Jephthah’s Religious Mind

Posted on June 7, 2012 by admin

When Jephthah sacrificed his daughter to justify himself he became the least like Moses as a leader. After God spoke the law ¹ to all the Israelites assembled at Mount Sinai, Moses went up the mountain to learn from God about the construction of, and worship in, the Tabernacle.²

When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, “Get up, make us gods that will go before us. As for this fellow Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him!” So Aaron said to them, “Break off the gold earrings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people broke off the gold earrings that were on their ears and brought them to Aaron. He accepted the gold from them, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molten calf. Then they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it, and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow will be a feast to the Lord.” So they got up early on the next day and offered up burnt offerings and brought peace offerings, and the people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.³

The Lord spoke to Moses (Exodus 32:7, 8 NET): Go quickly, descend, because your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have acted corruptly. They have quickly turned aside from the way that I commanded them – they have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and said, “These are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt.” Then God offered Moses the kind of deal that tries the souls of men (Exodus 32:9, 10 NET).

I have seen this people. Look what a stiff-necked people they are [See Table below]! So now, leave me alone so that my anger can burn against them and I can destroy them, and I will make from you a great nation.

But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God⁴ is the next statement in the text. If I stopped there I might ask how much more favor the man could possibly want. God just offered to destroy all of the people of Israel and make Moses not merely a leader but the literal patriarch of a whole new race of the chosen people of God! But then Moses wasn’t seeking favor for himself, was he? Moses said (Exodus 32:11b, 12 NET):

O Lord, why does your anger burn against your people, whom you have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, “For evil he led them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth”? Turn from your burning anger, and relent of this evil against your people.

Moses’ first concern was God’s glory rather than his own, how the proposed turn of events would play out among the Lord’s enemies. Jephthah cared very little for these things and was apparently quite content to portray God as one who would require the life of a young girl for the foolish oath spoken by an insecure man. Moses continued (Exodus 32:13 NET):

Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel your servants, to whom you swore by yourself and told them, “I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken about I will give to your descendants, and they will inherit it forever.”

Moses’ concern here was for the long term integrity and reliability of God’s promise. Jephthah showed more concern for the words that came out of his own mouth. Moses spoke again to God (Exodus 32:31, 32 NET):

Alas, this people has committed a very serious sin, and they have made for themselves gods of gold. But now, if you will forgive their sin…, but if not, wipe me out from your book that you have written.

Moses identified himself with the people he led before God. There is no record that Jephthah ever petitioned God for his daughter’s life, instead he sacrificed hers to save himself. The sacrifice God required of Jephthah was not grievous—in one sense (Leviticus 5:6-13 NET):

…he must bring his penalty for guilt to the Lord for his sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, whether a female sheep or a female goat, for a sin offering. So the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his sin [Table].

If he cannot afford an animal from the flock, he must bring his penalty for guilt for his sin that he has committed, two turtledoves or two young pigeons, to the Lord, one for a sin offering and one for a burnt offering. He must bring them to the priest and present first the one that is for a sin offering. The priest must pinch its head at the nape of its neck, but must not sever the head from the body. Then he must sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the wall of the altar, and the remainder of the blood must be squeezed out at the base of the altar – it is a sin offering. The second bird he must make a burnt offering according to the standard regulation. So the priest will make atonement on behalf of this person for his sin which he has committed, and he will be forgiven.

If he cannot afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, he must bring as his offering for his sin which he has committed a tenth of an ephah of choice wheat flour for a sin offering. He must not place olive oil on it and he must not put frankincense on it, because it is a sin offering. He must bring it to the priest and the priest must scoop out from it a handful as its memorial portion and offer it up in smoke on the altar on top of the other gifts of the Lord – it is a sin offering. So the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed by doing one of these things, and he will be forgiven. The remainder of the offering will belong to the priest like the grain offering.

Prior to any of this it was necessary that Jephthah judge for himself that his oath was a thoughtless one,⁵ he must confess how he has sinned,⁶ and come to the priest as to the Lord with the attitude of the righteous prayer of the tax collector, God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!⁷ But this has proven over and over again to be an insurmountable obstacle to the religious mind of human beings apart from the grace of God. So Jephthah’s story gives me a relative measure of how far the religious mind will go to justify itself rather than God.

Addendum: August 17, 2021
Tables comparing Exodus 32:1; 32:2; 32:3; 32:4; 32:5; 32:6; 32:7; 32:8; 32:9; 32:10; 32:11; 32:12; 32:13; 32:31; 32:32; Leviticus 5:7; 5:8; 5:9; 5:10; 5:11; 5:12 and 5:13 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and the Greek of Exodus 32:1; 32:2; 32:3; 32:4; 32:5; 32:6; 32:7; 32:8 (32:8, 9); 32:9; 32:10 (32:9. 10); 32:11; 32:12; 32:13; 32:31; 32:32; Leviticus 5:7; 5:8; 5:9; 5:10; 5:11; 5:12 and 5:13 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.

Exodus 32:1 (Tanakh)	Exodus 32:1 (KJV)	Exodus 32:1 (NET)
And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him: ‘Up, make us a god who shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.’	And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.	When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, “Get up, make us gods that will go before us. As for this fellow Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him!”

Exodus 32:1 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 32:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἰδὼν ὁ λαὸς ὅτι κεχρόνικεν Μωυσῆς καταβῆναι ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους συνέστη ὁ λαὸς ἐπὶ Ααρων καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ ἀνάστηθι καὶ ποίησον ἡμῗν θεούς οἳ προπορεύσονται ἡμῶν ὁ γὰρ Μωυσῆς οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὃς ἐξήγαγεν ἡμᾶς ἐξ Αἰγύπτου οὐκ οἴδαμεν τί γέγονεν αὐτῷ	ΚΑΙ ἰδὼν ὁ λαὸς ὅτι κεχρόνικε Μωυσῆς καταβῆναι ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους, συνέστη ὁ λαὸς ἐπὶ ᾿Ααρὼν καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· ἀνάστηθι καὶ ποίησον ἡμῖν θεούς, οἳ προπορεύσονται ἡμῶν· ὁ γὰρ Μωυσῆς οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ὃς ἐξήγαγεν ἡμᾶς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου, οὐκ οἴδαμεν τί γέγονεν αὐτῷ
Exodus 32:1 (NETS)	Exodus 32:1 (English Elpenor)
And when the people saw that Moyses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered together before Aaron and say to him, “Get up, and makes us gods who will go before us. For this Moyses, the man who brought us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.”	And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people combined against Aaron, and said to him, Arise and make us gods who shall go before us; for this Moses, the man who brought us forth out of the land of Egypt– we do not know what is become of him.

Exodus 32:2 (Tanakh)	Exodus 32:2 (KJV)	Exodus 32:2 (NET)
And Aaron said unto them: ‘Break off the golden rings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.’	And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.	So Aaron said to them, “Break off the gold earrings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.”

Exodus 32:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 32:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ λέγει αὐτοῗς Ααρων περιέλεσθε τὰ ἐνώτια τὰ χρυσᾶ τὰ ἐν τοῗς ὠσὶν τῶν γυναικῶν ὑμῶν καὶ θυγατέρων καὶ ἐνέγκατε πρός με	καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς ᾿Ααρών· περιέλεσθε τὰ ἐνώτια τὰ χρυσὰ τὰ ἐκ τοῖς ὠσὶ τῶν γυναικῶν ὑμῶν καὶ θυγατέρων καὶ ἐνέγκατε πρός με
Exodus 32:2 (NETS)	Exodus 32:2 (English Elpenor)
And Aaron says to them, “Remove the gold earrings in the ears of your wives and daughters, and bring them to me.”	And Aaron says to them, Take off the golden ear-rings which are in the ears of your wives and daughters, and bring them to me.

Exodus 32:3 (Tanakh)	Exodus 32:3 (KJV)	Exodus 32:3 (NET)
And all the people broke off the golden rings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.	And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.	So all the people broke off the gold earrings that were on their ears and brought them to Aaron.

Exodus 32:3 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 32:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ περιείλαντο πᾶς ὁ λαὸς τὰ ἐνώτια τὰ χρυσᾶ τὰ ἐν τοῗς ὠσὶν αὐτῶν καὶ ἤνεγκαν πρὸς Ααρων	καὶ περιείλαντο πᾶς ὁ λαὸς τὰ ἐνώτια τὰ χρυσᾶ τὰ ἐν τοῖς ὠσὶν αὐτῶν καὶ ἤνεγκαν πρὸς ᾿Ααρών
Exodus 32:3 (NETS)	Exodus 32:3 (English Elpenor)
And all the people removed the gold earrings in their ears and brought them to Aaron.	And all the people took off the golden ear-rings that were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron.

Exodus 32:4 (Tanakh)	Exodus 32:4 (KJV)	Exodus 32:4 (NET)
And he received it at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made it a molten calf; and they said: ‘This is thy god, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.’	And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.	He accepted the gold from them, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molten calf. Then they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”

Exodus 32:4 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 32:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐδέξατο ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτῶν καὶ ἔπλασεν αὐτὰ ἐν τῇ γραφίδι καὶ ἐποίησεν αὐτὰ μόσχον χωνευτὸν καὶ εἶπεν οὗτοι οἱ θεοί σου Ισραηλ οἵτινες ἀνεβίβασάν σε ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου	καὶ ἐδέξατο ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτῶν καὶ ἔπλασεν αὐτὰ ἐν τῇ γραφίδι καὶ ἐποίησεν αὐτὰ μόσχον χωνευτὸν καὶ εἶπεν· οὗτοι οἱ θεοί σου, ᾿Ισραήλ, οἵτινες ἀνεβίβασάν σε ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου
Exodus 32:4 (NETS)	Exodus 32:4 (English Elpenor)
And he received from their hands and formed them with an engraving tool and made them a molten calf and said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.”	And he received them at their hands, and formed them with a graving tool; and he made them a molten calf, and said, These [are] thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

Exodus 32:5 (Tanakh)	Exodus 32:5 (KJV)	Exodus 32:5 (NET)
And when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said: ‘To-morrow shall be a feast to HaShem.’	And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD.	When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it, and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow will be a feast to the Lord.”

Exodus 32:5 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 32:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἰδὼν Ααρων ᾠκοδόμησεν θυσιαστήριον κατέναντι αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκήρυξεν Ααρων λέγων ἑορτὴ τοῦ κυρίου αὔριον	καὶ ἰδὼν ᾿Ααρὼν ᾠκοδόμησε θυσιαστήριον κατέναντι αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκήρυξεν ᾿Ααρὼν λέγων· ἑορτὴν τοῦ Κυρίου αὔριον
Exodus 32:5 (NETS)	Exodus 32:5 (English Elpenor)
And when Aaron saw, he built an altar before it, and Aaron proclaimed, saying, “The Lord’s feast tomorrow!”	And Aaron having seen it built an altar before it, and Aaron made proclamation saying, To-morrow [is] a feast of the Lord.

Exodus 32:6 (Tanakh)	Exodus 32:6 (KJV)	Exodus 32:6 (NET)
And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt-offerings, and brought peace-offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to make merry.	And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.	So they got up early on the next day and offered up burnt offerings and brought peace offerings, and the people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.

Exodus 32:6 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 32:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ὀρθρίσας τῇ ἐπαύριον ἀνεβίβασεν ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ προσήνεγκεν θυσίαν σωτηρίου καὶ ἐκάθισεν ὁ λαὸς φαγεῗν καὶ πιεῗν καὶ ἀνέστησαν παίζειν	καὶ ὀρθρίσας τῇ ἐπαύριον ἀνεβίβασεν ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ προσήνεγκε θυσίαν σωτηρίου, καὶ ἐκάθισεν ὁ λαὸς φαγεῖν καὶ πιεῖν καὶ ἀνέστησαν παίζειν.
Exodus 32:6 (NETS)	Exodus 32:6 (English Elpenor)
And early the next day, he brought up whole burnt offerings and offered a sacrifice of deliverance, and the people sat down to eat and drink, and they arose to play.	And having risen early on the morrow, he offered whole burnt-offerings, and offered a peace-offering; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

Exodus 32:7 (Tanakh)	Exodus 32:7 (KJV)	Exodus 32:7 (NET)
And HaShem spoke unto Moses: ‘Go, get thee down; for thy people, that thou broughtest up out of the land of Egypt, have dealt corruptly;	And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:	The Lord spoke to Moses, “Go quickly, descend, because your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have acted corruptly.

Exodus 32:7 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 32:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐλάλησεν κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν λέγων βάδιζε τὸ τάχος ἐντεῦθεν κατάβηθι ἠνόμησεν γὰρ ὁ λαός σου οὓς ἐξήγαγες ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου	Καὶ ἐλάλησε Κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν λέγων· βάδιζε τὸ τάχος, κατάβηθι ἐντεῦθεν· ἠνόμησε γὰρ ὁ λαός σου, ὃν ἐξήγαγες ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου
Exodus 32:7 (NETS)	Exodus 32:7 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord spoke to Moyses, saying, “Go! Descend quickly from here, for your people have acted lawlessly, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt.	And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Go quickly, descend hence, for thy people whom thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt have transgressed;

Exodus 32:8 (Tanakh)	Exodus 32:8 (KJV)	Exodus 32:8 (NET)
they have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed unto it, and said: This is thy god, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.’	They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.	They have quickly turned aside from the way that I commanded them—they have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt.’”

