JEPHTHAH
Judges 10:6-12:7
THE HISTORICAL/GEOGRAPHICAL BACKGROUND
The period of the Judges lasted for about 350 years from approximately 1385 to 1050 BC. It was a time of spiritual upheaval with Israel consistently falling away from the Lord and being punished by the Lord, only to repent and be rescued through a judge raised up by the Lord. Bible historians place Jephthah quite late in this period, suggesting that he judged northeast Israel between 1086-1080 BC. He was, therefore, a contemporary of Samson, who judged in southwest Israel, and Eli, who served as God’s priest in Shiloh.
The story of Jephthah is a bit different geographically than those of the other judges, for the entire story takes place east of the Jordan River in the areas conquered by Israel under the leadership of Moses prior to the conquest of the land of Canaan. You will recall that at the time of the conquest, two and one-half tribes asked Moses whether they might claim the lands east of the Jordan as their inheritance. Those tribes were Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh. Reuben occupied the lands in the south just east of the Dead Sea, while Gad occupied the middle lands, and the half tribe of Manasseh took over the lands in the north, east and southeast of the Sea of Galilee. It was this northern area that became known as the land of Gilead. The word "Gilead" means "hard" or "rugged" and refers to the terrain. The land, while rugged, did also have excellent pastures and became famous for its cattle. In a way, Gilead in the day of Jephthah could be compared to the wild western lands of our United States during the second half of the 19th century.
The people oppressing Israel at this time were the Philistines and the Ammonites. Judges 10 reveals the details of this sad and unfortunately reoccurring situation. The Ammonites were related to the Israelites, for they were the descendants of Lot’s second son. They had opposed Israel hundreds of years before when Moses sought to lead Israel through their lands while en route to Canaan. Because of their opposition, God allowed Israel to defeat and displace them from their lands. In addition the Lord had given Israel the lands of other heathen kings east of the Jordan. The Ammonites now sought to regain their lost lands as well as lands they had never possessed at the cost of the Israelites.
JEPHTHAH
On the surface Jephthah is a most unlikely judge. As one studies his character, however, and begins to understand his spiritual depth, his story serves to remind us not to judge individuals too quickly or by their outward circumstances. God uses all types of individuals to serve in His kingdom. We ought, therefore, to recognize the universality of His grace and the divine nature of His calls, and to follow His commands to "comfort and edify one another" (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
Jephthah was the illegitimate son of a man named Gilead (cf. Judges 11:1). He lived with his father, until his half-brothers drove him off refusing to share any inheritance with him (cf. Judges 11:2). We are told that Jephthah then fled to the land of Tob, a city which lies about 40 miles southeast of the Sea of Galilee. There he became a leader of a band of raiders. All this would appear to make Jephthah an unlikely judge, yet later information provides different insight into Jephthah. It would appear that when Jephthah was driven out of his father’s home by his half-brothers, he appealed to the "elders of Gilead" to support his cause. This they refused to do, or at least they failed to prevent his exile (cf. Judges 11:7). Yet, Jephthah did not seek revenge on his family or his people, which he could have done with a band of raiders. The NKJV speaks of Jephthah’s men as "worthless," which is a possible translation. The NIV refers to them as "adventurers," which fits the context, but stretches the meaning of the word used. Another translation could be "desperate" in the sense of men who have lost everything and, having absolutely nothing to lose, would be open to a life of raiding. It is apparent that Jephthah did not raid his own people, for they would never have thought to ask him to lead them were that the case. It would appear, therefore, that Jephthah conducted raids against Israel’s enemies, much as David later would do when pursued by Saul (cf. 1 Samuel 27).
Regardless, Jephthah was recognized as a brilliant leader and the one needed to lead his people against Ammon. Jephthah reveals his spirituality when, after being asked to lead his people, he did not refuse to help but rather agreed to lead them. He consistently speaks in terms of the LORD delivering Israel and the LORD serving as a witness between them (cf. Judges 11:9-10). He chose to address the people as a whole "before the Lord"—that is in a worship context at Mizpah (cf. Judges 11:11). Later on he attempted to end the dispute with Ammon without bloodshed and resorted to warfare only as a last resort. Even in connection with his vow, which was unwise in view of its unknown nature, Jephthah demonstrated a commitment to the Lord. He also fulfilled his vow, as we will consider later.
Overall, Jephthah reveals himself to be "a mighty man of valor"—a godly judge over Israel!
THE BIBLICAL ACCOUNT
Read Judges 10:6-18:--Pastor Paul D. Nolting