Jephthah (Judges 10:6–18; Judges 11:1–3; Judges 11:5–11; Judges 11:12–28; Judges 11:29–33; Judges 11:34–40; Judges 12:1–6; Judges 12:7; 1 Samuel 12:11; Hebrews 11:32)

The Gileadite, Mighty Man of Valor

A Gileadite, a mighty man of valor and the son of a harlot, driven out by his father's other sons, brought back by the elders of Gilead to lead against Ammon, who answered the king of Ammon, vowed a vow to the LORD and did with his only daughter according to it, fought the men of Ephraim, and judged Israel six years.

The book of Judges introduces him in one verse: “Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, and he was the son of a harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah” (Judges 11:1). When Gilead's wife's sons grew up, they drove him out, saying, “Thou shalt not inherit in our father’s house; for thou art the son of another woman” (Judges 11:2). He dwelt in the land of Tob, where “there were gathered vain fellows to Jephthah, and they went out with him” (Judges 11:3). When the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch him, and the people “made him head and chief over them: and Jephthah spake all his words before Jehovah in Mizpah” (Judges 11:11).

He sent messengers to the king of Ammon and answered the king's claim to the land with an account of Israel's journey from Egypt past Edom, Moab and Sihon the king of the Amorites (Judges 11:12-27). “Then the Spirit of Jehovah came upon Jephthah” (Judges 11:29), and he vowed, “whatsoever cometh forth from the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, it shall be Jehovah’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt-offering” (Judges 11:31). The LORD delivered Ammon into his hand (Judges 11:32-33). His daughter, his only child, came out to meet him; at the end of two months she returned to her father, “who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew not man” (Judges 11:39). Then the men of Ephraim came against him, saying he had not called them to go with him; Jephthah gathered the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim, and at the fords of the Jordan there fell of Ephraim forty and two thousand (Judges 12:1-6).

“And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead” (Judges 12:7). Samuel later reminds Israel that “Jehovah sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side” (1 Samuel 12:11), and the letter to the Hebrews names him in its list: “the time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah” (Hebrews 11:32).

Strengths

• A mighty man of valor
• Speaking his words before the LORD
• Reasoning from Israel's history
• Putting his life in his hand

Themes

• Cast out and called back
• Israel's history recited
• A vow to the LORD
• His only child
• Strife with Ephraim

Ammon oppresses Israel (Judges 10:6–18)

Israel serves other gods and the LORD sells them to the Philistines and Ammon; they cry out, put away the foreign gods, and Ammon encamps in Gilead.

Driven out and fetched back (Judges 11:1–11)

Jephthah, the son of a harlot, is driven out by his father's other sons and dwells in Tob; when Ammon makes war, the elders of Gilead fetch him and the people make him head and chief.

Driven out and fetched back

“Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, and he was the son of a harlot” (Judges 11:1). Gilead's wife's sons “drove out Jepthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father’s house; for thou art the son of another woman” (Judges 11:2). “Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob” (Judges 11:3).

“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; and they said unto Jephthah, Come and be our chief, that we may fight with the children of Ammon” (Judges 11:5-6). He answered, “Did not ye hate me, and drive me out of my father’s house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?” (Judges 11:7).

The elders said, “Jehovah shall be witness between us; surely according to thy word so will we do” (Judges 11:10). “Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and chief over them: and Jephthah spake all his words before Jehovah in Mizpah” (Judges 11:11).

Messages to the king of Ammon (Judges 11:12–28)

Jephthah sends messengers to the king of Ammon, who claims the land, and answers with the story of Israel's way from Egypt past Edom, Moab and Sihon; the king hearkens not.

Messages to the king of Ammon

“And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come unto me to fight against my land?” (Judges 11:12). The king answered, “Because Israel took away my land, when he came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon even unto the Jabbok, and unto the Jordan” (Judges 11:13).

Jephthah sent again and recounted how Israel “went through the wilderness unto the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh” (Judges 11:16), sent messengers to the kings of Edom and Moab, who would not let them pass, and went around their lands (Judges 11:17-18). Of Sihon king of the Amorites he said, “Jehovah, the God of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them” (Judges 11:21). He asked, “art thou anything better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them?” (Judges 11:25).

“I therefore have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: Jehovah, the Judge, be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon. Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him” (Judges 11:27-28).

The Spirit comes, the vow, and the victory (Judges 11:29–33)

The Spirit of the LORD comes upon Jephthah; he vows that whatsoever comes forth from the doors of his house to meet him shall be the LORD's, to be offered up for a burnt-offering, and the LORD delivers Ammon into his hand.

His daughter comes out to meet him (Judges 11:34–40)

On his return to Mizpah his only child comes out with timbrels and dances; he rends his clothes, she asks two months on the mountains, and at the end of them he does with her according to his vow.

His daughter comes out to meet him

Jephthah had vowed: “whatsoever cometh forth from the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, it shall be Jehovah’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt-offering” (Judges 11:31). “And Jephthah came to Mizpah unto his house; and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; besides her he had neither son nor daughter” (Judges 11:34).

“And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me; for I have opened my mouth unto Jehovah, and I cannot go back” (Judges 11:35). She said, “My father, thou hast opened thy mouth unto Jehovah; do unto me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth, forasmuch as Jehovah hath taken vengeance for thee on thine enemies, even on the children of Ammon” (Judges 11:36), and asked, “let me alone two months, that I may depart and go down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions” (Judges 11:37). “And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she departed, she and her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains” (Judges 11:38).

“And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew not man. And it was a custom in Israel, that the daughters of Israel went yearly to celebrate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year” (Judges 11:39-40). The text does not give her name.

The quarrel with Ephraim (Judges 12:1–6)

The men of Ephraim threaten to burn his house because he did not call them; Jephthah answers them, gathers the men of Gilead and fights with Ephraim, and forty and two thousand of Ephraim fall at the fords of the Jordan.

The quarrel with Ephraim

The men of Ephraim said to Jephthah, “Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thy house upon thee with fire” (Judges 12:1). He answered, “when I called you, ye saved me not out of their hand. And when I saw that ye saved me not, I put my life in my hand, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and Jehovah delivered them into my hand” (Judges 12:2-3).

“Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim; and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye are fugitives of Ephraim, ye Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraim, and in the midst of Manasseh” (Judges 12:4).

“And the Gileadites took the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. And it was so, that, when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, Let me go over, the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay; then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth; and he said Sibboleth; for he could not frame to pronounce it right: then they laid hold on him, and slew him at the fords of the Jordan. And there fell at that time of Ephraim forty and two thousand” (Judges 12:5-6).

Judges Israel six years (Judges 12:7)

Jephthah judges Israel six years, dies, and is buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

Gilead (Judges 11:1–2)

Gilead begat Jephthah, the son of a harlot; Gilead's wife bare him sons.

Gilead's sons (Judges 11:2–3)

They drove him out of their father's house, and he fled from his brethren.

The elders of Gilead (Judges 11:5–11)

They went to fetch him from Tob, and he went with them when they agreed he should be their head.

His daughter (Judges 11:34–40)

His only child, who came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances; he did with her according to his vow.

The king of Ammon (Judges 11:12–28)

He claimed the land and hearkened not to the words Jephthah sent him.

The men of Ephraim (Judges 12:1–6)

They threatened to burn his house upon him; he gathered the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim.

The LORD (Judges 11:11; Judges 11:29–32)

Before whom Jephthah spoke his words, to whom he vowed a vow, and who delivered Ammon into his hand.

Major sections

• Judges 10:6–18
• Judges 11:1–11
• Judges 11:12–28
• Judges 11:29–40
• Judges 12:1–7

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