Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge, by R.A. Torrey, [ca. 1880], at sacred-texts.com
Judges Chapter 11
Overview
Jdg 11:1, The covenant between Jephthah and the Gileadites, that he should be their head; Jdg 11:12, The treaty of peace between him and the Ammonites is in vain; Jdg 11:29, Jephthah's vow; Jdg 11:32, His conquest of the Ammonites; Jdg 11:34, He performs his vow on his daughter.
Jephthah: Heb 11:32, called Jephthae
an harlot: Heb. a woman
an harlot: Probably zonah should be rendered as in Jos 2:1, a hostess, or inn-keeper, so Targum of Jonathan, wehoo bar ittetha pundekeetha, "and he was the son of a woman, a tavern-keeper." She was very probably a Canaanite, as she is called, Jdg 11:2, a strange woman, ishah achereth, "a woman of another race;" and on this account his brethren drove him from the family, as not having a full right to the inheritance.
thrust out: Gen 12:10; Deu 23:2; Gal 4:30
a strange: Pro 2:16, Pro 5:3, Pro 5:20, Pro 6:24-26
from his brethren: Heb. from the face of
Tob: Probably the same as Ish-Tob; and appears to have been a part of Syria, near Zobah, Rehob, and Maachah, east of Jordan, and in the most northern part of the portion of Manasseh. If so, it could not be far from Gilead, the country of Jephthah. This country is called Tobie or Tubin, 1; Mac Heb 5:13; and the Jews who inhabited this district Tubieni, 2; Mac Heb 12:17. Sa2 10:6.
vain men: Jdg 9:4; Sa1 22:2, Sa1 27:2, Sa1 30:22-24; Job 30:1-10; Act 17:5
am 2817, bc 1187, An, Ex, Is, 304
in process of time: Heb. after days. Jdg 11:4
made war: Jdg 10:9, Jdg 10:17, Jdg 10:18
to fetch: Sa1 10:27, Sa1 11:6, Sa1 11:7, Sa1 11:12; Psa 118:22, Psa 118:23; Act 7:35-39; Co1 1:27-29
Did not ye hate: Gen 26:27, Gen 37:27, Gen 45:4, Gen 45:5; Pro 17:17; Isa 60:14; Act 7:9-14; Rev 3:9
the elders: Exo 8:8, Exo 8:28, Exo 9:28, Exo 10:17; Kg1 13:6; Luk 17:3, Luk 17:4
we turn: Jdg 10:18
If ye bring: Num 32:20-29
The Lord: Gen 21:23, Gen 31:50; Sa1 12:5; Jer 29:23, Jer 42:5; Rom 1:9; Co2 11:31
be witness: be the hearer, Gen 16:5, Gen 31:53; Deu 1:16; Sa1 24:12
if we do: Exo 20:7; Zac 5:4; Mal 3:5
head: Jdg 11:8
uttered: Sa1 23:9-12; Kg1 3:7-9; Co2 3:5; Jam 1:5, Jam 1:17
Jephthah uttered: That is, upon his elevation, he immediately retired to his devotion, and in prayer spread the whole matter before God, both his choice to the office, and his execution of the office, as one that had his eye ever toward the Lord, and would do nothing without him; that leaned not to his own understanding or courage, but depended on the Almighty God, and his favour. This is an ensample worthy of universal imitation; in All Our Ways, whether great or apparently subordinate, let us acknowledge God and seek his direction. So shall we make our way prosperous, and obtain that peace which passeth all understanding. Jephthah opened his campaign with prayer.
before: Jdg 10:17, Jdg 20:1; Sa1 10:17, Sa1 11:15
Mizpeh: This Mizpeh was east of Jordan in the mountains of Gilead (Gen 31:49); and hence called Mizpeh of Gilead (Jdg 11:29), to distinguish it from another place of the same name, west of Jordan, in the tribe of Judah. Jos 15:38
sent messengers: In this Jephthah acted in accordance with the law of Moses; and hence the justice of his cause would appear more forcibly to the people. Num 20:14, Num 21:21; Deu 2:26, Deu 20:10, Deu 20:11; Pro 25:8, Pro 25:9; Mat 18:15, Mat 18:16
What hast: Kg2 14:8-12
Because Israel: Num 21:24-26; Pro 19:5, Pro 19:9
from Arnon: That is, all the land which had belonged to the Amorites and Moabites.
