Study it in the app“Jephthah 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.””
Jephthahיִפְתָּחsaidוַיֹּאמֶרtoאֶלthe eldersזִקְנֵיof Gilead,גִלְעָד“Ifאִםyouאַתֶּםbring me backמְשִׁיבִים אוֹתִיto fightלְהִלָּחֵםagainst the sonsבִּבְנֵיof Ammon,עַמּוֹןand YHWHוְ יְהוָהgives themנָתַן אוֹתָםover before me,לְפָנָיIאָנֹכִיwill beאֶהְיֶהyourלָכֶםhead.”לְרֹאשׁ
Iphtah, Jephthah
Iphtah: a town of Judah in the Shephelah. It is the same name as Jephthah: "he opens."
Where else “yiftach” appearssay
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “yomer” appearselder
The senior men who led a city or the people.
Where else “zikne” appearsGilead
See it on the mapWhere else “gilad” appearsbring back
To return something, restore.
Where else “meshivim” appearsfight
To struggle against an enemy with weapons and give battle; God also fights for his people.
Where else “hilachem” appearsdescendant
A descendant or member of a people: "sons of Israel".
Where else “vene” appearsAmmon
See it on the mapWhere else “amon” appearsYHWH
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” appearshand over
To hand someone over to another's power, giving that one victory.
Where else “natan” appearsbefore
Literally "to the face of": in sight of someone, or on account of something.
Where else “fana” appearsbe
To be: "I will be their Elohim".
Where else “ehye” appearshead
The upper part of the body, where the face and hair are.
Where else “rosh” appears1Gilead
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).
2Ammon
Today: Amman (Rabbah) and surroundings, Jordan
The land east of the Jordan around Rabbah (present-day Amman, Jordan).
The Ammonites came from a son of Lot (Gen 19:38). Jephthah defeated them (Judg 11:32-33) and David took their capital (2 Sam 12:26).
8The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “That is why we have now come back to you, so that you may go with us and fight against the sons of Ammon and be our head, over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
9 · This verse (above)
10The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “YHWH will be the one who hears between us, if we do not do according to your word.”