Exodus 32:8 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 32:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
παρέβησαν ταχὺ ἐκ τῆς ὁδοῦ ἧς ἐνετείλω αὐτοῗς ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῗς μόσχον καὶ προσκεκυνήκασιν αὐτῷ καὶ τεθύκασιν αὐτῷ καὶ εἶπαν οὗτοι οἱ θεοί σου Ισραηλ οἵτινες ἀνεβίβασάν σε ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου	παρέβησαν ταχὺ ἐκ τῆς ὁδοῦ, ἧς ἐνετείλω αὐτοῖς· ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῖς μόσχον καὶ προσκεκυνήκασιν αὐτῷ καὶ τεθύκασιν αὐτῷ καὶ εἶπαν· οὗτοι οἱ θεοί σου, ᾿Ισραήλ, οἵτινες ἀνεβίβασάν σε ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου
Exodus 32:8, 9 (NETS)	Exodus 32:8 (English Elpenor)
They have deviated quickly from the way that you commanded them. They made for themselves a calf and did obeisance to it and offered sacrifices to it, and said, (9) ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.’	they have quickly gone out of the way which thou commandedst; they have made for themselves a calf, and worshiped it, and sacrificed to it, and said, These are thy gods, O Israel, who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

Exodus 32:9 (Tanakh)	Exodus 32:9 (KJV)	Exodus 32:9 (NET)
And HaShem said unto Moses: ‘I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people.	And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:	Then the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people. Look what a stiff-necked people they are!

Exodus 32:9 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 32:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
n/a	n/a
Exodus 32:9 (NETS)	Exodus 32:9 (English Elpenor)
n/a	n/a

Exodus 32:10 (Tanakh)	Exodus 32:10 (KJV)	Exodus 32:10 (NET)
Now therefore let Me alone, that My wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them; and I will make of thee a great nation.’	Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.	So now, leave me alone so that my anger can burn against them and I can destroy them, and I will make from you a great nation.”

Exodus 32:10 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 32:9, 10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ νῦν ἔασόν με καὶ θυμωθεὶς ὀργῇ εἰς αὐτοὺς ἐκτρίψω αὐτοὺς καὶ ποιήσω σὲ εἰς ἔθνος μέγα	καὶ νῦν ἔασόν με καὶ θυμωθεὶς ὀργῇ εἰς αὐτούς ἐκτρίψω αὐτοὺς (10) καὶ ποιήσω σε εἰς ἔθνος μέγα
Exodus 32:10 (NETS)	Exodus 32:10 (English Elpenor)
And now allow me, and, enraged with anger against them, I will destroy them and make you into a great nation.”	And now let me alone, and I will be very angry with them and consume them, and I will make thee a great nation.

Exodus 32:11 (Tanakh)	Exodus 32:11 (KJV)	Exodus 32:11 (NET)
And Moses besought HaShem his G-d, and said: ‘HaShem, why doth Thy wrath wax hot against Thy people, that Thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?	And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?	But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your anger burn against your people, whom you have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?

Exodus 32:11 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 32:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐδεήθη Μωυσῆς ἔναντι κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ εἶπεν ἵνα τί κύριε θυμοῗ ὀργῇ εἰς τὸν λαόν σου οὓς ἐξήγαγες ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου ἐν ἰσχύι μεγάλῃ καὶ ἐν τῷ βραχίονί σου τῷ ὑψηλῷ	καὶ ἐδεήθη Μωυσῆς ἔναντι Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ εἶπεν· ἱνατί, Κύριε, θυμοῖ ὀργῇ εἰς τὸν λαόν σου, οὓς ἐξήγαγες ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου ἐν ἰσχύϊ μεγάλῃ καὶ ἐν τῷ βραχίονί σου τῷ ὑψηλῷ
Exodus 32:11 (NETS)	Exodus 32:11 (English Elpenor)
And Moyses prayed before the Lord his God and said, “Why, Lord, are you enraged with anger against your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and an uplifted arm?	And Moses prayed before the Lord God, and said, Wherefore, O Lord, art thou very angry with thy people, whom thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt with great strength, and with thy high arm?

Exodus 32:12 (Tanakh)	Exodus 32:12 (KJV)	Exodus 32:12 (NET)
Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, saying: For evil did He bring them forth, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from Thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against Thy people.	Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.	Why should the Egyptians say, ‘For evil he led them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger, and relent of this evil against your people.

Exodus 32:12 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 32:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
μήποτε εἴπωσιν οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι λέγοντες μετὰ πονηρίας ἐξήγαγεν αὐτοὺς ἀποκτεῗναι ἐν τοῗς ὄρεσιν καὶ ἐξαναλῶσαι αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς παῦσαι τῆς ὀργῆς τοῦ θυμοῦ σου καὶ ἵλεως γενοῦ ἐπὶ τῇ κακίᾳ τοῦ λαοῦ σου	μή ποτε εἴπωσιν οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι λέγοντες· μετὰ πονηρίας ἐξήγαγεν αὐτοὺς ἀποκτεῖναι ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσι καὶ ἐξαναλῶσαι αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς. παῦσαι τῆς ὀργῆς τοῦ θυμοῦ σου καὶ ἵλεως γενοῦ ἐπὶ τῇ κακίᾳ τοῦ λαοῦ σου
Exodus 32:12 (NETS)	Exodus 32:12 (English Elpenor)
Lest the Egyptians should speak, saying, ‘With evil intent he led them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them utterly from the earth,’ stop the anger of your rage, and be propitious at the wickedness of your people,	[Take heed] lest at any time the Egyptians speak, saying, With evil intent he brought them out to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from off the earth; cease from thy wrathful anger, and be merciful to the sin of thy people,

Exodus 32:13 (Tanakh)	Exodus 32:13 (KJV)	Exodus 32:13 (NET)
Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Thy servants, to whom Thou didst swear by Thine own self, and saidst unto them: I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.’	Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.	Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel your servants, to whom you swore by yourself and told them, ‘I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken about I will give to your descendants, and they will inherit it forever.’”

Exodus 32:13 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 32:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
μνησθεὶς Αβρααμ καὶ Ισαακ καὶ Ιακωβ τῶν σῶν οἰκετῶν οἷς ὤμοσας κατὰ σεαυτοῦ καὶ ἐλάλησας πρὸς αὐτοὺς λέγων πολυπληθυνῶ τὸ σπέρμα ὑμῶν ὡσεὶ τὰ ἄστρα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τῷ πλήθει καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ταύτην ἣν εἶπας δοῦναι τῷ σπέρματι αὐτῶν καὶ καθέξουσιν αὐτὴν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα	μνησθεὶς ῾Αβραὰμ καὶ ᾿Ισαὰκ καὶ ᾿Ιακὼβ τῶν σῶν οἰκετῶν, οἷς ὤμοσας κατὰ σεαυτοῦ καὶ ἐλάλησας πρὸς αὐτοὺς λέγων· πολυπληθυνῶ τὸ σπέρμα ὑμῶν ὡσεὶ τὰ ἄστρα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τῷ πλήθει, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ταύτην, ἣν εἶπας δοῦναι τῷ σπέρματι αὐτῶν, καὶ καθέξουσιν αὐτὴν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα
Exodus 32:13 (NETS)	Exodus 32:13 (English Elpenor)
remembering Abraam and Isaak and Iakob, your domestics, to whom you swore by yourself and spoke to them, saying, ‘I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the sky in number,’ and all this land that you said you would give to their seed, and they will possess it forever.”	remembering Abraam and Isaac and Jacob thy servants, to whom thou hast sworn by thyself, and hast spoken to them, saying, I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of heaven for multitude, and all this land which thou spokest of to give to them, so that they shall possess it for ever.

Exodus 32:31 (Tanakh)	Exodus 32:31 (KJV)	Exodus 32:31 (NET)
And Moses returned unto HaShem, and said: ‘Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them a god of gold.	And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.	So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has committed a very serious sin, and they have made for themselves gods of gold.

Exodus 32:31 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 32:31 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὑπέστρεψεν δὲ Μωυσῆς πρὸς κύριον καὶ εἶπεν δέομαι κύριε ἡμάρτηκεν ὁ λαὸς οὗτος ἁμαρτίαν μεγάλην καὶ ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῗς θεοὺς χρυσοῦς	ὑπέστρεψε δὲ Μωυσῆς πρὸς Κύριον καὶ εἶπε· δέομαι, Κύριε· ἡμάρτηκεν ὁ λαὸς οὗτος ἁμαρτίαν μεγάλην καὶ ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῖς θεοὺς χρυσοῦς
Exodus 32:31 (NETS)	Exodus 32:31 (English Elpenor)
Then Moyses turned to the Lord and said, “I beg, O Lord. This people has sinned a great sin and made for themselves gold gods.	And Moses returned to the Lord and said, I pray, O Lord, this people has sinned a great sin, and they have made for themselves golden gods.

Exodus 32:32 (Tanakh)	Exodus 32:32 (KJV)	Exodus 32:32 (NET)
Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin–; and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written.’	Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin–; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.	But now, if you will forgive their sin…, but if not, wipe me out from your book that you have written.”

Exodus 32:32 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 32:32 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ νῦν εἰ μὲν ἀφεῗς αὐτοῗς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἄφες εἰ δὲ μή ἐξάλειψόν με ἐκ τῆς βίβλου σου ἧς ἔγραψας	καὶ νῦν εἰ μὲν ἀφεῖς αὐτοῖς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν αὐτῶν, ἄφες· εἰ δὲ μή, ἐξάλειψόν με ἐκ τῆς βίβλου σου, ἧς ἔγραψας
Exodus 32:32 (NETS)	Exodus 32:32 (English Elpenor)
And now, if you shall forgive them the sin, forgive. But if not, erase me from your book that you have written.”	And now if thou wilt forgive their sin, forgive [it]; and if not, blot me out of thy book, which thou hast written.

Leviticus 5:7 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 5:7 (KJV)	Leviticus 5:7 (NET)
And if his means suffice not for a lamb, then he shall bring his forfeit for that wherein he hath sinned, two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, unto HaShem: one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering.	And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass, which he hath committed, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, unto the LORD; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering.	“‘If he cannot afford an animal from the flock, he must bring his penalty for guilt for his sin that he has committed, two turtledoves or two young pigeons, to the Lord, one for a sin offering and one for a burnt offering.

Leviticus 5:7 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 5:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἰσχύσῃ ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ τὸ ἱκανὸν εἰς τὸ πρόβατον οἴσει περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ ἧς ἥμαρτεν δύο τρυγόνας ἢ δύο νεοσσοὺς περιστερῶν κυρίῳ ἕνα περὶ ἁμαρτίας καὶ ἕνα εἰς ὁλοκαύτωμα	Εὰν δὲ μὴ ἰσχύῃ ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ τὸ ἱκανὸν εἰς τὸ πρόβατον, οἴσει περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ, ἧς ἥμαρτε, δύο τρυγόνας, ἢ δύο νεοσσοὺς περιστερῶν Κυρίῳ, ἕνα περὶ ἁμαρτίας καὶ ἕνα εἰς ὁλοκαύτωμα
Leviticus 5:7 (NETS)	Leviticus 5:7 (English Elpenor)
But if his hand does not have the capability for what is sufficient for a sheep, he shall bring for his sin which he has committed two turtledoves or two young doves to the Lord, one for sin and one for a whole burnt offering.	And if he cannot afford a sheep, he shall bring for his sin which he has sinned, two turtle-doves or two young pigeons to the Lord; one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering.

Leviticus 5:8 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 5:8 (KJV)	Leviticus 5:8 (NET)
And he shall bring them unto the priest, who shall offer that which is for the sin-offering first, and pinch off its head close by its neck, but shall not divide it asunder.	And he shall bring them unto the priest, who shall offer that which is for the sin offering first, and wring off his head from his neck, but shall not divide it asunder:	He must bring them to the priest and present first the one that is for a sin offering. The priest must pinch its head at the nape of its neck, but must not sever the head from the body.

Leviticus 5:8 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 5:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ οἴσει αὐτὰ πρὸς τὸν ἱερέα καὶ προσάξει ὁ ἱερεὺς τὸ περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας πρότερον καὶ ἀποκνίσει ὁ ἱερεὺς τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ σφονδύλου καὶ οὐ διελεῗ	καὶ οἴσει αὐτὰ πρὸς τὸν ἱερέα, καὶ προσάξει ὁ ἱερεὺς τὸ περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας πρότερον· καὶ ἀποκνίσει ὁ ἱερεὺς τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ σφονδύλου, καὶ οὐ διελεῖ
Leviticus 5:8 (NETS)	Leviticus 5:8 (English Elpenor)
And he shall bring them to the priest, and the priest shall bring the one for sin first. And the priest shall snip off its head at the neck, and he shall not divide it.	And he shall bring them to the priest, and the priest shall bring the sin-offering first; and the priest shall pinch off the head from the neck, and shall not divide the body.

Leviticus 5:9 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 5:9 (KJV)	Leviticus 5:9 (NET)
And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin-offering upon the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar; it is a sin-offering.	And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin offering upon the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be wrung out at the bottom of the altar: it is a sin offering.	Then he must sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the wall of the altar, and the remainder of the blood must be squeezed out at the base of the altar—it is a sin offering.

Leviticus 5:9 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 5:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ῥανεῗ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐπὶ τὸν τοῗχον τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου τὸ δὲ κατάλοιπον τοῦ αἵματος καταστραγγιεῗ ἐπὶ τὴν βάσιν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου ἁμαρτίας γάρ ἐστιν	καὶ ῥανεῖ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐπὶ τὸν τοῖχον τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου, τὸ δὲ κατάλοιπον τοῦ αἵματος καταστραγγιεῖ ἐπὶ τὴν βάσιν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου· ἁμαρτία γάρ ἐστι
Leviticus 5:9 (NETS)	Leviticus 5:9 (English Elpenor)
And he shall sprinkle some blood of the one for sin against the wall of the altar, but what remains of the blood he shall squeeze out against the base of the altar, for it is for sin.	And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin-offering on the side of the altar, but the rest of the blood he shall drop at the foot of the altar, for it is a sin-offering.