Jabbok: Gen 32:22; Deu 2:37, Deu 3:16
again unto: Psa 120:7; Rom 12:18; Heb 12:14; Pe1 3:11
Israel took: Num 21:13-15, Num 21:27-30; Deu 2:9, Deu 2:19; Ch2 20:10; Act 24:12, Act 24:13
But when: The whole of these messages shew, Jephthah had well studied the book of Moses. His arguments also are very clear and cogent, and his demands reasonable; for he only required that the Ammonites should cease to harass a people who had neither injured them, nor intended to do so.
walked: Num 14:25; Deu 1:40; Jos 5:6
came: Gen 14:7; Num 13:26, Num 20:1; Deu 1:46
sent messengers: Num 20:14-21; Deu 2:4-8, Deu 2:29
the king: Deu 2:9
went: Num 20:22, Num 21:10-13, Num 33:37-44; Deu 2:1-8
compassed: Num 21:4-9
came by: Num 21:11
Num 21:21-35; Deu 2:26-34, 3:1-17; Jos 13:8-12
Num 21:23; Deu 2:32, Lord God, Neh 9:22; Psa 135:10-12, Psa 136:17-21, they smote, Num 21:24, Num 21:25; Deu 2:33, Deu 2:34, so Israel, Josh. 13:15-32
And they: Deu 2:36
from the wilderness: From Arabia Deserta on the east, to Jordan on the west.
Jephthah shews that the Israelites did not take the land of the Moabites or Ammonites, but that of the Amorites, which they had conquered from Sihon their king; and although the Amorites had taken the lands in question from the Ammonites, yet the title by which Israel held them was good, because they took them, not from the Ammonites, but from the Amorites.
Wilt not thou possess: This is simply an argumentum ad hominem; in which Jephthah argues on this principles recognized by the king of Ammon. As if he had said, "You suppose that the land which you possess was given you by your god Chemosh; and therefore will not relinquish what you believe you hold by a divine right. Now we know that Jehovah, our God, has given us the land of the Israelites; and therefore we will not give it up."
Chemosh: Num 21:29; Kg1 11:7; Jer 48:7, Jer 48:46
whomsoever: Deu 9:4, Deu 9:5, Deu 18:12; Jos 3:10; Psa 44:2, Psa 78:55; Mic 4:5
Balak: Num. 22:2-21; Deu 23:3, Deu 23:4; Jos 24:9, Jos 24:10; Mic 6:5
Heshbon: Num 21:25-30; Deu 2:24, Deu 3:2, Deu 3:6; Jos 12:2, Jos 12:5, Jos 13:10
Aroer: Deu 2:36
three hundred: Jdg 3:11, Jdg 3:30, Jdg 5:31, Jdg 8:28, Jdg 9:22, Jdg 10:2, Jdg 10:3, Jdg 10:8; Jos 11:18, Jos 23:1
the Judge: Gen 18:25; Sa1 2:10; Job 9:15, Job 23:7; Psa 7:11, Psa 50:6, Psa 75:7, Psa 82:8; Psa 94:2, Psa 98:9; Ecc 11:9, Ecc 12:14; Joh 5:22, Joh 5:23; Rom 14:10-12; Co2 5:10; Ti2 4:8; Heb 12:23
be judge: Gen 16:5, Gen 31:53; Sa1 24:12, Sa1 24:15; Psa 7:8, Psa 7:9; Co2 11:11
the spirit: Jdg 3:10, Jdg 6:34, Jdg 13:25; Num 11:25; Sa1 10:10, Sa1 16:13-15; Ch1 12:18
Jephthah: "Jephthah seems to have been judge only of north-east Israel."
