Judges 11:12-28

Judges 11:12-28

[12] And Jephthah  sent  messengers  unto the king  of the children  of Ammon,  saying,  What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come  against me to fight  in my land?  [13] And the king  of the children  of Ammon  answered  unto the messengers  of Jephthah,  Because Israel  took away  my land,  when they came up  out of Egypt,  from Arnon  even unto Jabbok,  and unto Jordan:  now therefore restore those lands again  peaceably.  [14] And Jephthah  sent  messengers  again  unto the king  of the children  of Ammon:  [15] And said  Jephthah,  Israel  took not away  the land  of Moab,  nor the land  of the children  of Ammon:  [16] But when Israel  came up  from Egypt,  through the wilderness  unto the Red  sea,  and came  to Kadesh;  [17] Then Israel  sent  messengers  unto the king  of Edom,  saying,  Let me, I pray thee, pass through  thy land:  but the king  of Edom  would not hearken  thereto. And in like manner they sent  unto the king  of Moab:  but he would  not consent: and Israel  abode  in Kadesh.  [18] through the wilderness,  and compassed  the land  of Edom,  and the land  of Moab,  and came  by the east side  of the land  of Moab,  and pitched  on the other side  of Arnon,  but came  not within the border  of Moab:  for Arnon  was the border  of Moab.  [19] And Israel  sent  messengers  unto Sihon  king  of the Amorites,  the king  of Heshbon;  and Israel  said  unto him, Let us pass,  we pray thee, through thy land  into  my place.  [20] But Sihon  trusted  not Israel  to pass  through his coast:  but Sihon  all his people  together,  and pitched  in Jahaz,  and fought  against Israel.  [21] And the LORD  God  of Israel  delivered  Sihon  and all his people  into the hand  of Israel,  and they smote  them: so Israel  possessed  all the land  of the Amorites,  the inhabitants  of that country.  [22] And they possessed  all the coasts  of the Amorites,  from Arnon  even unto Jabbok,  and from the wilderness  even unto Jordan.  [23] So now the LORD  God  of Israel  hath dispossessed  the Amorites  from before  his people  Israel,  and shouldest thou possess  [24] 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.  [25] And now art thou any thing better  than Balak  the son  of Zippor,  king  of Moab?  did he ever  against Israel,  or did he ever  against them, [26] While Israel  dwelt  in Heshbon  and her towns,  and in Aroer  and her towns,  and in all the cities  that be along by the coasts  of Arnon,  three  hundred  years?  why therefore did ye not recover  them within that time?  [27] Wherefore I have not sinned  against thee, but thou doest  me wrong  to war  against me: the LORD  the Judge  this day  between the children  of Israel  and the children  of Ammon.  [28] Howbeit the king  of the children  of Ammon  hearkened  not unto the words  of Jephthah  which he sent  him.

What does Judges 11:12-28 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Jephthah did not rush into battle but wisely tried to settle the Ammonites" grievance with Israel peacefully. His approach reveals his humility as well as his wisdom. Most men would have wanted to demonstrate their prowess in battle to impress the ones who had expressed confidence in them and to guarantee their future security with a victory. However, Jephthah restrained himself and appealed to the king of Ammon very logically through messengers. He initiated peace talks rather than launching a war.
Jephthah appealed to the king of Ammon with three arguments. His point was that the Ammonites had no right to Israel"s territory east of the Jordan that they were trying to obtain by force. First, he traced the history whereby this territory had come into Israel"s possession, showing that Ammon had no claim on Gilead ( Judges 11:15-22). Israel had not attacked any territory held by Ammon or Moab when God"s people approached the Promised Land in Moses" day. Israel had taken the land in dispute from the Amorites who had previously wrested it from the Ammonites.
Second, he emphasized the fact that Yahweh had given Israel this land. Thus it would have been wrong theologically to allow the Ammonites to take it from them ( Judges 11:23-25).
"Even the pagans recognized that when victory was given by a deity, the victors had full right to possess that territory." [1]
"Jephthah"s theology contains at least one serious flaw: Chemosh was not the patron deity of the Ammonites but of Moab. The divine patron of Ammon was Milkom." [2]
This mistake could have been inadvertent or intentional and designed to denigrate the Ammonites. [3] King Balak of Moab had never fought with Israel ( Numbers 22-24). This powerful king realized that opposing Israel in battle would be futile in view of the power of Israel"s God.
Third, Jephthah appealed logically that Ammon had not tried to take the land she now claimed for300 years. If she had a legitimate claim on it, she should have tried to secure it long ago ( Judges 11:26).
Jephthah"s reference to300 years ( Judges 11:26) is an important benchmark in biblical chronology. It had been approximately300 years since the Israelites had defeated Sihon and captured Heshbon (in1406 B.C.). Shortly after Jephthah spoke these words he defeated the Ammonites ( Judges 11:33; about1106 B.C.) and ended the18-year Ammonite oppression ( Judges 10:8). The Philistine oppression of Israel began at the same time as the Ammonite oppression ( Judges 10:7; in1124 B.C.). The Philistines harassed Israel for40 years ( Judges 13:1; ca1124-1084 B.C.). The dates of the Philistine oppression are important because they provide a framework for the ministries of Eli and Samuel as well as Samson. This time reference, along with the one in 1 Kings 6:1, indicates that the Exodus took place about1446 B.C. rather than about1280 B.C. Advocates of the1280 B.C. date of the Exodus usually take the300 years as a round number indicating several generations, as they also interpret 1 Kings 6:1, or as a total of overlapping periods. [4]
Finally, Jephthah called on Yahweh the Judge to judge who had rightful title to the land ( Judges 11:27). The Ammonite king disregarded Jephthah"s message ( Judges 11:28). He obviously believed he could take Gilead in battle.