Leviticus 5:10 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 5:10 (KJV)	Leviticus 5:10 (NET)
And he shall prepare the second for a burnt-offering, according to the ordinance; and the priest shall make atonement for him as concerning his sin which he hath sinned, and he shall be forgiven.	And he shall offer the second for a burnt offering, according to the manner: and the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin which he hath sinned, and it shall be forgiven him.	The second bird he must make a burnt offering according to the standard regulation. So the priest will make atonement on behalf of this person for his sin which he has committed, and he will be forgiven.

Leviticus 5:10 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 5:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ τὸ δεύτερον ποιήσει ὁλοκαύτωμα ὡς καθήκει καὶ ἐξιλάσεται ὁ ἱερεὺς περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ ἧς ἥμαρτεν καὶ ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ	καὶ τὸ δεύτερον ποιήσει ὁλοκάρπωμα, ὡς καθήκει. καὶ ἐξιλάσεται ὁ ἱερεὺς περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ, ἧς ἥμαρτε, καὶ ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ
Leviticus 5:10 (NETS)	Leviticus 5:10 (English Elpenor)
And the second he shall prepare as a whole burnt offering, as is customary. And the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin that he has committed, and it shall be forgiven him.	And he shall make the second a whole-burnt-offering, as it is fit; and the priest shall make atonement for his sin which he has sinned, and it shall be forgiven him.

Leviticus 5:11 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 5:11 (KJV)	Leviticus 5:11 (NET)
But if his means suffice not for two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he shall bring his offering for that wherein he hath sinned, the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin-offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon; for it is a sin-offering.	But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon: for it is a sin offering.	“‘If he cannot afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, he must bring as his offering for his sin which he has committed a tenth of an ephah of choice wheat flour for a sin offering. He must not place olive oil on it, and he must not put frankincense on it, because it is a sin offering.

Leviticus 5:11 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 5:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ μὴ εὑρίσκῃ αὐτοῦ ἡ χεὶρ ζεῦγος τρυγόνων ἢ δύο νεοσσοὺς περιστερῶν καὶ οἴσει τὸ δῶρον αὐτοῦ περὶ οὗ ἥμαρτεν τὸ δέκατον τοῦ οιφι σεμίδαλιν περὶ ἁμαρτίας οὐκ ἐπιχεεῗ ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸ ἔλαιον οὐδὲ ἐπιθήσει ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸ λίβανον ὅτι περὶ ἁμαρτίας ἐστίν	ἐὰν δὲ μὴ εὑρίσκῃ ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ ζεῦγος τρυγόνων, ἢ δύο νεοσσοὺς περιστερῶν, καὶ οἴσει τὸ δῶρον αὐτοῦ, περὶ οὗ ἥμαρτε, τὸ δέκατον τοῦ οἰφὶ σεμιδάλεως περὶ ἁμαρτίας· οὐκ ἐπιχεεῖ ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸ ἔλαιον, οὐδὲ ἐπιθήσει ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ λίβανον, ὅτι περὶ ἁμαρτίας ἐστί
Leviticus 5:11 (NETS)	Leviticus 5:11 (English Elpenor)
But if his hand does not find a brace of turtledoves or two young doves, then he shall bring his gift for that in which he sinned: one-tenth of an oiphi of fine flour for sin. He shall not pour oil on it; neither shall he place frankincense on it, because it is for sin.	And if he cannot afford a pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, then shall he bring as his gift for his sin, the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin-offering; he shall not pour oil upon it, nor shall he put frankincense upon it, because it is a sin-offering.

Leviticus 5:12 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 5:12 (KJV)	Leviticus 5:12 (NET)
And he shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as the memorial-part thereof, and make it smoke on the altar, upon the offerings of HaShem made by fire; it is a sin-offering.	Then shall he bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it, even a memorial thereof, and burn it on the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: it is a sin offering.	He must bring it to the priest, and the priest must scoop out from it a handful as its memorial portion and offer it up in smoke on the altar on top of the other gifts of the Lord—it is a sin offering.

Leviticus 5:12 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 5:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ οἴσει αὐτὸ πρὸς τὸν ἱερέα καὶ δραξάμενος ὁ ἱερεὺς ἀπ᾽ αὐτῆς πλήρη τὴν δράκα τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτῆς ἐπιθήσει ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τῶν ὁλοκαυτωμάτων κυρίῳ ἁμαρτία ἐστίν	καὶ οἴσει αὐτὸ πρὸς τὸν ἱερέα. καὶ δραξάμενος ὁ ἱερεὺς ἀπ᾿ αὐτῆς πλήρη τὴν δράκα, τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτῆς ἐπιθήσει ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τῶν ὁλοκαυτωμάτων Κυρίῳ· ἁμαρτία ἐστί
Leviticus 5:12 (NETS)	Leviticus 5:12 (English Elpenor)
And he shall bring it to the priest, and after gripping from it a handful, the priest shall lay its memorial portion on the altar on the whole burnt offerings to the Lord. It is for sin.	And he shall bring it to the priest; and the priest having taken a handful of it, shall lay the memorial of it on the altar of whole-burnt-offerings to the Lord; it is a sin-offering.

Leviticus 5:13 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 5:13 (KJV)	Leviticus 5:13 (NET)
And the priest shall make atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned in any of these things, and he shall be forgiven; and the remnant shall be the priest’s, as the meal-offering.	And the priest shall make an atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned in one of these, and it shall be forgiven him: and the remnant shall be the priest’s, as a meat offering.	So the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed by doing one of these things, and he will be forgiven. The remainder of the offering will belong to the priest like the grain offering.’”

Leviticus 5:13 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 5:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐξιλάσεται περὶ αὐτοῦ ὁ ἱερεὺς περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ ἧς ἥμαρτεν ἐφ᾽ ἑνὸς τούτων καὶ ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ τὸ δὲ καταλειφθὲν ἔσται τῷ ἱερεῗ ὡς ἡ θυσία τῆς σεμιδάλεως	καὶ ἐξιλάσεται περὶ αὐτοῦ ὁ ἱερεὺς περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ, ἧς ἥμαρτεν, ἀφ᾿ ἑνὸς τούτων, καὶ ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ. τὸ δὲ καταλειφθὲν ἔσται τῷ ἱερεῖ, ὡς ἡ θυσία τῆς σεμιδάλεως
Leviticus 5:13 (NETS)	Leviticus 5:13 (English Elpenor)
And the priest shall make atonement for him, for his sin that he has committed in respect of one of these things, and it will be forgiven him. But what is left shall be for the priest like the offering of fine flour.	And the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin, which he has sinned in one of these things, and it shall be forgiven him; and that which is left shall be the priest’s, as an offering of fine flour.

Adultery in the Prophets, Part 1

Back to Jedidiah, Part 3

Back to David’s Forgiveness, Part 9

Back to The Will of God – Jesus, Part 3

Back to Apostles and Prophets, Part 3

Back to Romans, Part 68

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 7

Back to Fear – Exodus, Part 6

Back to The Angels Will Gather

Back to Fear – Exodus, Part 7

Back to Romans, Part 65

Back to Fear – Deteronomy, Part 9

Back to Forgiven or Passed Over? Part 5

Back to A Shadow of the Good Things, Part 7

¹ Exodus 20 (NET)

² Exodus 24:12-31:18 (NET)

³ Exodus 32:1-6 (NET)

⁴ Exodus 32:11a (NET)

⁵ Leviticus 5:4 (NET) Table

⁶ Leviticus 5:5 (NET) Table

⁷ Luke 18:13 (NET) Table

Jephthah and Moses

Posted on June 4, 2012 by admin

Jephthah was somewhat unique among the Judges. His leadership style hearkened back to someone more like Moses than the other Judges up to his time (compare Ehud,¹ for instance). Though I wouldn’t expect a marauding leader of lawless men, the exiled son of a professional (or eager amateur) devotee of one of the Baals or Ashtars, to be an avid student of the five books of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy), Jephthah did not rush into battle with the king of the Ammonites (Judges 11:12, 13 NET).

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

Perhaps Jephthah’s ancestry and personal history made him more careful than others to imitate Moses of old. Whether he knew the history himself or enlisted priests or prophets to help him, Jephthah’s response to the Ammonite king was a relatively detailed Bible² study.

Jephthah sent messengers back to the Ammonite king and said to him, “This is what Jephthah says, ‘Israel did not steal the land of Moab and the land of the Ammonites.

Judges 11:14, 15 (NET)

When they left Egypt, Israel traveled through the desert as far as the Red Sea and then came to Kadesh. Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, “Please allow us to pass through your land.” But the king of Edom rejected the request.

Judges 11:16, 17a (NET)

Deuteronomy 2:1-8 (NET)

Numbers 20:14-21 (NET)

Israel sent the same request to the king of Moab, but he was unwilling to cooperate. So Israel stayed at Kadesh. Then Israel went through the desert and bypassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab. They traveled east of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon River; they did not go through Moabite territory (the Arnon was Moab’s border).

Judges 11:17b, 18 (NET)

Deuteronomy 2:9 (NET)

Numbers 21:11-13 (NET)

Israel sent messengers to King Sihon, the Amorite king who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him, “Please allow us to pass through your land to our land.” But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. He assembled his whole army, camped in Jahaz, and fought with Israel. The Lord God of Israel handed Sihon and his whole army over to Israel and they defeated them. Israel took all the land of the Amorites who lived in that land. They took all the Amorite territory from the Arnon River on the south to the Jabbok River on the north, from the desert in the east to the Jordan in the west. Since the Lord God of Israel has driven out the Amorites before his people Israel, do you think you can just take it from them? You have the right to take what Chemosh your god gives you, but we will take the land of all whom the Lord our God has driven out before us.

Judges 11:19-24 (NET)

Deuteronomy 2:24-37 (NET)

Numbers 21:21-25 (NET)

Are you really better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he dare to quarrel with Israel? Did he dare to fight with them? Israel has been living in Heshbon and its nearby towns, in Aroer and its nearby towns, and in all the cities along the Arnon for three hundred years! Why did you not reclaim them during that time?

Judges 11:25, 26 (NET)

Numbers 22-25 (NET)

I have not done you wrong, but you are doing wrong by attacking me. May the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ, יהוה), the Judge (šāp̄aṭ, השפט), judge (šāp̄aṭ, ישפט) this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites!’” But the Ammonite king disregarded the message sent by Jephthah.

Judges 11:27, 28 (NET)

Deuteronomy 2:17-19 (NET)

The next part of Jephthah’s story was introduced by the statement, The Lord’s spirit empowered Jephthah.³ And by the Lord’s spirit, Jephthah approached the Ammonites to fight with them, and the Lord handed them over to him. He defeated them from Aroer all the way to Minnith – twenty cities in all, even as far as Abel Keramim! He wiped them out! The Israelites humiliated the Ammonites.⁴ But after the Lord’s spirit empowered him, and before he defeated the Ammonites, on the way to battle, probably in the hearing of his officers and men (Judges 11:30, 31 NET):

Jephthah made (nāḏar, וידר) a vow (neḏer, נדר) to the Lord, saying, “If you really do hand the Ammonites over to me [Table], then whoever is the first to come through the doors of my house to meet me when I return safely from fighting the Ammonites – he will belong to the Lord and I will offer him up as a burnt sacrifice [Table].”

Whether he studied the scroll himself or with the aid of priests or Levites the information Jephthah shared with the Ammonite king came largely from Numbers. In Numbers 30:1, 2 (NET), Moses told the leaders of the tribes concerning the Israelites, “This is what the Lord has commanded: If a man makes (nāḏar, ידר) a vow (neḏer, נדר) to the Lord or takes (šāḇaʿ, השבע) an oath (šᵊḇûʿâ, שבעה) of binding obligation on himself, he must not break (ḥālal, יחל) his word, but must do whatever (kōl, ככל) he has promised (yāṣā’ היצא, pê מפיו) [Table].

The plot thickens (Judges 11:34, 35 NET):

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. When he saw her, he ripped his clothes and said, “Oh no! My daughter! You have completely ruined me! You have brought me disaster! I made (pāṣâ, פציתי) an oath (pê, פי) to the Lord, and I cannot break (šûḇ, לשוב) it.”

Though it is a tricky thing to do it might be possible to infer a few things about this marauding leader of lawless men, the exiled son of a professional (or eager amateur) devotee of one of the Baals or Ashtars, as a father by his daughter’s response. “My father, since you made (pāṣâ, פציתה) an oath (pê, פיך) to the Lord, do to me as you promised (‘ăšer, כאשר; yāṣā’, יצא; pê, מפיך; literally: “whatever went out from your mouth”). After all, the Lord vindicated you before your enemies, the Ammonites.”⁵ And it was not only before the Ammonites that Jephthah was vindicated.

The story concluded (Judges 11:37-40 NET):

She then said to her father, “Please grant me this one wish. For two months allow me to walk through the hills with my friends and mourn my virginity.” He said, “You may go.” He permitted her to leave for two months. She went with her friends and mourned her virginity as she walked through the hills. After two months she returned (šûḇ, ותשב) to her father, and he did to her as he had (neḏer, נדרו) vowed (nāḏar, נדר). She died a virgin. Her tragic death gave rise to a custom in Israel. Every year Israelite women commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for four days [Table].

