The Meaning of Judges 11:39 Explained

Judges 11:39

KJV: And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel,

YLT: and it cometh to pass at the end of two months that she turneth back unto her father, and he doth to her his vow which he hath vowed, and she knew not a man; and it is a statute in Israel:

Darby: And at the end of two months, she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had made. She had never known a man. And it became a custom in Israel

ASV: And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew not man. And it was a custom in Israel,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it came to pass at the end  of two  months,  that she returned  unto her father,  who did  with her [according] to his vow  which he had vowed:  and she knew  no man.  And it was a custom  in Israel, 

What does Judges 11:39 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 11:39 mean?

And it was so at the end of two months that she returned to her father and he carried out with her - his vow which he had vowed and she no knew man And it became a custom in Israel
וַיְהִ֞י מִקֵּ֣ץ ׀ שְׁנַ֣יִם חֳדָשִׁ֗ים וַתָּ֙שָׁב֙ אֶל־ אָבִ֔יהָ וַיַּ֣עַשׂ לָ֔הּ אֶת־ נִדְר֖וֹ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָדָ֑ר וְהִיא֙ לֹא־ יָדְעָ֣ה אִ֔ישׁ וַתְּהִי־ חֹ֖ק בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל

וַיְהִ֞י  And  it  was  so 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
מִקֵּ֣ץ ׀  at  the  end 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֵץ  
Sense: end.
שְׁנַ֣יִם  of  two 
Parse: Number, md
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
חֳדָשִׁ֗ים  months 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: חֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: the new moon, month, monthly.
וַתָּ֙שָׁב֙  that  she  returned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
אָבִ֔יהָ  her  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
וַיַּ֣עַשׂ  and  he  carried  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לָ֔הּ  with  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
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.
נִדְר֖וֹ  his  vow 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נֵדֶר  
Sense: vow, votive offering.
נָדָ֑ר  he  had  vowed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָדַר  
Sense: to vow, make a vow.
וְהִיא֙  and  she 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person feminine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
לֹא־  no 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יָדְעָ֣ה  knew 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
אִ֔ישׁ  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
וַתְּהִי־  And  it  became 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
חֹ֖ק  a  custom 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹק  
Sense: statute, ordinance, limit, something prescribed, due.
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל  in  Israel 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.