Judges 11:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites

NIV: Jephthah sent back messengers to the Ammonite king,

NASB: But Jephthah sent messengers once again to the king of the sons of Ammon,

CSB: Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites

NLT: Jephthah sent this message back to the Ammonite king:

KJV: And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon:

NKJV: So Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the people of Ammon,

Given that Jephthah was previously leader of a raiding band (Judges 11:3), it is interesting that he did not immediately attack the Ammonites after taking over the leadership of Gilead (Judges 11:11). Instead, he has begun with negotiation, conducted through messengers sent between himself and the king of Ammon. Jephthah is conducting himself exactly as king might. He speaks authoritatively on behalf of the people of Gilead. He has asked what the king of Ammon has against him, as if he himself is Gilead (Judges 11:12–13).

The king of Ammon replied with an interesting claim: that he is attacking the Israelites to get back what Israel took from his people 300 years earlier after the Israelites came out of Egypt (Exodus 12:50–51). In this way, the king of Ammon justifies his cause since the land belongs to him and his people. Jephthah will go into an impressive amount of detail about Israel's history (Judges 11:15), showing that the king of Ammon has his facts wrong.

Judges 11:12–28 is Jephthah's attempt to negotiate with the Ammonites. He exchanges messages with the king of Ammon, asking the reason for this war on their land. Jephthah corrects the king's response that Israel wrongly took the land from them during the time of Moses. He offers several forms of rebuttal. Jephthah notes that Ammon was never in control of Gilead. Instead, the Amorites attacked Israel and God have his people victory. Greater kings have not attempted to take the region away; it had not been disputed for centuries. However, the Ammonite king will not listen.

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).

Accessed 12/21/2024 8:14:05 PM