11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead,
This he adds, as a further and convincing reaſon; becauſe other
23 SO now the LORD God of Iſrael hath diſpoſleſ-
{ed the Amorites d from before hi | ſhouldeſt thou poſſeſs it ? is people Iſrael, and
_ 4 God, the Soveraign Lord of all Lands, hath given us this Land:
and the people made him head and captain over them ;
wile 1& might have been alledged againſt the former Argument,
thay
*Ch
3: Ic
F Hel that w cometh forth, ſhall c forth,
| Or,
will of ir, &c
[Or,
| Or, had n0 his owr, either &+ Dat fer.
f Heb bimſel]
"79
'Y
ent?
: lj Chap. XI,
F Numb. 42+» 2. Deut-
23. 4- Joſh 24-9
+ Heb. doughttrs- + Heb daughterse
that they ceuld gain to more Right to that Lahd from Sihon, than Sikon himſelf had ; and he had butan unjuſt Claim to it.
24 Wilt not thou polleſs that which Chemeſh thy ood giveth thee to poſleſs e? ſo whomſoever the LORD our God ſball drive out from before us, them will we
poſleſs. ,
e He ſpeaks according to their fond and abſurd Opinion : The Am- moitesand Moabites got their Land by right of War, and Conaueſt of the old Inhabitants, whom they caſt out; and this Succels, though given them by the true God, for Lots ſake, Dent 2. 9, 19- they impiouſly and ridiculouſly aſcribe to their god Chemoſh, whole Gifc they owned to be a firm and ſufficient Title.
25 X And now art thou any thing better than Ba- lak f; the fon of Zippor king of Moab # Did he ever ſtrive againſt Iſrael, or did he ever fight againft them:
f Art thou wiſer than he ? or haſt thou more right chan he had? Balak, though ke plotted againſt 1/-ae!, in defence of his own Land, which he feared they would Invade and Conquer, Numb. 22.4. yer he never contended with them about the Reſtitution of thoſe Lands which Sh: took from him or his Predeceſſors, afcer the 1ſraehte; had Conquered them :
26 While Iſrael dwelt in Heſhbon, and her towns, and in Aroer, and her | towns, andin all the ct- ties that be along by the coaſts of Arnon, three hun- dred years g ? why therefore did ye not recover hem
within that time £ _——_ :
g Nor preciſely, but about that time, either from their coming out of Egypt ; or, from their firſt Conqueſt of thoſe Lands; and thus numbers are oft expreſſed, ſee Numb. © 46: and 2. 32. and 11+ 21. Judg. ' 0. 46, He urgeth Preſcription, Which is by all men reckoned 2 juſt Title, and it is fit ir ſhould be ſo for the good of the World, becauſe otherwiſe the Door would be opened both ro Kings, and to private perſons, for infinite Contentions and Confuſtons.
27 Wherefore I have not ſinned againſt thee h ; but thou doeſt me wrong to war againſt me : the LORD the judge, be judge this day i between the chiidren of Iſraei, and the children of Ammon. :
þ T have done thee no wrong. 2» Let him determine this Con-
* treverlie by the Succels of this day 'and War.
c Heb,
that which cometh forth, which ſhall com? forth.
|| Or, or I will offer it, KC.
[|Or, Abel.
| Or, he bad not of his own either ſon 0& Daugh= fer.
F Heb, of himſelf.
28 Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he ſent him.
29 CT Then the * Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah &, and he paſled over Gilead and Manaſleh 7, and pailed over Mizpeh of Gilead »», and from Mizpeh of Gilead he paſſed over «nto the children of Ammon.
k Indued him with a more than ordinary Courage ard Refoluri- One 1 ( 5. e. ) Baſhany which the half Tribe of Manaſſch, b:zy nd Jordan, inhabited, Joſh. 20. 8. and 21» 6. » So calledy to diſtin- guiſh it from other Cities of that name ; Having gathered whar Forces he tuddenly could, he came hither to the borders of the Ammonites.
20 And Jephthah vowed a vow » unto the LORD, and faid, If tnou ſhalt withour fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hand:
z Of this and the following Verſe ſee the Notes on ver 39.
31 Then it ſhall be, thac F whatſoever cometh forth of the doors of my houſe, to meet me, when 1 recurn in peace from the chiidren of Ammon, ſhall ſurely be the LORDS, || and 1 will offer it up for a burnt-offer- ing. 22 © So Jephthah paſſed over unto the children of Ammon, tc ttght againſt them, and the LORD delive- red them into his hand.
33 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 2 thus the children of Ammon were ſubdued betore the children of Iſrael.
o A place not far from Rabbah, the chief City of the Ammo- mites ,
24 T And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his houſe and behold his daughter came out ro meet him, with timbrels and with darces p, and ſhe was his only chiid : []. + beſide her q he had neither ſon nor daughter,
þ In Conſort with other Virgins, as the manner was, See Exods 15: 20: I Sam. 18: 6: q Heb. of himſelf, ( i. e ) Proceeding fr his own Body ; which may imply, that he had other Children,
either by Adoption. or in righs of his Wife, who had them by a former Hus-and-
25 And iccameto paſs when he ſaw her, that he rent his clothes, and faid, Alas, my daughter, thou haſt brought me very low, and thou art one of them char trouble me 7 : for I have. opened my mouth / unto the LORD. and I cannot go back z.
ry Before this, I was troubled by my Brethren ; and ſince, by the Ammonites ; and now moſt »f all, though but occaſionaily, by thee. / ( 73 e ) I have Vowed, which was done by Words, Numb: 30. 2,6. # (7.e. ) Not retralt my Vow; I am indiſpenſubly obliged to perform it.
36. And ſhe, ſaid unto him, My father, ;f thou haſt opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me accor- ding to that which hath proceeded out of thy moutt)
vs foraſmugh as the LORD hath taken vengeance for
5 VDOUOUnk Chap. XH
thee of thine enemies x, ever of the children of Am- mon. |
% Do not for my ſake make thy ſ-1f x Travſgreffor ; I freely give my conſent to thy Vow ; wherewith, and with the Succeſs of his Arms he had now acquainted ber, though it le nor here expreſſed. x I am willing to bear my Burthen ; being *bundantly ſatisfied with the great Deliverance which God hath
91 hi Ho ven to his people by |
37 And ſhe ſaid unto her father, Let this thing be || done for me: let me alone ewo months, that I may ||
1 go up and down upon the mountains y, and bewail + Heb, c>* my virginity 2, I, and my fellows. and go |