Judges 11:25

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 11:25

And now art thou anything better than Balak the son of Zippor king of Moab ?.... This argument seems to strengthen the conjecture, that this king was king of Moab at this time, and so Balak was one of his predecessors. Now he is asked, whether he thought he was a wiser and more knowing prince than he, as to what was his right and due; or whether he had a better claim, or any additional one to the land in dispute the other had not; or whether he judged he was more able to regain what belonged... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Judges 11:15-28

Consult the marginal references. If the ark with the copy of the Law Deuteronomy 31:26 was at Mizpeh, it would account for Jephthah’s accurate knowledge of it; and this exact agreement of his message with Numbers and Deuteronomy would give additional force to the expression, “he uttered all his words before the Lord” Judges 11:11.Judges 11:17No mention is made of this embassy to Moab in the Pentateuch.Judges 11:19Into my place - This expression implies that the trans-Jordanic possessions of... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Judges 11:25

Judges 11:25. Art thou any thing better than Balak? Art thou wiser than he? Or hast thou more right than he had? This is a third argument, that though Balak plotted against Israel, in defence of his own land, which he feared they would invade and conquer, yet he never contended with them about the restitution of those lands which Sihon took from him or his predecessors, laid no claim to them, nor ever demanded to have them restored. 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 11:25

art thou. ? Figure of speech Erotesis. Compare Numbers 22:2 .Deuteronomy 23:4 .Joshua 24:9 . read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Judges 11:25

ARGUMENT NO. 3This was a political argument founded upon the fact that Moab had once claimed some of the disputed territory, but had lost it when Sihon, the king of the Ammonites had forcefully displaced Moab and occupied the land they once had. Jephthah here points out that after Israel defeated and dispossessed Sihon and occupied that strip between the Arnon and the Jabbok, that not even Moab, who once owned it, ever disputed Israel's right to possess it. That being true, who was the king of... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Judges 11:12-28

Jephthah’s negotiations with the king of Ammon 11:12-28Jephthah did not rush into battle but wisely tried to settle the Ammonites’ grievance with Israel peacefully. His approach reveals his humility as well as his wisdom. Most men would have wanted to demonstrate their prowess in battle to impress the ones who had expressed confidence in them and to guarantee their future security with a victory. However, Jephthah restrained himself and appealed to the king of Ammon very logically through... 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 11:25

(25) Art thou anything better than Balak?—Literally, Are you the good, good in comparison with? It is one of the Hebrew ways of expressing the superlative. Jephthah here argues from prescriptive right, which even the contemporary king Balak had not ventured to challenge, showing, therefore, that he admitted the claim of Israel, deadly as was his hatred against them.Did he ever fight against them?—This may seem at first sight to contradict Joshua 24:9. There “Balak the son of Zippor arose and... read more

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