Judges 11:30

Verse

Berean Standard Bible

Jephthah made this vow to the LORD: “If indeed You will deliver the Ammonites into my hand,

American Standard Version (1901)

And Jephthah vowed a vow unto Jehovah, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver the children of Ammon into my hand,

Bible in Basic English

And Jephthah took an oath to the Lord, and said, If you will give the children of Ammon into my hands,

Free Bible Version

Jephthah made a solemn promise to the Lord, saying, “If you make me victorious over the Ammonites,

Geneva Bible 1599

And Iphtah vowed a vowe vnto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt deliuer the children of Ammon into mine handes,

King James (Authorized) Version

And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,

Translation for Translators

There Jephthah made a solemn promise to Yahweh. He said, “If you will enable my army to defeat [IDM] the Ammon people-group,

Unlocked Literal Bible

Jephthah made a vow to Yahweh and said, “If you give me victory over the people of Ammon,

Noah Webster Bible

And Jephthah vowed a vow to the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into my hands,

World English Bible

Jephthah vowed a vow to Yahweh, and said, “If you will indeed deliver the children of Ammon into my hand,

Young's Literal Translation

And Jephthah voweth a vow to Jehovah, and saith, 'If Thou dost at all give the Bene-Ammon into my hand —

Context

Jephthah’s Tragic Vow

²⁹Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, then through Mizpah of Gilead. And from there he advanced against the Ammonites.³⁰Jephthah made this vow to the LORD: “If indeed You will deliver the Ammonites into my hand,³¹then whatever comes out the door of my house to greet me on my triumphant return from the Ammonites will belong to the LORD, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”

Sermons

Jephthah, or the Faith That Leads to Faithfulness

A.B. Simpson

Summary

In this verse, Jephthah makes a rash vow to the Lord, promising to offer as a burnt offering whatever or whoever comes out of his house to meet him if he is victorious in battle. This vow reflects a lack of wisdom and understanding of God's character, as human sacrifice is strictly forbidden in the Bible. Jephthah's hasty promise leads to tragic consequences later in the chapter, serving as a cautionary tale about the dangers of making impulsive commitments without seeking God's guidance.

Commentary

John Gill

John Gill Bible Commentary

So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon, to fight against them,.... As in Jdg 11:29, after he had made the above vow: and the Lord delivered them into his hands; when both armies met and engaged, victory was on the side of Jephthah; the Lord being with him, and giving him success, to where all is justly ascribed.