For a long time I accepted this story as a tragic example of the high price of righteousness, or justification, by the works of the law. The repetition of the words וידר (nāḏar) and נדר (nāḏar) in Judges 11:30 , and נדר (neḏer) and נדרו (neḏer) in Judges 11:39, as they appear in Numbers 30:2 (nāḏar, ידר and neḏer, נדר), leads me to believe that the author of Judges probably thought that, too. The Bible I used at the time did not have a topical heading that read: A Foolish Vow Spells Death for a Daughter. I’m not sure I would have believed it if it had. It was only after encountering the divorce dilemma in Ezra and Malachi that I began to rethink Jephthah’s dilemma. I wasn’t prepared yet to find salvation for Jephthah’s daughter in the law (Leviticus 5:4-6a NET).

…when a person swears an oath (šāḇaʿ, תשבע), speaking thoughtlessly (bāṭā’, לבטא) with his lips, whether to do evil or to do good, with regard to anything which the individual might speak thoughtlessly (bāṭā’, יבטא) in an oath (šᵊḇûʿâ, בשבעה), even if he did not realize it, but he himself has later come to know it and is guilty with regard to one of these oaths – when an individual becomes guilty with regard to one of these things he must confess how he has sinned, and he must bring his penalty for guilt to the Lord for his sin that he has committed…

Addendum: August 5, 2021
Tables comparing Judges 11:12; 11:13; 11:14; 11:15; 11:16; 11:17; 11:18; 11:19; 11:20; 11:21; 11:22; 11:23; 11:24; 11:25; 11:26; 11:27; 11:28; 11:32; 11:33; Numbers 30:1 (30:2); Judges 11:34; 11:35; 11:37; 11:38; 11:39; Leviticus 5:4; 5:5 and 5:6 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Judges 11:12; 11:13; 11:14; 11:15; 11:16; 11:17; 11:18; 11:19; 11:20; 11:21; 11:22; 11:23; 11:24; 11:25; 11:26; 11:27; 11:28; 11:32; 11:33; Numbers 30:1 (30:2); Judges 11:34; 11:35; 11:37; 11:38; 11:39 (11:39, 40a); Leviticus 5:4; 5:5 and 5:6 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.

Judges 11:12 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:12 (KJV)	Judges 11:12 (NET)
And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land?	And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land?	Jephthah sent messengers to the Ammonite king, saying, “Why have you come against me to attack my land?”

Judges 11:12 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Ιεφθαε ἀγγέλους πρὸς βασιλέα υἱῶν Αμμων λέγων τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί ὅτι ἥκεις πρός με σὺ πολεμῆσαί με ἐν τῇ γῇ μου	Καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ᾿Ιεφθάε ἀγγέλους πρὸς βασιλέα υἱῶν ᾿Αμμὼν λέγων· τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί, ὅτι ἦλθες πρός με τοῦ παρατάξασθαι ἐν τῇ γῇ μου
Judges 11:12 (NETS)	Judges 11:12 (English Elpenor)
And Iephthae sent messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon, saying, “What is there between you and me that you have come against me to fight me in my land?”	And Jephthae sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What have I to do with thee, that thou hast come against me to fight in my land?

Judges 11:13 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:13 (KJV)	Judges 11:13 (NET)
And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those lands again peaceably.	And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those lands again peaceably.	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!”

Judges 11:13 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν βασιλεὺς υἱῶν Αμμων πρὸς τοὺς ἀγγέλους Ιεφθαε διότι ἔλαβεν Ισραηλ τὴν γῆν μου ἐν τῇ ἀναβάσει αὐτοῦ ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἀπὸ Αρνων ἕως Ιαβοκ καὶ ἕως τοῦ Ιορδάνου καὶ νῦν ἐπίστρεψον αὐτὰς μετ᾽ εἰρήνης	καὶ εἶπε βασιλεὺς υἱῶν ᾿Αμμὼν πρὸς τοὺς ἀγγέλους ᾿Ιεφθάε· ὅτι ἔλαβεν ᾿Ισραὴλ τὴν γῆν μου ἐν τῷ ἀναβαίνειν αὐτὸν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἀπὸ ᾿Αρνὼν ἕως ᾿Ιαβὸκ καὶ ἕως τοῦ ᾿Ιορδάνου· καὶ νῦν ἐπίστρεψον αὐτὰς ἐν εἰρήνῃ, καὶ πορεύσομαι
Judges 11:13 (NETS)	Judges 11:13 (English Elpenor)
And the king of the sons of Ammon said to the messengers of Iephthae, “Because Israel took away my land in their journey up out of Egypt, from Arnon up to Iabok and up to the Jordan, and now restore them in peace.”	And the king of the children of Ammon said to the messengers of Jephthae, Because Israel took my land when he went up out of Egypt, from Arnon to Jaboc, and to Jordan: now then return them peaceably and I will depart.

Judges 11:14 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:14 (KJV)	Judges 11:14 (NET)
And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon:	And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon:	Jephthah sent messengers back to the Ammonite king

Judges 11:14 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀπέστρεψαν οἱ ἄγγελοι πρὸς Ιεφθαε καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Ιεφθαε ἀγγέλους πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα υἱῶν Αμμων	καὶ προσέθηκεν ἔτι ᾿Ιεφθάε καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ἀγγέλους πρὸς βασιλέα υἱῶν ᾿Αμμών
Judges 11:14 (NETS)	Judges 11:14 (English Elpenor)
And the messengers returned to Iephthae, and Iephthae sent messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon,	And Jephthae again sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon,

Judges 11:15 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:15 (KJV)	Judges 11:15 (NET)
And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:	And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:	and said to him, “This is what Jephthah says, ‘Israel did not steal the land of Moab and the land of the Ammonites.

Judges 11:15 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
λέγων τάδε λέγει Ιεφθαε οὐκ ἔλαβεν Ισραηλ τὴν γῆν Μωαβ καὶ τὴν γῆν υἱῶν Αμμων	καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ οὕτω λέγει ᾿Ιεφθάε· οὐκ ἔλαβεν ᾿Ισραὴλ τὴν γῆν Μωὰβ καὶ τὴν γῆν υἱῶν ᾿Αμμών
Judges 11:15 (NETS)	Judges 11:15 (English Elpenor)
saying: “This is what Iephthae says: Israel did not take away the land of Moab or the land of the sons of Ammon	and said to him, Thus says Jephthae, Israel took not the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon;

Judges 11:16 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:16 (KJV)	Judges 11:16 (NET)
But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh;	But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh;	When they left Egypt, Israel traveled through the desert as far as the Red Sea and then came to Kadesh.

Judges 11:16 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐν τῇ ἀναβάσει αὐτῶν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἀλλ᾽ ἐπορεύθη Ισραηλ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἕως θαλάσσης ἐρυθρᾶς καὶ ἦλθεν ἕως Καδης	ὅτι ἐν τῷ ἀναβαίνειν αὐτοὺς ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἐπορεύθη ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἕως θαλάσσης Σὶφ καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς Κάδης
Judges 11:16 (NETS)	Judges 11:16 (English Elpenor)
in their journey up out of Egypt; rather, Israel went in the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kades.	for in their going up out of Egypt Israel went in the wilderness as far as the sea of Siph, and came to Cades.

Judges 11:17 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:17 (KJV)	Judges 11:17 (NET)
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 hearken thereto. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not consent: and Israel abode in 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 hearken thereto. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh.	Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, “Please allow us to pass through your land.” But the king of Edom rejected the request. Israel sent the same request to the king of Moab, but he was unwilling to cooperate. So Israel stayed at Kadesh.

Judges 11:17 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐξαπέστειλεν Ισραηλ ἀγγέλους πρὸς βασιλέα Εδωμ λέγων παρελεύσομαι διὰ τῆς γῆς σου καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσεν βασιλεὺς Εδωμ καί γε πρὸς βασιλέα Μωαβ ἀπέστειλεν καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησεν καὶ ἐκάθισεν Ισραηλ ἐν Καδης	καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ᾿Ισραὴλ ἀγγέλους πρὸς βασιλέα ᾿Εδὼμ λέγων· παρελεύσομαι δὴ ἐν τῇ γῇ σου· καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσε βασιλεὺς ᾿Εδώμ. καί γε πρὸς βασιλέα Μωὰβ ἀπέστειλε, καὶ οὐκ εὐδόκησε. καὶ ἐκάθισεν ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐν Κάδης
Judges 11:17 (NETS)	Judges 11:17 (English Elpenor)
And Israel sent out messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘I will pass through your land,’ and the king of Edom did not listen. And indeed he sent to the king of Moab, but he did not consent. And Israel resided at Kades.	And Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, I will pass, if it please thee, by thy land: and the king of Edom complied not: and [Israel] also sent to the king of Moab, and he did not consent; and Israel sojourned in Cades.

Judges 11:18 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:18 (KJV)	Judges 11:18 (NET)
Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab.	Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab.	Then Israel went through the wilderness and bypassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab. They traveled east of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon River; they did not go through Moabite territory (the Arnon was Moab’s border).

Judges 11:18 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ διῆλθεν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ καὶ ἐκύκλωσεν τὴν γῆν Εδωμ καὶ τὴν γῆν Μωαβ καὶ παρεγένετο κατ᾽ ἀνατολὰς ἡλίου τῆς γῆς Μωαβ καὶ παρενέβαλον ἐν τῷ πέραν Αρνων καὶ οὐκ εἰσῆλθον εἰς τὸ ὅριον Μωαβ ὅτι Αρνων ἦν ὅριον Μωαβ	καὶ ἐπορεύθη ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ καὶ ἐκύκλωσε τὴν γῆν ᾿Εδὼμ καὶ τὴν γῆν Μωὰβ καὶ ἦλθεν ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν ἡλίου τῇ γῇ Μωὰβ καὶ παρενέβαλεν ἐν πέραν ᾿Αρνὼν καὶ οὐκ εἰσῆλθεν ἐν ὁρίοις Μωάβ, ὅτι ᾿Αρνὼν ὅριον Μωάβ
Judges 11:18 (NETS)	Judges 11:18 (English Elpenor)
And he journeyed through in the wilderness and went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab and arrived at sunrise of the land of Moab, and they camped on the other side of the Arnon. And they did not enter the territory of Moab, for Arnon was the boundary of Moab.	And Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, I will pass, if it please thee, by thy land: and the king of Edom complied not: and [Israel] also sent to the king of Moab, and he did not consent; and Israel sojourned in Cades.

Judges 11:19 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:19 (KJV)	Judges 11:19 (NET)
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.	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.	Israel sent messengers to King Sihon, the Amorite king who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him, “Please allow us to pass through your land to our land.”

Judges 11:19 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:19 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Ισραηλ ἀγγέλους πρὸς Σηων βασιλέα Εσεβων τὸν Αμορραῗον καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ισραηλ παρελεύσομαι διὰ τῆς γῆς σου ἕως τοῦ τόπου μου	καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ᾿Ισραὴλ ἀγγέλους πρὸς Σηὼν βασιλέα τοῦ ᾿Αμορραίου βασιλέα ᾿Εσεβών, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ᾿Ισραήλ· παρέλθωμεν δὴ ἐν τῇ γῇ σου ἕως τοῦ τόπου ἡμῶν
Judges 11:19 (NETS)	Judges 11:19 (English Elpenor)
And Israel sent messengers to Seon, king of Heshbon, the Amorite, and Israel said to him, ‘I will pass through your land to my place.’	And Israel sent messengers to Seon king of the Amorite, king of Esbon, and Israel said to him, Let us pass, we pray thee, by thy land to our place.

Judges 11:20 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:20 (KJV)	Judges 11:20 (NET)
But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.	But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.	But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. He assembled his whole army, camped in Jahaz, and fought with Israel.

Judges 11:20 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:20 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησεν Σηων διελθεῗν τὸν Ισραηλ διὰ τῶν ὁρίων αὐτοῦ καὶ συνήγαγεν Σηων πάντα τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ παρενέβαλεν εἰς Ιασσα καὶ ἐπολέμησεν μετὰ Ισραηλ	καὶ οὐκ ἐνεπίστευσε Σηὼν τῷ ᾿Ισραὴλ παρελθεῖν ἐν τῷ ὁρίῳ αὐτοῦ· καὶ συνῆξε Σηὼν πάντα τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ παρενέβαλον εἰς ᾿Ιασά, καὶ παρετάξατο πρὸς ᾿Ισραήλ
Judges 11:20 (NETS)	Judges 11:20 (English Elpenor)
And Seon did not want Israel to cross his boundaries, and Seon gathered all his people together and encamped at Iassa and fought with Israel.	And Seon did not trust Israel to pass by his coast; and Seon gathered all his people, and they encamped at Jasa; and he set the battle in array against Israel.

Judges 11:21 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:21 (KJV)	Judges 11:21 (NET)
And 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 Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.	And 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 Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.	The Lord God of Israel handed Sihon and his whole army over to Israel, and they defeated them. Israel took all the land of the Amorites who lived in that land.

