Judges 11:11-12:7 NIV

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

John Gill

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

Then Jephthah went with the elders of Israel ,.... From the land of Tob into the land of Gilead, his native country: and the people made him head and captain over them ; ratified and confirmed what the elders had promised, and by a general unanimous vote appointed him both to be the captain of their forces, and to be the chief ruler and governor of them. And this they did, though he was the son of an harlot; and according to the law in Deuteronomy 23:2 , such an one was not to be a... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 11:11

Jepthah went with the elders - The elders had chosen him for their head; but, to be valid, this choice must be confirmed by the people; therefore, it is said, the people made him head. But even this did not complete the business; God must be brought in as a party to this transaction; and therefore Jephthah uttered all his words before the Lord - the terms made with the elders and the people on which he had accepted the command of the army; and, being sure of the Divine approbation,... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Judges 11:11

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

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Judges 11:10-11

Judges 11:10-11. The Lord be witness The Lord be a hearer; so the Hebrew word is. Whatever we speak, it concerns us to remember that God is a hearer! The people made him head, &c. They confirmed in full assembly, by unanimous consent, what the elders, who had been sent to him, had promised. Jephthah uttered all his words before the Lord That is, before the public congregation, where God was usually and then especially present. This most probably refers to the words of the people, in... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Judges 11:1-40

Jephthah and five other judges (10:1-12:15)Little is known of the political or military activities of the judges Tola and Jair. They both exercised power for lengthy periods, and Jair’s family certainly enjoyed considerable power and prestige among the East Jordan tribes (10:1-5).Again the Israelites turned away from Yahweh and worshipped false gods, and again they were punished. The Ammonites conquered the eastern tribes, crossed Jordan, and seized large portions of Israelite territory in... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Judges 11:11

with. Some codices, with three early printed editions, read "unto". before the LORD = in the presence of Jehovah. in Mizpeh. Compare Judges 10:17 . read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Judges 11:11

Judges 11:11. Jephthah uttered all his words before the Lord— It is evident from these words, that Jephthah was a man of true religion, and had a serious regard for God; since, though the people had done all that was necessary on their part, he would undertake nothing without God's approbation; a remark which will be of use when we consider the performance of his vow. Indeed, the embassy which he sent to the king of Ammon, Jdg 11:12 serves to prove that he was no less just than pious.... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Judges 11:1-11

The choice of Jephthah as Gilead’s leader 11:1-11Judges 11:1-3 provide information about Jephthah’s personal background. His name means "He [an unspecified deity] has opened [the womb]." Jephthah lived on the east side of the Jordan River. Unlike Gideon, he was a courageous and valiant warrior. He was, however, the product of his father’s sexual liaison with a prostitute, another clue to the moral level in Israel. Evidently Jephthah’s grandparents named his father in honor of an ancestor named... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 11:1-40

Jephthah’s Victory over the Ammonites. His Rash Vow1-11. The Choice of Jephthah.1. As the son of a harlot, Jephthah has no legal standing in the tribe. Gilead begat] Throughout the rest of the narrative Gilead is the name of a place, not a person (cp. Judges 12:7). Here Gilead’s ’sons’ represent the legitimate tribesmen. 3. Tob] must have been near Gilead, probably to the NE. (cp. 2 Samuel 10:6). Vain men] see on Judges 9:4. ’Broken men,’ such as came to David at the cave of Adullam (1 Samuel... read more