The Meaning of Judges 11:35 Explained

Judges 11:35

KJV: And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back.

YLT: And it cometh to pass, when he seeth her, that he rendeth his garments, and saith, 'Alas, my daughter, thou hast caused me greatly to bend, and thou hast been among those troubling me; and I -- I have opened my mouth unto Jehovah, and I am not able to turn back.'

Darby: And when he saw her, he rent his clothes, and said, "Alas, my daughter! you have brought me very low, and you have become the cause of great trouble to me; for I have opened my mouth to the LORD, and I cannot take back my vow."

ASV: And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me; for I have opened my mouth unto Jehovah, and I cannot go back.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it came to pass, when he saw  her, that he rent  his clothes,  and said,  Alas,  my daughter!  thou hast brought  me very  low,  and thou art one of them that trouble  me: for I have opened  my mouth  unto the LORD,  and I cannot  go back. 

What does Judges 11:35 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 11:35 mean?

And it came to pass when he saw her that he tore - his clothes and said Alas my daughter very You have brought me low and You are among those who trouble me for I have given my word to Yahweh and cannot I go back on it
וַיְהִי֩ כִרְאוֹת֨וֹ אוֹתָ֜הּ וַיִּקְרַ֣ע אֶת־ בְּגָדָ֗יו וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֲהָ֤הּ ! בִּתִּי֙ הַכְרֵ֣עַ הִכְרַעְתִּ֔נִי וְאַ֖תְּ הָיִ֣יתְ‪‬ בְּעֹֽכְרָ֑י וְאָנֹכִ֗י פָּצִ֤יתִי־ פִי֙ אֶל־ יְהוָ֔ה וְלֹ֥א אוּכַ֖ל לָשֽׁוּב

וַיְהִי֩  And  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
כִרְאוֹת֨וֹ  when  he  saw 
Parse: Preposition-k, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
אוֹתָ֜הּ  her 
Parse: Direct object marker, third person feminine singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
וַיִּקְרַ֣ע  that  he  tore 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרַע  
Sense: to tear, tear in pieces.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
בְּגָדָ֗יו  his  clothes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֶּגֶד 
Sense: treachery, deceit.
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲהָ֤הּ  Alas 
Parse: Interjection
Root: אֲהָהּ  
Sense: alas!, oh!, ah!.
! בִּתִּי֙  my  daughter 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
הַכְרֵ֣עַ  very 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: כָּרַע  
Sense: to bend, kneel, bow, bow down, sink down to one’s knees, kneel down to rest (of animals), kneel in reverence.
הִכְרַעְתִּ֔נִי  You  have  brought  me  low 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, second person feminine singular, first person common singular
Root: כָּרַע  
Sense: to bend, kneel, bow, bow down, sink down to one’s knees, kneel down to rest (of animals), kneel in reverence.
וְאַ֖תְּ  and  You 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person feminine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
בְּעֹֽכְרָ֑י  among  those  who  trouble  me 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: עָכַר  
Sense: to trouble, stir up, disturb, make (someone) taboo.
וְאָנֹכִ֗י  for  I 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אָנׄכִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
פָּצִ֤יתִי־  have  given 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: פָּצָה  
Sense: to part, open, separate, set free.
פִי֙  my  word 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וְלֹ֥א  and  cannot 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
לָשֽׁוּב  go  back  on  it 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.