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Easy-to-Read Version

Judges 11:37

Then Jephthah's daughter said to her father, "But do this one thing for me first. Let me be alone for two months. Let me go to the mountains. I will not marry and have children, so let me and my friends go and cry together."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Consecration;   Jephthah;   Rashness;   Virgin;   Vows;   Women;   Zeal, Religious;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Months;   Woman;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ammonites;   Vow;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Jephthah;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Friend, Friendship;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Vow;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Human Sacrifice;   Judges, Book of;   Virgin, Virgin Birth;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Gilead;   Jephthah;   Judges (1);   Levi;   Sacrifice and Offering;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Jephtha;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Jephthah;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - War;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Reign of the Judges;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bewail;   Fellow;   Jephthah;   Judges, Period of;   Virgin;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Daughter in Jewish Law;   Jephthah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
She also said to her father, “Let me do this one thing: Let me wander two months through the mountains with my friends and mourn my virginity.”
Hebrew Names Version
She said to her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may depart and go down on the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions.
King James Version
And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.
Lexham English Bible
And she said to her father, "Let this thing be done for me: grant me two months so that I may go wander on the mountains and lament over my virginity, I and my companions.
English Standard Version
So she said to her father, "Let this thing be done for me: leave me alone two months, that I may go up and down on the mountains and weep for my virginity, I and my companions."
New Century Version
She also said, "But let me do one thing. Let me be alone for two months to go to the mountains. Since I will never marry, let me and my friends go and cry together."
New English Translation
She then said to her father, "Please grant me this one wish. For two months allow me to walk through the hills with my friends and mourn my virginity."
Amplified Bible
And she said to her father, "Let this one thing be done for me; let me alone for two months, so that I may go to the mountains and weep over my virginity, I and my companions."
New American Standard Bible
And she said to her father, "Let this thing be done for me; allow me two months, so that I may go to the mountains and weep because of my virginity, I and my friends."
Geneva Bible (1587)
Also she saide vnto her father, Doe thus much for me: suffer me two moneths, that I may goe to the mountaines, and bewaile my virginitie, I and my fellowes.
Legacy Standard Bible
Verder het sy vir haar vader gesê: Laat dít my toegestaan word: laat my twee maande vry, dat ek kan weggaan en afdaal na die berge en my maagdelike staat beween, ek en my vriendinne.
Contemporary English Version
But first, please let me spend two months, wandering in the hill country with my friends. We will cry together, because I can never get married and have children."
Complete Jewish Bible
Then she said to her father, "Just do this one thing for me — let me be alone for two months. I'll go away into the mountains with my friends and mourn, because I will die without getting married."
Darby Translation
And she said to her father, Let this thing be done for me: leave me alone two months, that I may go and descend to the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions.
George Lamsa Translation
And she said to her father, Grant me this thing only: let me alone two months that I may go and wander on the mountains and bewail my virginity, I and my companions.
Good News Translation
But she asked her father, "Do this one thing for me. Leave me alone for two months, so that I can go with my friends to wander in the mountains and grieve that I must die a virgin."
Literal Translation
And she said to her father, Let this thing be done to me. Leave me alone two months, and let me go and descend on the mountains. And I will weep for my virginity, my friends and I.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And she sayde vnto hir father: Do this for me, geue me leue to go downe vpo the mountaynes two monethes, that I maye bewepe my virginite with my playfeeres.
American Standard Version
And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may depart and go down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions.
Bible in Basic English
Then she said to her father, Only do this for me: let me have two months to go away into the mountains with my friends, weeping for my sad fate.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And she sayd vnto her father, Do this much for me: Let me alone two monethes, that I may go to the mountaynes and bewayle my virginite, I and my felowes.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And she said unto her father: 'Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may depart and go down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions.'
King James Version (1611)
And she said vnto her father, Let this thing be done for me: Let me alone two moneths, that I may goe vp and downe vpon the mountaines, and bewaile my virginitie, I, and my fellowes.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And she said to her father, Let my father now do this thing: let me alone for two months, and I will go up and down on the mountains, and I will bewail my virginity, I and my companions.
English Revised Version
And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may depart and go down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions.
Berean Standard Bible
She also said to her father, "Let me do this one thing: Let me wander for two months through the mountains with my friends and mourn my virginity."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And sche seide to the fadir, Yyue thou to me oneli this thing, which Y biseche; suffre thou me that in two monethis Y cumpasse hillis, and biweile my maidynhed with my felowis.
Young's Literal Translation
And she saith unto her father, `Let this thing be done to me; desist from me two months, and I go on, and have gone down on the hills, and I weep for my virginity -- I and my friends.'
Update Bible Version
And she said to her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may depart and go down on the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions.
Webster's Bible Translation
And she said to her father, Let this thing be done for me: Let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.
World English Bible
She said to her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may depart and go down on the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions.
New King James Version
Then she said to her father, "Let this thing be done for me: let me alone for two months, that I may go and wander on the mountains and bewail my virginity, my friends and I."
New Living Translation
But first let me do this one thing: Let me go up and roam in the hills and weep with my friends for two months, because I will die a virgin."
New Life Bible
But do this for me. Let me alone for two months. So I and my friends may go to the mountains and cry because I will never have a man."
New Revised Standard
And she said to her father, "Let this thing be done for me: Grant me two months, so that I may go and wander on the mountains, and bewail my virginity, my companions and I."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And she said unto her father, Let this thing, be done for me, - Let me alone two months, that I may depart, and go down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And she said to her father: Grant me only this, which I desire: Let me go, that I may go about the mountains for two months, and may bewail my virginity with my companions.
Revised Standard Version
And she said to her father, "Let this thing be done for me; let me alone two months, that I may go and wander on the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions."
THE MESSAGE
And then she said to her father, "But let this one thing be done for me. Give me two months to wander through the hills and lament my virginity since I will never marry, I and my dear friends."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
She said to her father, "Let this thing be done for me; let me alone two months, that I may go to the mountains and weep because of my virginity, I and my companions."

