Keraia
Judges 11

Judges 11:24

Jephthah Delivers Israel · Judges 11:1–28
Read Judges 11

Translations

Modern
Do you not possess whatever your god Chemosh grants you? So also, we possess whatever the LORD our God has granted us.
Traditional
Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the Lord our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.
Literal
Whatever Chemosh your god would give you to possess, is it not that you will possess it? And all that YHWH our God takes possession of before us, we will possess.
Latin
…nonne ea quæ possidet Chamos deus tuus, tibi jure debentur? quæ autem Dominus Deus noster victor obtinuit, in nostram cedent possessionem:

Original

Hebrew
English
Do you not possess whatever your god Chemosh grants you? So also, we possess whatever the LORD our God has granted us.

Notes

Judges 11:24

Chemosh was the god of the Moabites. If the land east of the Jordan, occupied by Israel, originally belonged to Moab (see study note on Judges 11:25), the Ammonite king would have still seen Chemosh as the god of that land. It is unclear whether Jephthah saw Chemosh as a god or was simply respecting the king’s beliefs.

Judges 11:12–28

  • Jephthah first tried to solve the issue through diplomacy instead of using military force (compare Deuteronomy 20:10–11).

  • Unlike the nomadic and raiding Midianites from Gideon's time, the Ammonites were a settled tribe. Their land was east of Israel's territory in Transjordan (east of the Jordan River), with Rabbah as their capital. The Ammonites, like the Moabites (both who were descended from Lot) and the Edomites (descendants of Esau), were to be left alone because the Lord assigned their territories to them (Deuteronomy 2:16–23).

  • Contrary to the Ammonite king's claim, the Amorites, not the Ammonites or Moabites, lived between the Arnon and Jabbok rivers during the conquest. When Sihon refused to let Israel pass, the Lord gave the land of the Amorite kings Sihon and Og to Israel. The Ammonite king had no valid reason to argue with Israel.

Events

People

Chemosh: Moabite god, worshipped by Solomon and others

Glossary

Ammon, Ammonites Chemosh Family Life and Relations Gilead (Place) Judges, Book of Mizpah Monotheism Palestine

Topics

Ambassadors: Israelites to Various Nations Chemosh: An Idol of And of the Amorites Diplomacy of Jephthah, with the King of Moab, Unsuccessful Jephthah: His Message to the King of the Ammonites Prayer: Answered: Ammon The Ammonites: Jephthah Raised up to Deliver Israel From