Judges 11:9
in Judges 11But Jephthah asked them, “If you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the LORD gives them to me, will I really be your leader?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight with the children of Ammon, and Jehovah deliver them before me, shall I be your head?
KJV
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?
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This verse in Judges 11
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Jephthah made his own aggrandisement the condition of his delivering; his country. The circumstances of his birth and long residence in a pagan land were little favorable to the formation of the highest type of character. Yet he has his record among the faithful Heb 11:32.
This site's exposition
will I really be your leader
on Judges 11:9-11
Jephthah makes the elders swear, "The LORD is our witness if we do not do as you say". Mizpah took its name at Genesis 31:49 from the same appeal, "May the LORD keep watch between you and me". He then "repeated all his terms in the presence of the LORD," so a bargain with men becomes a matter with God, the shape of the vow at verse 30.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead,....
"Now if, by the blessing of God, I come home a conqueror, tell me plainly shall I be your head? If I deliver you, under God, shall I, under him, reform you?" The same question is put to those who desire salvation by Christ.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
It is probable that he saw some of his brothers among the deputies. Jephthah was now in circumstances to make his own terms. With his former experience, he would have shown little wisdom or prudence without binding them to a clear and specific engagement to invest him with unlimited authority, the more especially as he was about to imperil his life in their cause.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יִפְתָּ֜ח | yiftach | Jephthah | H3316 → | 30 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| זִקְנֵ֣י | ziknei | [the] elders of | H2205 → | 178 times |
| גִלְעָ֗ד | gilad | Gilead | H1568 → | 134 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| מְשִׁיבִ֨ים | meshivim | [are] bringing back | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אַתֶּ֤ם | ʾatem | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| אוֹתִי֙ | ʾoti | <obj.> me | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לְהִלָּחֵם֙ | lehilachem | to fight | H3898 → | 177 times |
| בִּבְנֵ֣י | bivnei | against [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| עַמּ֔וֹן | amon | Ammon | H5983 → | 106 times |
| וְנָתַ֧ן | venatan | and he will deliver up | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| יְהוָ֛ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אוֹתָ֖ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לְפָנָ֑י | lefanai | <to> before me | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| אָנֹכִ֕י | ʾanokhi | I | H595 → | 359 times |
| אֶהְיֶ֥ה | ʾehyeh | I will become | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לָכֶ֖ם | lakhem | of you | ||
| לְרֹֽאשׁ׃ | lerosh | <into> chief | H7218 → | 599 times |
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
יִפְתָּ֜חJephthah
yiftachH3316 →30 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
זִקְנֵ֣י[the] elders of
zikneiH2205 →178 times
גִלְעָ֗דGilead
giladH1568 →134 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
מְשִׁיבִ֨ים[are] bringing back
meshivimH7725 →1056 times
אַתֶּ֤םyou
ʾatemH859 →1094 times
אוֹתִי֙<obj.> me
ʾotiH853 →10935 times
לְהִלָּחֵם֙to fight
lehilachemH3898 →177 times
בִּבְנֵ֣יagainst [the] people of
bivneiH1121 →4930 times
עַמּ֔וֹןAmmon
amonH5983 →106 times
וְנָתַ֧ןand he will deliver up
venatanH5414 →2011 times
יְהוָ֛הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אוֹתָ֖ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
לְפָנָ֑י<to> before me
lefanaiH6440 →2123 times
אָנֹכִ֕יI
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
אֶהְיֶ֥הI will become
ʾehyehH1961 →3559 times
לָכֶ֖םof you
lakhem
לְרֹֽאשׁ׃<into> chief
leroshH7218 →599 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
About Judges
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.