JUDGES CHAPTER 11 Jephthah dwells in the land of Tob, JUDGES 11:1; is called by the elders of Gilead to command in chief against the Ammonites, JUDGES 11:4. He demands to be continued head after the war should cease; they swear it shall be so, JUDGES 11:7. He sendeth twice messengers to the king of... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GILEADITE; so called, either from his father Gilead, JOSHUA 17:1,2, or from the mountain or city of Gilead, the place of his birth or abode. THE SON OF AN HARLOT, i.e. a bastard; for though such were not ordinarily to enter into the congregation of the Lord, DEUTERONOMY 23:2, yet God can dispens... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LAND OF TOB, the name either of the land or territory, or of the man who was the owner or ruler of it. This place was in or near Gilead, as appears by the speedy intercourse which here was between Jephthah and the Israelites. VAIN MEN; idle persons, who desire to get their living rather by spoil... [ Continue Reading ]
IN PROCESS OF TIME, Heb. _after some days_; or, _after a year_; _days_ being oft put for a _year_, as hath been showed, after that year mentioned JUDGES 10:8. The Ammonites had vexed and oppressed them eighteen years, and now that the Israelites begin to make opposition, they commence a war against... [ Continue Reading ]
By direction or instinct from God, who both qualified him for and called him to the office of a judge. See JUDGES 12:7 HEBREWS 11:32. Otherwise they might not have chosen a bastard, DEUTERONOMY 23:2. Unless we will say, that there being no other person among them fit for and willing to this work, ne... [ Continue Reading ]
OUR CAPTAIN: they say not _our king_; for the experience of Abimelech's kingship had cooled their appetite in that particular; but our captain.... [ Continue Reading ]
DID NOT YE EXPEL ME OUT OF MY FATHER'S HOUSE, and deprive me of all share in my father's goods, which, though a bastard, was due to me? This expulsion of him was the act of his brethren; but he here ascribes it to the elders of Gilead; either because some of them were among these elders, as is very... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE WE TURN AGAIN TO THEE NOW; being sensible that we have done thee injury, we come now to make time full reparations.... [ Continue Reading ]
IF YE BRING ME HOME AGAIN; if you recall me from this place where I am now settled, to the place whence I was expelled. SHALL I BE YOUR HEAD? will you really make good this promise? Jephthah was so solicitous in this case, either from his zeal for the public good, which required that he should be so... [ Continue Reading ]
They confirm their promise by a solemn and sacred oath.... [ Continue Reading ]
JEPHTHAH UTTERED ALL HIS WORDS, objectively so called; i.e. all that was spoken, not only by him, but also by the elders of Gilead concerning him, and concerning this whole transaction, and the conditions of it; or, _all his matters_, the whole business. BEFORE THE LORD, i.e. before the public congr... [ Continue Reading ]
MESSENGERS, i.e. ambassadors, to prevent bloodshed, and make peace, as far as in him lay; that so the Israelites might be acquitted before God and men from all the sad consequences of this war: herein he showed great prudence, and no less piety. WHAT HAST THOU TO DO WITH ME? what pretence or reasona... [ Continue Reading ]
MY LAND, i.e. this land of Gilead, which was mine, but unjustly taken from me, by Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and the injury perpetuated by Israel's detaining it from me. This land, before the conquests of Sihon and Og, belonged partly to the Ammonites, as is affirmed, JOSHUA 13:25; and... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTO THE RED SEA; unto which they came three times; once, EXODUS 13:18; again, a little after their passage over it, EXODUS 15:22; and a third time, long after, when they came to Ezion-gaber, NUMBERS 33:35 DEUTERONOMY 2:8, which was upon the shore of the Red Sea, 1 KINGS 9:26 2 CHRONICLES 8:17, from... [ Continue Reading ]
Peaceably, and did not revenge their unkindness and inhumanity, as they could have done.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
i.e. Unto the land of Canaan, which God hath given to me.... [ Continue Reading ]
