10
The eldersזִקְנֵיof GileadגִלְעָדsaidוַיֹּאמְרוּtoאֶלJephthah,יִפְתָּח“YHWHיְהוָהwill beיִהְיֶהthe one who hearsשֹׁמֵעַbetween us,בֵּינוֹתֵינוּifאִםwe do notלֹאdoכֵּן נַעֲשֶׂהaccording to your word.”כִדְבָרְךָ
Judges 11:10
Study it in the app“The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “YHWH will be the one who hears between us, if we do not do according to your word.””
With the Hebrew beneath
Judges 11:10, word by word
- The eldersזִקְנֵיzikne
elder
The senior men who led a city or the people.
Where else “zikne” appears- of Gileadגִלְעָדgilad
Gilead
See it on the mapWhere else “gilad” appears- saidיֹּאמְרוּyomru
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “yomru” appears- Jephthahיִפְתָּחyiftach
Iphtah, Jephthah
Iphtah: a town of Judah in the Shephelah. It is the same name as Jephthah: "he opens."
Where else “yiftach” appears- “YHWHיְהוָהyehva
YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
Where else “yehva” appears- will beיִהְיֶהyihye
be
To be: "I will be their Elohim".
Where else “yihye” appears- the one who hearsשֹׁמֵעַshomea
hear
To hear a sound, or learn of something.
Where else “shomea” appears- doנַעֲשֶׂהnaase
do
To carry out an act or to deal with someone in a certain way, for good or ill.
Where else “naase” appears- according to your wordדְבָרְdevar
word
What someone says or announces, above all what YHWH says.
Where else “devar” appears
Translation note
“Will be the one who hears between us”: they call on YHWH as witness of what they promise.
Places in this verse
Gilead
Today: northern Jordan, east of the Jordan River
A hill region east of the Jordan River, in present-day Jordan.
Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh settled there (Num 32:1, 33). Jephthah was from Gilead (Judg 11:1). Jeremiah spoke of its balm (Jer 8:22).
The context
9Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you bring me back to fight against the sons of Ammon, and YHWH gives them over before me, I will be your head.”
10 · This verse (above)
11So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him over them head and commander; and Jephthah spoke all his words before YHWH at Mizpah.