Judges 11

Chap. XI. Ver. 1—33. The early history of Jephthah, and his defeat of the Ammonites.—In the close of the chapter, we see the people and princes of Gilead advertising (as it were) for a captain to lead them against the children of Ammon. At length they recollect Jephthah, for his illegitimacy, or perhaps (as some understand it) for his being the son of a foreigner. This circumstance seems to have led him, by disposition, to a kind of predatory life, a bold and enterprising character; and he became what is called a “mighty man of valour.” Hearing of their cause, and entreating him to become their captain. After some reproach on their part, and for their former unkindness, and on their part a solemn promise of fidelity to him and to the cause, he consents to the design; but, knowing with whom he had to do, engages in the cause, and entreats him to become their captain. After some for their former unkindness, and on their part a solemn promise of fidelity to him and to the cause, he consents to the design; but, knowing with whom he had to do, engages in the cause; 1 at his heavenly father’s he is careful to recapitulate the terms of their agreement before the people, before the Lord in Mizpeh, and of course before all who were there in camp assembled, by whom his appointment was confirmed and ratified.

These preliminaries settled, Jephthah immediately demands an explanation from messengers to the king of Ammon, for sending an army into their country; and he argues very forcibly with him, on the ground that the land was having been assigned to them by the Lord of the whole earth, who had also put them in possession of it by a series of miracles, of which the king could not be ignorant. Moreover, they had not taken their land from the Ammonites, but from Og king of Bashan, and from Sihon king of Heshbon, and were not bound to inquire how they came by it; but having been put in possession of it by the God of Israel, and having now enjoyed peaceable possession for three hundred years, to him they appealed for the maintenance of their right.

So Jephthah, animated by the Spirit of the Lord, in confidence of the divine support, goes to war with the Ammonites, gains a complete victory over them, and liberates his country, that is, the land of Gilead, and all their territory east of Jordan. From what is said of Chemosh, (ver. 24.) Voltaire and other infidel writers have pretended, that Jephthah here acknowledges the divinity of their idol, and that they had received possessions from him. In answer to this, however, Bishop Horne very properly remarks, that this was what “logicians style an argument ad hominem;” (that is) an argument formed upon the principles of the adversaries, and therefore conclusive to them. As if he had said, “You deem yourselves entitled to any possession acquired, as you imagine, by the assistance of him (Chemosh) whom you call your god, and cannot reasonably expect us to yield that which we know the Lord our God has awarded to us.”

Ver. 34—40. Jephthah’s vow, and its fulfilment.—In the preceding chapter we made no remarks on the vow of Jephthah, there mentioned, that we might connect it with its fulfilment. It has been a matter of much controversy, in what sense Jephthah’s vow should be understood. Deistical writers have urged this as an instance of human sacrifice among the Jews, and some interpreters, both Jewish and Christian, have agreed with them, as to the fact; but we are most decidedly of the opposite opinion, and for the following reasons: 1. His vow did not require it. That was, (ver. 31.) “When I return in peace, whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, shall surely be the Lord’s; and I will offer it up for a burnt-offering.”

Taking the translation in the margin, (for which we have given sufficient authority in the note,) there is no difficulty; who, or whatsoever came forth, was to be the Lord’s; that is, devoted to his service in the tabernacle; or, if a clean beast, offered up in sacrifice. But suppose that even this were not admissible, (though allowed by all the learned,) still the latter clause completely exonerates Jephthah from offering up his daughter; for the text (upon very good authority) may be read thus: “And I will offer him (i. e. Jehovah) a burnt-offering;” that is, in addition to devoting the person who shall come to meet me to the Lord’s service, “I will offer to him a clean beast for a burnt-offering:”

So that on no rational mode of interpretation was the death of his daughter required. The only other interpretation, seems to be the law, (Leviticus 27:29), “None devoted, which shall be devoted of man, shall be redeemed; but shall surely be put to death.” But the original term there used is cherem, which implies an anathema, or curse; but Jephthah employs no anathema; his was a simple vow, and could not be brought under that law. (See exposition and note on the above passage.) 2. The law did not permit it. Nothing unclean might be offered up on the altar, much less a human victim. The heathen offered their children unto Moloch, but the law expressly says, “Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God; for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.”

((Deuteronomy 12:30). See also (Isaiah 66:3).) Nor had parents, in any case, authority to take the lives of their children; for in cases when a son was most disobedient and refractory, and actually incurred the penalty of death thereby, yet must not the parent inflict it, but he must take him before the judge for punishment. ((Deuteronomy 21:18-21).) And suppose Jephthah’s slave had met him, neither had the master power over the life of his slave, (Exodus 21:20, 26, 27); and in the case of a Hebrew slave, at least, it would be murder, for he was bound to set him free at the end of seven years. 3. There is nothing in the narrative to prove that he sacrificed her. It is only said, that he did with her according to his vow, and his vow was, to devote her to the Lord.

