Jephthah the Ninth Judge

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Judges 10:1) And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in Mount Ephraim.

In the last chapter and post, Abimelech, the son of Gideon's concubine, set himself up as a king in Israel, but after three years, he was killed.  After his death, God raised up Tola, son of Puah, grandson of Dodo, to defend and deliver Israel.  He was from the tribe of Issachar, but as judge, he dwelt in Shamir in Mount Ephraim.

(2) And he judged Israel twenty-three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.

Tola was judge of Israel for twenty-three years, and it can be assumed that the land was at rest during this time.  He eventually died and was buried in Shamir.

(3) And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and he judged Israel twenty-two years.

After Tola died, God raised up Jair from the land of Gilead on the east side of the Jordan River.  He judged Israel for twenty-two years.  It is reasonable to assume that the land was at rest during this time, as well.

(4) And he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkey colts, and they had thirty cities which are called Havoth Jair to this day, which are in the land of Gilead.

Jair had thirty sons who probably rode on white donkeys (Judges 5:10), acting as circuit judges.  It appears that Jair gave each of his sons a city in the land of Gilead, and the thirty cities were called Havoth Jair, meaning the villages of Jair.

(5) And Jair died and was buried in Camon.

After twenty-two years as judge, Jair died and was buried in Camon, a city in Gilead.

(6) And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord and served Baalim and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Sidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the Lord and did not serve Him.

After Jair died, the children of Israel once again turned to evil ways and served a multitude of false gods, forsaking their Lord God and not serving Him.

(7) And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the children of Ammon.

The anger of the Lord grew hot against Israel, and He delivered them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites.

(8) And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel, eighteen years, all the children of Israel who were on the other side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.

That year the Philistines and the Ammonites began oppressing the Israelites for the next eighteen years.  Or perhaps what is meant is that by that present time, the Philistines and the Ammonites had been oppressing the Israelites for eighteen years.  It appears that the Israelites who were oppressed were the ones living on the east side of the Jordan River, the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh.

(9) Moreover, the children of Ammon passed over the Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was sorely distressed.

The Ammonites also crossed over to the west side of the Jordan River to fight against the Israelites in the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim.  All of Israel became severely distressed.

(10) And the children of Israel cried to the Lord, saying, "We have sinned against You, both because we have forsaken our God and also served Baalim."

The Israelites then cried out to the Lord, acknowledging that they had sinned against Him, in forsaking the worship of Him and going to serve the Baals.

(11) And the Lord said to the children of Israel, "Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines? (12) The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, oppressed you, and you cried to Me, and I delivered you out of their hand."

The Lord reminded the children of Israel how many times He had delivered them from their enemies.  Every time they cried out to Him, He delivered them from the hands of their enemies.

(13) "Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods; therefore I will deliver you no more."

After all the many times the Lord had delivered them from their enemies, they still forsook Him and served multiple false gods.  Therefore, He determined not to deliver them from their enemies anymore.  What a scary thought!  To never again have salvation from the Lord God!

(14) "Go and cry to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation."

God fittingly told them to go cry to the gods they had chosen.  Perhaps it would be a more well-remembered lesson if they saw that their feeble false gods could not deliver them from their tribulation.

(15) And the children of Israel said to the Lord, "We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to You; only deliver us, we pray, this day."

The Israelites acknowledged their sins before God and asked that He inflict on them whatever punishment He thought appropriate, but to please deliver them from their enemies.

(16) And they put away the strange gods from among them and served the Lord, and His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.

In addition, the Israelites immediately put away all their false gods and began serving only their Lord God.  The Lord, seeing their true repentance, looked upon His people with love and mercy.

(17) Then the children of Ammon were gathered together and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together and encamped in Mizpeh.

Then the Ammonites gathered together and camped in Gilead on the eastern side of the Jordan River.  The Israelites gathered together and camped in Mizpeh, which appears to be a place on the eastern side of the Jordan.  Albert Barnes, in his Notes on the Bible, wrote that it was usually written as "The Mizpeh" and it meant "watch tower" or "lookout" and was located on Mount Gilead.

(18) And the people, princes of Gilead, said to one another, "What man who will begin to fight against the children of Ammon, he shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead."

The leaders of the Israelites in Gilead had assembled together but did not have a commander.  They decided among themselves that whatever man would set out to fight against the Ammonites, he would naturally become their head leader or commander.

(Judges 11:1) Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, and he was the son of a harlot, and Gilead begat Jephthah.

