The Meaning of Judges 11:16 Explained

Judges 11:16

KJV: But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh;

YLT: for in their coming up out of Egypt, Israel goeth in the wilderness unto the Red Sea, and cometh in to Kadesh,

Darby: but when they came up from Egypt, Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh.

ASV: but when they came up from Egypt, and Israel went through the wilderness unto the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But when Israel  came up  from Egypt,  and walked  through the wilderness  unto the Red  sea,  and came  to Kadesh; 

What does Judges 11:16 Mean?

Context Summary

Judges 11:12-28 - A Warning From History
Jephthah acted with great prudence. Before rushing into war, he endeavored to argue the matter at issue in peaceful and courteous terms. In answer to the contention that Ammon was only trying to regain its own territories, he insisted that, when Israel came on the scene, they wrested the land, not from Ammon, but from the Amorites. Besides, the occupation of 300 years, which had never before been challenged, surely disproved the claim of the Ammonite king.
When a nation has right and justice on its side and is fighting against aggression, especially when the choice between two ideals is in the scale, there is every reason why it should appeal to the Lord, the Judge, to vindicate its cause. It was a question whether the worship of Jehovah or of Chemosh should dominate the country; on that issue there could be no vacillation nor hesitancy. It is interesting to notice how accurately Jephthah had studied the sacred annals of his people and how reverently he alludes to God. There is more religion in the hearts of men like Jephthah than certain Pharisees and priests give them credit for! [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 11:16 mean?

For when came up from Egypt and they walked Israel through the wilderness as far as the Sea Red and came to Kadesh
כִּ֖י בַּעֲלוֹתָ֣ם מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל בַּמִּדְבָּר֙ עַד־ יַם־ ס֔וּף וַיָּבֹ֖א קָדֵֽשָׁה

בַּעֲלוֹתָ֣ם  when  came  up 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם  from  Egypt 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ  and  they  walked 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל  Israel 
Parse: 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.
בַּמִּדְבָּר֙  through  the  wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
עַד־  as  far  as 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
יַם־  the  Sea 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
ס֔וּף  Red 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: סוּף  
Sense: reed, rush, water plant.
וַיָּבֹ֖א  and  came 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
קָדֵֽשָׁה  to  Kadesh 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: קָדֵשׁ  
Sense: a city in the extreme south of Judah.