John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 11:5
And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel ,.... Were preparing for it, and had assembled their forces near them, and had began to make some efforts against them: the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob ; they did not send messengers to him, but went themselves, partly to show greater respect to him, and partly in hopes of better success, being aware of objections he would make, which they could better answer themselves than a... read more
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