There was a man named Jephthah who was a Gileadite from the line of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh.  It seems Jephthah's father was also named Gilead, and Jephthah was the son of that Gilead and a harlot.  He was apparently known as a mighty man of valor. 

(2) And Gilead's wife bore him sons, and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah and said to him, "You shall not inherit in our father's house for you are the son of a strange woman."

Gilead's wife had borne him sons and when they grew up, they kicked Jephthah out of their father's house and said that he would never inherit anything of their father's because he was the son of someone other than their mother, Gilead's wife.

(3) Then Jephthah fled from his brethren and dwelt in the land of Tob, and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah and went out with him.

Jephthah fled from his brothers and dwelt in a place called Tob or perhaps it was a land belonging to a man called Tob.  There men gathered themselves to Jephthah and went around with him.  They are called vain men, the original word being "rake" meaning empty or worthless.  I don't know that they were worthless in the sense they were bad men, but they were probably poor men with no real purpose in life.

(4) And it came to pass in process of time that the children of Ammon made war against Israel.  

It was during this time that the Ammonites made war against the Israelites.

(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. (6) And they said to Jephthah, "Come and be our captain that we may fight with the children of Ammon."

When the Ammonites had made war with Israel, the elders of Gilead went to Jephthah in the land of Tob and asked him to go back with them to be captain over them and fight against the Ammonites.

(7) And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "Did you not hate me and expel me out of my father's house? And why are you come to me now when you are in distress?"

Jephthah asked the elders why they now wanted him back in their time of distress when they had once hated him and expelled him out of his father's house.

(8) And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "Therefore we turn again to you now that you may go with us and fight against the children of Ammon and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead."

They were in agreement that they had acted that way against him, but they now came to him with full confidence and asked that he lead them against the Ammonites and actually be the head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

(9) And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the Lord delivers them before me, shall I be your head?"

Jephthah asked the elders that if they brought him back home to fight against the Ammonites and the Lord indeed delivered them into his hand, would they make him head over them, meaning not just captain of their army, but chief ruler over them.

(10) And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "The Lord be witness between us if we do not so according to your words."

The elders of Gilead agreed that Jephthah would indeed be their ruler, and the Lord was their witness that they had agreed to do what he had said.

(11) Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them, and Jephthah uttered all his words before the Lord in Mizpeh.

Jephthah went back with the elders of Gilead where the people made him head and captain over them.  It appears that Jephthah confirmed his plans to the Lord in prayer to be sure he was acting within the will of the Lord.

(12) And Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, saying, "What have you to do with me that you are come against me to fight in my land?"

Jephthah then sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites and speaking as Israel's ruler, asked why they were invading his land and making war against his people.

(13) And the king of the children of Ammon answered to the messengers of Jephthah, "Because Israel took away my land when they came up out of Egypt from Arnon even to Jabbok and to Jordan; now therefore restore those again peaceably."

The king of Ammon sent a message back that he sought to fight against Israel because they had taken his land from the River Arnon to the Jabbok River to the Jordan River from him when they came from Egypt.  This map borrowed from Bible History shows the rivers in Old Testament Israel, and the Ammonite king's land is clearly visible by the above description:

The king told Jephthah to restore his lands peaceably.

(14) And Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the children of Ammon, (15) And said to him, "Thus says Jephthah, 'Israel did not take away the land of Moab nor the land of the children of Ammon, (16) But when Israel came up from Egypt and walked through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh, (17) Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, "Let me, I pray you, pass through your land," but the king of Edom would not hearken. And in like manner, they sent to the king of Moab, but he would not, and Israel abode in Kadesh.'"

Jephthah sent messengers back to the king of Ammon telling him that Israel had not taken away the land of Moab or the land of Ammon.  He explained how Israel had come from Egypt and in order to get to the land of Canaan, they sent messengers to the king of Edom asking permission to cross through the land of Edom (Numbers 20:17), but the king had refused them passage.  Likewise, the king of Moab would not allow them passage (Deuteronomy 2:30).  Therefore the children of Israel abode in Kadesh and did not attempt to force their way through either country.

(18) "'Then they went along through the wilderness and compassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab and came by the east side of the land of Moab and pitched on the other side of Arnon but did not come within the border of Moab for Arnon was the border of Moab.'"

Jephthah's messengers continued with the words of Jephthah explaining how the Israelites then went around Edom and Moab and camped on the east side of Moab on the other side of their border at the Arnon River (Numbers 21:13).

