Jephthah in the Bible

Exact Match

Jephthah, Ashnah, Nezib,

Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a brave warrior. His mother was a prostitute, but Gilead was his father.

Verse ConceptsIllegitimate ChildrenHarlots

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."

Verse ConceptsHalf brothers

So Jephthah left his half-brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Lawless men joined Jephthah's gang and traveled with him.

Verse ConceptsHalf brothers

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.”

Verse ConceptsInvitations

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?"

Verse ConceptsHatredDistressHating IndividualsHalf brothers

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."

Verse ConceptsAppealing To GodThe Witness Of God

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.

Verse ConceptsAuthority Delegated To PeopleLater Covenants With God

Jephthah sent messengers to the Ammonite king, saying, "Why have you come against me to attack my land?"

Verse ConceptsMessengers Sent OutWhat Have We In Common?

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!"

Verse ConceptsRivers And StreamsArnon

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.

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.

Verse ConceptsdanceDancingLeisure, And PastimesMusical Instruments, types ofVirginChildren, Good Examples OfThe Only ChildMeeting PeopleMusic To CelebrateOnly Child Of Peopleprepping

Every year Israelite women commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for four days.

Verse ConceptsLamentingFour Or Five 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!"

Verse ConceptsArsonActing AloneBurning People

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.

Verse ConceptsThose Not Saved

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."

Verse ConceptsIsrael FleeingFighting One AnotherReuben Gad And Half Manasseh

Jephthah led Israel for six years; then he died and was buried in his city in Gilead.

Verse ConceptsSix YearsJudging Israel

Ibzan, who was from Bethlehem, judged Israel after Jephthah

Verse ConceptsJudging Israel

And the LORD sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe.

Verse Conceptsenemies, of Israel and Judahenemies, of believersGod Saving From Enemies

Thematic Bible



Now Jephthah existed then, a Gileadite, a mighty man of valour, the son of a harlot unto whom Gilead had begat a son.


Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh and passed through Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he went unto the sons of Ammon.


And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together towards the Aquilon and said unto Jephthah, Why didst thou go over to fight against the sons of Ammon and didst not call us to go with thee? We will burn thy house upon thee with fire. And Jephthah replied unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the sons of Ammon, and when I called you, ye did not defend me from their hands. Seeing, therefore, that ye did not defend me, I put my life in my hands and went over against the sons of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Why then have ye come up against me this day to fight with me? read more.
Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim; and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim because they had said, Ye are fugitives of Ephraim; ye are Gileadites among Ephraim and Manasseh. And the Gileadites took the passages of the Jordan from Ephraim; and it was such that when any of those of Ephraim who had escaped would say, May I pass? The men of Gilead would ask them, Art thou an Ephrathite? If he said, No; then they would say unto him, Now say Shibboleth. . And he would say Sibboleth; ; for he could not pronounce it the same. Then they would take him and slay him at the passages of the Jordan. And at that time forty-two thousand of those of Ephraim fell. And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.


And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the sons of Ammon into my hands, whoever comes forth of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon shall surely be the LORD's, and I will offer them up for a burnt offering.


And it came to pass after some days that the sons of Ammon made war against Israel. And when the sons of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob; and they said unto Jephthah, Come, and thou shalt be our captain that we may fight with the sons of Ammon. read more.
And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me and expel me out of my father's house? Why, therefore, are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress? And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, For this same reason we turn again to thee now that thou may go with us and fight against the sons of Ammon and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. Then Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the sons of Ammon and the LORD delivers them before me, shall I be your head? And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Let the LORD hear between us, if we do not comply with thy words.


And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances; and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter. And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of those that trouble me, for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back. And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which has proceeded out of thy mouth, forasmuch as the LORD has taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the sons of Ammon. read more.
And she said again unto her father, Let this thing be done for me; let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains and bewail my virginity, I and my companions. And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months, and she went with her companions and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains. And it came to pass at the end of two months that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed. And she had never known a man. From here came the custom in Israel that the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah, the Gileadite, four days in a year.

whoever comes forth of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon shall surely be the LORD's, and I will offer them up for a burnt offering.


Now Jephthah existed then, a Gileadite, a mighty man of valour, the son of a harlot unto whom Gilead had begat a son. And Gilead's wife bore him sons; and when his wife's sons grew up, they threw Jephthah out and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house, for thou art the son of a strange woman.


And he smote them from Aroer, even unto Minnith twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the sons of Ammon were subdued before the sons of Israel.


Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh and passed through Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he went unto the sons of Ammon.


And it came to pass at the end of two months that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed. And she had never known a man. From here came the custom in Israel


Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh and passed through Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he went unto the sons of Ammon. And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the sons of Ammon into my hands, whoever comes forth of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon shall surely be the LORD's, and I will offer them up for a burnt offering. read more.
So Jephthah went over unto the sons of Ammon to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his hands. And he smote them from Aroer, even unto Minnith twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the sons of Ammon were subdued before the sons of Israel.


