Judges 11:30

30 And Jephthah made a vow to Yahweh, and he said, "If indeed you will give the {Ammonites} into my hand,

Judges 11:30 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 11:30

And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord
Before he set out for the land of the children of Ammon, and to fight with them; hoping that such a religious disposition of mind would be regarded by the Lord, and be acceptable to him, and he should be blessed with success in his enterprise:

and said, if thou shall without fail deliver the children of Ammon into
mine hands;
though he was assured of the justness of his cause, and of his call to engage in it, he seems to have some little diffidence in his mind about the success of it; at least, was not fully certain of it.

Judges 11:30 In-Context

28 But the king of the {Ammonites} did not listen to the message that Jephthah sent to him.

29 And the Spirit of Yahweh came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh. He passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed through [to] the {Ammonites}.

30 And Jephthah made a vow to Yahweh, and he said, "If indeed you will give the {Ammonites} into my hand,

31 whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return safely from the {Ammonites} will be Yahweh's, and I will offer it [as] a burnt offering."

32 And Jephthah crossed [over] to the {Ammonites} to make war against them; and Yahweh gave them into his hand.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "sons/children of Ammon"