(19) "'And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon, and Israel said to him, "Let us pass, we pray you, through your land into our place." (20) But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his coast, but Sihon gathered all his people together and pitched in Jahaz and fought against Israel.'"

Israel had then sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, in Heshbon, the royal city, and asked that they be allowed to pass through his land to get to their land in Canaan.  However, Sihon refused, and then gathered his people to fight against Israel (Numbers 21:23).

(21) "'And the Lord God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they killed him, so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.'"

It was Sihon who instigated war against Israel, and the Lord delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of the Israelites so that being victors in the war, they lawfully possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country at that time.

(22) "'And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even to Jabbok and from the wilderness even to Jordan.'"

Therefore the Israelites possessed all the land of the Amorites from the Jabbok to the Arnon River, north to south, and from the Arabian wilderness to the Jordan River, east to west.

(23) "'So now the Lord God of Israel has dispossessed the Amorites from before His people Israel, and should you possess it?'"

Jephthah summed up his words in his message to the king of Ammon, saying that since the Lord God of Israel had lawfully dispossessed the Amorites from their land and had given it to His people Israel, could he, the Ammonite king, really expect to possess it?

(24) "'Will you now possess that which Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whoever the Lord our God shall drive out from before us, them we will possess.'"

Jephthah's message went on to say that although the Ammonites believed that because they had been given that land by their false god Chemosh, and they had a divine right to the land and should never have to relinquish it, Jephthah's claim was that whomever their Lord God of Israel drove out from before them was Israel's to rightfully possess.

(25) "'And now are you any better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them, (26) While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that are along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? Why therefore did you not recover them within that time?'"

Jephthah posed the question of whether this king of Ammon thought he was better and wiser than his predecessor Balak, the son of Zippor, who had been the king of Moab and the former possessor of the land that the Israelites took from Sihon.  Balak had never assumed claim or entered into any dispute or war over the land Israel had possessed and inhabited which they had now inhabited for almost 300 years.  Why had he not put in his claim sooner and tried to recover the land before this time?

(27) "'Therefore I have not sinned against you, but you do me wrong to war against me; the Lord the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.'"

Having explained the history of the disputed land, Jephthah pointed out that he and Israel had not sinned against the king of Ammon and his people, but the king was wrong in commencing a war with Israel when he had no just cause.  Therefore he called on the Lord God of Israel, the righteous Judge of all the earth, to be judge between Israel and the Ammonites and give victory to the party which was right.

(28) However, the king of the children of Ammon did not heed the words of Jephthah which he sent them.

However, the king of Ammon was not moved by the words of Jephthah which had been sent by messenger to him, nor did he regard the appeal Jephthah had made to the Lord God of the universe.

(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 to the children of Ammon.

The Spirit of the Lord came over Jephthah and led him to pass over Gilead and Manasseh, the countries that belonged to Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh.  He also passed over Mizpeh in Gilead where the Israelites had originally camped against the Ammonites in Gilead (Judges 10:17) and where Jephthah had been made head and captain over the Israelites (Judges 11:11).  From there Jephthah passed over to the children of Ammon under the influence of the Spirit of the Lord.

(30) And Jephthah vowed a vow to the Lord, and said, "If You shall without fail deliver the children of Ammon into my hands, (31) Then it shall be that whatever comes 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 offering."

Jephthah then vowed a vow to the Lord.  Although he had seemed assured of the justness of his cause, he appears to have had some doubt about his success, and he felt the need to make a tragic vow.  He vowed that if the Lord delivered the Ammonites into his hands, then he would offer up as a burnt offering to the Lord whatever came forth out of the door of his house to meet him when he returned from a victorious war with the Ammonites.  This seems to be a very rash, ill-considered vow, coming forth from a level of doubt or fear, as logically, what would come out of his house to meet him other than a loved one?  A dog, perhaps?  But unlikely.

(32) So Jephthah passed over to the children of Ammon to fight against them, and the Lord delivered them into his hands. (33) And he struck them from Aroer, even till you come to Minnith, twenty cities, and to the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

Of course, the Lord delivered the Ammonites into Jephthah's hand!  He was the one who led Jephthah to the Ammonites (verse 29).  He and his army struck the Ammonites all across their country, twenty cities and the plain, in a great slaughter, and the Ammonites were fully subdued before the Israelites.

(34) And Jephthah came to Mizpeh to his house, and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances, and she his only child; besides her, he had neither son nor daughter.

