Judges 11:29-40
Lexham English Bible
Jephthah Makes a Vow
29 And the Spirit of Yahweh came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh. He passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed through to the Ammonites.[a] 30 And Jephthah made a vow to Yahweh, and he said, “If indeed you will give the Ammonites[b] into my hand, 31 whatever[c] comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return safely from the Ammonites[d] will be Yahweh’s, and I will offer it as a burnt offering.” 32 And Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites[e] to make war against them; and Yahweh gave them into his hand. 33 And he defeated them with a very great blow, from Aroer as far as Minnith, twenty towns,[f] up to Abel Keramim. And the Ammonites[g] were subdued before the Israelites.[h]
34 Jephthah came to Mizpah, to his house, and behold his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and dancing. She was his only child; he did not have a son or daughter except her. 35 And the moment he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Ah! My daughter, you have caused me to bow down, and you have become my trouble. I made an oath[i] to Yahweh, and I cannot take it back.” 36 She said to him, “My father, you made an oath[j] to Yahweh. Do to me according to what has gone out from your mouth, since Yahweh gave vengeance to you against your enemies, the Ammonites.”[k] 37 And she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me: grant me two months so that I may go wander[l] on the mountains and lament over my virginity, I and my companions. 38 And he said, “Go.” He sent her away for two months, and she went with her friends, and she lamented over her virginity on the mountains. 39 At the end of the two months she returned to her father, and he did to her according to his vow; and she did not sleep with a man.[m] And it became an annual custom in Israel 40 for the daughters of Israel to go and lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for forty days of the year.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Judges 11:29 Literally “sons/children of Ammon”
- Judges 11:30 Literally “sons/children of Ammon”
- Judges 11:31 Or “whoever”
- Judges 11:31 Literally “sons/children of Ammon”
- Judges 11:32 Literally “sons/children of Ammon”
- Judges 11:33 Hebrew “town”
- Judges 11:33 Literally “sons/children of Ammon”
- Judges 11:33 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Judges 11:35 Literally “I have opened wide my mouth”
- Judges 11:36 Literally “you have opened wide your mouth”
- Judges 11:36 Literally “sons/children of Ammon”
- Judges 11:37 Hebrew “down”
- Judges 11:39 Literally “she did not know a man”
Judges 11:29-40
New American Standard Bible
Jephthah’s Tragic Vow
29 Now (A)the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh; then he passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he went on to the sons of Ammon. 30 And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, “If You will indeed hand over to me the sons of Ammon, 31 then whatever comes out the doors of my house to meet me when I return [a]safely from the sons of Ammon, it shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.” 32 So Jephthah crossed over to the sons of Ammon to fight against them; and the Lord handed them over to him. 33 He [b]inflicted a very great defeat on them from Aroer [c]to the entrance of (B)Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim. So the sons of Ammon were subdued before the sons of Israel.
34 But Jephthah came to his house at (C)Mizpah, and behold, his daughter was coming out to meet him (D)with tambourines and with dancing. And she was his one and only child; besides her he had no son or daughter. 35 So when he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Oh, my daughter! You have brought me disaster, and you are among those who trouble me; for I have [d]given my word to the Lord, and (E)I cannot take it back.” 36 So she said to him, “My father, you have [e]given your word to the Lord; (F)do to me just as [f]you have said, since the Lord has brought you vengeance on your enemies, the sons of Ammon.” 37 And she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me; allow me two months, so that I may [g]go to the mountains and weep because of (G)my virginity, I and my friends.” 38 Then he said, “Go.” So he let her go for two months; and she left with her friends, and wept on the mountains because of her virginity. 39 And at the end of two months she returned to her father, who did to her [h]what he had vowed; and she [i]had no relations with a man. And it became a custom in Israel, 40 that the [j]daughters of Israel went annually to [k]commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for four days in the year.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Judges 11:31 Or with success; lit in well-being
- Judges 11:33 Lit struck a...blow
- Judges 11:33 Lit even until you are coming to
- Judges 11:35 Lit opened my mouth wide
- Judges 11:36 Lit opened your mouth wide
- Judges 11:36 Lit has gone out of your mouth
- Judges 11:37 Lit go and go down on
- Judges 11:39 Lit his vow which he had vowed
- Judges 11:39 Lit knew no man
- Judges 11:40 I.e., women
- Judges 11:40 Lit recount; some ancient versions, lament
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
