Judges 11

1 Now Jephthah [a mighty warrior, strong fighter] the Gileadite [from the region of Gilead, a descendant of Manasseh] was a mighty man [a strong or valiant man, champion] of valor [strength, might, or power]; he was the son [a male child, descendant] of a prostitute [a harlot, unfaithful woman, one who fornicates], and Gilead [the father, a mountainous region east of the Jordan River] was his father. word study 2 And Gilead’s wife [the woman, female partner] bore him sons [descendants, male children] who grew up [matured, became adults], drove Jephthah [the son of a different mother] out, and said to him, “You shall have no inheritance [possession, heritage] in our father’s [paternal, ancestral] house, because you are the son [offspring, child] of another [different, separate] woman [female, mother].” word study 3 So Jephthah [fled in fear, escaped] fled from his brothers [male siblings, relatives] and settled [dwelt, lived] in the land [region, territory] of Tob [a place east of the Jordan River], where worthless [vain, good-for-nothing] men [individuals, people] gathered [assembled, came together] around him and traveled [went out, accompanied] with him. word study 4 Some time later [after a while, in process of time], when the Ammonites [children of Ammon, descendants of Lot] fought [made war, battled] against Israel [Jacob’s descendants, God’s chosen people] word study 5 and made war [fought against, battled] with them, the elders [old, elderly, respected leaders] of Gilead went to get [fetch, bring back] Jephthah [a judge of Israel, a deliverer] from the land [region, territory] of Tob [a place east of the Jordan River]. word study 6 “Come [to be with us, to lead us],” they said, “be our [chief, captain] commander [leader, ruler], so that we can [engage in battle] fight [wage war, contend with] against the Ammonites [the sons of Ammon, a nation descended from Lot].” word study 7 Jephthah replied to the elders [old, experienced leaders] of Gilead, “Did you not hate [intensely dislike] me and expel [drive out, force away] me from my father’s [paternal, ancestral] house? Why then [for what reason, on what grounds] have you come to me now [at this time, in this situation], when you are in distress [trouble, narrow circumstances, affliction]?” word study 8 They answered Jephthah, “This is why [for this reason, therefore] we now [at this time, currently] turn to you, that you may go [walk, journey] with us, fight [wage war, engage in battle] the Ammonites [sons of Ammon, descendants of Lot], and become [be established as, serve as] leader [head, chief] over all of us who live [dwell, reside] in Gilead [the rocky region, mountainous area].” word study 9 But Jephthah asked them, “If you take me back [to restore my position, to reinstate me] to fight [to engage in battle, to wage war] the Ammonites [the descendants of Lot, a neighboring nation] and the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] gives them to me, will I really [truly, actually] be your leader [head, chief, ruler]?” word study 10 And the elders [responsible men, leaders] of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] is our witness [to testify, to confirm] if we do not do [to make, to act] as you say [according to your word, thus].” word study 11 So Jephthah [the Israelite judge] went with the elders [old, experienced leaders] of Gilead [a mountainous region, rocky region], and the people made him their leader [head, chief] and commander [captain, ruler]. And Jephthah repeated [spoke, uttered] all his terms [words, promises] in the presence [face, before] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] at Mizpah [a place of watch, a watchtower]. word study 12 Then Jephthah [a judge of Israel, a leader] sent messengers [representatives, ambassadors] to the king [ruler, monarch] of the Ammonites [descendants of Lot, a neighboring nation], saying, “What [for what reason, why] do you have against me [a grievance, a complaint] that you have come [approached, invaded] to fight [to battle, to war] against my land [my territory, my country]?” word study 13 The king [ruler, sovereign] of the Ammonites answered Jephthah’s messengers, “When Israel [God’s chosen people] came up out of Egypt [the land of the Egyptians], they seized [took possession of, conquered] my land [territory, inheritance], from the Arnon [a river east of the Jordan] to the Jabbok [a river where Jacob wrestled with God] and all the way to the Jordan [the river running from Lebanon to the Dead Sea]. Now, therefore, restore [return, give back] it peaceably [in a state of shalom, with completeness and wellness].” word study 14 Jephthah [the Israelite judge] again [still, once more] sent [dispatched, commissioned] messengers [representatives] to [toward, in the direction of] the king [ruler, monarch] of [belonging to, related to] the Ammonites [descendants of Ammon, a son of Lot] word study 15 to tell him, “This is what Jephthah [the Israelite judge] says: Israel [the descendants of Jacob] did not take away [seize, capture] the land [territory, region] of Moab [the land of the Moabites, descendants of Lot] or of the Ammonites [the people of Ammon, descendants of Lot]. word study 