Now it appears that there were females residing at the tabernacle, and some way assisting in its duties, probably as singers. (See (Ezra 2:65).) Thus of the Midianitish virgins captured in war, thirty-two of them were devoted to this service. ((Numbers 31:35-40).) But why, it may be said, was he so dejected at the loss of his daughter, if this were all? This objection is not difficult to answer. Is it no trial to an affectionate father to lose the company and services of an only daughter? and especially to lose all chance of his name and family being perpetuated in Israel; and that too at the moment that his name had become distinguished by military glory, and his alliance was likely to be sought for by the first families in Israel?

There are also circumstances in the narrative that, to say the least, render her sacrifice, in a literal sense, very improbable. In the first place, when she came forth to meet her father, it was at the head of a band of virgins, with timbrels and with dances; secondly, when she went to bewail her virginity on the mountains, it is likely she was attended by the same “virgins, her companions;” and, lastly, after she left her father, still the same virgins, probably, went to visit her at the tabernacle, and “lament with her” four days in every year, by an “ordinance,” or appointment, doubtless, of her father, who was now judge in Israel. All this was natural, supposing lifetime: but we believe there is no instance in Scripture of commemorating in this manner any person’s death.

Upon a view of the whole, though Jephthah’s vow was certainly a very rash one, and in no way to be justified, or imitated, yet we see no reason to represent him as a murderer, and of his own daughter; whom the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews has enrolled among those Old Testament worthies most remarkable both for their faith and for their valour. ((Hebrews 11:32).) See an able exposition of this difficult passage in the works of President Edwards, vol. 9. page 300—308.

Notes on the verses

Chap. XI. Ver. 1. Son of a harlot.—Probably zonah should be rendered, as in (Joshua 2:1). hostess or innkeeper; so pundekeetha, “and he was the son of a woman, a tavern-keeper.” She was very probably a Canaanite, as she is called, achereth, “a woman of another race,” and on this account his brothers drove him from the family, as not having a full right to the inheritance. (iii xxv. 2.) which assisted Moab.—B. Targum of Jonathan, wehoo bar ittetha ver. 2. a strange woman, ishah.

Ver. 3. Tob.—(Probably the same as Ish-Tob: a part of Syria, near Zobah, Rehob, and Maachah, east of Jordan, and in the most northern part of the portion of Manasseh. If so, it could not be far from Gilead, the country of Jephthah. 1 Mac. v. 13. and the Jews who inhabited this district, Tubient, 2 Mac. xii. 17.)—Bagster.

Vain men.—Much such an army, probably, ii, 2.; (1 Samuel 22:11).

Ver. 11. Mizpeh.—(This Mizpeh was east of Jordan, in the mountains of Gilead, ((Genesis 31:49).) and hence called Mizpeh of Gilead, (ver. 19.) to distinguish it from another place of the same name, of Judah. (Joshua 15:38).)—Bagster. and appears to have been a This country is called Tobie or Tubin, as David collected, west of Jordan, in the tribe.

Ver. 12. Sent messengers.—(In this Jephthah acted in accordance with the law of Moses: and hence the justice of his cause would appear more forcibly to the people.)—Bagster.

Ver. 31. And I will offer it—Margin, “OR I will offer it,”—[wwehaaleetheehoo olah, rather, as Dr. Randolph and others contended, “and I will offer him (or to Him, i. e. Jehovah,) a burnt-offering;” for hoo, may with much more propriety be referred to the person to whom the sacrifice was to be made, than to the thing to be sacrificed. Unless understood in this way, or as the marginal reading, it must have been the vow of a heathen or a mad-man. If a dog, or other unclean animal, had met him, he could not have made it a burnt-offering; or if his neighbour’s wife, sons, &c., his vow gave him no right over them.]—B. The ai Vau is, and ought to be, frequently translated or; see (Exodus 21:17), “His father or his mother;” (Genesis 41:44). “Hand or foot;” (Numbers 22:26). “Right hand or left;” (Deuteronomy 3:24). “In heaven or in earth:” and so frequently. —I will offer it.—Some have supposed a letter dropped in the text, which would render the personal pronoun him, obligatory. But for this supposition there is no need, since, as Parkhurst remarks, the word hu (as it stands) is often used for some pronoun, and the preposition lo is implied, as in our own language; of which that ingenious Smasher gives the following instances: (Genesis 37:4). “Could not speak peaceably (to) him;” (2 Samuel 15:4). “Do (to) him justice;” xx. 5. “Appointed (to) him.” See also Dr. Clarke’s comment, and Dr. Randolph’s celebrated Sermon on Jephthah’s Vow.

Ver. 33. Minnith.—[Situated, according to Eusebius, 4 miles from Heshbon, towards Philadelphia or Rabbath.]—Bagster.