Contextual Overview

29 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah, and he passed through the area of Gilead and Manasseh. He went through the city of Mizpah in Gilead on his way to the land of the Ammonites. 30 Jephthah made a promise to the Lord . He said, "If you will let me defeat the Ammonites, 31 I will give you the first thing that comes out of my house when I come back from the victory. I will give it to the Lord as a burnt offering." 32 Then Jephthah went to the land of the Ammonites. He fought the Ammonites, and the Lord helped him defeat them. 33 He defeated them from the city of Aroer to the city of Minnith. Jephthah captured 20 cities. Then he fought the Ammonites to the city of Abel Keramim. The Israelites defeated them. It was a very great defeat for the Ammonites. 34 Jephthah went back to Mizpah. He went to his house, and his daughter came out to meet him. She was playing a tambourine and dancing. She was his only daughter, and Jephthah loved her very much. He did not have any other sons or daughters. 35 When Jephthah saw that his daughter was the first thing to come out of his house, he tore his clothes to show his sadness. Then he said, "Oh, my daughter! You have ruined me! You have made me very sad! I made a promise to the Lord , and I cannot change it!" 36 Then his daughter said to Jephthah, "Father, you have made a promise to the Lord , so keep your promise. Do what you said you would do. After all, the Lord did help you defeat your enemies, the Ammonites." 37 Then Jephthah's daughter said to her father, "But do this one thing for me first. Let me be alone for two months. Let me go to the mountains. I will not marry and have children, so let me and my friends go and cry together." 38 Jephthah said, "Go." He sent her away for two months. Jephthah's daughter and her friends stayed in the mountains. They cried for her because she would not marry and have children.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

go up and down: Heb. go and go down

bewail: 1 Samuel 1:6, Luke 1:25

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And she said unto her father, let this thing be done for me,.... She had but one favour to ask of him, which she thought might be granted, without any breach of the vow:

let me alone two months she desired such a space of time might be allowed her before the vow took place; and the rather she might be encouraged to expect that her request would be granted, since no time was fixed by the vow for the accomplishment of it, and since the time she asked was not very long, and the end to be answered not unreasonable

that I may go up and down upon the mountains; or, "ascend upon the mountains" h; Jepthah's house in Mizpeh being higher than the mountains; or there might be, as Kimchi and Ben Melech note, a valley between that and the mountains, to which she descended in order to go up to the mountains; see Judges 9:25 these she chose to make her abode, and take her walks in, during the time she asked, as being most fit for retirement and solitude; where she might give up herself to meditation and prayer, and conversation with her fellow virgins she would take with her, and so be wrought up to a greater degree of resignation and submission to her father's will, and to the will of God in it, as she might suppose:

and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows; the virgins her companions; this she proposed to be the subject that she and her associates would dwell upon, during this time of solitude; and the rather, as this may be thought to be the thing contained in the vow, that as she was a virgin, so she should continue; by which means she would not be the happy instrument of increasing the number of the children of Israel, nor of being the progenitor of the Messiah; upon which accounts it was reckoned in those times to be very grievous and reproachful to live and die without issue, and so matter of lamentation and weeping.

h וירדתי על ההרים "et descendam super montes", Pagninus, Montanus; "descendamque ad montes", Tigurine version.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Bewail my virginity - To become a wife and a mother was the end of existence to an Israelite maiden. The premature death of Jephthah’s daughter was about to frustrate this end.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 11:37. I and my fellows — Whether she meant the young women of her own acquaintance, or those who had been consecrated to God in the same way, though on different accounts, is not quite clear; but it is likely she means her own companions: and her going up and down upon the mountains may signify no more than her paying each of them a visit at their own houses, previously to her being shut up at the tabernacle; and this visiting of each at their own home might require the space of two months. This I am inclined to think is the meaning of this difficult clause.


 
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