Bible Strands
Judges 11:9
But Jephthah asked them, “If you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the LORD gives them to me, will I really be your leader?”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jephthah addresses the elders of Gilead immediately after they request his military command against the Ammonites. He frames his response as a conditional proposal regarding his future authority.
The words — אִם (im) translates literally to "if," structuring the entire exchange as a conditional negotiation. מְשִׁיבִים (me.shi.Vim) means "[are] bringing back," denoting the elders' specific action of restoring him from exile.
The thread — The conditional framework parallels Moses' stipulation in Numbers 32:20 regarding armed service before the LORD. The elders' binding response in Judges 11:10 directly addresses the prerequisite Jephthah establishes here.
Why it lands — The text requires explicit verification of authority before committing to battle. It demands that readers distinguish between a leader's capability and the formal recognition of that leader's position.
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
And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the Lord deliver them before me, shall I be your head?
Cross-references
- Numbers 32:20 Moses replied, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the LORD for battle,