Judges 11:33

33 With a great blow he devastated twenty cities from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel-keramim. So the Ammonites were subdued 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 door of my house to greet me on my triumphant return from the Ammonites will belong to the LORD, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”

32 So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his hand.

33 With a great blow he devastated twenty cities from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel-keramim. So the Ammonites were subdued before the Israelites.

34 And when Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, there was his daughter coming out to meet him with tambourines and dancing! She was his only child; he had no son or daughter besides her.

35 As soon as Jephthah saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “No! Not my daughter! You have brought me to my knees! You have brought great misery upon me, for I have given my word to the LORD and cannot take it back.”