16 But when Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] came up [ascended, went up] out of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa], they traveled [walked, journeyed] through the wilderness [the desert, a dry and barren land] to the Red Sea [the sea of reeds, a body of water] and came to Kadesh [a holy place, a city in southern Judah]. word study 17 Then Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] sent messengers [representatives] to the king [ruler, sovereign] of Edom [the region of Jacob’s twin brother], saying, ‘Please [I pray, I beseech] let us pass through [cross over, journey through] your land [territory, country],’ but the king of Edom [the ruler of Esau’s descendants] would not listen [hear, obey]. They also sent messengers to the king of Moab [the land of Lot’s descendants], but he would not consent [agree, be willing]. So Israel [God’s people] stayed [remained, dwelt] in Kadesh [a holy place, a city in the desert]. word study 18 Then Israel traveled through [through the desert, in the wilderness] the wilderness and bypassed [went around, compassed] the lands of Edom [the region of Esau’s descendants] and Moab [the land of Lot’s descendants]. They came to the east [the direction of the sunrise] side of the land of Moab and camped [pitched their tents, encamped] on the other side [beyond, across] of the Arnon [the river forming the border]. But they did not enter [come within, cross into] the territory [land, region] of Moab, since [for, because] the Arnon [the river] was its border [boundary, limit]. word study 19 And Israel [the descendants of Jacob] sent messengers [representatives] to Sihon [a king of the Amorites] king of the Amorites [a Canaanite tribe], who ruled [governed, reigned] in Heshbon [a city east of the Jordan], and said to him, ‘Please [I pray, we beg] let us pass [cross over, transition] through your land [territory, country] into our own place [destination, homeland] [to the land we are going].’ word study 20 But Sihon [was unwilling to have faith in] would not trust Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] to pass through [cross over, transition through] his territory [border, land, domain]. So he gathered [assembled, collected] all his people [nation, community], encamped [set up camp, pitched tents] in Jahaz [a place east of the Jordan River], and fought [engaged in battle, waged war] with [against, in opposition to] Israel. word study 21 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], the God [Elohim, the supreme God] of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] of Israel, who defeated [smote, struck] them. So Israel took possession [to take control, driving out others] of all the land [the soil or ground, a country] of the Amorites [a Canaanite tribe, descended from Canaan] who inhabited [to dwell, remain] that country, word study 22 seizing [taking control of, possessing] all the land [territory, region] from the Arnon [river, border] to the Jabbok [emptying, river] and from the wilderness [desert, open field] to the Jordan [river, boundary]. word study 23 Now [at this time, in this moment] since the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], the God [Elohim, the supreme God] of Israel, has driven out [dispossessed, cast out] the Amorites [a Canaanite tribe, descendants of Canaan] from before [in the presence of, from the face of] His people Israel, should you [as a foreign power] now possess [take control of, occupy] it [this land, this territory]? word study 24 Do you not [certainly not, by no means] possess whatever your god [national deity, idol] Chemosh [the Moabite God] grants [gives, allows] you? So also, we possess [take control of, occupy] whatever the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] our God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] has granted [given, allowed] us. word study 25 Are you now [at this time, in this situation] so much better [superior, more excellent] than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab [a neighboring nation, descendant of Lot]? Did he ever [in the past, previously] contend [strive, argue] with Israel [God’s chosen people, the descendants of Jacob] or fight [quarrel, battle] against them [in opposition, as an enemy]? word study 26 For three hundred [a period of 300] years Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] has lived [dwelt, resided, to sit or dwell] in Heshbon [a city east of the Jordan River], Aroer [a place of ruins], and their villages [daughter-towns], as well as all [every, the entirety] the cities [excitement, a city or town] along the banks [the sides, the coasts] of the Arnon [a river east of the Jordan]. Why [for what reason, to ask questions] did you not take them back [recover, rescue, to snatch away or deliver] during that time [this period, this occasion, especially now or when]? word study 27 I [personally, as an individual] have not sinned [missed the mark, gone wrong] against you, but you have done me wrong [acted unjustly, committed evil] by waging war [fighting, engaging in battle] against me. May the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], the Judge [shaphat, the One who governs and