Focused Passage

Judges 11:4-11

Jephthah's Rise, Covenant Argument, and Tragic Vow

Jephthah rises from rejected son and outlaw leader to covenant spokesman and Spirit-empowered deliverer against Ammon, yet his unnecessary vow turns victory into domestic tragedy and exposes the dangerous mixture of faith, courage, ignorance, and disordered worship in Israel's leadership.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

4Some time later, when the Ammonites fought against Israel

5and made war with them, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob.

6“Come,” they said, “be our commander, so that we can fight against the Ammonites.”

7Jephthah replied to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and expel me from my father’s house? Why then have you come to me now, when you are in distress?”

8They answered Jephthah, “This is why we now turn to you, that you may go with us, fight the Ammonites, and become leader over all of us who live in Gilead.”

9But Jephthah asked them, “If you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the LORD gives them to me, will I really be your leader?”

10And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The LORD is our witness if we do not do as you say.”

11So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him their leader and commander. And Jephthah repeated all his terms in the presence of the LORD at Mizpah.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 4

Original words

Some time laterוַיְהִ֖יH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular. . .מִיָּמִ֑יםH3117Preposition-m | Noun - masculine pluralwhen the Ammonitesבְנֵֽי־H1121Noun - masculine plural construct. . .עַמּ֖וֹןH5983Noun - proper - masculine singularfoughtוַיִּלָּחֲמ֥וּH3898Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralagainstעִם־H5973PrepositionIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃H3478Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 5

Original words

andוַיְהִ֕יH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular-כַּאֲשֶׁר־H834Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative-בְנֵֽי־H1121Noun - masculine plural construct-עַמּ֖וֹןH5983Noun - proper - masculine singularmade warנִלְחֲמ֥וּH3898Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common pluralwithעִם־H5973Preposition[them]יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לH3478Noun - proper - masculine singularthe eldersזִקְנֵ֣יH2205Adjective - masculine plural constructof Gileadגִלְעָ֔דH1568Noun - proper - feminine singularwentוַיֵּֽלְכוּ֙H1980Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralto getלָקַ֥חַתH3947Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct-אֶת־H853Direct object markerJephthahיִפְתָּ֖חH3316Noun - proper - masculine singularfrom the landמֵאֶ֥רֶץH776Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular constructof Tobטֽוֹב׃H2897Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 6

Original words

Comeלְכָ֕הH1980Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singularthey saidוַיֹּאמְר֣וּH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural-לְיִפְתָּ֔חH3316Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singularbeוְהָיִ֥יתָהH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singularourלָּ֖נוּPreposition | first person common pluralcommanderלְקָצִ֑יןH7101Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singularso that we can fightוְנִֽלָּחֲמָ֖הH3898Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common pluralagainst the Ammonitesבִּבְנֵ֥יH1121Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct. . .עַמּֽוֹן׃H5983Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 7

Original words

Jephthahיִפְתָּח֙H3316Noun - proper - masculine singularrepliedוַיֹּ֤אמֶרH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularto the eldersלְזִקְנֵ֣יH2205Preposition-l | Adjective - masculine plural constructof Gileadגִלְעָ֔דH1568Noun - proper - feminine singularDid youאַתֶּם֙H859Pronoun - second person masculine pluralnotהֲלֹ֤אH3808Adverb - Negative particlehateשְׂנֵאתֶ֣םH8130Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine pluralmeאוֹתִ֔יH853Direct object marker | first person common singularand expel meוַתְּגָרְשׁ֖וּנִיH1644Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine plural | first person common singularfrom my father’sאָבִ֑יH1Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singularhouseמִבֵּ֣יתH1004Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular constructWhyוּמַדּ֜וּעַH4069Conjunctive waw | Interrogativethen have you comeבָּאתֶ֤םH935Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine pluralto meאֵלַי֙H413Preposition | first person common singularnowעַ֔תָּהH6258Adverbwhenכַּאֲשֶׁ֖רH834Preposition-k | Pronoun - relativeyou are in distressצַ֥רH6862Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular. . .לָכֶֽם׃Preposition | second person masculine plural
Verse 8

