The Meaning of Judges 11:31 Explained

Judges 11:31

KJV: Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD'S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.

YLT: then it hath been, that which at all cometh out from the doors of my house to meet me in my turning back in peace from the Bene-Ammon -- it hath been to Jehovah, or I have offered up for it -- a burnt-offering.'

Darby: then whoever comes forth from the doors of my house to meet me, when I return victorious from the Ammonites, shall be the LORD's, and I will offer him up for a burnt offering."

ASV: then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth from the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, it shall be Jehovah's, and I will offer it up for a burnt-offering.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then it shall be, that whatsoever  cometh forth  of the doors  of my house  to meet  me, when I return  in peace  from the children  of Ammon,  shall surely be the LORD'S,  and I will offer it up  for a burnt offering. 

What does Judges 11:31 Mean?

Context Summary

Judges 11:29-40 - A Shadowed Victory
All the nations around were accustomed to offer those dearest to them in sacrifice to their cruel national deities. This was pre-eminently the case with the neighboring country of Moab, which the prophet Micah rebuked, Micah 6:6-8. But in all that wild border-country, there was then no prophetic voice to arrest Jephthah, who probably felt that Chemosh should not claim from the king of Ammon more than he would surrender to Jehovah. Out of this arose, not the rash but the deliberate though mistaken vow of Judges 11:31. Before you judge him, ask whether you would be willing for your dearest to become a missionary in a heathen land. Have you ever yielded your all to the Man of Calvary? Do you love Him better than the best? You would not carry out your vow as probably Jephthah did, but are you as absolute in your dedication?
The reply of Jephthah's daughter is one of the noblest on record. Compare it with Luke 1:38. Her heart was full of filial love and patriotic passion, as she stood there, timbrel in hand; but the love of God overmastered all else and made her willing to yield all. See 2 Corinthians 5:14. [source]

Chapter Summary: Judges 11

1  The covenant between Jephthah and the Gileadites, that he should lead
12  The treaty of peace between him and the Ammonites is in vain
29  Jephthah's vow
32  His conquest of the Ammonites
34  He performs his vow on his daughter

What do the individual words in Judges 11:31 mean?

then it will be comes forth that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon and shall surely be of Yahweh and I will offer it up as a burnt offering -
וְהָיָ֣ה הַיּוֹצֵ֗א אֲשֶׁ֨ר יֵצֵ֜א מִדַּלְתֵ֤י בֵיתִי֙ לִקְרָאתִ֔י בְּשׁוּבִ֥י בְשָׁל֖וֹם מִבְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֑וֹן וְהָיָה֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה וְהַעֲלִיתִ֖הוּ עוֹלָֽה פ

וְהָיָ֣ה  then  it  will  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
הַיּוֹצֵ֗א  comes  forth 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר  that  whatever 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יֵצֵ֜א  comes  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
מִדַּלְתֵ֤י  of  the  doors 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, fdc
Root: דַּל 
Sense: door, gate.
בֵיתִי֙  of  my  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
לִקְרָאתִ֔י  to  meet  me 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, first person common singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to encounter, befall, meet.
בְּשׁוּבִ֥י  when  I  return 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, first person common singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
בְשָׁל֖וֹם  in  peace 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלֹום  
Sense: completeness, soundness, welfare, peace.
מִבְּנֵ֣י  from  the  sons 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
עַמּ֑וֹן  of  Ammon 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַמֹּון  
Sense: a people dwelling in Transjordan descended from Lot through Ben-ammi.
וְהָיָה֙  and  shall  surely  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לַֽיהוָ֔ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וְהַעֲלִיתִ֖הוּ  and  I  will  offer  it  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular, third person masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
עוֹלָֽה  as  a  burnt  offering 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֹלָה  
Sense: whole burnt offering.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation