Judges 11:29-12:15

Judges 11:29-12:15

Jephthah showed great faith in God as the battle drew near, but before the battle, he made a tragic vow to God. Instead of leaving the decision up to God, which he had told the Gileadites he was going to do, he made a deal with God. He showed greater faith in God before he made the vow, for he was basically saying that whatever happened would be God’s will, and that is where he wanted to be. Being outside of God’s will was not the place to be. So if God chose to protect Gilead (and thus Israel), then he would be happy. If the opposite happened, he would also understand and be willing to accept God’s plans. I am not sure why Jephthah’s faith changed. Maybe he grew fearful as the battle drew near. Whatever the reason, the vow he made cost him greatly in the end. God granted him victory in the upcoming battle, but as a result he was committed to sacrificing whatever came out of his house when he arrived home after the battle.


After the battle, which did end up in victory, Jephthah met his daughter who was thrilled to know that they had won the battle. Amidst her happiness, Jephthah mourned. He realized that he had made a foolish vow, and he had to explain his foolish decision to his daughter. This is such a hard passage to understand. Gilead and Israel earned the victory and were protected by God again, and it is great to see His provision. However, to know that it came at the expense of Jephthah’s daughter is tragic. Furthermore, it does seem as if Jephthah lost his faith in God’s protection. After leaving the decision to God and admitting to being content with whatever God would decide, this vow is tragic not only because he lost his daughter, but also because he lost his faith in God. The battle might have ended badly, but even in those hard times of life, we must understand that God is still in control. He still has a plan, and as His children we must continue to trust Him no matter what happens to us in this life.

Jephthah had to sacrifice his daughter, but that only showed his commitment to God. It was a tragic mistake, but he went through with his vow knowing that he could not break his promise to God. After seeing the protection God gave him, even in the midst of his fallen nature, he became even more committed to God. He also became the next judge in Israel, judging for six years. During that time he had a disagreement with the tribe of Ephraim. Ephraim had not come to help him in battle when he asked for it, and now that he had power over the Ammonites, the Ephraimites were jealous. They fought against Jephthah, and Jephthah overcame them.

After his reign over Israel, three other judges arose. First, Ibzan judged Israel for seven years. After him, Elon judged Israel for ten years. Finally, Abdon judged Israel for eight years. Not much is known about these three men other than where they were from and where they died. The text also does not say whether Israel had times of disobedience between these judges or not. Knowing the cycle that Israel has gone through throughout the entire book of Judges, it would appear as if they did, but since the text does not say that, we cannot assume it either. It is possible that these 25 years was a string of peace under the rule of these three judges and the Israelites followed God that entire time.

Matt