Original words

Theyזִקְנֵ֨יH2205Adjective - masculine plural construct. . .גִלְעָ֜דH1568Noun - proper - feminine singularansweredוַיֹּאמְרוּ֩H559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralJephthahיִפְתָּ֗חH3316Noun - proper - masculine singularThis is whyלָכֵן֙H3651Adverbwe nowעַתָּה֙H6258Adverbturnשַׁ֣בְנוּH7725Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural. . .אֵלֶ֔יךָH413Preposition | second person masculine singularto youאֶל־H413Prepositionthat you may goוְהָלַכְתָּ֣H1980Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singularwith usעִמָּ֔נוּH5973Preposition | first person common pluralfightוְנִלְחַמְתָּ֖H3898Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singularthe Ammonitesבִּבְנֵ֣יH1121Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct. . .עַמּ֑וֹןH5983Noun - proper - masculine singularand becomeוְהָיִ֤יתָH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singularleaderלְרֹ֔אשׁH7218Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singularover allלְכֹ֖לH3605Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular constructof usלָּ֙נוּ֙Preposition | first person common pluralwho liveיֹשְׁבֵ֥יH3427Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural constructin Gileadגִלְעָֽד׃H1568Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 9

Original words

But Jephthahיִפְתָּ֜חH3316Noun - proper - masculine singularaskedוַיֹּ֨אמֶרH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularvvvאֶל־H413Preposition[them]זִקְנֵ֣יH2205Adjective - masculine plural construct. . .גִלְעָ֗דH1568Noun - proper - feminine singularIfאִם־H518Conjunctionyouאַתֶּ֤םH859Pronoun - second person masculine plural-אוֹתִי֙H853Direct object marker | first person common singulartake me backמְשִׁיבִ֨יםH7725Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine pluralto fightלְהִלָּחֵם֙H3898Preposition-l | Verb - Nifal - Infinitive constructthe Ammonitesבִּבְנֵ֣יH1121Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct. . .עַמּ֔וֹןH5983Noun - proper - masculine singularand the LORDיְהוָ֛הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singular-אוֹתָ֖םH853Direct object marker | third person masculine pluralgives themוְנָתַ֧ןH5414Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularto meלְפָנָ֑יH6440Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singularwill Iאָנֹכִ֕יH595Pronoun - first person common singularreally beאֶהְיֶ֥הH1961Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singularyourלָכֶ֖םPreposition | second person masculine pluralleaderלְרֹֽאשׁ׃H7218Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 10

Original words

And the eldersזִקְנֵֽי־H2205Adjective - masculine plural constructof Gileadגִלְעָ֖דH1568Noun - proper - feminine singularsaidוַיֹּאמְר֥וּH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluraltoאֶל־H413PrepositionJephthahיִפְתָּ֑חH3316Noun - proper - masculine singularThe LORDיְהוָ֗הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularisיִהְיֶ֤הH1961Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularour witnessשֹׁמֵ֙עַ֙H8085Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular. . .בֵּֽינוֹתֵ֔ינוּH996Preposition | first person common pluralifאִם־H518Conjunctionwe do notלֹ֥אH3808Adverb - Negative particledoנַעֲשֶֽׂה׃H6213Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common pluralas you sayכִדְבָרְךָ֖H1697Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular. . .כֵּ֥ןH3651Adverb
Verse 11

Original words

So Jephthahיִפְתָּח֙H3316Noun - proper - masculine singularwentוַיֵּ֤לֶךְH1980Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularwithעִם־H5973Prepositionthe eldersזִקְנֵ֣יH2205Adjective - masculine plural constructof Gileadגִלְעָ֔דH1568Noun - proper - feminine singularand the peopleהָעָ֥םH5971Article | Noun - masculine singular-אוֹת֛וֹH853Direct object marker | third person masculine singularmade himוַיָּשִׂ֨ימוּH7760Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluraltheirעֲלֵיהֶ֖םH5921Preposition | third person masculine pluralleaderלְרֹ֣אשׁH7218Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singularand commanderוּלְקָצִ֑יןH7101Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singularAnd Jephthahיִפְתָּ֧חH3316Noun - proper - masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markerrepeatedוַיְדַבֵּ֨רH1696Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularallכָּל־H3605Noun - masculine singular constructhis termsדְּבָרָ֛יוH1697Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singularin the presenceלִפְנֵ֥יH6440Preposition-l | Noun - common plural constructof the LORDיְהוָ֖הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularat Mizpahבַּמִּצְפָּֽה׃פH4709Preposition-b, Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.