TSK - JUDGES 11

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  1  The covenant between Jephthah and the Gileadites, that he
    should be their head.
12  The treaty of peace between him and the Ammonites is in
    vain.
29  Jephthah's vow.
32  His conquest of the Ammonites.
34  He performs his vow on his daughter.

VERSE 1
- Jephthah.
   * Heb 11:32
- called Jephthae.  a mighty.
   * Jud 6:12 2Ki 5:1
- an harlot.  Heb. a woman, an harlot.
  Probably {zonah} should be rendered as in Jos 2:1, a hostess,
  or inn-keeper:  so Targum of Jonathan, {wehoo bar ittetha
  pundekeetha,} "and he was the son of a woman, a
  tavern-keeper."  She was very probably a Canaanite, as she is
  called, ver. 2, a strange woman, {ishah achereth,} "a woman of
  another race;" and on this account his brethren drove him from
  the family, as not having a full right to the inheritance.

VERSE 2 
 - thrust out.
   * Ge 12:10 De 23:2 Ga 4:30
- a strange.
   * Pr 2:16; 5:3,20; 6:24-26

VERSE 3 
 - from his brethren.  Heb. from the face of.  Tob.
  Probably the same as Ish-Tob; and appears to have been a part
  of Syria, near Zobah, Rehob, and Maachah, east of Jordan, and
  in the most northern part of the portion of Manasseh.  If so,
  it could not be far from Gilead, the country of Jephthah.
  This country is called Tobie or Tubin, 1 Mac 5:13; and the
  Jews who inhabited this district Tubieni, 2 Mac 12:17.  2 Sa
  10:6.

- vain men.
   * Jud 9:4 1Sa 22:2; 27:2; 30:22-24 Job 30:1-10 Ac 17:5

VERSE 4 
 - A.M. 2817.  B.C. 1187.  An. Ex. Is. 304.  in process of time.
  Heb. after days.
   * :4

VERSE 5 
 - made war.
   * Jud 10:9,17,18
- to fetch.
   * 1Sa 10:27; 11:6,7,12 Ps 118:22,23 Ac 7:35-39 1Co 1:27-29
VERSE 6

VERSE 7 
 - Did not ye hate.
   * Ge 26:27; 37:27; 45:4,5 Pr 17:17 Isa 60:14 Ac 7:9-14 Re 3:9

VERSE 8 
 - the elders.
   * Ex 8:8,28; 9:28; 10:17 1Ki 13:6 Lu 17:3,4
- we turn.
   * Jud 10:18

VERSE 9 
 - If ye bring.
   * Nu 32:20-29

VERSE 10 
 - The Lord.
   * Ge 21:23; 31:50 1Sa 12:5 Jer 29:23; 42:5 Ro 1:9 2Co 11:31
- be witness.  be the hearer.
   * Ge 16:5; 31:53 De 1:16 1Sa 24:12
- if we do.
   * Ex 20:7 Zec 5:4 Mal 3:5

VERSE 11 
 - head.
   * :8
- uttered.
   * 1Sa 23:9-12 1Ki 3:7-9 2Co 3:5 Jas 1:5,17
- Jephthah uttered.
  That is, upon his elevation, he immediately retired to his
  devotion, and in prayer spread the whole matter before God,
  both his choice to the office, and his execution of the
  office, as one that had his eye ever toward the Lord, and
  would do nothing without him; that leaned not to his own
  understanding or courage, but depended on the Almighty God,
  and his favor.  This is an ensample worthy of universal
  imitation; in All Our Ways, whether great or apparently
  subordinate, let us acknowledge God and seek his direction.
  So shall we make our way prosperous, and obtain that peace
  which passeth all understanding.  Jephthah opened his campaign
  with prayer.

- before.
   * Jud 10:17; 20:1 1Sa 10:17; 11:15
- Mizpeh.
  This Mizpeh was east of Jordan in the mountains of Gilead (Ge
  31:49); and hence called Mizpeh of Gilead (ver. 29), to
  distinguish it from another place of the same name, west of
  Jordan, in the tribe of Judah.

   * Jos 15:38

VERSE 12 
 - sent messengers.
  In this Jephthah acted in accordance with the law of Moses;
  and hence the justice of his cause would appear more forcibly
  to the people.

