Jephthah
A judge of Gilead, the son of a prostitute, driven out by his half-brothers and living as the leader of a band of raiders until the elders came begging him to lead them against the Ammonites. He first tried diplomacy, arguing Israel's case in a long message to the Ammonite king. Then he made his rash vow — to offer whatever came out of his door to meet him if he returned victorious — and was met by his only daughter, who asked two months to bewail her virginity in the hills. His victory was followed by civil war with Ephraim and the Jordan fords where 'Shibboleth' betrayed the fugitives. Hebrews lists him among the faithful.
What we know — and how we know it
Where in scripture
Judges1 SamuelHebrewsNow Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, and he was the son of a prostitute. Gilead became the father of Jephthah.
Judges 11:1
Jephthah vowed a vow to Yahweh, and said, “If you will indeed deliver the children of Ammon into my hand,
Judges 11:30 — His rash vow
The men of Ephraim were gathered together, and passed northward; and they said to Jephthah, “Why did you pass over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didn’t call us to go with you? We will burn your house around you with fire!”
Judges 12:1
Jephthah said to them, “I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, you didn’t save me out of their hand.
Judges 12:2
Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim. The men of Gilead struck Ephraim, because they said, “You are fugitives of Ephraim, you Gileadites, in the middle of Ephraim, and in the middle of Manasseh.”
Judges 12:4
Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died, and was buried in the cities of Gilead.
Judges 12:7
Yahweh sent Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you lived in safety.
1 Samuel 12:11
What more shall I say? For the time would fail me if I told of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets;
Hebrews 11:32
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.
Family
In their own words — 6 recorded sayings
“But Jephthah said to the responsible men of Gilead, Did you not, in your hate for me, send me away from my father's house? Why do you come to me now when you are in trouble?” — Judges 11:7
“Then Jephthah said to the responsible men of Gilead, If you take me back to make war against the children of Ammon, and if with the help of the Lord I overcome them, will you make me your head?” — Judges 11:9
“And Jephthah took an oath to the Lord, and said, If you will give the children of Ammon into my hands, Then whoever comes out from the door of my house, meeting me when I come back in peace from the children of Ammon, will be the Lord's and I will give him as a burned offering.” — Judges 11:30-31
“And when he saw her he was overcome with grief, and said, Ah! my daughter! I am crushed with sorrow, and it is you who are the chief cause of my trouble; for I have made an oath to the Lord and I may not take it back.” — Judges 11:35
“And he said, Go then. So he sent her away for two months; and she went with her friends to the mountains, weeping for her sad fate.” — Judges 11:38
“And Jephthah said to them, I and my people were in danger, and the children of Ammon were very cruel to us, and when I sent for you, you gave me no help against them. So when I saw that there was no help to be had from you, I put my life in my hand and went over against the children of Ammon, and the Lord gave them into my hands: why then have you come up to me this day to make war on me?” — Judges 12:2-3
Speaker attribution: Clear Bible MACULA (CC BY 4.0). Wording: Bible in Basic English (public domain).
In art