Judges 11:21 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:21 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ παρέδωκεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ τὸν Σηων καὶ πάντα τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν χειρὶ Ισραηλ καὶ ἐπάταξεν αὐτούς καὶ ἐκληρονόμησεν Ισραηλ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν τοῦ Αμορραίου τοῦ κατοικοῦντος ἐν τῇ γῇ	καὶ παρέδωκε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ᾿Ισραὴλ τὸν Σηὼν καὶ πάντα τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν χειρὶ ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ ἐπάταξεν αὐτόν· καὶ ἐκληρονόμησεν ᾿Ισραὴλ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν τοῦ ᾿Αμμοραίου τοῦ κατοικοῦντος τὴν γῆν ἐκείνην
Judges 11:21 (NETS)	Judges 11:21 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord, the God of Israel, gave Seon and all his people in the hand of Israel, and he struck them down, and Israel inherited all the land of the Amorrite who inhabited the land.	And the Lord God of Israel delivered Seon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote him; and Israel inherited all the land of the Amorite who dwelt in that land,

Judges 11:22 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:22 (KJV)	Judges 11:22 (NET)
And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan.	And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan.	They took all the Amorite territory from the Arnon River on the south to the Jabbok River on the north, from the desert in the east to the Jordan in the west.

Judges 11:22 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:22 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐκληρονόμησεν πᾶν τὸ ὅριον τοῦ Αμορραίου ἀπὸ Αρνων καὶ ἕως τοῦ Ιαβοκ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐρήμου καὶ ἕως τοῦ Ιορδάνου	ἀπὸ ᾿Αρνὼν καὶ ἕως τοῦ ᾿Ιαβὸκ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐρήμου ἕως τοῦ ᾿Ιορδάνου
Judges 11:22 (NETS)	Judges 11:22 (English Elpenor)
And he inherited all the territory of the Amorrite from Arnon and up to Iabbok and from the wilderness and up to the Jordan.	from Arnon and to Jaboc, and from the wilderness to Jordan.

Judges 11:23 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:23 (KJV)	Judges 11:23 (NET)
So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it?	So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it?	Since the Lord God of Israel has driven out the Amorites before his people Israel, do you think you can just take it from them?

Judges 11:23 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ νῦν κύριος ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ ἐξῆρεν τὸν Αμορραῗον ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ Ισραηλ καὶ σὺ κληρονομήσεις αὐτὸν ἐπὶ σοῦ	καὶ νῦν Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐξῇρε τὸν ᾿Αμορραῖον ἀπὸ προσώπου λαοῦ αὐτοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ σὺ κληρονομήσεις αὐτόν
Judges 11:23 (NETS)	Judges 11:23 (English Elpenor)
And now the Lord, the God of Israel, has removed the Amorrite from before his people Israel. And shall you inherit them for yourself?	And now the Lord God of Israel has removed the Amorite from before his people Israel, and shalt thou inherit his [land]?

Judges 11:24 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:24 (KJV)	Judges 11:24 (NET)
Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.	Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.	You have the right to take what Chemosh your god gives you, but we will take the land of all whom the Lord our God has driven out before us.

Judges 11:24 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:24 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐχὶ ὅσα κατεκληρονόμησέν σοι Χαμως ὁ θεός σου αὐτὰ κληρονομήσεις καὶ πάντα ὅσα κατεκληρονόμησεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν ἀπὸ προσώπου ἡμῶν αὐτὰ κληρονομήσομεν	οὐχὶ ἃ ἐὰν κληρονομήσει σε Χαμὼς ὁ θεός σου, αὐτὰ κληρονομήσεις, καὶ τοὺς πάντας, οὓς ἐξῇρε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν ἀπὸ προσώπου ὑμῶν, αὐτοὺς κληρονομήσομεν
Judges 11:24 (NETS)	Judges 11:24 (English Elpenor)
Should it not be that whatever your god Chamos has assigned you as an inheritance, that you will inherit? And everything that the Lord our God has assigned as an inheritance from before us, that we will inherit.	Wilt thou not inherit those possessions which Chamos thy god shall cause thee to inherit; and shall not we inherit the [land of] all those whom the Lord our God has removed from before you?

Judges 11:25 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:25 (KJV)	Judges 11:25 (NET)
And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them,	And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them,	Are you really better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he dare to quarrel with Israel? Did he dare to fight with them?

Judges 11:25 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:25 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ νῦν μὴ κρείσσων εἶ σὺ τοῦ Βαλακ υἱοῦ Σεπφωρ βασιλέως Μωαβ μὴ μάχῃ ἐμαχέσατο μετὰ Ισραηλ ἢ πολεμῶν ἐπολέμησεν αὐτοῗς	καὶ νῦν μὴ ἐν ἀγαθῷ ἀγαθώτερος σὺ ὑπὲρ Βαλὰκ υἱὸν Σεπφὼρ βασιλέως Μωάβ; μὴ μαχόμενος ἐμαχέσατο μετὰ ᾿Ισραὴλ ἢ πολεμῶν ἐπολέμησεν αὐτόν
Judges 11:25 (NETS)	Judges 11:25 (English Elpenor)
And now, are you any better than Balak son of Sepphor, king of Moab? Did he fight in a battle with Israel, or going to war, did he go to war with them?	And now art thou any better than Balac son of Sepphor, king of Moab? did he indeed fight with Israel, or indeed make war with him,

Judges 11:26 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:26 (KJV)	Judges 11:26 (NET)
While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover them within that time?	While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover them within that time?	Israel has been living in Heshbon and its nearby towns, in Aroer and its nearby towns, and in all the cities along the Arnon for 300 years! Why did you not reclaim them during that time?

Judges 11:26 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:26 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ Ισραηλ ἐν Εσεβων καὶ ἐν ταῗς θυγατράσιν αὐτῆς καὶ ἐν Ιαζηρ καὶ ἐν ταῗς θυγατράσιν αὐτῆς καὶ ἐν πάσαις ταῗς πόλεσιν ταῗς παρὰ τὸν Ιορδάνην τριακόσια ἔτη τί ὅτι οὐκ ἐρρύσαντο αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ	ἐν τῷ οἰκῆσαι ἐν ᾿Εσεβὼν καὶ ἐν τοῖς ὁρίοις αὐτῆς καὶ ἐν γῇ ᾿Αροὴρ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ὁρίοις αὐτῆς καὶ ἐν πάσαις ταῖς πόλεσι ταῖς παρὰ τὸν ᾿Ιορδάνην τριακόσια ἔτη, καὶ διατί οὐκ ἐρρύσω αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ
Judges 11:26 (NETS)	Judges 11:26 (English Elpenor)
In the house of Israel in Hesebon and in its daughters and in Iazer and in its daughters and in all the cities that are along the Jordan, for three hundred years, why is it they did not recover them within that time?	when [Israel] dwelt in Esebon and in its coasts, and in the land of Aroer and in its coasts, and in all the cities by Jordan, three hundred years? and wherefore didst thou not recover them in that time?

Judges 11:27 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:27 (KJV)	Judges 11:27 (NET)
Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the LORD the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.	Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the LORD the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.	I have not done you wrong, but you are doing wrong by attacking me. May the Lord, the Judge, judge this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites!’”

Judges 11:27 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:27 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐγὼ οὐχ ἥμαρτόν σοι καὶ σὺ ποιεῗς μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ πονηρίαν τοῦ πολεμῆσαι ἐν ἐμοί κρίναι κύριος ὁ κρίνων σήμερον ἀνὰ μέσον υἱῶν Ισραηλ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον υἱῶν Αμμων	καὶ νῦν ἐγώ εἰμι οὐχ ἥμαρτόν σοι, καὶ σὺ ποιεῖς μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ πονηρίαν τοῦ παρατάξασθαι ἐν ἐμοί· κρίναι Κύριος ὁ κρίνων σήμερον ἀνὰ μέσον υἱῶν ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον υἱῶν ᾿Αμμών
Judges 11:27 (NETS)	Judges 11:27 (English Elpenor)
And as for me, I have not sinned against you, and you are the one who does evil against me, to make war against me. May the Lord, who is judging, judge today between the sons of Israel and between the sons of Ammon.”	And now I have not sinned against thee, but thou wrongest me in preparing war against me: may the Lord the Judge judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.

Judges 11:28 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:28 (KJV)	Judges 11:28 (NET)
Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him.	Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him.	But the Ammonite king disregarded the message sent by Jephthah.

Judges 11:28 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:28 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ οὐκ εἰσήκουσεν βασιλεὺς υἱῶν Αμμων καὶ οὐκ εἰσήκουσεν τῶν λόγων Ιεφθαε ὧν ἀπέστειλεν πρὸς αὐτόν	καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσε βασιλεὺς ᾿Αμμὼν τῶν λόγων ᾿Ιεφθάε, ὧν ἀπέστειλε πρὸς αὐτόν
Judges 11:28 (NETS)	Judges 11:28 (English Elpenor)
And the king of the sons of Ammon did not pay heed, and he did not pay heed to the words of Iephthae that he sent him.	But the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not to the words of Jephthae, which he sent to him.

Judges 11:32 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:32 (KJV)	Judges 11:32 (NET)
So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands.	So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands.	Jephthah approached the Ammonites to fight with them, and the Lord handed them over to him.

Judges 11:32 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:32 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ διέβη Ιεφθαε πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς Αμμων τοῦ πολεμῆσαι πρὸς αὐτούς καὶ παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς κύριος ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ	καὶ παρῆλθεν ᾿Ιεφθάε πρὸς υἱοὺς ᾿Αμμὼν παρατάξασθαι πρὸς αὐτούς, καὶ παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς Κύριος ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ
Judges 11:32 (NETS)	Judges 11:32 (English Elpenor)
And Iephthae crossed over to the sons of Ammon to fight against them, and the Lord gave them up in his hand.	And Jephthae advanced to meet the sons of Ammon to fight against them; and the Lord delivered them into his hand.

Judges 11:33 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:33 (KJV)	Judges 11:33 (NET)
And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.	And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.	He defeated them from Aroer all the way to Minnith—20 cities in all, even as far as Abel Keramim. He wiped them out! The Israelites humiliated the Ammonites.

Judges 11:33 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:33 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐπάταξεν αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ Αροηρ καὶ ἕως τοῦ ἐλθεῗν εἰς Σεμωιθ εἴκοσι πόλεις ἕως Αβελ ἀμπελώνων πληγὴν μεγάλην σφόδρα καὶ ἐνετράπησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Αμμων ἀπὸ προσώπου υἱῶν Ισραηλ	καὶ ἐπάταξεν αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ ᾿Αροὴρ ἕως ἐλθεῖν ἄχρις ᾿Αρνὼν ἐν ἀριθμῷ εἴκοσι πόλεις καὶ ἕως ᾿Εβελχαρμὶμ πληγὴν μεγάλην σφόδρα, καὶ συνεστάλησαν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Αμμὼν ἀπὸ προσώπου υἱῶν ᾿Ισραήλ.
Judges 11:33 (NETS)	Judges 11:33 (English Elpenor)
And he struck them down from Aroer and until one comes to Semoith, twenty cities, as far as Abel-of-the-vineyards, a very great blow. And the sons of Ammon were humbled from before the sons of Israel.	And he smote them from Aroer till [one] comes to Arnon, in number twenty cities, and as far as Ebelcharmim, with a very great destruction: and the children of Ammon were straitened before the children of Israel.

Numbers 30:2 (Tanakh)	Numbers 30:1 (KJV)	Numbers 30:1 (NET)
And Moses spoke unto the heads of the tribes of the children of Israel, saying: This is the thing which HaShem hath commanded.	And Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded.	Moses told the leaders of the tribes concerning the Israelites, “This is what the Lord has commanded:

Numbers 30:1 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 30:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐλάλησεν Μωυσῆς πρὸς τοὺς ἄρχοντας τῶν φυλῶν Ισραηλ λέγων τοῦτο τὸ ῥῆμα ὃ συνέταξεν κύριος	καὶ ἐλάλησε Μωυσῆς πρὸς τοὺς ἄρχοντας τῶν φυλῶν υἱῶν ᾿Ισραὴλ λέγων· τοῦτο τὸ ῥῆμα, ὃ συνέταξε Κύριος
Numbers 30:2 (NETS)	Numbers 30:2 (English Elpenor)
And Moyses spoke to the rulers of the tribes of Israel, saying: This is the word that the Lord ordered:	And Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the children of Israel, saying, This [is] the thing which the Lord has commanded.

Judges 11:34 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:34 (KJV)	Judges 11:34 (NET)
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 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.	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.

Judges 11:34 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:34 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἦλθεν Ιεφθαε εἰς Μασσηφα εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἰδοὺ ἡ θυγάτηρ αὐτοῦ ἐξεπορεύετο εἰς ἀπάντησιν αὐτοῦ ἐν τυμπάνοις καὶ χοροῗς καὶ αὕτη μονογενὴς αὐτῷ ἀγαπητή καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτῷ πλὴν αὐτῆς υἱὸς ἢ θυγάτηρ	Καὶ ἦλθεν ᾿Ιεφθάε εἰς Μασσηφὰ εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἡ θυγάτηρ αὐτοῦ ἐξεπορεύετο εἰς ὑπάντησιν ἐν τυμπάνοις καὶ χοροῖς· καὶ αὕτη ἦν μονογενής, οὐκ ἦν αὐτῷ ἕτερος υἱὸς ἢ θυγάτηρ
Judges 11:34 (NETS)	Judges 11:34 (English Elpenor)
And Iephthae came to Massepha, to his home, and see, his daughter was coming out to meet him with timbrels and with dancing. And she was his beloved only child, and he had no son or daughter except her.	And Jephthae came to Massepha to his house; and behold, his daughter came forth to meet him with timbrels and dances; and she was his only child, he had not another son or daughter.

Judges 11:35 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:35 (KJV)	Judges 11:35 (NET)
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 them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back.	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 them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back.	When he saw her, he ripped his clothes and said, “Oh no! My daughter! You have completely ruined me! You have brought me disaster! I made an oath to the Lord, and I cannot break it.”

