 2. Haeres. 55. , that in his time, at Sebaste, formerly called
Samaria, they deified the daughter of Jephthah, and kept a feast for her every
year. The meeting of the daughters of Israel, so long as the custom lasted,
which perhaps was only during the life of Jephthah's daughter, was four days in
a year; but whether they were four days running, or once in a quarter of a
year, is not certain; the latter seems most probable.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)