Judges 11:30 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, "If you will give the Ammonites into my hand,

NIV: And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord: "If you give the Ammonites into my hands,

NASB: And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, 'If You will indeed hand over to me the sons of Ammon,

CSB: Jephthah made this vow to the Lord: "If you in fact hand over the Ammonites to me,

NLT: And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord. He said, 'If you give me victory over the Ammonites,

KJV: And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,

NKJV: And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, and said, “If You will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands,

Until recently, Jephthah has been presented as strong, confident, and even wise (Judges 11:7–12). Only recently was it stated God's Spirit was with him (Judges 11:29). Here, however, facing battle with a superior force in the Ammonites, Jephthah's boldness comes across as foolishness. During this part of Israel's history, people often made vows to God, hoping to earn His favor. In that culture, a "vow" was a solemn and unbreakable promise, more binding than how the term "promise" is used in modern English. Vows made to others were serious; those made to the Lord are said to be especially dangerous and dishonorable to break (Numbers 30:1–2).

The writer of Ecclesiastes warned: "When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands?" (Ecclesiastes 5:4–7).

Jesus's warning about the nature of vows is concise: "Do not take an oath at all…Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil" (Matthew 5:34–37). In that context, Jesus was warning about using vows and promises to add credibility to one's promises. An honest person keeps their word, without layering on "vows" to prove their sincerity.

Jephthah's vow comes across as especially unnecessary. Commentators are not sure if he's being arrogant, insecure, or even attempting to manipulate the Lord. In any case, he wants God to give him victory over the Ammonites. He vows to make an enormous and tragic sacrifice in exchange for success, rather than trusting God to do what is best for His people.

Judges 11:29–40 begins with God's Spirit coming on Jephthah and empowering him to raise an army from Gilead and Manasseh. Before attacking the Ammonites, Jephthah makes a vow regarding victory in the war. When Israel wins the victory, Jephthah's vow surprisingly binds him to offer his daughter, his only child, as an offering to the Lord. She agrees that her father must follow through on this sacred promise, but she first spends two months grieving that she will not marry or have children. Jephthah fulfills his vow, though scholars have long debated how, exactly, he did so.

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).