Judges 11:35 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:35 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐγενήθη ἡνίκα εἶδεν αὐτήν καὶ διέρρηξεν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν οἴμμοι θύγατέρ μου ἐμπεποδοστάτηκάς με εἰς σκῶλον ἐγένου ἐν ὀφθαλμοῗς μου ἐγὼ δὲ ἤνοιξα τὸ στόμα μου περὶ σοῦ πρὸς κύριον καὶ οὐ δυνήσομαι ἀποστρέψαι	καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς εἶδεν αὐτὴν αὐτός, διέρρηξε τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν· ἆ ἆ, θυγάτηρ μου, ταραχῇ ἐτάραξάς με καὶ σὺ ἦς ἐν τῷ ταράχῳ μου, καὶ ἐγώ εἰμι ἤνοιξα κατὰ σοῦ τὸ στόμα μου πρὸς Κύριον καὶ οὐ δυνήσομαι ἀποστρέψαι
Judges 11:35 (NETS)	Judges 11:35 (English Elpenor)
And it came about, when he saw her that he tore his clothes and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have got in my way; you have become for a thorn in my eyes. But I opened my mouth about you to the Lord, and I cannot turn away.”	And it came to pass when he saw her, that he rent his garments, and said, Ah, ah, my daughter, thou hast indeed troubled me, and thou wast the cause of my trouble; and I have opened my mouth against thee to the Lord, and I shall not be able to return from it.

Judges 11:37 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:37 (KJV)	Judges 11:37 (NET)
And she said 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 fellows.	And she said 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 fellows.	She then said to her father, “Please grant me this one wish. For two months allow me to walk through the hills with my friends and mourn my virginity.”

Judges 11:37 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:37 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα αὐτῆς καὶ ποίησόν μοι τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο ἔασόν με δύο μῆνας καὶ πορεύσομαι καὶ καταβήσομαι ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη καὶ κλαύσομαι ἐπὶ τὰ παρθένιά μου καὶ ἐγὼ καὶ αἱ συνεταιρίδες μου	καὶ ἥδε εἶπε πρὸς τὸν πατέρα αὐτῆς· ποιησάτω δὴ ὁ πατήρ μου τὸν λόγον τοῦτον· ἔασόν με δύο μῆνας, καὶ πορεύσομαι καὶ καταβήσομαι ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη καὶ κλαύσομαι ἐπὶ τὰ παρθένιά μου, ἐγώ εἰμι καὶ αἱ συνεταιρίδες μου
Judges 11:37 (NETS)	Judges 11:37 (English Elpenor)
And she said to her father, “Also, do this word for me: Grant me two months, and I will go and descend on the mountains and bewail my virginity, both I and my companions.”	And she said to her father, Let my father now do this thing: let me alone for two months, and I will go up and down on the mountains, and I will bewail my virginity, I and my companions.

Judges 11:38 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:38 (KJV)	Judges 11:38 (NET)
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 he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.	He said, “You may go.” He permitted her to leave for two months. She went with her friends and mourned her virginity as she walked through the hills.

Judges 11:38 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:38 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν πορεύου καὶ ἐξαπέστειλεν αὐτὴν δύο μῆνας καὶ ἐπορεύθη αὐτὴ καὶ αἱ συνεταιρίδες αὐτῆς καὶ ἔκλαυσεν ἐπὶ τὰ παρθένια αὐτῆς ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη	καὶ εἶπε· πορεύου· καὶ ἀπέστειλεν αὐτὴν δύο μῆνας. καὶ ἐπορεύθη, αὐτὴ καὶ αἱ συνεταιρίδες αὐτῆς, καὶ ἔκλαυσεν ἐπὶ τὰ παρθένια αὐτῆς ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη
Judges 11:38 (NETS)	Judges 11:38 (English Elpenor)
And he said, “Go,” and sent her away for two months. And she went, she and her companions, and she bewailed her virginity on the mountains.	And he said, Go: and he sent her away for two months; and she went, and her companions, and she bewailed her virginity on the mountains.

Judges 11:39 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:39 (KJV)	Judges 11:39 (NET)
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 knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel,	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 knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel,	After two months she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. She died a virgin. Her tragic death gave rise to a custom in Israel.

Judges 11:39 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:39 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐγένετο μετὰ τέλος δύο μηνῶν καὶ ἀνέκαμψεν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα αὐτῆς καὶ ἐπετέλεσεν Ιεφθαε τὴν εὐχὴν αὐτοῦ ἣν ηὔξατο καὶ αὐτὴ οὐκ ἔγνω ἄνδρα καὶ ἐγενήθη εἰς πρόσταγμα ἐν Ισραηλ	καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τέλει τῶν δύο μηνῶν καὶ ἐπέστρεψε πρὸς τὸν πατέρα αὐτῆς, καὶ ἐποίησεν ἐν αὐτῇ εὐχὴν αὐτοῦ, ἣν ηὔξατο· καὶ αὕτη οὐκ ἔγνω ἄνδρα. καὶ ἐγένετο εἰς πρόσταγμα ἐν ᾿Ισραήλ
Judges 11:39 (NETS)	Judges 11:39, 40a (English Elpenor)
And it came about after the end of two months that she returned to her father, and Iephthae fulfilled his vow that he had vowed. And she had never known a man. And it became for an ordinance in Israel:	And it came to pass at the end of the two months that she returned to her father; and he performed upon her his vow which he vowed; and she knew no man: (40) and it was an ordinance in Israel,

Leviticus 5:4 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 5:4 (KJV)	Leviticus 5:4 (NET)
or if any one swear clearly with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall utter clearly with an oath, and it be hid from him; and, when he knoweth of it, be guilty in one of these things;	Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these.	or when a person swears an oath, speaking thoughtlessly with his lips, whether to do evil or to do good, with regard to anything which the individual might speak thoughtlessly in an oath, even if he did not realize it, but he has later come to know it and is guilty with regard to one of these oaths—

Leviticus 5:4 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 5:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἢ ψυχή ἡ ἂν ὀμόσῃ διαστέλλουσα τοῗς χείλεσιν κακοποιῆσαι ἢ καλῶς ποιῆσαι κατὰ πάντα ὅσα ἐὰν διαστείλῃ ὁ ἄνθρωπος μεθ᾽ ὅρκου καὶ λάθῃ αὐτὸν πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν καὶ οὗτος γνῷ καὶ ἁμάρτῃ ἕν τι τούτων	ἡ ψυχή, ἣ ἂν ὀμόσῃ διαστέλλουσα τοῖς χείλεσι κακοποιῆσαι ἢ καλῶς ποιῆσαι κατὰ πάντα, ὅσα ἐὰν διαστείλῃ ὁ ἄνθρωπος μεθ᾿ ὅρκου, καὶ λάθῃ αὐτὸν πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν, καὶ οὗτος γνῷ, καὶ ἁμάρτῃ ἕν τι τούτων,
Leviticus 5:4 (NETS)	Leviticus 5:4 (English Elpenor)
or a soul who swears, determining with his lips to do evil or to do good, in any way that the person may speak forcefully by an oath, and if it excapes the notice of his eyes and if he comes to know it and should sin in any one of these,	That unrighteous soul, which determines with his lips to do evil or to do good according to whatsoever a man may determine with an oath, and it shall have escaped his notice, and he shall [afterwards] know [it], and [so] he should sin in some one of these things:

Leviticus 5:5 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 5:5 (KJV)	Leviticus 5:5 (NET)
and it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that wherein he hath sinned;	And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing:	when an individual becomes guilty with regard to one of these things he must confess how he has sinned,

Leviticus 5:5 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 5:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐξαγορεύσει τὴν ἁμαρτίαν περὶ ὧν ἡμάρτηκεν κατ᾽ αὐτῆς	καὶ ἐξαγορεύσει τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, περὶ ὧν ἡμάρτηκε κατ᾿ αὐτῆς,
Leviticus 5:5 (NETS)	Leviticus 5:5 (English Elpenor)
then he shall declare his sin concerning the things in which he has sinned.	— then shall he declare his sin in the things wherein he has sinned by that sin.

Leviticus 5:6 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 5:6 (KJV)	Leviticus 5:6 (NET)
and he shall bring his forfeit unto HaShem for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin-offering; and the priest shall make atonement for him as concerning his sin.	And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin.	and he must bring his penalty for guilt to the Lord for his sin that he has committed—a female from the flock, whether a female sheep or a female goat, for a sin offering. So the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his sin.

Leviticus 5:6 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 5:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ οἴσει περὶ ὧν ἐπλημμέλησεν κυρίῳ περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἧς ἥμαρτεν θῆλυ ἀπὸ τῶν προβάτων ἀμνάδα ἢ χίμαιραν ἐξ αἰγῶν περὶ ἁμαρτίας καὶ ἐξιλάσεται περὶ αὐτοῦ ὁ ἱερεὺς περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ ἧς ἥμαρτεν καὶ ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ ἡ ἁμαρτία	καὶ οἴσει περὶ ὧν ἐπλημμέλησε Κυρίῳ, περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἧς ἥμαρτε, θῆλυ ἀπὸ τῶν προβάτων, ἀμνάδα ἢ χίμαιραν ἐξ αἰγῶν, περὶ ἁμαρτίας· καὶ ἐξιλάσεται περὶ αὐτοῦ ὁ ἱερεὺς περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ, ἧς ἥμαρτε, καὶ ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ ἡ ἁμαρτία
Leviticus 5:6 (NETS)	Leviticus 5:6 (English Elpenor)
And he shall bring to the Lord for whatever he has done amiss, for the sin that he has committed, a female from the sheep—a lamb, or a young nanny goat for sin. And the priest shall make atonement for him, for his sin that he has committed, and the sin will be forgiven him.	And he shall bring for his transgressions against the Lord, for his sin which he has sinned, a ewe lamb of the flock, or a kid of the goats, for a sin-offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin which he has sinned, and his sin shall be forgiven him.

Jephthah’s Religious Mind

Back to David’s Forgiveness, Part 13

Back to Torture, Part 5

Back to Apostles and Prophets, Part 3

Back to Romans, Part 68

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 7

Back to Forgiven or Passed Over? Part 5

Back to A Shadow of the Good Things, Part 7

¹ Judges 3:12-30 (NET)

² Some information may have come from the Book of the Wars of the Lord (Numbers 21:14 NET).

³ Judges 11:29a (NET) Table

⁴ Judges 11:32, 33 (NET)

⁵ Judges 11:36 (NET) Table

Jephthah

Posted on May 31, 2012 by admin

Jephthah led (šāp̄aṭ, וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֥ט) Israel for six years; then he died and was buried in his city in Gilead.¹ Samuel mentioned Jephthah, along with himself, as one the Lord sent as a deliverer from the hand of the enemies all around you, and you were able to live securely² when the people cried out to the Lord and admitted, “We have sinned, for we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the images of Ashtoreth. Now deliver us from the hand of our enemies so that we may serve you.”³ Though there are some differences in the list of Judges Samuel mentioned between the LXX (the Greek translation of the Old Testament), the Targum and the Syriac Peshitta according to the footnote (19) in the NET, Jephthah made all three lists. Jephthah was remembered again as a man of faith in Hebrews 11:32 (NET):

And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak,⁴ Samson,⁵ Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets.

He is certainly worth my consideration. Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a brave warrior. His mother was a prostitute (zānâ, זונה), but Gilead was his father.⁶ Gilead had other sons by his wife. When they 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.” So Jephthah left his half-brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Lawless men joined Jephthah’s gang and traveled with him [See Addendum below].⁷

Later, When the Ammonites attacked, the leaders (zāqēn, זקני) of Gilead asked Jephthah to come back from the land of Tob.⁸ They wanted him to be their commander (qāṣîn, לקצין) in battle. When Jephthah recounted how they had treated him previously they pledged their loyalty to him as their leader (rō’š, לראש) if he would lead them victoriously in battle against the Ammonites (Judges 11:9-11 NET).

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 (rō’š, לראש).” 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.” So Jephthah went with the leaders of Gilead. The people made him their leader (rō’š, לראש) and commander (qāṣîn, ולקצין). Jephthah repeated the terms of the agreement before the Lord in Mizpah.

So while Barak was appointed to his judgeship by the prophetess Deborah,⁹ and the Lord himself called Gideon (also known as Jerub-Baal),¹⁰ Jephthah rose to prominence through a backroom deal sanctified after the fact as an oath, or contract, at a holy place. These circumstances in and of themselves don’t necessarily mean that Jephthah was not one the Lord…raised (qûm, ויקם) up as a deliverer (yāša, מושיע), like Othniel in Judges 3:7-11 (NET) or Ehud in Judges 3:12-30 (NET). The text does not relate the circumstances of Othniel’s calling, nor those under which Ehud was raised up. If it did I might find those circumstances as curious as the calling of Jephthah.

In the New Testament Paul described the calling of many in Corinth like this (1 Corinthians 1:26-29 NET):

Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to a privileged position. But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world,¹¹ what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, so that no one can boast in his¹² presence.

In the book of Judges the Lord whittled Gideon’s army down from 32,000 to 300 warriors for exactly the same reason (Judges 7:2 NET Table):

The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to hand Midian over to you. Israel might brag, ‘Our own strength has delivered us.’”

What is worthy of mention about Jephthah’s calling however is that it comes after the Lord has become so tired of this Monotonous Cycle of apostasy and repentance in Israel that He said (Judges 10:11-14 NET):

Did I not deliver you from Egypt, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Sidonians, Amalek, and Midian when they oppressed you? You cried out for help to me, and I delivered you from their power. But since you abandoned me and worshiped other gods, I will not deliver you again. Go and cry for help to the gods you have chosen! Let them deliver you from trouble!