Of course, Jephthah's daughter would run out to meet her father!  What had Jephthah been thinking when he vowed his vow?  Perhaps he expected a servant whom he was willing to sacrifice.  Apparently, it was a custom for women to go out to meet returning conquerors with musical instruments, songs, and dances.  There would have been a group of women, so any one of them could have come out first.  But it was his daughter who came out first to meet him, dancing with tambourines.  She was his only child.

(35) And it came to pass, when he saw her, he tore his clothes, and said, "Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are one of them who troubles me, for I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot go back!"

When Jephthah saw it was his only daughter who came out to meet him first, he tore his clothes in a sign of grief and anguish.  He told his daughter how much it grieved and troubled him to see her because he had opened his mouth in a rash vow concerning her, and he could not go back on his word to the Lord.  Actually, in truth, I believe he could have.  Child sacrifice was never acceptable to the Lord.  Even when the Lord tested Abraham's faith by asking him to sacrifice his son, once Abraham had proved his faith in the Lord, the Lord provided another sacrifice.  It would have been a great sin for Jephthah to go back on his word to the Lord, but I believe it was equally great a sin for him to kill his daughter, a sacrifice God never wanted.  However, the Lord knows the heart of man, and I'm sure he judged Jephthah righteous because he put his Lord first.  But what a tragic loss of an innocent life!  I believe this incident was meant as a lesson for us about the consequences of impulsive vows.  Making a vow to the Lord is a very serious matter, and it should only be made after serious consideration.  Words carry great power and moral responsibility, most especially words to our Lord God.  Actually, Jesus said:

"...you have heard that it has been said by those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord your oaths,' but I say to you, 'Swear not at all neither by heaven for it is God's throne, nor by the earth for it is His footstool, neither by Jerusalem for it is the city of the great King...But let your communication be 'Yes' for yes, and 'No' for no, for whatever is more than these comes of evil." (Matthew 5:33-35,37)

Jesus said not to swear a vow at all because any more than "yes" or "no" came from evil, or the evil one, the devil, as he would have one swear a vow as Jephthah did so that an innocent life be destroyed, because his purposes are only to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10).

(36) And she said to him, "My father, you have opened your mouth to the Lord, do to me according to that which has proceeded out of your mouth, forasmuch as the Lord has taken vengeance for you of your enemies of the children of Ammon."

Jephthah's daughter, in remarkable submission and obedience to her father and great reverence for the Lord, agreed that her father must do as he had vowed to the Lord because the Lord had given him victory over the Ammonites as he had asked of Him.  She willingly consented to his vow.

(37) And she said to her father, "Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months that I may go up and down on the mountains and bewail my virginity, I and my companions."

She only asked that her father give her two months to mourn the fact that she would die unmarried and childless.  She wished for time to go up and down the mountains, probably first telling her friends she would pass on the way about her coming demise, and then perhaps they would accompany her as she bewailed her virginity.

(38) And he said, "Go." And he sent her away two months, and she went with her companions and bewailed her virginity on the mountains.

Jephthah granted his daughter's request and sent her away for two months.  She went with her companions and friends and bewailed on the mountains the fact that she would die a virgin, unmarried and childless.

(39) And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned to her father who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed, and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel, (40) The daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.

At the end of two months Jephthah's daughter returned to her father, and he did with her according to his vow, "and she knew no man."  Some Biblical scholars take this to mean Jephthah did not actually sacrifice his daughter, but gave her to the Lord or dedicated her to the Lord.  The verse did not state specifically that Jephthah offered her as a burnt sacrifice as was his vow (verse 31), but states that she was a virgin.  And Jephthah was listed as one of the heroes of faith in Hebrews (Hebrews 11:32).  However, because God did not approve of human sacrifice, I'm sure that act was not the object of his faith that made him one of the heroes of faith.  I believe he was listed for his faith because he did as the Lord directed him (verse 29) and delivered Israel, and it was despite his tragic vow.  The Lord would have delivered Israel, regardless.  However, as stated before, God knows the heart of man, and Jephthah's was purely toward his Lord and above his only daughter, if he did indeed sacrifice her.  Why wouldn't God have stopped Jephthah from sacrificing his daughter as he had stopped Abraham?  Well, the main reason is that God had told Abraham to sacrifice his son (Genesis 22:2).  He did no such thing in this case.  This was the sole doing of Jephthah.  If it seems cruel to allow an innocent young woman to be killed because of her father's rash vow, we must realize that if she was indeed innocent, then she was faithful in fulfilling her purpose in life, as providing an important everlasting lesson in the Bible, and she forever resides with Jesus.