over Mizpeh: Jdg 10:17
Gen 28:20; Num 30:2-16; Sa1 1:11; Ecc 5:1, Ecc 5:2, Ecc 5:4, Ecc 5:5
whatsoever: etc. Heb. that which cometh forth, which shall come forth
shall surely: Lev 27:2, Lev 27:3, Lev 27:28, Lev 27:29; Sa1 1:11, Sa1 1:28, Sa1 2:18, Sa1 14:24, Sa1 14:44; Psa 66:13, Psa 66:14
and I will: or, or I will, etc. Wehaaleetheehoo olah, rather, as Dr. Randolph and others contend, "and I will offer Him (or to Him, i.e., Jehovah) a burnt offering;" for hoo may with much more propriety be referred to the person to whom the sacrifice was to be made, than to the thing to be sacrificed. Unless understood in this way, or as the marginal reading, it must have been the vow of a heathen or a madman. If a dog, or other uncleaned animal had met him, he could not have made it a burnt offering; or if his neighbour's wife, sons, etc., his vow gave him no right over them. Lev 27:11, Lev 27:12; Deu 23:18; Psa 66:13; Isa 66:3
the Lord: Jdg 1:4, Jdg 2:18, Jdg 3:10
Aroer: Deu 2:36
Minnith: Situated, according to Eusebius, four miles from Heshbon, towards Philadelphia or Rabbath. Eze 27:17
the plain: or, Abel
his daughter: Judg. 5:1-31; Exo 15:20; Sa1 18:6, Sa1 18:7; Psa 68:25, Psa 148:11, Psa 148:12, Psa 150:4; Jer 31:4, Jer 31:13
beside her: or, he had not of his own either son or daughter, Heb. of himself
neither: Zac 12:10; Luk 7:12, Luk 8:42, Luk 9:38
rent his clothes: Gen 37:29, Gen 37:30, Gen 37:34, Gen 37:35, Gen 42:36-38; Sa2 13:30, Sa2 13:31, Sa2 18:33; Job 1:20
have opened: Lev 27:28, Lev 27:29; Num 30:2-5; Psa 15:4; Ecc 5:2-6
I cannot: Jdg 21:1-7; Sa1 14:44, Sa1 14:45; Mat 14:7-9; Act 23:14
forasmuch: Jdg 16:28-30; Sa2 18:19, Sa2 18:31, Sa2 19:30; Act 20:24, Act 21:13; Rom 16:4; Phi 2:30
go up and down: Heb. go and go down
did with: That Jephthah did not sacrifice his daughter, but consecrated her to the service of God in the tabernacle, in a state of celibacy, will we imagine be evident from the following consideration -
1. Human sacrifices were ever an abomination to Jehovah, of which Jephthah could not be ignorant; and consequently he would neither have made such a vow, nor carried it into execution.
2. We are expressly told (Jdg 11:29) that Jephthah was under the influence of the Spirit of God, which would effectually prevent him from embruing his hands in the blood of his own child.
3. He had it in his power to redeem his daughter (Lev 27:4); and surely his only child must have been of more value than thirty shekles.
4. Besides, who was to perform the horrid rite? Not Jephthah himself, who was no priest, and in whom it would have been most unnatural and inhuman; and the priests would certainly have dissuaded him from it.
5. The sacred historian informs us, that she bewailed her virginity, that she knew no man, and that the Israelitish women went yearly to comfort or lament with her. Jdg 11:31; Lev 27:28, Lev 27:29; Deu 12:31; Isa 66:3
to his vow: Sa1 1:11, Sa1 1:22, Sa1 1:24, Sa1 1:28, Sa1 2:18
custom: or, ordinance
yearly: Heb. from year to year
lament: or, to talk with, Jdg 5:11
four days: Kg1 9:25