Judges 11:34-40

34 And when Jephthah turned again into Mizpeh, (to) his house, his one begotten daughter came to meet him with tympans, and crowds dancing; for he had not other free children. (And when Jephthah returned to Mizpeh, to his house, his only daughter came to meet him with tambourines, and people dancing; and he had no other children.)

35 And when he saw her, he rent his clothes, and said, Alas! my daughter, thou hast troubled me, and thou art troubled; for I opened my mouth to the Lord, and I may do none other thing. (And when he saw her, he tore his clothes, and said, Alas! my daughter, thou hast brought woe upon me, and woe upon thyself; for I opened my mouth to the Lord, and I may do no other thing.)

36 To whom she answered, My father, if thou openedest thy mouth to the Lord, do to me whatever thing thou promisedest, while vengeance and victory of thine enemies be granted to thee (for vengeance and victory over thy enemies have been granted to thee by the Lord).

37 And she said to her father, Give thou to me only this thing, which I beseech; suffer thou me that in two months I compass [the] hills (allow me for two months to go about the hills), and bewail my maidenhood with my fellows.

38 To whom he answered, Go thou. And he suffered her in two months (And he allowed her to go away for two months). And when she had gone forth with her fellows, and her play-fr?res, she bewept her maidenhood in the hills.

39 And when two months were fulfilled, she turned again to her father, and he did to her as he (had) avowed; and she knew no man fleshly, (that is, she died a virgin). From that time a custom came in Israel, and that custom is kept (to this day),

40 that after the end of the year the daughters of Israel come together, and bewail the daughter of Jephthah of Gilead (for) four days.

Judges 11:34-40 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.