Jephthah made his own aggrandisement the condition of his delivering; his country. The circumstances of his birth and long residence in a pagan land were little favorable to the formation of the highest type of character. Yet he has his record among the faithful Hebrews 11:32. read more
Jephthah uttered all his words before the Lord in Mizpeh - This phrase designates the presence of the tabernacle, or the ark, or of the high priest with Urim and Thummim Judges 20:26; Judges 21:2; Jos 18:8; 1 Samuel 21:7. The high priest waited upon Jephthah with the ephod, and possibly the ark, at his own house (see Judges 20:18 here). A trace of Jephthah’s claim to unite all Israel under his dominion is found in Judges 12:2, and breathes through his whole message to the king of the Ammonites.... read more
From Arnon even unto Jabbok ... - The land bounded by the Arnon on the south, by the Jabbok on the north, by the Jordan on the west, and by the wilderness on the east was, of old, the kingdom of Sihon, but then the territory of Reuben and Gad. read more
Consult the marginal references. If the ark with the copy of the Law Deuteronomy 31:26 was at Mizpeh, it would account for Jephthah’s accurate knowledge of it; and this exact agreement of his message with Numbers and Deuteronomy would give additional force to the expression, “he uttered all his words before the Lord” Judges 11:11.Judges 11:17No mention is made of this embassy to Moab in the Pentateuch.Judges 11:19Into my place - This expression implies that the trans-Jordanic possessions of... read more
Then the Spirit of the Lord ... - This was the sanctification of Jephthah for his office of Judge and savior of God’s people Israel. Compare Judges 6:34; Judges 13:25. The declaration is one of the distinctive marks which stamp this history as a divine history.The geography is rather obscure, but the sense seems to be that Jephthah first raised all the inhabitants of Mount Gilead; then he crossed the Jabbok into Manasseh, and raised them; then he returned at the head of his new forces to his... read more
Judges 11:4-5. The children of Ammon made war against Israel The Ammonites had oppressed them eighteen years, and now, when the Israelites begin to make opposition, they commence a war against them. The elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah By direction from God, who both qualified him for, and called him to the office of a judge, otherwise they would not have been at liberty to choose a base-born person. read more
Judges 11:7. Did ye not hate me, and expel me And deprive me of all share in my father’s goods, which, though a bastard, was due to me? This expulsion of him was the act of his brethren; but he here ascribes it to the elders of Gilead; either because some of his brethren were among these elders, as is very probable from the dignity of this family; or because this act, though desired by his brethren, was executed by the decree of the elders, to whom the determination of all controversies... read more
Judges 11:8. Therefore we turn again to thee Being sensible we have done thee an injury, we come now to make thee full reparation. That thou mayest go with us They acknowledge that they need his assistance and are humble enough to request it. read more
Judges 11:9. If ye bring me home If ye recall me from this place where I am now settled to the place whence I was expelled. Shall I be your head? Will you really make good this promise? Jephthah was so solicitous in this case, either from his zeal for the public good, which required that he should be so; or from the law of self-preservation, that he might secure himself from his brethren; whose ill-will he had experienced, and whose injuries he could not prevent, if, after he had served... read more
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Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Judges 11:7
This gives a wider signification to Judges 11:2-3, and shows that Jephthah’s “brethren” include his fellow tribesmen. read more