Judges 11:30-31

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Judges 11:31

Judges 11:31. Shall surely be the Lord's; and I will offer it up for a burnt-offering— Shall be consecrated to the Lord, or I will offer it, &c. Waterland. It is very evident, that this translation by Dr. Waterland must be right; because it was impossible that Jephthah should mean to offer for a burnt-offering whatever came forth of the doors of his house to meet him, since it was possible for him to have been met by several things which it would be sacrilegious for him to have offered to... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Judges 11:31

31. whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me—This evidently points not to an animal, for that might have been a dog; which, being unclean, was unfit to be offered; but to a person, and it looks extremely as if he, from the first, contemplated a human sacrifice. Bred up as he had been, beyond the Jordan, where the Israelitish tribes, far from the tabernacle, were looser in their religious sentiments, and living latterly on the borders of a heathen country where such sacrifices... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Judges 11:29-33

Jephthah’s vow and victory 11:29-33God’s Spirit then clothed Jephthah, giving the promise of divine enablement and victory in the approaching encounter with the Ammonite army (Judges 11:29; cf. Judges 3:10; Judges 6:34; Judges 14:6; Judges 14:19; 1 Samuel 10:10)."The spirit may be an effective power; but it seems that it is not automatically effective, at least not in terms of effecting deliverance. The spirit comes upon or possesses human beings; therefore, it must be embodied with cooperation... 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

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Judges 11:30

(30) Jephthah vowed a vow.—This was a practice among all ancient nations, but specially among the Jews (Genesis 28:20-22; 1 Samuel 1:11; 2 Samuel 15:8; Psalms 66:13). read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Judges 11:31

(31) Whatsoever cometh forth.—The true rendering undoubtedly is, Whosoever cometh forth (LXX., ὁ ἐκπορευόμενος; Vulg., quicunque). Nothing can be clearer than that the view held of this passage, from early Jewish days down to the Middle Ages, and still held by nearly all unbiased commentators, is the true one, and alone adequately explains the text: viz., that Jephthah, ignorant as he was—being a man of semi-heathen parentage, and long familiarised with heathen surroundings—contemplated a human... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Dictionary of Texts - Judges 11:1-40

Judges 11:6 When a subject presented itself so large and shapeless, and dry and thorny, that few men's fortitude could face, and no one's patience could grapple with it; or an emergency occurred demanding, on a sudden, access to stores of learning, the collection of many long years, but arranged so as to be made available at the shortest notice then it was men asked where Lawrence was. Lord Brougham. Judges 11:10 In a sermon preached at Fenwick in 1663, William Guthrie told his congregation:... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Bible Commentary - Judges 11:12-40

THE TERRIBLE VOWJudges 11:12-40AT every stage of their history the Hebrews were capable of producing men of passionate religiousness. And this appears as a distinction of the group of nations to which they belong. The Arab of the present time has the same quality. He can be excited to a holy war in which thousands perish. With the battle cry of Allah and his Prophet he forgets fear. He presents a different mingling of character from the Saxon, -turbulence and reverence, sometimes apart, then... read more

Arno Clemens Gaebelein

Arno Gaebelein's Annotated Bible - Judges 11:1-40

CHAPTER 11 Jephthah and the Ammonites 1. Jephthah’s covenant (Judges 11:1-11 ) 2. The messages to Ammon (Judges 11:12-28 ) 3. Jephthah’s vow and victory (Judges 11:29-33 ) 4. Jephthah keeps his vow (Judges 11:34-40 ) Jephthah the judge who delivered Israel from the servitude of Ammon was the offspring of an unholy union “the son of an harlot.” Then he became an outcast and had to flee from his brethren. He dwelt in the land of Tob (goodness) and vain, or worthless, men gathered unto... read more

John Calvin

Geneva Study Bible - Judges 11:30

11:30 And Jephthah {m} vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,(m) As the apostle commends Jephthah for his worthy enterprise in delivering the people, Hebrews 11:32 so by his rash vow and wicked performance of the same, his victory was defaced: and here we see that the sins of the godly do not utterly extinguish their faith. read more

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