Judges 11

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 11

This chapter gives as the history of Jephthah, another of Israel's judges, and numbered among the worthies of the Old Testament, that by faith did great things (Heb. 11:32), though he had not such an extraordinary call as the rest there mentioned had. Here we have, I. The disadvantages of his origin, Jdg. 11:1-3. II. The Gileadites? choice of him to be commander-in-chief against the Ammonites, and the terms he made with them, Jdg. 11:4-11. III. His treaty with the king of Ammon about the... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 11:1-3

The princes and people of Gilead we left, in the close of the foregoing chapter, consulting about the choice of a general, having come to this resolve, that whoever would undertake to lead their forces against the children of Ammon should by common consent be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. The enterprise was difficult, and it was fit that so great an encouragement as this should be proposed to him that would undertake it. Now all agreed that Jephthah, the Gileadite, was a mighty man... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 11:4-11

Here is, I. The distress which the children of Israel were in upon the Ammonites? invasion of their country, Jdg. 11:4. Probably this was the same invasion with that mentioned, Jdg. 10:17; when the children of Ammon were gathered together and encamped in or against Gilead. And those words, in process of time, refer to what goes immediately before of the expulsion of Jephthah; many days after he had been thus thrust out in disgrace was he fetched back again with honour. II. The court which the... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 11:12-28

We have here the treaty between Jephthah, now judge of Israel, and the king of the Ammonites (who is not named), that the controversy between the two nations might, if possible, be accommodated without the effusion of blood. I. Jephthah, as one having authority, sent to the king of Ammon, who in this war was the aggressor, to demand his reasons for invading the land of Israel: ?Why hast thou come to fight against me in my land? Jdg. 11:12. Had I come first into thy land to disturb thee in thy... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 11:29-40

We have here Jephthah triumphing in a glorious victory, but, as an alloy to his joy, troubled and distressed by an unadvised vow. I. Jephthah's victory was clear, and shines very brightly, both to his honour and to the honour of God, his in pleading and God's in owning a righteous cause. 1. God gave him an excellent spirit, and he improved it bravely, Jdg. 11:29. When it appeared by the people's unanimous choice of him for their leader that he had so clear a call to engage, and by the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 11

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 11 This chapter gives an account of another judge of Israel, Jephthah, of his descent and character, Judges 11:1 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, Judges 11:4 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 11:1

Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour ,.... Jephthah had his name of Gileadite either from his father, whose name was Gilead, or from the city and country in which he was born, which is most likely, and so was of the same country with the preceding judge; and he was a man of great strength and valour, and which perhaps became known by his successful excursions on parties of the enemies of Israel, the Ammonites, being at the head of a band of men, who lived by the booty they... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 11:2

And Gilead's wife bare him sons ,.... It seems that, after the birth of Jephthah, Gilead took him a lawful wife, who bore him sons: and his wife's sons grew up ; to the estate of men: and they thrust out Jephthah : out of his father's house, his father in all likelihood being dead, or he would not have suffered it, and what follows confirms it that he was dead: and said unto him, thou shalt not inherit in our father's house : as he might not, if the son of an harlot, or of a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 11:3

Then Jephthah fled from his brethren ,.... Being ill used by them, and a man of spirit and courage, and could not bear to be treated with contempt, nor to live in a dependence on others, and therefore sought to make himself another way: and dwelt in the land of Tob ; which Kimchi and Ben Gersom think was the name of the lord and owner of the land; Abarbinel interprets it, a good land, as Tob signifies, so the Targum; but others the name of a city or country, and conjecture it may be the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 11:4

And it came to pass in process of time ,.... Some time after Jephthah had been expelled from his father's house, and he was become famous for his martial genius, and military exploits; or at the close of the eighteen years' oppression of the children of Israel by the Ammonites, or some few days after the children of Israel were gathered together at Mizpeh, that the people and princes of Gilead were preparing for war with Ammon, and were thinking of a proper person to be their general: ... read more

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