But the Israelites said to the Lord, “We have sinned. You do to us as you see fit, but deliver us today!” They threw away the foreign gods they owned and worshiped the Lord. Finally the Lord grew tired of seeing Israel suffer so much.¹³

Before I get too carried away by the thought that a marauding leader of lawless men [See Addendum below], the exiled son of a professional (or eager amateur) devotee of one of the Baals or Ashtars¹⁴ was exactly the kind of deliverer these Israelites deserved, I had better check myself and understand exactly who this marauding leader of lawless men, the exiled son of a professional (or eager amateur) devotee of one of the Baals or Ashtars was.

Addendum: January 19, 2019
Tables comparing Hebrews 11:32 and 1 Corinthians 1:28, 29 in the NET and KJV follow.

Hebrews 11:32 (NET)	Hebrews 11:32 (KJV)
And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets.	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:

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Καὶ τί ἔτι λέγω; ἐπιλείψει με γὰρ διηγούμενον ὁ χρόνος περὶ Γεδεών, Βαράκ, Σαμψών, Ἰεφθάε, Δαυίδ τε καὶ Σαμουὴλ καὶ τῶν προφητῶν	και τι ετι λεγω επιλειψει γαρ με διηγουμενον ο χρονος περι γεδεων βαρακ τε και σαμψων και ιεφθαε δαβιδ τε και σαμουηλ και των προφητων	και τι ετι λεγω επιλειψει γαρ με διηγουμενον ο χρονος περι γεδεων βαρακ τε και σαμψων και ιεφθαε δαυιδ τε και σαμουηλ και των προφητων

1 Corinthians 1:28, 29 (NET)	1 Corinthians 1:28, 29 (KJV)
God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something,	And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ τὰ ἀγενῆ τοῦ κόσμου καὶ τὰ ἐξουθενημένα ἐξελέξατο ὁ θεός, τὰ μὴ ὄντα, ἵνα τὰ ὄντα καταργήσῃ	και τα αγενη του κοσμου και τα εξουθενημενα εξελεξατο ο θεος και τα μη οντα ινα τα οντα καταργηση	και τα αγενη του κοσμου και τα εξουθενημενα εξελεξατο ο θεος και τα μη οντα ινα τα οντα καταργηση

so that no one can boast in his presence.

That no flesh should glory in his presence.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ὅπως μὴ καυχήσηται πᾶσα σὰρξ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ	οπως μη καυχησηται πασα σαρξ ενωπιον αυτου	οπως μη καυχησηται πασα σαρξ ενωπιον του θεου

Addendum: July 20, 2021
I may have gotten the wrong idea about the “lawless” men [who] joined Jephthah’s “gang.”

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Judges 11:3 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:3 (NET)	Judges 11:3 (NETS)	Judges 11:3 (English Elpenor)
Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain (רֵיקִ֔ים) men to Jephthah, and went out with him.	So Jephthah left his half brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Lawless (rêq, ריקים) men joined Jephthah’s gang and traveled with him.	And Iephthae fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. And petty (λιτοὶ) men were coming together to Iephthae and would go out together with him.	And Jephthae fled from the face of his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob; and vain (κενοὶ) men gathered to Jephthae, and went out with him.

Perhaps, like Jephthah, for whatever reason these men were not of the landed gentry, simply men without inherited wealth.

Tables comparing Judges 12:7; 1 Samuel 12:11; 12:10; Judges 11:1; 11:2; 11:3; 11:5; 11:9; 11:10; 11:11; 3:9; 3:15; 10:11; 10:12; 10:13; 10:14; 10:15 and 10:16 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Judges 12:7; 1 Samuel (1 Reigns, 1 Kings) 12:11; 12:10; Judges 11:1; 11:2; 11:3; 11:5 (11:4, 5); 11:9; 11:10; 11:11; 3:9; 3:15; 10:11; 10:12; 10:13; 10:14; 10:15 and 10:16 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.

Judges 12:7 (Tanakh)	Judges 12:7 (KJV)	Judges 12:7 (NET)
And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.	And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.	Jephthah led Israel for six years; then he died and was buried in his town in Gilead.

Judges 12:7 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 12:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔκρινεν Ιεφθαε τὸν Ισραηλ ἓξ ἔτη καὶ ἀπέθανεν Ιεφθαε ὁ Γαλααδίτης καὶ ἐτάφη ἐν τῇ πόλει αὐτοῦ Γαλααδ	καὶ ἔκρινεν ᾿Ιεφθάε τὸν ᾿Ισραὴλ ἓξ ἔτη. καὶ ἀπέθανεν ᾿Ιεφθάε ὁ Γαλααδίτης, καὶ ἐτάφη ἐν πόλει αὐτοῦ Γαλαάδ
Judges 12:7 (NETS)	Judges 12:7 (English Elpenor)
And Iephthae judged Israel six years. And Iephthae the Galaadite died and was buried in his city, Galaad.	And Jephthae judged Israel six years; and Jephthae the Galaadite died, and was buried in his city Galaad.

1 Samuel 12:11 (Tanakh)	1 Samuel 12:11 (KJV)	1 Samuel 12:11 (NET)
And HaShem sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelt in safety.	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.	So the Lord sent Jerub Baal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel, and he delivered you from the hands of the enemies all around you, and you were able to live securely.

1 Samuel 12:11 (Septuagint BLB)	1 Kings 12:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀπέστειλεν κύριος τὸν Ιεροβααλ καὶ τὸν Βαρακ καὶ τὸν Ιεφθαε καὶ τὸν Σαμουηλ καὶ ἐξείλατο ὑμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς ἐχθρῶν ὑμῶν τῶν κυκλόθεν καὶ κατῳκεῗτε πεποιθότες	καὶ ἀπέστειλε Κύριος τὸν ῾Ιεροβάαλ καὶ τὸν Βαρὰκ καὶ τὸν ᾿Ιεφθάε καὶ τὸν Σαμουὴλ καὶ ἐξείλατο ἡμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς ἐχθρῶν ἡμῶν τῶν κυκλόθεν, καὶ κατῳκεῖτε πεποιθότες
1 Reigns 12:11 (NETS)	1 Kings 12:11 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord sent Ierobaal and Barak and Iephthae and Samouel and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies who were round about, and you were living securely.	And he sent Jerobaal, and Barac, and Jephthae, and Samuel, and rescued us out of the hand of our enemies round about, and ye dwelt in security.

1 Samuel 12:10 (Tanakh)	1 Samuel 12:10 (KJV)	1 Samuel 12:10 (NET)
And they cried unto HaShem, and said: We have sinned, because we have forsaken HaShem, and have served the Baalim and the Ashtaroth; but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve Thee.	And they cried unto the LORD, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.	Then they cried out to the Lord and admitted, ‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the images of Ashtoreth. Now deliver us from the hands of our enemies so that we may serve you.’

1 Samuel 12:10 (Septuagint BLB)	1 Kings 12:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐβόησαν πρὸς κύριον καὶ ἔλεγον ἡμάρτομεν ὅτι ἐγκατελίπομεν τὸν κύριον καὶ ἐδουλεύσαμεν τοῗς Βααλιμ καὶ τοῗς ἄλσεσιν καὶ νῦν ἐξελοῦ ἡμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς ἐχθρῶν ἡμῶν καὶ δουλεύσομέν σοι	καὶ ἐβόησαν πρὸς Κύριον καὶ ἔλεγον· ἡμάρτομεν, ὅτι ἐγκατελίπομεν τὸν Κύριον καὶ ἐδουλεύσαμεν τοῖς Βααλὶμ καὶ τοῖς ἄλσεσι· καὶ νῦν ἐξελοῦ ἡμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς ἐχθρῶν ἡμῶν, καὶ δουλεύσομέν σοι
1 Reigns 12:10 (NETS)	1 Kings 12:10 (English Elpenor)
And they cried out to the Lord and were saying, ‘We have sinned, because we forsook the Lord and were subject to the Baalim and the groves, and now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will be subject to you.’	And they cried to the Lord, and said, We have sinned, for we have forsaken the Lord, and have served Baalim and the groves: and now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.

Judges 11:1 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:1 (KJV)	Judges 11:1 (NET)
Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.	Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.	Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a brave warrior. His mother was a prostitute, but Gilead was his father.

Judges 11:1 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ Ιεφθαε ὁ Γαλααδίτης δυνατὸς ἐν ἰσχύι καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν υἱὸς γυναικὸς πόρνης καὶ ἔτεκεν τῷ Γαλααδ τὸν Ιεφθαε	ΚΑΙ ᾿Ιεφθάε ὁ Γαλααδίτης ἐπῃρμένος δυνάμει· καὶ αὐτὸς υἱὸς γυναικὸς πόρνης, ἣ ἐγέννησε τῷ Γαλαὰδ τὸν ᾿Ιεφθάε
Judges 11:1 (NETS)	Judges 11:1 (English Elpenor)
And Iephthae the Galaadite was powerful in strength, and he himself was a son of a woman who was a prostitute, and she bore Iephthae to Galaad.	And Jephthae the Galaadite [was] a mighty man; and he [was] the son of a harlot, who bore Jephthae to Galaad.

Judges 11:2 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:2 (KJV)	Judges 11:2 (NET)
And Gilead’s wife bare him sons; and his wife’s sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father’s house; for thou art the son of a strange woman.	And Gilead’s wife bare him sons; and his wife’s sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father’s house; for thou art the son of a strange woman.	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.”

Judges 11:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔτεκεν ἡ γυνὴ Γαλααδ αὐτῷ υἱούς καὶ ἡδρύνθησαν οἱ υἱοὶ τῆς γυναικὸς καὶ ἐξέβαλον τὸν Ιεφθαε καὶ εἶπον αὐτῷ οὐ κληρονομήσεις ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν ὅτι γυναικὸς υἱὸς ἑταίρας εἶ σύ	καὶ ἔτεκεν ἡ γυνὴ Γαλαὰδ αὐτῷ υἱούς· καὶ ἡδρύνθησαν οἱ υἱοὶ τῆς γυναικὸς καὶ ἐξέβαλον τὸν ᾿Ιεφθάε καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ· οὐ κληρονομήσεις ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν, ὅτι υἱὸς γυναικὸς ἑταίρας σύ
Judges 11:2 (NETS)	Judges 11:2 (English Elpenor)
And Galaad’s wife bore him sons, and his wife’s sons came to maturity and drove Iephthae away and said to him, “You shall not inherit anything in our father’s house, for you are the son of woman who is a courtesan.”	And the wife of Galaad bore him sons; and the sons of his wife grew up, and they cast out Jephthae, and said to him, Thou shalt not inherit in the house of our father, for thou art the son of a concubine.

Judges 11:3 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:3 (KJV)	Judges 11:3 (NET)
Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.	Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.	So Jephthah left his half brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Lawless men joined Jephthah’s gang and traveled with him.

Judges 11:3 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀπέδρα Ιεφθαε ἐκ προσώπου τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ κατῴκησεν ἐν γῇ Τωβ καὶ συνελέγοντο πρὸς τὸν Ιεφθαε ἄνδρες λιτοὶ καὶ συνεξεπορεύοντο μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ	καὶ ἔφυγεν ᾿Ιεφθάε ἀπὸ προσώπου τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ ᾤκησεν ἐν γῇ Τώβ, καὶ συνεστράφησαν πρὸς ᾿Ιεφθάε ἄνδρες κενοὶ καὶ ἐξῆλθον μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ
Judges 11:3 (NETS)	Judges 11:3 (English Elpenor)
And Iephthae fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. And petty men were coming together to Iephthae and would go out together with him.	And Jephthae fled from the face of his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob; and vain men gathered to Jephthae, and went out with him.

Judges 11:5 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:5 (KJV)	Judges 11:5 (NET)
And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob:	And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob:	When the Ammonites attacked, the leaders of Gilead asked Jephthah to come back from the land of Tob.

Judges 11:5 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:4, 5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐγενήθη ἡνίκα ἐπολέμουν οἱ υἱοὶ Αμμων μετὰ Ισραηλ καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν οἱ πρεσβύτεροι Γαλααδ παραλαβεῗν τὸν Ιεφθαε ἐν γῇ Τωβ	καὶ ἐγένετο ἡνίκα παρετάξαντο οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Αμμὼν μετὰ ᾿Ισραήλ, (5) καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν οἱ πρεσβύτεροι Γαλαὰδ λαβεῖν τὸν ᾿Ιεφθάε ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς Τὼβ
Judges 11:5 (NETS)	Judges 11:4, 5 (English Elpenor)
And it happened, when the sons of Ammon were making war with Israel, that the elders of Galaad went to take along Iephthae in the land of Tob.	And it came to pass when the children of Ammon prepared to fight with Israel, (5) that the elders of Galaad went to fetch Jephthae from the land of Tob.

Judges 11:9 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:9 (KJV)	Judges 11:9 (NET)
And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head?	And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head?	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.”

