Judges 11:23

Now since the LORD, the God of Israel, has driven out the Amorites from before His people Israel, should you now possess it?

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Jephthah addresses the king of Ammon during a territorial dispute, asserting Israel’s claim to the land after Yahweh removed its former inhabitants.

The words — הוֹרִישׁ (ho.Rish) means “he has dispossessed,” and מִ/פְּנֵי (mi./pe.Nei) literally means “from before,” together marking the forced removal of the Amorites.

The thread — The verse advances the argument that land possession follows divine expulsion, a parallel claim about Chemosh appears immediately in Judges 11:24.

Why it lands — It requires the listener to accept that territorial control stems from Yahweh’s action rather than human conquest, framing the Ammonite challenge as a theological dispute.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְעַתָּ֞הve./'a.Tahand/ now יְהוָ֣ה׀Yah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֵ֣י'e.lo.Hei[the] God of יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לYis.ra.'ElIsrael הוֹרִישׁ֙ho.Rishhe has dispossessed אֶת־'et-<obj.>הָ֣אֱמֹרִ֔יha./'e.mo.Rithe/ Amorite[s]מִפְּנֵ֖יmi./pe.Neifrom/ before עַמּ֣וֹa.M/opeople/ his יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לYis.ra.'ElIsrael וְאַתָּ֖הve./'a.Tahand/ you תִּירָשֶֽׁנּוּ׃ti.ra.She./nuwill you take possession of?/ it

King James Version

So now the Lord God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it?