Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, April 9th, 2026
Thursday in Easter Week
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Judges 11:6

"Come," they said, "be our commander, so that we can fight against the Ammonites."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Government;   Jephthah;   Prayer;   Thompson Chain Reference - Jephthah;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Ammonites, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ammonites;   Children;   Jephthah;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Elder;   Leadership;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Vow;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Bastard;   Captain;   Jephthah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Chief;   Jephthah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ammon, Ammonites;   Gilead;   Jephthah;   Judges (1);   Levi;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Saviour (2);   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Jephtha;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Jephthah;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Captain;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Government of the Hebrews;   Jephthah;   Testament;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Reign of the Judges;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Captain;   Courts, Judicial;   Jephthah;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Bastard;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Jephthah;   King;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
They said to him, “Come, be our commander, and let’s fight the Ammonites.”
Hebrew Names Version
and they said to Yiftach, Come and be our chief, that we may fight with the children of `Ammon.
King James Version
And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.
Lexham English Bible
And they said to Jephthah, "Come and be our commander, so that we may make war against the Ammonites."
English Standard Version
And they said to Jephthah, "Come and be our leader, that we may fight against the Ammonites."
New Century Version
They said to him, "Come and lead our army so we can fight the Ammonites."
New English Translation
They said, "Come, be our commander, so we can fight with the Ammonites."
Amplified Bible
and they said to Jephthah, "Come and be our leader, so that we may fight against the Ammonites."
New American Standard Bible
and they said to Jephthah, "Come and be our leader, that we may fight against the sons of Ammon."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And they saide vnto Iphtah, Come and be our captaine, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.
Legacy Standard Bible
en hulle het vir Jefta gesê: Kom en wees ons aanvoerder, dat ons kan veg teen die kinders van Ammon.
Contemporary English Version
"Please come back to Gilead! If you lead our army, we will be able to fight off the Ammonites."
Complete Jewish Bible
and said to him, "Come and be our chief, so that we can fight the army of ‘Amon."
Darby Translation
And they said to Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight against the children of Ammon.
Easy-to-Read Version
The elders said to Jephthah, "Come and be our leader so that we can fight the Ammonites."
George Lamsa Translation
And they said to Jephthah, Come and be our leader, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.
Good News Translation
They told him, "Come and lead us, so that we can fight the Ammonites."
Literal Translation
And they said to Jephthah, Come, and you shall be our commander, that we may fight against the sons of Ammon.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and sayde vnto him: Come, and be oure captayne, and fight agaynst the children of Ammon.
American Standard Version
and they said unto Jephthah, Come and be our chief, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.
Bible in Basic English
And they said to Jephthah, Come and be our chief so that we may make war against the children of Ammon.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And sayde vnto him: Come, and be our captayne, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And they said unto Jephthah: 'Come and be our chief, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.'
King James Version (1611)
And they said vnto Iephthah, Come and bee our Captaine, that wee may fight with the children of Ammon.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they said to Jephthae, Come, and be our head, and we will fight with the sons of Ammon.
English Revised Version
and they said unto Jephthah, Come and be our chief, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and thei seiden to hym, Come thou, and be oure prince, and fiyte ayens the sones of Amon.
Young's Literal Translation
and they say unto Jephthah, `Come, and thou hast been to us for captain, and we fight against the Bene-Ammon.'
Update Bible Version
and they said to Jephthah, Come and be our chief, that we may fight with the sons of Ammon.
Webster's Bible Translation
And they said to Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.
World English Bible
and they said to Jephthah, Come and be our chief, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.
New King James Version
Then they said to Jephthah, "Come and be our commander, that we may fight against the people of Ammon."
New Living Translation
The elders said, "Come and be our commander! Help us fight the Ammonites!"
New Life Bible
They said to Jephthah, "Come and be our leader, so we may fight against the men of Ammon."
New Revised Standard
They said to Jephthah, "Come and be our commander, so that we may fight with the Ammonites."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And they said to Jephthah, Oh! come and be our commander, - that we may do battle with the sons of Ammon.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they said to him: Come thou, and be our prince, and fight against the children of Ammon.
Revised Standard Version
and they said to Jephthah, "Come and be our leader, that we may fight with the Ammonites."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
and they said to Jephthah, "Come and be our chief that we may fight against the sons of Ammon."

Contextual Overview

4Some time later, when the Ammonites fought against Israel 5and made war with them, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. 6"Come," they said, "be our commander, so that we can fight against the Ammonites."7Jephthah replied to the elders of Gilead, "Did you not hate me and expel me from my father's house? So why then have you come to me now when you are in distress?" 8They answered Jephthah, "This is why we now turn to you, that you may go with us, fight the Ammonites, and become leader over all of us who live in Gilead." 9But Jephthah asked them, "If you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the LORD gives them to me, will I really be your leader?" 10And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "The LORD is our witness if we do not do as you say." 11So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people put him over themselves as leader and commander. And Jephthah repeated all his terms in the presence of the LORD at Mizpah.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Isaiah 3:6 - a man

Cross-References

Genesis 3:22
Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil. And now, lest he reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever..."
Genesis 6:5
Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time.
Genesis 8:21
When the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, He said in His heart, "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from his youth. And never again will I destroy all living creatures as I have done.
Genesis 9:19
These three were the sons of Noah, and from them the whole earth was populated.
Genesis 11:1
Now the whole world had one language and a common form of speech.
Genesis 11:4
"Come," they said, "let us build for ourselves a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens, that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of all the earth."
Judges 10:14
Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them deliver you in your time of distress."
1 Kings 18:27
At noon Elijah began to taunt them, saying, "Shout louder, for he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or occupied, or on a journey. Perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened!"
Ecclesiastes 11:9
Rejoice, O young man, while you are young, and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and in the sight of your eyes, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment.
Luke 1:51
He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they said unto Jephthah, come and be our captain,.... The general of their army, to conduct and lead on their forces; they did not propose him to be their king, being convinced by Abimelech's conduct that such a step would be wrong; nor did they say anything of his being their judge, having no other view than to serve their present exigence; besides, a judge was not one chosen by the people, but raised up of God, and which honour was conferred on Jephthah afterwards:

that we may fight with the children of Ammon; with judgment, courage, and success; they did not make this proposal to him to save themselves from being engaged in the war, but that they might have one skilful in military affairs at the head of them, to instruct them in the art of war, and lead them on in a regular manner, and animate them by his brave example.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 11:6. Come, and be our captain — The Israelites were assembled in Mizpeh, but were without a captain to lead them against the Ammonites. And we find, from the conclusion of the preceding chapter, that they offered the command to any that would accept it.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile