Jephthah in the Bible
Exact Match
Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a brave warrior. His mother was a prostitute, but Gilead was his father.
Gilead's wife also gave him sons. When his wife's sons grew up, they made Jephthah leave and said to him, "You are not going to inherit any of our father's wealth, because you are another woman's son."
So Jephthah left his half-brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Lawless men joined Jephthah's gang and traveled with him.
When the Ammonites attacked, the leaders of Gilead asked Jephthah to come back from the land of Tob.
and they said to Jephthah, “Come and be our leader, so that we may fight against the Ammonites.”
Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, "But you hated me and made me leave my father's house. Why do you come to me now, when you are in trouble?"
The leaders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "That may be true, but now we pledge to you our loyalty. Come with us and fight with the Ammonites. Then you will become the leader of all who live in Gilead."
Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, "All right! If you take me back to fight with the Ammonites and the Lord gives them to me, I will be your leader."
The leaders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "The Lord will judge any grievance you have against us, if we do not do as you say."
So Jephthah went with the leaders of Gilead. The people made him their leader and commander. Jephthah repeated the terms of the agreement before the Lord in Mizpah.
Jephthah sent messengers to the Ammonite king, saying, "Why have you come against me to attack my land?"
The Ammonite king said to Jephthah's messengers, "Because Israel stole my land when they came up from Egypt -- from the Arnon River in the south to the Jabbok River in the north, and as far west as the Jordan. Now return it peaceably!"
Jephthah sent messengers back to the Ammonite king
and said to him, "This is what Jephthah says, 'Israel did not steal the land of Moab and the land of the Ammonites.
But the Ammonite king disregarded the message sent by Jephthah.
The Lord's spirit empowered Jephthah. He passed through Gilead and Manasseh and went to Mizpah in Gilead. From there he approached the Ammonites.
Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, saying, "If you really do hand the Ammonites over to me,
Jephthah approached the Ammonites to fight with them, and the Lord handed them over to him.
When Jephthah came home to Mizpah, there was his daughter hurrying out to meet him, dancing to the rhythm of tambourines. She was his only child; except for her he had no son or daughter.
Every year Israelite women commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for four days.
The Ephraimites assembled and crossed over to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, "Why did you go and fight with the Ammonites without asking us to go with you? We will burn your house down right over you!"
Jephthah said to them, "My people and I were entangled in controversy with the Ammonites. I asked for your help, but you did not deliver me from their power.
Jephthah assembled all the men of Gilead and they fought with Ephraim. The men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because the Ephraimites insulted them, saying, "You Gileadites are refugees in Ephraim, living within Ephraim's and Manasseh's territory."
Jephthah led Israel for six years; then he died and was buried in his city in Gilead.
Ibzan, who was from Bethlehem,
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Bastard » Instances of » Jephthah
Holy spirit » Inspiration of » The judges » Jephthah
Israel » Under the judges » War » Ephraimites » defeated » Jephthah
Then Jephthah mustered all the men of Gilead, fought the tribe of Ephraim, and defeated them, because they had been claiming, "You descendants of Gilead are fugitives in the midst of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh." The descendants of Gilead seized control of the Jordan River's fords along the border of Ephraim's territory. Later on, when any fugitive from Ephraim asked them, "Let me cross over," the men from Gilead would ask him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he said "No," they would order him, "Pronounce the word "Shibboleth' right now." If he said "Sibboleth," not being able to pronounce it correctly, they would seize him and slaughter him there at the fords of the Jordan River. During those days 42,000 descendants of Ephraim died that way. Jephthah governed Israel for six years. Then Jephthah died and was buried somewhere in the cities of Gilead.
Jephthah » Summary of his life » Made a rash vow
Jephthah » Summary of his life » Rises to leadership
But Jephthah replied to the elders of Gilead, "Weren't you the ones who hated me and drove me out of my father's house? And you come to me now that you're in trouble?" So the elders of Gilead told Jephthah, "Well, we're coming back to you now so you can accompany us, fight the Ammonites, and become the head of all the inhabitants of Gilead." Then Jephthah asked the elders of Gilead, "If you all send me to fight against the Ammonites and the LORD hands them over right in front of me, will I really become your head?" The elders of Gilead responded to Jephthah, "May the Lord serve as a witness that we're making this agreement between ourselves to do as we've said."
Jephthah » His rash vow concerning bis daughter
Then she continued talking with her father, "Do this for me: leave me alone by myself for two months. I'll go up to the mountains and cry there because I'll never marry. My friends and I will go." So he said, "Go!" He sent her away for two months. She left with her friends and cried there on the mountains because she would never marry. Later, after the two months were concluded, she returned to her father, and he fulfilled what he had solemnly vowed and she never married. That's how the custom arose in Israel that for four days out of every year the Israeli women would go to mourn the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite in commemoration.
Jephthah » Summary of his life » An outcast
Jephthah » Summary of his life » Delivered israel from their enemies
Jephthah » Summary of his life » Moved at times by God's spirit
Jephthah » Summary of his life » A man who kept his vow
Jephthah » Leads the army of israel against the ammonites
Then Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites and attacked them. The LORD gave them into his control. He attacked them from Aroer to the entrance of Minnith twenty cities in all even as far as Abel-keramim. As a result, the Ammonites were subdued right in front of the Israelis.