And Jephthah sent ambassadors unto the king of the sons of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me that thou art come against me to fight in my land? And the king of the sons of Ammon replied unto the ambassadors of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok and unto the Jordan; now, therefore, restore those lands again peaceably. Then Jephthah sent ambassadors again unto the king of the sons of Ammon, read more.
saying unto him, Thus hath Jephthah said, Israel did not take land from Moab, nor land from the sons of Ammon, but Israel came up from Egypt and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea and came to Kadesh. Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land. But the king of Edom would not hear them. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab, but he would not consent either; therefore Israel abode in Kadesh. Then they went along through the wilderness and went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab and came by the side of the rising of the sun to the land of Moab; they pitched their camp on the other side of Arnon and did not enter within the border of Moab, for Arnon was the border of Moab. And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon, king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place. But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his border; but Sihon gathered all his people together and pitched camp in Jahaz and fought against Israel. But the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them; so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorite that inhabited that land. And they possessed all the border of the Amorites from Arnon even unto Jabbok and from the wilderness even unto the Jordan. So now the LORD God of Israel has expelled the Amorites from before his people Israel and should thou possess it? If Chemosh thy god should expel anyone for you, would thou not possess it? So whoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess. Art thou better now in any thing than Balak, the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Peradventure did he ever strive against Israel? Peradventure did he ever fight against them? Furthermore, Israel has dwelt in Heshbon and her towns and in Aroer and her towns and in all the cities that are along by the coasts of Arnon, for three hundred years. Why, therefore, did ye not recover them within that time? Therefore, I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me; let the LORD, who is the Judge, judge this day between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon. But the king of the sons of Ammon did not hear the reasons of Jephthah which he sent him.


And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me and expel me out of my father's house? Why, therefore, are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress? And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, For this same reason we turn again to thee now that thou may go with us and fight against the sons of Ammon and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. Then Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the sons of Ammon and the LORD delivers them before me, shall I be your head? read more.
And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Let the LORD hear between us, if we do not comply with thy words. Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and prince over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh.


And when the sons of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob; and they said unto Jephthah, Come, and thou shalt be our captain that we may fight with the sons of Ammon. And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me and expel me out of my father's house? Why, therefore, are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress? read more.
And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, For this same reason we turn again to thee now that thou may go with us and fight against the sons of Ammon and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. Then Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the sons of Ammon and the LORD delivers them before me, shall I be your head? And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Let the LORD hear between us, if we do not comply with thy words. Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and prince over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh.


Now Jephthah existed then, a Gileadite, a mighty man of valour, the son of a harlot unto whom Gilead had begat a son. And Gilead's wife bore him sons; and when his wife's sons grew up, they threw Jephthah out and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house, for thou art the son of a strange woman.


And what shall I more say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon and of Barak and of Samson and of Jephthae, of David also and Samuel and of the prophets,


Then Jephthah fled from his brethren and dwelt in the land of Tob; and vain men joined themselves to Jephthah and went out with him.


And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.


Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim; and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim because they had said, Ye are fugitives of Ephraim; ye are Gileadites among Ephraim and Manasseh.


And when the sons of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob;


And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together towards the Aquilon and said unto Jephthah, Why didst thou go over to fight against the sons of Ammon and didst not call us to go with thee? We will burn thy house upon thee with fire.


And their border was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead and half of the land of the sons of Ammon, unto Aroer that is before Rabbah,

And the sons of Gad built Dibon and Ataroth and Aroer


And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together towards the Aquilon and said unto Jephthah, Why didst thou go over to fight against the sons of Ammon and didst not call us to go with thee? We will burn thy house upon thee with fire. And Jephthah replied unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the sons of Ammon, and when I called you, ye did not defend me from their hands. Seeing, therefore, that ye did not defend me, I put my life in my hands and went over against the sons of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Why then have ye come up against me this day to fight with me? read more.
Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim; and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim because they had said, Ye are fugitives of Ephraim; ye are Gileadites among Ephraim and Manasseh. And the Gileadites took the passages of the Jordan from Ephraim; and it was such that when any of those of Ephraim who had escaped would say, May I pass? The men of Gilead would ask them, Art thou an Ephrathite? If he said, No; then they would say unto him, Now say Shibboleth. . And he would say Sibboleth; ; for he could not pronounce it the same. Then they would take him and slay him at the passages of the Jordan. And at that time forty-two thousand of those of Ephraim fell. And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.


Now Jephthah existed then, a Gileadite, a mighty man of valour, the son of a harlot unto whom Gilead had begat a son.


And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the sons of Ammon into my hands, whoever comes forth of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon shall surely be the LORD's, and I will offer them up for a burnt offering. So Jephthah went over unto the sons of Ammon to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his hands. read more.
And he smote them from Aroer, even unto Minnith twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the sons of Ammon were subdued before the sons of Israel. And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances; and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter. And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of those that trouble me, for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back. And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which has proceeded out of thy mouth, forasmuch as the LORD has taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the sons of Ammon.


And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the sons of Ammon into my hands, whoever comes forth of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon shall surely be the LORD's, and I will offer them up for a burnt offering.

And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances; and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter. And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of those that trouble me, for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back. And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which has proceeded out of thy mouth, forasmuch as the LORD has taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the sons of Ammon. read more.
And she said again unto her father, Let this thing be done for me; let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains and bewail my virginity, I and my companions. And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months, and she went with her companions and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains. And it came to pass at the end of two months that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed. And she had never known a man. From here came the custom in Israel


References

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