What does Judges 11:2 mean?
Jephthah has been described as a "mighty warrior" (Judges 11:1), but he begins his independent adult life being exiled by his own brothers. Though he is possibly the firstborn of his father Gilead, Jephthah is the son of a prostitute. Gilead has other sons by his legitimate wife. Those sons, Jephthah's brothers, drive him away from the family for the sake of the inheritance.During ancient times, it was common for the firstborn son to receive a double share of the inheritance. That would make Jephthah's brothers more eager to reject him, so that even if they split the inheritance equally, they would get more. Even as the son of a prostitute, Jephthah was recognized by his father, and so entitled to his share of his father's estate. Yet he did not have social standing to push back against threats from his brothers. So, he runs away to begin a new life on his own.