What does Judges 11:10 mean?
Jephthah was the first to bring God's will into the conversation about leading fighters of Gilead against the Ammonites (Judges 11:4–9). He put any chance of victory squarely in the Lord's hands, saying that he would become leader over the elders and all the people of Gilead only if the Lord gave the Ammonites over to him.Here, the elders of Gilead match Jephthah's commitment to the Lord. They place themselves under threat of the Lord's judgment if they do not follow through in making Jephthah the leader over all of Gilead, including themselves. This, of course, presumes that he succeeds and defeats the Ammonites. In that era and culture, this was as firm a contract as one could ask for. Jephthah will take the job (Judges 11:11).