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Judges 11:12-28

Listen to Judges 11:12-28
12 Now Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon, saying, "What is between you and me, that you have come to me to fight against my land?"
13 The king of the sons of Ammon said to the messengers of Jephthah, "Because Israel 1took away my land when they came up from Egypt, from the Arnon as far as the 2Jabbok and the Jordan; therefore, return them peaceably now."
14 But Jephthah sent messengers again * to the king of the sons of Ammon,
15 and they said to him, "Thus says Jephthah, 'Israel did not take away the land of Moab nor the land of the sons of Ammon.
16 'For when they came up from Egypt, and Israel 3went through the wilderness to the Red * Sea and 4came to Kadesh,
17 then Israel 5sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, "Please let us pass through your land," but the king of Edom would not listen. 6And they also sent to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel remained at Kadesh.
18 'Then they went through the wilderness and 7around the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and came to the east * side * of the land of Moab, and they camped beyond the Arnon; but they 8did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab.
19 'And Israel sent 9messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon, and Israel said to him, "Please let us pass through your land to our place."
20 'But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory; so Sihon gathered all his people and camped in Jahaz and fought with Israel.
21 'The LORD, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they 10defeated them; so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.
22 '11So they possessed all the territory of the Amorites, from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok, and from the wilderness as far as the Jordan.
23 'Since now the LORD, the God of Israel, drove out the Amorites from before His people Israel, are you then to possess it?
24 'Do you not possess what 12Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whatever * the LORD our God has driven out before * us, we will possess it.
25 'Now are you any better than 13Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive with Israel, or did he ever fight against them?
26 '14While Israel lived in Heshbon and its villages, and in Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities that are on the banks of the Arnon, three hundred years, why did you not recover them within that time?
27 'I therefore have not sinned against you, but you are doing me wrong by making war against me; 15may the LORD, the Judge, judge today between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon.' "
28 But the king of the sons of Ammon disregarded * the message which Jephthah sent him.

Judges 11:12-28 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 11

This chapter gives an account of another judge of Israel, Jephthah, of his descent and character, Jud 11:1-3 of the call the elders of Gilead gave him to be their captain general, and lead out their forces against the Ammonites, and the agreement he made with them, Jud 11:4-11 of the message he sent to the children of Ammon, which brought on a dispute between him and them about the land Israel possessed on that side Jordan the Ammonites claimed; Israel's right to which Jephthah defended, and made it clearly to appear, hoping thereby to put an end to the quarrel without shedding of blood, Jud 11:12-27 but the children of Ammon not attending to what he said, he prepared to give them battle, and previous to it he made a vow, and then set forward and fought them, and got the victory over them, Jud 11:28-33 and the chapter concludes with the difficulties Jephthah was embarrassed with upon his return home, on account of his vow, and the performance of it, Jud 11:34-40.

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Cross References 15

  • 1. Numbers 21:24
  • 2. Genesis 32:22
  • 3. Numbers 14:25; Deuteronomy 1:40
  • 4. Num 20:1, 4-21
  • 5. Numbers 20:14-21
  • 6. Joshua 24:9
  • 7. Numbers 21:4; Deuteronomy 2:8
  • 8. Deut 2:9, 18, 19
  • 9. Numbers 21:21-32; Deuteronomy 2:26-36
  • 10. Numbers 21:24; Deuteronomy 2:32-34
  • 11. Deuteronomy 2:36, 37
  • 12. Numbers 21:29; 1 Kings 11:7
  • 13. Numbers 22:2; Joshua 24:9; Micah 6:5
  • 14. Numbers 21:25, 26; Deuteronomy 2:36
  • 15. Genesis 16:5; Genesis 18:25; Genesis 31:53; 1 Samuel 24:12, 15

Footnotes 3

  • [a] Lit "Sea of Reeds"
  • [b] Lit "smote"
  • [c] Lit "did not listen to the words"
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org

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