So Sihon was the aggressor or beginner of the war; and the Israelites were forced to it for their own defence.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE COASTS, or _borders_, together with all the land included within those borders; for so that word is oft used, as EXODUS 8:2 PSALMS 147:14 JEREMIAH 15:13, JEREMIAH 17:3. THE WILDERNESS, to wit, the desert of Arabia.... [ Continue Reading ]
God, the sovereign Lord of all lands, hath given us this land: this he adds, as a further and a convincing reason; because otherwise it might have been alleged against the former argument, that they could gain no more right to that land from Sihon than Sihon himself had, and he had but an unjust cla... [ Continue Reading ]
He speaks according to their fond and absurd opinion. The Ammonites and Moabites got their land by right of war, and conquest of the old inhabitants, whom they cast out; and this success, though given them by the true God, for Lot's sake, DEUTERONOMY 2:19, they impiously and ridiculously ascribe to... [ Continue Reading ]
ART THOU BETTER THAN BALAK? art thou wiser than he? or hast thou more right than he had? Balak, though he plotted against Israel, in defence of his own land, which he feared they would invade and conquer, NUMBERS 22:4; yet he never contended with them about the restitution of those lands which Sihon... [ Continue Reading ]
THREE HUNDRED YEARS; not precisely, but about that time; either from their coming out of Egypt, or from their first conquest of those lands; and thus numbers are oft expressed: see NUMBERS 1:46, NUMBERS 2:32 11:21 JUDGES 20:46. He urgeth prescription, which is by all men reckoned a just title, and i... [ Continue Reading ]
I HAVE NOT SINNED AGAINST THEE; I have done thee no wrong. THE LORD BE JUDGE THIS DAY; let him determine this controversy by the success of this day and war.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD CAME UPON JEPHTHAH; endued him with a more than ordinary courage and resolution. MANASSEH, i.e. _Bashan_, which the half tribe of Manasseh, beyond Jordan, inhabited, JOSHUA 20:8, JOSHUA 21:6. MIZPEH OF GILEAD; so called, to distinguish it from other cities of that name. Having... [ Continue Reading ]
Of this and the following verse, SEE POOLE ON "JUDGES 11:39... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
MINNITH; a place not far from Rabbah, the chief city of; the Ammonites.... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH TIMBRELS AND WITH DANCES; in consort with other virgins, as the manner was. See EXODUS 15:20 1SA 18.... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU ART ONE OF THEM THAT TROUBLE ME: before this, I was troubled by my brethren; and since, by the Ammonites; and now most of all, though but occasionally, by thee. I have opened my mouth, i.e. I have vowed, which was done by words, NUMBERS 30:2,6. I CANNOT GO BACK, i.e. not retract my vow; I am in... [ Continue Reading ]
DO TO ME ACCORDING TO THAT WHICH HATH PROCEEDED OUT OF THY MOUTH; do not for my sake make thyself a transgressor; I freely give my consent to thy vow; wherewith, and with the success of his arms, he had now acquainted her, though it be not here expressed. FORASMUCH AS THE LORD HATH TAKEN VENGEANCE F... [ Continue Reading ]
She chose THE MOUNTAINS as a solitary place, and therefore fittest both for lamentations, and for her preparation for her approaching calamity. BEWAIL MY VIRGINITY; that I shall die childless, which was esteemed both a curse and a disgrace for the Israelites, GENESIS 30:23 1 SAMUEL 1:6 7 ISA 4:1, be... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
QUEST. What was it which Jephthah vowed and performed concerning his daughter? ANSW. Many, especially of modern writers, conceive that Jephthah's daughter was not sacrificed, but only devoted to perpetual virginity, which then was esteemed a great curse and reproach. This they gather, 1. From JUDGE... [ Continue Reading ]
WENT YEARLY, to a place appointed for their meeting to this end, possibly to the place where she was sacrificed. TO LAMENT THE DAUGHTER OF JEPHTHAH; to express their sorrow for her loss, according to thee manner. Or, _to discourse of_ (so the Hebrew _lamed_ is sometimes used) THE DAUGHTER OF JEPHTHA... [ Continue Reading ]