Judges 11:15-24

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 11:15

And said unto him ,.... By his messengers: thus saith Jephthah ; in a majestic style, as governor of Israel: Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon ; they were charged not to take any, nor did they take any that belonged to any of these countries, or that was then in the possession of either of them, Deuteronomy 2:9 what they did take was in the hands of Sihon and Og, and they had obtained it by conquest, and so no more belonging to either of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 11:16

But when Israel came up from Egypt ,.... In order to go to the land of Canaan, which was higher than the land of Egypt, which lay low F11 χθαμαλος αιγυπτος Theocrit. Idyll. 17. ver. 79. : and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea ; which is to be understood not of their walking to it; when they first came out of Egypt, they indeed then came to the edge of the wilderness of Etham, and so to the Red sea, and walked through it as on dry land, and came into the wilderness of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 11:17

Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom ,.... The history of which may be read in Numbers 20:14 , &c.; saying, let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land ; the land of Edom, from the south to the north of it, according to Jarchi, which was the nearest and shortest way to the land of Canaan; so far were the Israelites from invading and seizing upon the properties of others, that they would not attempt to set their foot in another's country without leave; which they asked... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 11:18

Then they went along the wilderness ,.... The wilderness of Paran, which lay along the borders of Edom; they went, according to Jarchi, from the west to the east on the south border of Edom and Moab: and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab ; all the south of the land of Edom, and all the south of the land of Moab; towards the sunrising, as in Numbers 21:11 . and pitched on the other side of Arnon ; the river Arnon, which, according to Jarchi, was at the east end of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 11:19

And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon ,.... Which was his royal city, where he had his palace, and kept his court, and is therefore particularly mentioned; and the rather, because he had taken it from the Moabites, and was part of that land now in dispute; and this Sihon was not only in possession of, when Israel sent messengers to him, but it was his royal seat, the metropolis of his kingdom, and he was called king of it: and Israel said unto... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 11:20

But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through, his coast ,.... For fear they should seize upon his dominions, and retain them; and the more fearful he might be, as he knew that his people were one of the seven nations of the Canaanites, whose land they were going to possess, and whom they were to destroy: but Sihon gathered all his people together ; in some certain place, and armed them, and went out in an hostile manner against Israel in the wilderness, to attack them; whereby it appears... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 11:21

And the Lord God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel ,.... So that as Sihon, his people, and his country, fell into the hands of Israel through the victory the Lord gave them over him, they had a divine right to the land now in dispute: and they smote them : destroyed him and all his people, as they were ordered to destroy the seven nations of Canaan, of which the Amorites were one, Deuteronomy 7:1 , so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 11:22

And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites ,.... Peaceably and quietly, nor did any pretend to call their right in question, or dispute their title, or give them any disturbance: from Arnon unto Jabbok : which was the length of the country, and the direction was from south to north, and reached from the river Arnon, the border of Moab, to the river Jabbok, the border of Ammon; so that it included no part of what was at this time in the possession of either: and from the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 11:23

So now the Lord God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel ,.... It is his doing, and not the work of the Israelites; it is he that dispossessed the Amorites, and put the Israelites into the possession of their land, and therefore they enjoy it by a good tenure: and shouldest thou possess it ? what through the blessing of God on their arms they have obtained by conquest, and he has settled them in; did they conquer, that thou should possess what they... read more

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