Judges 11:36

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).

Judges 11:36 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 11:36

And she said unto him, my father, [if] thou hast opened thy
mouth unto the Lord
The conditional word "if" may be left out, as it is not in the original text; for her father had told her that he had opened his mouth, or made a vow to the Lord, and had no doubt explained it to her what it was, though it is not expressed; she knew it respected her, as it had issued, and was concerning her, as appears by her later request:

do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth;
which is a remarkable instance of filial subjection and obedience to a parent, and which perhaps was strengthened by a like mistaken notion as that of her father concerning the vow, that it could not be dispensed with; and therefore was moved under a sense of religion, as well as filial duty, to express herself in this manner, as well as by what follows:

forasmuch as the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies,
even of the children of Ammon:
such was her public spirit, and the grateful sense she had of the divine goodness, in giving victory over Israel's enemies, and delivering them from them, with vengeance on them, she cared not what was done to her; yea, desired that what was vowed might be performed.

Judges 11:36 In-Context

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.