Judges 11:17-27

17 and he sent messengers to the king of Edom, and said, Suffer thou me, that I go through thy land (and they sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, Allow us to go through thy land); the which king would not assent to the prayers of Israel. Also Israel sent to the king of Moab, and he despised to give Israel passage; and so Israel dwelled in Kadesh,
18 and he compassed by the side the land of Edom, and the land of Moab; and he came to the east coast of the land of Moab, and setted tents beyond Arnon, neither he would enter into the terms of Moab; for Arnon is the end of the land of Moab. (and they went around by the borders of the land of Edom, and the land of Moab; and they came to the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched their tents on the other side of the Arnon River, for they would not enter into the land of Moab; for the Arnon River is the border of the land of Moab.)
19 And so Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of Amorites, that dwelled in Heshbon; and they said to him, Suffer thou, that I pass through thy land unto the river. (And so Israel sent messengers to Sihon, the king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon; and they said to him, Allow us to pass through thy land to the river.)
20 And he despised the words of Israel, and suffered not him (to) pass by his terms, but with a multitude without number gathered together, Sihon went out against Israel (at Jahaz), and against-stood him strongly. (But he scorned Israel's request, and would not allow them to pass through his land; and with a multitude without number gathered together, Sihon went out against the people of Israel at Jahaz, and strongly stood against them.)
21 And the Lord betook Sihon with all his host into the hands of Israel; and Israel smote him, and had in possession all the land of Amorites, the dweller(s) of that country, (And the Lord delivered Sihon with all his army into the hands of Israel; and Israel struck them down, and had in possession all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country,)
22 and all the coasts thereof, from (the) Arnon unto (the) Jabbok, and from the wilderness unto (the) Jordan.
23 Therefore the Lord God of Israel destroyed Amorites, fighting against him for his people Israel. And wilt thou now have in possession his land? (And so the Lord God of Israel destroyed the Amorites, fighting against them for his people Israel. And now wilt thou take possession of their land?)
24 Whether not those things which Chemosh, thy god, had in possession, be due to thee by right? Soothly those things which the Lord our God (the) overcomer hath gotten, shall fall into our possession; (Be not those things which Chemosh, thy god, had in possession, by rights be due to thee? And likewise, those things which the Lord our God the Overcomer hath taken, they shall be ours;)
25 but in hap thou art better than Balak, the son of Zippor, king of Moab, either thou mayest say, that Balak strived against Israel, and fought against him, (but perhaps thou art better than Balak, the son of Zippor, the king of Moab, or thou mayest say, that Balak contended against Israel, and fought against them,)
26 when Israel dwelled in Heshbon, and in towns thereof, and in Aroer, and in towns thereof, and in all cities beyond (the) Jordan, by three hundred years. Why in so much time assayed ye nothing on this asking again? (when Israel lived in Heshbon, and its towns, and in Aroer, and its towns, and in all the cities on the eastern side of the Jordan River, for three hundred years. Why have ye done nothing to try to take them back in all this time?)
27 Therefore not I do sin against thee, but thou doest evil against me, and bringest in battles not just to me; the Lord, (the) judge of this day, deem betwixt the sons of Israel and betwixt the sons of Ammon. (And so I do not sin against thee, but thou doest evil against me, and bringest in battles not just, or fair, to me; the Lord is the judge, and he shall judge this very day between the Israelites and the Ammonites.)

Judges 11:17-27 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.