   * Nu 20:14; 21:21 De 2:26; 20:10,11 Pr 25:8,9 Mt 18:15,16
- What hast.
   * 2Ki 14:8-12

VERSE 13 
 - Because Israel.
   * Nu 21:24-26 Pr 19:5,9
- from Arnon.
  That is, all the land which had belonged to the Amorites and
  Moabites.

- Jabbok.
   * Ge 32:22 De 2:37; 3:16

VERSE 14 
 - again unto.
   * Ps 120:7 Ro 12:18 Heb 12:14 1Pe 3:11

VERSE 15 
 - Israel took.
   * Nu 21:13-15,27-30 De 2:9,19 2Ch 20:10 Ac 24:12,13

VERSE 16 
 - But when.
  The whole of these messages shew, Jephthah had well studied
  the book of Moses.  His arguments also are very clear and
  cogent, and his demands reasonable; for he only required that
  the Ammonites should cease to harass a people who had neither
  injured them, nor intended to do so.

- walked.
   * Nu 14:25 De 1:40 Jos 5:6
- came.
   * Ge 14:7 Nu 13:26; 20:1 De 1:46

VERSE 17 
 - sent messengers.
   * Nu 20:14-21 De 2:4-8,29
- the king.
   * De 2:9
- abode.
   * Nu 20:1,16

VERSE 18 
 - went.
   * Nu 20:22; 21:10-13; 33:37-44 De 2:1-8
- compassed.
   * Nu 21:4-9
- came by.
   * Nu 21:11
- pitched.
   * Nu 21:13; 22:36
VERSE 19
    * Nu 21:21-35 De 2:26-34; 3:1-17 Jos 13:8-12
VERSE 20
    * Nu 21:23 De 2:32
- Lord God.
   * Ne 9:22 Ps 135:10-12; 136:17-21
- they smote.
   * Nu 21:24,25 De 2:33,34
- so Israel.
   * Jos 13:15-32
VERSE 21

VERSE 22 
 - And they.
   * De 2:36
- from the wilderness.
  From Arabia Deserta on the east, to Jordan on the west.
   Jephthah shews that the Israelites did not take the land of
  the Moabites or Ammonites, but that of the Amorites, which
  they had conquered from Sihon their king; and although the
  Amorites had taken the lands in question from the Ammonites,
  yet the title by which Israel held them was good, because they
  took them, not from the Ammonites, but from the Amorites.

VERSE 23
   * :23

VERSE 24 
 - Wilt not thou possess.
  This is simply an {argumentum ad hominem;} in which Jephthah
  argues on this principles recognized by the king of Ammon.  As
  if he had said, "You suppose that the land which you possess
  was given you by your god Chemosh; and therefore will not
  relinquish what you believe you hold by a divine right.  Now
  we know that Jehovah, our God, has given us the land of the
  Israelites; and therefore we will not give it up."

- Chemosh.
   * Nu 21:29 1Ki 11:7 Jer 48:7,46
- whomsoever.
   * De 9:4,5; 18:12 Jos 3:10 Ps 44:2; 78:55 Mic 4:5

VERSE 25 
 - Balak.
   * Nu 22:2-21 De 23:3,4 Jos 24:9,10 Mic 6:5

VERSE 26 
 - Heshbon.
   * Nu 21:25-30 De 2:24; 3:2,6 Jos 12:2,5; 13:10
- Aroer.
   * De 2:36
- three hundred.
   * Jud 3:11,30; 5:31; 8:28; 9:22; 10:2,3,8 Jos 11:18; 23:1

VERSE 27 
 - the Judge.
   * Ge 18:25 1Sa 2:10 Job 9:15; 23:7 Ps 7:11; 50:6; 75:7; 82:8
   * Ps 94:2; 98:9 Ec 11:9; 12:14 Joh 5:22,23 Ro 14:10-12 2Co 5:10
   * 2Ti 4:8 Heb 12:23
- be judge.
   * Ge 16:5; 31:53 1Sa 24:12,15 Ps 7:8,9 2Co 11:11
VERSE 28
    * 2Ki 14:11 Pr 16:18

VERSE 29 
 - the spirit.
   * Jud 3:10; 6:34; 13:25 Nu 11:25 1Sa 10:10; 16:13-15 1Ch 12:18
- Jephthah.
  "Jephthah seems to have been judge only of north-east Israel."

