jephthah in the bible

Jephthah then carried out his vow. [5] The girl asks for two months' grace, "...that I may go up and down on the mountains and weep for my virginity". (2 Samuel 10:6) (This land was east of Jordan and southeast of Gilead, and bordered on the desert of Arabia. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I [am] not better than my fathers. Wait a minute. Alicia Ostriker. Reprinted with permission from Who’s Who in the Hebrew Bible (The Jewish Publication Society). The Israelite laws concerning sacrifices and the language used in Judges 11:39 are the chief arguments for the latter interpretation. This part of Jephthah’s story is similar to many of the other judges of Israel but where it differs is the vow that Jephthah made to God. He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both [are] abomination to the LORD. "(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV), Judges 11:10The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "Yahweh shall be witness between us; surely according to your word so will we do. A warrior and prophetess, she's the only woman in the Hebrew Bible with hard political power who is portrayed positively. Jephthah judged Israel for six years, until his death. And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head? In the ancient Middle East, girls commonly married in their early to mid-teens, usually becoming engaged after they first started menstruating. Jephthah then told the people of Israel that he would fight for them, and if he were to win the battle, he would be their new leader. A bargain was struck: Jephthah would lead an Israelite army against the Ammonites. He was buried in one of the cities of the region of Gilead. You have brought me very low!" Jephthah was angry with them and questioned them about their decision to seek his help after they forced him to leave his home. Furthermore, for about 300 years, the Israelites had inhabited the land and not once during that entire time had the Ammonites tried to recover it. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Suddenly, being a prostitute’s son was no longer such a big deal. The tribe of Ephraim complained to Jephthah that he had not asked them to help him against the Ammonites, and they threatened to burn down his house. That it was his precious daughter instead of some supposed “lesser” household member (such as a slave) does little to exonerate him. Trying to correct what they saw as a 300-year wrong, the Ammonites invaded Israel to reclaim lands taken from their ancestors by Joshua and the Israelites of the Exodus. Traditionally, Jephthah is listed among major judges because of the length of the biblical narrative referring to him, but his story also shares features with those of the minor judges, such as his short tenure—only six years—in office. [It is] God that justifieth. Sadly, while Jephthah was empowered by God’s Spirit and knew something of Moses, he didn’t understand who God was or what God desired. Yiphtach -- "He opens," a Gileadite, also a city of Judah. Jephthah's mother was a prostitute. The king of Ammon claimed that the Israelites had stolen their lands from them when they left out of Egypt. Bear up the Hands that Hang Down, by Faith and Prayer... (WEB WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV), (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV), (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV), Did Jephthah sacrifice his daughter to the Lord? | GotQuestions.org. . Seeing that the crisis could not be solved by peaceful means, Jephthah marched with his army toward the Ammonites. Jephthah evidently expected an animal to exit, but this unexpected event caused him to tear his clothes in mourning. Why Did Christ Ride a Donkey on His Triumphant Entry? On behalf of Israel as a whole and in reliance on the might of God the Judge, Jephthah challenges the Ammonites. The Shunamite Woman: A Model of Radical Empathy, Eshet Manoah: Mother of the Mighty Samson, By the Rivers of Babylon We Remember Zion, The Prohibition Against Studying Torah on Tisha B’Av. He sent messengers to the Ammonite king, asking him why he was attacking them. The story of Jephthah has influenced a number of literary works. Jephthah is a minor player in the Bible who reveals a major aspect of God’s character. ATS Bible Dictionary. Jephthah then conquered the people of Ammon and became the leader or judge of Israel. Pseudo-Philo's Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum gives a name for Jephthah's daughter, Seila. Jephthah carried out the vow when she returned. There he set up shop as an outlaw prince, and “a gang of scoundrels gathered around him and followed him” (Judges 11:3). Who’s Who and Where’s Where in the Bible (Uhrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing, 2004) 127. If he came back victorious, he’d be anointed “head”—a king-like position—over the Hebrews in Gilead. "(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV), Judges 11:11Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and chief over them: and Jephthah spoke all his words before Yahweh in Mizpah. Judges 11:29 (NIV) reveals, “Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV), 1 Samuel 12:11Yahweh sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you lived in safety. Since the people of Ammon were severely oppressing the Israelites, they agreed to his terms. Jephthah sent his messengers back to Ammon to explain that when the Israelites came out of Egypt they had not taken any land from Moab or Ammon. And Jephthah … Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.

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