Judges 11:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and leader over them. And Jephthah spoke all his words before the Lord at Mizpah.

NIV: So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them. And he repeated all his words before the Lord in Mizpah.

NASB: Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and leader over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words before the Lord at Mizpah.

CSB: So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead. The people made him their leader and commander, and Jephthah repeated all his terms in the presence of the Lord at Mizpah.

NLT: So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him their ruler and commander of the army. At Mizpah, in the presence of the Lord, Jephthah repeated what he had said to the elders.

KJV: Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his words before the Lord in Mizpeh.

NKJV: Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words before the Lord in Mizpah.

Many figures in the book of Judges are accurately described as "complicated." Jephthah certainly fits that label. He is the son of a prostitute (Judges 11:1), driven from his own home by his half-brothers (Judges 11:2). He runs from Gilead to Tob and becomes the leader of a band of goons who become well-known for their successful victories (Judges 11:3). And yet, when recruited by the elders of his former people, Jephthah acknowledges that military victory will come only if the Lord wills it (Judges 11:4–9). He agrees to the deal only when the elders place themselves under God's judgment if they go back on their word (Judges 11:10).

Now Jephthah and the elders of Gilead arrive at Mizpah. This is where Gilead's fighters are encamped against the army of the Ammonites. In view of the people, the elders make the arrangement official: Jephthah becomes their governor, of sorts, including control of the military, all the citizens, and the elders themselves. For his part, Jephthah seals the agreement with a speech of some kind. He makes this speech before the Lord, meaning that he is holding himself accountable before God in this new role he has accepted as the leader of Gilead.

To this point in the story, however, there is still a question of whether the Lord wants Jephthah to lead Gilead. His will has been mentioned, but His own statements have not been heard, despite Jephthah and the elders acknowledging His lordship. The proof may be in whether the Lord grants victory to Jephthah and Gilead.

A man named Jephthah is driven away from his home in Gilead by jealous brothers. He settles in Tob, where he becomes warrior chief of a criminal band. Gilead's elders later recruit Jephthah to lead the fight against their Ammonite oppressors. After a failed negotiation attempt, Jephthah vows to make a burnt offering to the Lord of whatever comes to meet him if God gives him victory over the Ammonites. Israel thoroughly defeats Ammon, and Jephthah's daughter, his only child, greets him. Jephthah carries out his vow after his daughter grieves never marrying or having children.

Judges 11 answers the question raised at the end of the previous chapter: who could lead Gilead's fight against the Ammonites? The elders recruit Jephthah, a warrior driven away by his family in Gilead. Jephthah agrees to return and is appointed leader of Gilead. Jephthah raises an army and makes a foolish vow to the Lord in exchange for victory. Israel defeats Ammon, but Jephthah's vow costs him his only child, his daughter. His victory also creates civil strife in Israel, leading to a minor civil war.

The Book of Judges describes Israel's history from the death of Joshua to shortly before Israel's first king, Saul. Israel fails to complete God's command to purge the wicked Canaanites from the land (Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 9:4). This results in a centuries-long cycle where Israel falls into sin and is oppressed by local enemies. After each oppression, God sends a civil-military leader, labeled using a Hebrew word loosely translated into English as "judge." These appointed rescuers would free Israel from enemy control and govern for a certain time. After each judge's death, the cycle of sin and oppression begins again. This continues until the people of Israel choose a king, during the ministry of the prophet-and-judge Samuel (1 Samuel 1—7).