- over Mizpeh.
   * Jud 10:17
VERSE 30
    * Ge 28:20 Nu 30:2-16 1Sa 1:11 Ec 5:1,2,4,5

VERSE 31 
 - whatever, etc.  Heb. that which cometh forth, which shall
  come forth.  shall surely.
   * Le 27:2,3,28,29 1Sa 1:11,28; 2:18; 14:24,44 Ps 66:13,14
- and I will.  or, or I will, etc.
  {Wehäâleetheehoo "lah,} rather, as Dr. Randolph and others
  contend, "and I will offer Him (or to Him, i.e., Jehovah) a
  burnt offering;" for {hoo} may with much more propriety be
  referred to the person to whom the sacrifice was to be made,
  than to the thing to be sacrificed.  Unless understood in this
  way, or as the marginal reading, it must have been the vow of
  a heathen or a madman.  If a dog, or other uncleaned animal
  had met him, he could not have made it a burnt offering; or if
  his neighbor's wife, sons, etc., his vow gave him no right
  over them.

   * Le 27:11,12 De 23:18 Ps 66:13 Isa 66:3

VERSE 32 
 - the Lord.
   * Jud 1:4; 2:18; 3:10

VERSE 33 
 - Aroer.
   * De 2:36
- Minnith.
  Situated, according to Eusebius, four miles from Heshbon,
  towards Philadelphia or Rabbath.

   * Eze 27:17
- the plain.  or, Abel.

VERSE 34 
 - Mizpeh.
   * :11; 10:17
- his daughter.
   * Jud 5:1-31 Ex 15:20 1Sa 18:6,7 Ps 68:25; 148:11,12; 150:4
   * Jer 31:4,13
- beside her.  or, he had not of his own either son or
  daughter.  Heb. of himself.  neither.
   * Zec 12:10 Lu 7:12; 8:42; 9:38

VERSE 35 
 - rent his clothes.
   * Ge 37:29,30,34,35; 42:36-38 2Sa 13:30,31; 18:33 Job 1:20
- have opened.
   * Le 27:28,29 Nu 30:2-5 Ps 15:4 Ec 5:2-6
- I cannot.
   * Jud 21:1-7 1Sa 14:44,45 Mt 14:7-9 Ac 23:14

VERSE 36 
 - forasmuch.
   * Jud 16:28-30 2Sa 18:19,31; 19:30 Ac 20:24; 21:13 Ro 16:4 Php 2:30

VERSE 37 
 - go up and down.  Heb. go and go down.  bewail.
   * 1Sa 1:6 Lu 1:25
VERSE 38

VERSE 39 
 - did with.
  That Jephthah did not sacrifice his daughter, but consecrated
  her to the service of God in the tabernacle, in a state of
  celibacy, will we imagine be evident from the following
  consideration:--1.  Human sacrifices were ever an abomination
  to Jehovah, of which Jephthah could not be ignorant; and
  consequently he would neither have made such a vow, nor
  carried it into execution.  2.  We are expressly told (ver.
  29) that Jephthah was under the influence of the Spirit of
  God, which would effectually prevent him from embruing his
  hands in the blood of his own child.  3.  He had it in his
  power to redeem his daughter, (Le 27:4;) and surely his only
  child must have been of more value than thirty shekles.  4.
  Besides, who was to perform the horrid rite?  Not Jephthah
  himself, who was no priest, and in whom it would have been
  most unnatural and inhuman; and the priests would certainly
  have dissuaded him from it.  5.  The sacred historian informs
  us, that she bewailed her virginity, that she knew no man, and
  that the Israelitish women went yearly to comfort or lament
  with her.

   * :31 Le 27:28,29 De 12:31 Isa 66:3
- to his vow.
   * 1Sa 1:11,22,24,28; 2:18
- custom.  or, ordinance.

VERSE 40 
 - yearly.  Heb. from year to year.  mourn.  or, to talk with.
   * Jud 5:11
- four days.
   * 1Ki 9:25



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