Judges 11:9 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν Ιεφθαε πρὸς τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους Γαλααδ εἰ ἐπιστρέφετέ με ὑμεῗς πολεμῆσαι ἐν τοῗς υἱοῗς Αμμων καὶ παραδῷ κύριος αὐτοὺς ἐνώπιον ἐμοῦ ἐγὼ ὑμῗν ἔσομαι εἰς κεφαλήν	καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Ιεφθάε πρὸς τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους Γαλαάδ· εἰ ἐπιστρέφετέ με ὑμεῖς παρατάξασθαι ἐν υἱοῖς ᾿Αμμὼν καὶ παραδῷ αὐτοὺς Κύριος ἐνώπιον ἐμοῦ, καὶ ἐγὼ ὑμῖν ἔσομαι εἰς ἄρχοντα
Judges 11:9 (NETS)	Judges 11:9 (English Elpenor)
And Iephthae said to the elders of Galaad, “If you are returning me to fight against the sons of Ammon, then let the Lord give them over before me. I will be for a head to you.”	And Jephthae said to the elders of Galaad, If ye turn me back to fight with the children of Ammon, and the Lord should deliver them before me, then will I be your head.

Judges 11:10 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:10 (KJV)	Judges 11:10 (NET)
And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The LORD be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words.	And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The LORD be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words.	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.”

Judges 11:10 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπαν οἱ πρεσβύτεροι Γαλααδ πρὸς Ιεφθαε κύριος ἔσται ὁ ἀκούων ἀνὰ μέσον ἡμῶν εἰ μὴ κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου οὕτως ποιήσομεν	καὶ εἶπαν οἱ πρεσβύτεροι Γαλαὰδ πρὸς ᾿Ιεφθάε· Κύριος ἔστω ἀκούων ἀνὰ μέσον ἡμῶν, εἰ μὴ κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου οὕτω ποιήσομεν
Judges 11:10 (NETS)	Judges 11:10 (English Elpenor)
And the elders of Galaad said to Iephthae, “The Lord will be the one who hears between us, if we do not do so, according to your word.”	And the elders of Galaad said to Jephthae, The Lord be witness between us, if we shall not do according to thy word.

Judges 11:11 (Tanakh)	Judges 11:11 (KJV)	Judges 11:11 (NET)
Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh.	Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh.	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.

Judges 11:11 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 11:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐπορεύθη Ιεφθαε μετὰ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων Γαλααδ καὶ κατέστησαν αὐτὸν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῶν εἰς κεφαλὴν εἰς ἡγούμενον καὶ ἐλάλησεν Ιεφθαε πάντας τοὺς λόγους αὐτοῦ ἐνώπιον κυρίου ἐν Μασσηφα	καὶ ἐπορεύθη ᾿Ιεφθάε μετὰ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων Γαλαάδ, καὶ ἔθηκαν αὐτὸν ὁ λαὸς ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς εἰς κεφαλὴν καὶ εἰς ἀρχηγόν. καὶ ἐλάλησεν ᾿Ιεφθάε πάντας τοὺς λόγους αὐτοῦ ἐνώπιον Κυρίου ἐν Μασσηφά
Judges 11:11 (NETS)	Judges 11:11 (English Elpenor)
And Iephthae went with the elders of Galaad, and they appointed him over them for a head, for a leader, and Iephthae spoke all his words before the Lord at Massepha.	And Jephthae went with the elders of Galaad, and the people made him head and ruler over them: and Jephthae spoke all his words before the Lord in Massepha.

Judges 3:9 (Tanakh)	Judges 3:9 (KJV)	Judges 3:9 (NET)
And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.	And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.	When the Israelites cried out for help to the Lord, he raised up a deliverer for the Israelites who rescued them. His name was Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.

Judges 3:9 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 3:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐκέκραξαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ πρὸς κύριον καὶ ἤγειρεν κύριος σωτῆρα τῷ Ισραηλ καὶ ἔσωσεν αὐτούς τὸν Γοθονιηλ υἱὸν Κενεζ ἀδελφὸν Χαλεβ τὸν νεώτερον αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰσήκουσεν αὐτοῦ	καὶ ἐκέκραξαν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ πρὸς Κύριον· καί ἤγειρε Κύριος σωτῆρα τῷ ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ ἔσωσεν αὐτούς, τὸν Γοθονιὴλ υἱὸν Κενέζ ἀδελφοῦ Χάλεβ τὸν νεώτερον ὑπὲρ αὐτόν
Judges 3:9 (NETS)	Judges 3:9 (English Elpenor)
And the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up a deliverer for Israel, and he delivered them, Gothoniel son of Kenaz, Chaleb’s younger brother, and he obeyed him.	And the children of Israel cried to the Lord; and the Lord raised up a saviour to Israel, and he saved them, Gothoniel the son of Kenez, the brother of Chaleb younger than himself.

Judges 3:15 (Tanakh)	Judges 3:15 (KJV)	Judges 3:15 (NET)
But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.	But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.	When the Israelites cried out for help to the Lord, he raised up a deliverer for them. His name was Ehud son of Gera the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The Israelites sent him to King Eglon of Moab with their tribute payment.

Judges 3:15 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 3:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐκέκραξαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ πρὸς κύριον καὶ ἤγειρεν αὐτοῗς κύριος σωτῆρα τὸν Αωδ υἱὸν Γηρα υἱοῦ τοῦ Ιεμενι ἄνδρα ἀμφοτεροδέξιον καὶ ἀπέστειλαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ δῶρα ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ τῷ Εγλωμ βασιλεῗ Μωαβ	καὶ ἐκέκραξαν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ πρὸς Κύριον· καὶ ἤγειρεν αὐτοῖς σωτῆρα τὸν ᾿Αὼδ υἱὸν Γηρὰ υἱὸν τοῦ ᾿Ιεμενί, ἄνδρα ἀμφοτεροδέξιον. καὶ ἐξαπέστειλαν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ δῶρα ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ τῷ ᾿Εγλὼμ βασιλεῖ Μωάβ
Judges 3:15 (NETS)	Judges 3:15 (English Elpenor)
And the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up for them a deliverer, Aod son of Gera son of Iemeni, an ambidextrous man. And the sons of Israel sent gifts to King Eglom of Moab by his hand.	And the children of Israel cried to the Lord; and he raised up to them a saviour, Aod the son of Gera a son of Jemeni, a man who used both hands alike: and the children of Israel sent gifts by his hand to Eglom king of Moab.

Judges 10:11 (Tanakh)	Judges 10:11 (KJV)	Judges 10:11 (NET)
And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?	And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?	The Lord said to the Israelites, “Did I not deliver you from Egypt, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines,

Judges 10:11 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 10:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς Ισραηλ οὐχὶ οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι καὶ οἱ Αμορραῗοι καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ Αμμων καὶ Μωαβ καὶ οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι	καὶ εἶπε Κύριος πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς ᾿Ισραήλ· μὴ οὐχὶ ἐξ Αἰγύπτου καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ᾿Αμορραίου καὶ ἀπὸ υἱῶν ᾿Αμμὼν καὶ ἀπὸ Φυλιστιΐμ
Judges 10:11 (NETS)	Judges 10:11 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord said to the sons of Israel, “Did not the Egyptians and the Amorites and the sons of Ammon and Moab and the allophyles	And the Lord said to the children of Israel, Did I not [save you] from Egypt and from the Amorite, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Phylistines,

Judges 10:12 (Tanakh)	Judges 10:12 (KJV)	Judges 10:12 (NET)
The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand.	The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand.	the Sidonians, Amalek, and Midian when they oppressed you? You cried out for help to me, and I delivered you from their power.

Judges 10:12 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 10:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ Σιδώνιοι καὶ Μαδιαμ καὶ Αμαληκ ἐξέθλιψαν ὑμᾶς καὶ ἐκεκράξατε πρός με καὶ ἔσωσα ὑμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς αὐτῶν	καὶ Σιδωνίων καὶ ᾿Αμαλὴκ καὶ Μαδιάμ, οἳ ἔθλιψαν ὑμᾶς, καὶ ἐβοήσατε πρός με, καὶ ἔσωσα ὑμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς αὐτῶν
Judges 10:12 (NETS)	Judges 10:12 (English Elpenor)
and Sidonians and Madiam and Amelek oppress you? And you cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand.	and from the Sidonians, and Amalec, and Madiam, who afflicted you? and ye cried to me, and I saved you out of their hand?

Judges 10:13 (Tanakh)	Judges 10:13 (KJV)	Judges 10:13 (NET)
Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more.	Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more.	But since you abandoned me and worshiped other gods, I will not deliver you again.

Judges 10:13 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 10:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ὑμεῗς ἐγκατελίπετέ με καὶ ἐλατρεύσατε θεοῗς ἑτέροις διὰ τοῦτο οὐ προσθήσω τοῦ σῶσαι ὑμᾶς	καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐγκατελίπετέ με καὶ ἐδουλεύσατε θεοῖς ἑτέροις· διὰ τοῦτο οὐ προσθήσω τοῦ σῶσαι ὑμᾶς
Judges 10:13 (NETS)	Judges 10:13 (English Elpenor)
And you have abandoned me and served other gods; therefore I will not add to deliver you.	Yet ye forsook me and served other gods; therefore I will not save you any more.

Judges 10:14 (Tanakh)	Judges 10:14 (KJV)	Judges 10:14 (NET)
Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.	Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.	Go and cry for help to the gods you have chosen! Let them deliver you from trouble!”

Judges 10:14 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 10:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
βαδίζετε καὶ βοᾶτε πρὸς τοὺς θεούς οὓς ἐξελέξασθε ἑαυτοῗς καὶ αὐτοὶ σωσάτωσαν ὑμᾶς ἐν καιρῷ θλίψεως ὑμῶν	πορεύεσθε καὶ βοήσατε πρὸς τοὺς θεούς, οὓς ἐξελέξασθε ἑαυτοῖς, καὶ αὐτοὶ σωσάτωσαν ὑμᾶς ἐν καιρῷ θλίψεως ὑμῶν
Judges 10:14 (NETS)	Judges 10:14 (English Elpenor)
Go away, and cry aloud to the gods you have chosen for yourselves, and let them deliver you in the time of your distress.”	Go, and cry to the gods whom ye have chosen to yourselves, and let them save you in the time of your affliction.

Judges 10:15 (Tanakh)	Judges 10:15 (KJV)	Judges 10:15 (NET)
And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day.	And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day.	But the Israelites said to the Lord, “We have sinned. You do to us as you see fit, but deliver us today!”

Judges 10:15 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 10:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ πρὸς κύριον ἡμάρτομεν ποίησον σὺ ἡμῗν κατὰ πάντα ὅσα ἂν ἀρέσκῃ ἐνώπιόν σου πλήν κύριε ἐξελοῦ ἡμᾶς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ	καὶ εἶπαν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ πρὸς Κύριον· ἡμάρτομεν, ποίησον σὺ ἡμῖν κατὰ πᾶν τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου, πλὴν ἐξελοῦ ἡμᾶς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ
Judges 10:15 (NETS)	Judges 10:15 (English Elpenor)
And the sons of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned; do to us according to everything that is pleasing before you; only, Lord, deliver us in this day!”	And the children of Israel said to the Lord, We have sinned: do thou to us according to all [that is] good in thine eyes; only deliver us this day.

Judges 10:16 (Tanakh)	Judges 10:16 (KJV)	Judges 10:16 (NET)
And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.	And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.	They threw away the foreign gods they owned and worshiped the Lord. Finally the Lord grew tired of seeing Israel suffer so much.

Judges 10:16 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 10:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ μετέστησαν τοὺς θεοὺς τοὺς ἀλλοτρίους ἐκ μέσου αὐτῶν καὶ ἐλάτρευσαν τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ οὐκ εὐηρέστησεν ἐν τῷ λαῷ καὶ ὠλιγοψύχησεν ἐν τῷ κόπῳ Ισραηλ	καὶ ἐξέκλιναν τοὺς θεοὺς τοὺς ἀλλοτρίους ἐκ μέσου αὐτῶν καὶ ἐδούλευσαν τῷ Κυρίῳ μόνῳ, καὶ ὠλιγώθη ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ ἐν κόπῳ ᾿Ισραήλ
Judges 10:16 (NETS)	Judges 10:16 (English Elpenor)
And they put away the foreign gods from their midst and served the Lord, and he was not well pleased with the people, and he was worried about the suffering of Israel.	And they put away the strange gods from the midst of them, and served the Lord only, and his soul was pained for the trouble of Israel.

Jephthah and Moses

Back to Ezra and Divorce

Back to David’s Forgiveness, Part 3

Back to Fear – Exodus, Part 2

Back to Torture, Part 5

Back to Apostles and Prophets, Part 3

Back to Romans, Part 68

Back to David’s Forgiveness, Part 4

Back to Romans, Part 20

Back to Romans, Part 80

Back to Paul’s Religious Mind Revisited, Part 6

Back to Hannah’s Prayer, Part 3

Back to Romans, Part 65

¹ Judges 12:7 (NET)

² 1 Samuel 12:11 (NET)

³ 1 Samuel 12:10 (NET)

⁴ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τε και following Barak (KJV: and of). The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁵ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και following Samson (KJV: and of). The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁶ Judges 11:1 (NET)

⁷ Judges 11:2b, 3 (NET)

⁸ Judges 11:5 (NET)

⁹ Judges 4:4-9

¹⁰ Judges 6:14-32 (NET)

¹¹ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the conjunction και (KJV: and) joining this clause to the next. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

¹² The Stephanus Textus Receptus had αυτου (KJV: his) here, where the NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had τοῦ θεοῦ, i.e., God’s presence.

¹³ Judges 10:15, 16 (NET)

¹⁴ Judges 10:6 (NET) Ashtars was from the first edition of the NET. Note 9: The Ashtars were local manifestations of the goddess Ashtar (i.e., Astarte).

The Gospel and the Religious Mind

An attempt to distinguish the mind of Christ from the ordinary religious mind.

Category Archives: Jephthah

Jephthah’s Religious Mind

Jephthah and Moses

Jephthah