Judges, Chapter 11

This chapter is solely dedicated to Jephthah. Jephthah has a rough start. In the middle of this chapter, he becomes a judge/leader. However, by the end of the chapter, Jephthah says some things that he HIGHLY regrets. Like changes a whole person’s life, literally. His poor daughter…just..read on. Enjoy.

Jephthah, the Gileadite, was a mighty warrior. His father was named Gilead. His mom was a lady of the night. Gilead’s wife also bore him sons. When these sons were grown up, they made Jephthah go away. “You’re not getting any of our inheritance! Because you got a different mom. Get outta here!”

So Jephthah ran away from his brothers. Jephthah settled in the land of Tob. This is where a group of adventurers (watch out for arrows to the knee) gathered around & followed Jephthah. So sometime after this, the Ammonites started a war with the Israelites. The elders of the city of Gilead came to Jephthah, begging him to be their leader.

Jephthah said, “What the hell? Where were you when I was kicked out of my dad’s house? Why do you come to me now? When you’re in trouble?” The elders were all like, “Regardless, we need you NOW! Come & fight the Ammonites. We’ll make you the leader of the town if you do.”

Jephthah said, “Supposin’ I do come & fight with you guys. Are you REALLY gonna let me be the leader of the city?” The elders told him that they promised that they would make him the leader. Swore in front of God & everything.

So Jephthah went with the elders to fight. They made him their leader & commander of the military. Then Jephthah sent some messengers to the Ammonite king (who is unnamed here). The message: What do you have against the Israelites that you’ve attacked our country?

The Ammonite king didn’t take too kindly to those words. He responded with: “When the Israelites came out of Egypt, they took all my land from Arnon to the Jabbok, all the way to the Jordan River. Give it back peacefully.”

Jephthah thought that the Ammonite king had jokes! Jephthah sent back messengers to the king, telling the king that the Israelites didn’t take any land from anyone. Jephthah goes into the history of the Israelites. Egypt, the desert, Edom, King Sihon & Og, the whole story.

The message continues: “Now since our god has sent the Amorites on their merry way, what right do you, king-y boy, to take over the land? Will you take what your god Chemosh gives you? We’re gonna possess whatever our god has given us.” Jephthah’s message continues, he talks a bunch of smack. He wanted God to decide between the Israelites & the Ammonites.

The Ammonite king paid no attention to the last message Jephthah sent. Then the “Spirit of God” (a.k.a. the Holy Spirit) came upon Jephthah. Jephthah advanced against the Ammonites. Jephthah made a vow to God. This particular vow was a big mistake for Jephthah. The vow: If God helped Jephthah win the battle, whatever was the 1st thing/person that came out his home’s front door, was going to be made into a burnt offering. (Open mouth, insert foot.)

Jephthah went ahead & fought the Ammonites. God gave them the victory. This guy, Jephthah, absolutely devastated 20 towns from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith. To as far as Abel Keramim. The Israelites subdued Ammon.

Here’s where the open mouth, insert foot deal happens. When Jephthah goes back home. What, or who was the 1st thing to greet him? His daughter, who was dancing to the sound of tambourines. She was an only child. When Jephthah saw her, he tore his clothes. He told his daughter that he made a vow that he couldn’t break & she was involved. He was very upset.

She was really cool about it. However, at this point, she didn’t know the exact wording of her dear dad’s vow. She said, “Do what you gotta do. Now that God Himself had your back. However, Daddy, can I get a favor? Give me 2 months to roam the hills & weep with my friends. Because I’m never gonna get married.”

Jephthah let her go. His daughter & her friends went into the hills. They wept because their friend was never going to get married. After 2 months, she did come back. Jephthah did what he said he was going to do. They make sure to tell us that she (the daughter) is a virgin. (So, if you remember, Jephthah vowed that whatever was the 1st thing/person that he saw he was going to use as a burnt offering. And the 1st thing he saw was a person. It just happened to be his only child. Sadly. So he used his daughter as a burnt offering. Human sacrifice.)

From this comes an Israelite custom that each year, the young Israelite women go out for 4 days to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.