Judges 11:11-21

11 So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them. And he repeated all his words before the LORD in Mizpah.

12 Then Jephthah sent messengers to the Ammonite king with the question: “What do you have against me that you have attacked my country?”

13 The king of the Ammonites answered Jephthah’s messengers, “When Israel came up out of Egypt, they took away my land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, all the way to the Jordan. Now give it back peaceably.”

14 Jephthah sent back messengers to the Ammonite king,

15 saying: “This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites.

16 But when they came up out of Egypt, Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea^[a] and on to Kadesh.

17 Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Give us permission to go through your country,’ but the king of Edom would not listen. They sent also to the king of Moab, and he refused. So Israel stayed at Kadesh.

18 “Next they traveled through the wilderness, skirted the lands of Edom and Moab, passed along the eastern side of the country of Moab, and camped on the other side of the Arnon. They did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was its border.

19 “Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him, ‘Let us pass through your country to our own place.’

20 Sihon, however, did not trust Israel^[b] to pass through his territory. He mustered all his troops and encamped at Jahaz and fought with Israel.

21 “Then the LORD, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and his whole army into Israel’s hands, and they defeated them. Israel took over all the land of the Amorites who lived in that country,

Judges 11:11-21 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.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Samuel 8:4; 2 Samuel 3:17
• 2. Exodus 19:9; 1 Samuel 8:21
• 3. S Joshua 11:3; Judges 10:17; Judges 20:1; 1 Samuel 10:17
• 4. S Numbers 21:13
• 5. Genesis 32:22; S Numbers 21:24
• 6. Deuteronomy 2:9
• 7. Deuteronomy 2:19
• 8. Numbers 14:25; S Deuteronomy 1:40
• 9. S Genesis 14:7; Numbers 20:1
• 10. ver 19; S Genesis 32:3; Numbers 20:14
• 11. S Numbers 20:17; Numbers 20:18,21
• 12. Jeremiah 48:1
• 13. S Joshua 24:9
• 14. S Numbers 20:21; Numbers 21:4
• 15. Deuteronomy 2:8
• 16. S Numbers 21:13
• 17. S ver 17
• 18. S Joshua 12:2
• 19. Numbers 21:21-22; Deuteronomy 2:26-27
• 20. Numbers 21:23; Deuteronomy 2:32

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "the Sea of Reeds"
• [b]. Or "however, would not make an agreement for Israel"