Bible Strands
Judges 11:32
So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his hand.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jephthah advances against the Ammonites immediately after making his vow, marking the shift from personal oath to military campaign. The narrative places him at the border, preparing to engage the enemy nation.
The words — The verb וַ/יַּעֲבֹ֥ר (va/i.ya.'a.Vor) literally renders "and he passed over," describing Jephthah's physical crossing into enemy territory. The phrase וַ/יִתְּנֵ֥/ם יְהוָ֖ה (va/i.yi.te.Ne/m Yah.weh) states that Yahweh "gave them," indicating a direct transfer of control to Jephthah.
The thread — This delivery motif recurs in Judges 1:4, Judges 2:18, and Judges 3:10, where Yahweh consistently hands opposing forces into the hands of Israel's leaders. The pattern establishes a structural rule in the book where military outcomes depend on divine action rather than human preparation.
Why it lands — The text requires the reader to recognize that the outcome rests on Yahweh's prior intervention, not on Jephthah's tactical planning. It demands an assessment of whether the subsequent vow in Judges 11:31 aligns with a God who actively controls the battlefield.
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
King James Version
So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the Lord delivered them into his hands.
Cross-references
- Judges 1:4 When Judah attacked, the LORD delivered the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek.
- Judges 2:18 Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for the Israelites, He was with that judge and saved them from the hands of their enemies while the judge was still alive; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning under those who oppressed them and afflicted them.
- Judges 3:10 The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge and went out to war. And the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into the hand of Othniel, who prevailed against him.