vindicates], decide [judge, govern] today [at this present time] between the Israelites [the descendants of Jacob] and the Ammonites [the sons of Ammon].” word study 28 But the king [ruler, monarch] of the Ammonites [sons of Ammon, a nation] paid no heed [did not listen, refused to hear] to the message [words, chronicles] Jephthah [a judge of Israel, a leader] sent [dispatched, directed] him [towards him, in his direction]. word study 29 Then the Spirit [breath of life, divine influence] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead [a mountainous region east of the Jordan River] and Manasseh [a tribe of Israel], then through Mizpah [a watchtower, a place of observation] of Gilead. And from there he advanced [crossed over, transitioned] against the Ammonites [descendants of Lot, a neighboring nation]. word study 30 Jephthah made [a solemn promise, a vow] this vow [pledge, commitment] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]: “If indeed [without fail, certainly] You will deliver [give, put] the Ammonites [sons of Ammon, a nation] into my hand [power, control], word study 31 then whatever comes [comes forth, goes out] out the door [entrance, gateway] of my house [dwelling place, family home] to greet me [meet, encounter] on my triumphant [victorious, peaceful] return [to turn back, come back] from the Ammonites [sons of Ammon, descendants of Lot] will belong to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], and I will offer it up [present, sacrifice] as a burnt offering [a step or stairs, often used to describe the ascent to the altar].” word study 32 So Jephthah [the Israelite judge, a leader of God’s people] crossed over [passed into the territory of, transitioned to] to the Ammonites [the descendants of Lot, a neighboring nation] to fight [to engage in battle, to war against] against them, and the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] delivered [gave, put into his power] them into his hand [his authority, his control]. word study 33 With a great [very great, exceedingly large] blow he devastated [smote, struck with a wound] twenty cities from Aroer [a place of ruins] to the vicinity [area, region] of Minnith, as far as [until, up to] Abel-keramim [the meadow of the vineyards]. So the Ammonites [descendants of Ammon, a son of Lot] were subdued [humbled, bent the knee] before the Israelites [descendants of Jacob, the chosen people]. word study 34 And when Jephthah [the Israelite judge] returned home to Mizpah [the watchtower], there was his daughter [his only child, a female descendant] coming out to meet him with tambourines [musical instruments, timbrels] and dancing [celebratory movements, joyful steps]! She was his only child [unique, solitary, beloved]; he had no son [male descendant] or daughter [female child] besides her [except for her, alone]. word study 35 As soon as Jephthah saw her, he tore [rent, ripped apart] his clothes and said, “No! Not my daughter [my child, my only one]! You have brought me to my knees [brought me very low, humbled me]! You have brought great misery [trouble, distress] upon me, for I have given my word [made a vow, opened my mouth] to the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] and cannot take it back [go back on my promise, turn back].” word study 36 “My father [abba, a term of affection and respect],” she replied, “you have given your word [a solemn promise, a vow] to the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God]. Do to me as you have said [according to your promise, as you have spoken], for the LORD [the God of justice and mercy] has avenged you of your enemies [those who oppose and hate you], the Ammonites [the descendants of Lot, a neighboring nation].” word study 37 She also said to her father, “Let me do this one thing: Let me wander [go up and down, walk about] for two months [a period of sixty days, two lunar cycles] through the mountains [hills, rugged terrain] with my friends [companions, female attendants] and mourn [bewail, lament] my virginity [state of being unmarried, purity of heart].” word study 38 “Go [you can go, depart],” he said. And he sent her away [dismissed her] for two [a pair of] months. So she left [departed, went away] with her friends [companions, female companions] and mourned [bewailed, wept for] her virginity [state of being a virgin, purity] upon [on, above] the mountains [hills]. word study 39 After [at the end of, following] two months, she returned [to turn back, came back] to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed [made a promise, sworn an oath]. And she had never had relations [known, been intimate] with a man [a male, a husband]. So it has become a custom [a tradition, a statute] in Israel [the people of God, the descendants of Jacob] word study 40 that each year [every twelve months, annually] the young women [daughters, female children] of Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] go out [to walk, to journey] for four [a specific number, a quartet] days [a period of twenty-four hours] to lament [to mourn, to sorrow] the daughter [a female child, a woman] of Jephthah [a judge of Israel, a leader] the Gileadite [a resident of Gilead, a region in Israel]. word study