Jephthah Was a Warrior and Judge, But a Tragic Figure

The story of Jephthah is one of the most encouraging and, at the same time, one of the most tragic in the Bible. He triumphed over rejection, yet lost someone very dear to him because of a rash, unnecessary vow.

Jephthah's mother was a prostitute. His brothers drove him out to prevent him from getting an inheritance. Fleeing their home in Gilead, he settled in Tob, where he gathered a band of other powerful warriors around him.

When Did Jephthah Become a Warrior?

When the Ammonites threatened war against Israel, the elders of Gilead came to Jephthah and asked him to lead their army against them. Of course, he was reluctant, until they assured him he would be their true leader.

He learned that the King of Ammon wanted some disputed land. Jephthah sent him a message, explaining how the land came into the possession of Israel and Ammon had no legal claim to it. The king ignored Jephthah's explanation.

Before going into battle, Jephthah made a vow to God that if the Lord gave him victory over the Ammonites, Jephthah would make a burnt offering of the first thing he saw coming out of his house after the war. In those times, the Jews often kept animals stabled in a ground-floor enclosure, while the family lived on the second floor.

The Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah. He led the Gileadite army to destroy 20 Ammonite towns, but when Jephthah returned to his home at Mizpah, something terrible happened. The first thing that came out of his house was not an animal, but his young daughter and only child.

The Bible tells us Jephthah kept his vow. It does not say whether he sacrificed his daughter or whether he consecrated her to God as a perpetual virgin — which meant he would have no family line, a disgrace in ancient times.

Jephthah's troubles were far from over. The tribe of Ephraim, claiming they had not been invited to join the Gileadites against the Ammonites, threatened to attack. Jephthah struck first, killing 42,000 Ephraimites.

Jephthah ruled Israel six more years. After he died, he was buried in Gilead.

Accomplishments

He led the Gileadites to defeat the Ammonites. He became a judge and ruled Israel. Jephthah is mentioned in the Faith Hall of Fame in Hebrews 11.

Strengths

Jephthah was a mighty warrior and brilliant military strategist. He attempted to negotiate with the enemy to prevent bloodshed. Men fought for him because he must have been a natural leader. Jephthah also called on the Lord, who endowed him with supernatural strength.

Weaknesses

Jephthah could be rash, acting without considering the consequences. He made an unnecessary vow that affected his daughter and family. His slaying of the 42,000 Ephraimites might also have been prevented.

Life Lessons

Rejection is not the end. With humility and trust in God, we can come back. We should never let our pride get in the way of serving God. Jephthah made a rash vow that God did not require, and it cost him dearly. Samuel, the last of the judges, later said, "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams." (1 Samuel 15:22, NIV).

Hometown

Gilead, just north of the Dead Sea, in Israel.

References in the Bible

Read Jephthah's story in Judges 11:1-12:7. Other references are in 1 Samuel 12:11 and Hebrews 11:32.

Occupation

Warrior, military commander, judge.

Family Tree

Father: Gilead
Mother: Unnamed prostitute
Brothers: Unnamed

Key Verses

Judges 11:30-31, NIV

"And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord: 'If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord's, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.'"

Judges 11:32-33, NIV

"Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into his hands. He devastated 20 towns from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel Keramim. Thus Israel subdued Ammon."

Judges 11:34, NIV

"When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of timbrels! She was an only child. Except for her, he had neither son nor daughter."

Judges 12:5-6, NIV

"The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a survivor of Ephraim said, 'Let me cross over,' the men of Gilead asked him, 'Are you an Ephraimite?' If he replied, 'No,' they said, '"All right, say 'Shibboleth."' If he said, 'Sibboleth,' because he could not pronounce the word correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand Ephraimites were killed at that time."

Sources

"1 Samuel 1 — New International Version (NIV)." Holy Bible. New International Version, The International Bible Society, 2011.

"Judges 1 — New International Version (NIV)." Holy Bible. New International Version, The International Bible Society, 2011.