Jephthah » His message to the king of the ammonites
and they informed him, "This is Jephthah's response: "Israel didn't seize the land of Moab nor the land of the Ammonites. Here's what happened: When Israel came up from Egypt, passed through the desert to the Red Sea, and arrived at Kadesh, Israel sent a delegation to the king of Edom and asked him, "Please let us pass through your territory." "But the king of Edom wouldn't listen. So they also sent word to the king of Moab, but he wouldn't consent, either. So Israel stayed at Kadesh. Then they went through the desert, circumventing the territory belonging to Edom and Moab. They encamped on the other side of the Arnon River, but never entered the territory of Moab because the Arnon River is the border of Moab. "Then Israel sent a delegation to Sihon, king of the Amorites and king of Heshbon. Israel requested of him, "Please let us pass through your territory to our place." But Sihon didn't trust Israel to pass through his territory, so he assembled his entire army, encamped in Jahaz, and fought against Israel. The LORD God of Israel handed Sihon and his entire army into the control of Israel, and defeated them. As a result, Israel took control over the entire land of the Amorites, who were living in that country. They took possession of the entire territory of the Amorites from the Arnon River as far as the Jabbok River and from the desert as far as the Jordan River. "Now then, since the LORD God of Israel expelled the Amorites right in front of his people Israel, are you going to control their territory? Don't you control what your god Chemosh gives you? In the same way, we'll take control of whomever the LORD our God has driven out in front of us. Also ask yourselves: do you have a better case than Zippor's son Balak, king of Moab? Did he ever have a quarrel with Israel or ever win a fight against them? When Israel was living in Heshbon and its surrounding villages, in Aroer and its surrounding villages, and in all the cities that line the banks of the Arnon River these past three hundred years, why didn't you retake them during that time? I haven't sinned against you, but you are acting wrongly against me by declaring war on me. May the LORD, the Judge, sit in judgment today between the Israelis and the Ammonites.'" But the king of the Ammonites wouldn't heed the message that Jephthah had sent to him.
Jephthah » Made head of the land of gilead
The elders of Gilead responded to Jephthah, "May the Lord serve as a witness that we're making this agreement between ourselves to do as we've said." So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people appointed him head and military commander over them. Jephthah uttered everything he had to say with the solemnity of an oath in the LORD's presence at Mizpah.
Jephthah » Made captain of the army
So the elders of Gilead told Jephthah, "Well, we're coming back to you now so you can accompany us, fight the Ammonites, and become the head of all the inhabitants of Gilead." Then Jephthah asked the elders of Gilead, "If you all send me to fight against the Ammonites and the LORD hands them over right in front of me, will I really become your head?" The elders of Gilead responded to Jephthah, "May the Lord serve as a witness that we're making this agreement between ourselves to do as we've said." So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people appointed him head and military commander over them. Jephthah uttered everything he had to say with the solemnity of an oath in the LORD's presence at Mizpah.
Jephthah » Illegitimate, and therefore not entitled to inherit his father's property
Jephthah » Faith of
Jephthah » Escapes the violence of his half-brothers; lives in the land of tob
Jephthah » Leads israel for six years, dies, and is buried in gilead
Jephthah » Leads the army of the gileadites against the ephraimites
Jephthah » Recalled from the land of tob by the elders of gilead
Jephthah » Falsely accused by the ephraimites
Jephthah » smites » Ammonites » At aroer
Judge » Jephthah
Then Jephthah mustered all the men of Gilead, fought the tribe of Ephraim, and defeated them, because they had been claiming, "You descendants of Gilead are fugitives in the midst of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh." The descendants of Gilead seized control of the Jordan River's fords along the border of Ephraim's territory. Later on, when any fugitive from Ephraim asked them, "Let me cross over," the men from Gilead would ask him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he said "No," they would order him, "Pronounce the word "Shibboleth' right now." If he said "Sibboleth," not being able to pronounce it correctly, they would seize him and slaughter him there at the fords of the Jordan River. During those days 42,000 descendants of Ephraim died that way. Jephthah governed Israel for six years. Then Jephthah died and was buried somewhere in the cities of Gilead.
extraordinary Judges » Names of » Jephthah
Oaths » Instances of rash, &c » Jephthah
He attacked them from Aroer to the entrance of Minnith twenty cities in all even as far as Abel-keramim. As a result, the Ammonites were subdued right in front of the Israelis. When Jephthah arrived at his home in Mizpah surprise! it was his daughter who came out to meet him, playing tambourines and dancing. She was his one and only child. Except for her, he had no other son or daughter. When he saw her, he ripped his clothes and cried out, "Oh no! My daughter! You have terribly burdened me! You've joined those who are causing me trouble, because I've given my word to the LORD, and I cannot go back on it. She told him, "My father, you have given your word to the LORD. Do to me according to what has come out of your own mouth, considering that the LORD has paid back your enemies, the Ammonites."
Religious zeal » Instances of » Jephthah
Then she continued talking with her father, "Do this for me: leave me alone by myself for two months. I'll go up to the mountains and cry there because I'll never marry. My friends and I will go." So he said, "Go!" He sent her away for two months. She left with her friends and cried there on the mountains because she would never marry. Later, after the two months were concluded, she returned to her father, and he fulfilled what he had solemnly vowed and she never married. That's how the custom arose in Israel