Judges 11:33

33 It was an exceptionally great defeat; he defeated twenty towns from Aroer to the area of Minnith, and on as far as Abel-keramim. So the Ammonites were brought down before the Israelites.

Judges 11:33 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 11:33

And he smote them from Aroer
A city which lay near the river Arnon, on the borders of Moab, ( Deuteronomy 3:12 )

even till thou come to Minnith;
which seems to have been a place famous for wheat, ( Ezekiel 27:17 ) so David de Pomis ^F1 says it was a place where the best wheat grew. Jerom says ^F2 in his time was shown a village called Mannith, four miles from Esbus (or Heshbon), as you go to Philadelphia. Josephus ^F3 calls it Maniathe, and it is thought by some to be the Anitha of Ptolemy ^F4, which he places in Arabia Petraea even "twenty cities"; which he pursued them through and took:

and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter;
or, Abel Ceramim. Jerom says ^F5 in his time was seen a village called Abela, planted with vineyards, seven miles from Philadelphia:

thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel;
so that they were not able to oppress them any more.

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 Tzemach David, fol. 81. 3.
F2 De loc. Heb. fol. 93. E.
F3 Antiqu. l. 5. c. 7. sect. 10.
F4 Geograph. l. 5. c. 17.
F5 De loc. Heb. fol. 88. K.

Judges 11:33 In-Context

31 then whatever comes out the doors of my house to meet me when I return victorious from the Ammonites will be given over to the LORD. I will sacrifice it as an entirely burned offering."

32 Jephthah crossed over to fight the Ammonites, and the LORD handed them over to him.

33 It was an exceptionally great defeat; he defeated twenty towns from Aroer to the area of Minnith, and on as far as Abel-keramim. So the Ammonites were brought down before the Israelites.

34 But when Jephthah came to his house in Mizpah, it was his daughter who came out to meet him with tambourines and dancing! She was an only child; he had no other son or daughter except her.

35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, "Oh no! My daughter! You have brought me to my knees! You are my agony! For I opened my mouth to the LORD, and I can't take it back."