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Thursday, September 4th, 2025
the Week of Proper 17 / Ordinary 22
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Read the Bible

Green's Literal Translation

Judges 11:9

And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, If you take me back to fight against the sons of Ammon, and Jehovah gives them up before me, shall I be your head?

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;   Jephthah;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Head;   Jephthah;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Elder;   Leadership;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Vow;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Jephthah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Moab;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Jephthah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ammon, Ammonites;   Gilead;   Jephthah;   Judges (1);   Levi;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Jephtha;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Jephthah;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Ambassador,;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Government of the Hebrews;   Jephthah;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Reign of the Judges;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Courts, Judicial;   Jephthah;   Judges, Book of:;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Fable;   Jephthah;   King;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So Jephthah said to them, “If you are bringing me back to fight the Ammonites and the Lord gives them to me, I will be your leader.”
Hebrew Names Version
Yiftach said to the Zakenim of Gil`ad, If you bring me home again to fight with the children of `Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head?
King James Version
And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the Lord deliver them before me, shall I be your head?
Lexham English Bible
So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you bring me back to fight against the Ammonites, and Yahweh gives them over to me, will I be your head?"
English Standard Version
Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you bring me home again to fight against the Ammonites, and the Lord gives them over to me, I will be your head."
New Century Version
Then Jephthah answered, "If you take me back to Gilead to fight the Ammonites and the Lord helps me win, I will be your ruler."
New English Translation
Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, "All right! If you take me back to fight with the Ammonites and the Lord gives them to me, I will be your leader."
Amplified Bible
So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you take me back [home] to fight against the Ammonites and the LORD gives them over to me, will I [really] become your head?"
New American Standard Bible
So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you bring me back to fight against the sons of Ammon and the LORD gives them up to me, will I become your head?"
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Iphtah said vnto the Elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home againe to fight against the children of Ammon, if the Lord giue them before me, shall I be your head?
Legacy Standard Bible
Daarop antwoord Jefta die oudstes van Gílead: As julle my laat terugkom om teen die kinders van Ammon te veg en die HERE hulle aan my oorgee, dan moet ek julle hoof word.
Contemporary English Version
"All right," Jephthah said. "If I go back with you and the Lord lets me defeat the Ammonites, will you really make me your ruler?"
Complete Jewish Bible
Yiftach answered them, "If you bring me back home to fight the army of ‘Amon, and Adonai defeats them for me, I will be your head."
Darby Translation
And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, If ye take me back to fight against the children of Ammon, and Jehovah give them up before me, shall I be your head?
Easy-to-Read Version
Then Jephthah said to the elders from Gilead, "If you want me to come back to Gilead and fight the Ammonites, I will do it. But if the Lord helps me win, I will be your new leader."
George Lamsa Translation
And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, If you bring me back to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your chief?
Good News Translation
Jephthah said to them, "If you take me back home to fight the Ammonites and the Lord gives me victory, I will be your ruler."
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Iephthae sayde vnto the Elders of Gilead: Yf ye fetch me agayne to fighte agaynst the childre of Ammon, and the LORDE delyuer them before me shal I then be youre heade?
American Standard Version
And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight with the children of Ammon, and Jehovah deliver them before me, shall I be your head?
Bible in Basic English
Then Jephthah said to the responsible men of Gilead, If you take me back to make war against the children of Ammon, and if with the help of the Lord I overcome them, will you make me your head?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Iephthah sayde vnto the elders of Gilead: If ye bring me home againe to fight against the children of Ammon, then yf the Lorde deliuer them before me, shall I be your head?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead: 'If ye bring me back home to fight with the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, I will be your head.'
King James Version (1611)
And Iephthah said vnto the Elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home againe to fight against the children of Ammon, and the Lord deliuer them before me; shall I be your Head?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Jephthae said to the elders of Galaad, If ye turn me back to fight with the children of Ammon, and the Lord should deliver them before me, then will I be your head.
English Revised Version
And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight with the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head?
Berean Standard Bible
But 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?"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Jepte seide to hem, Whether ye camen verili to me, that Y fiyte for you ayens the sones of Amon, and if the Lord schal bitake hem in to myn hondis, schal Y be youre prince?
Young's Literal Translation
And Jephthah saith unto the elders of Gilead, `If ye are taking me back to fight against the Bene-Ammon, and Jehovah hath given them before me -- I, am I to you for a head?'
Update Bible Version
And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, If you bring me home again to fight with the sons of Ammon, and Yahweh delivers them before me, shall I be your head?
Webster's Bible Translation
And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head?
World English Bible
Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, If you bring me home again to fight with the children of Ammon, and Yahweh deliver them before me, shall I be your head?
New King James Version
So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you take me back home to fight against the people of Ammon, and the LORD delivers them to me, shall I be your head?"
New Living Translation
Jephthah said to the elders, "Let me get this straight. If I come with you and if the Lord gives me victory over the Ammonites, will you really make me ruler over all the people?"
New Life Bible
Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, "If you bring me home again to fight the men of Ammon and the Lord gives them to me, will I become your head?"
New Revised Standard
Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you bring me home again to fight with the Ammonites, and the Lord gives them over to me, I will be your head."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead - If ye do bring me back to do battle with the sons of Ammon, and Yahweh deliver them up before me, shall, I myself, become your head?
Douay-Rheims Bible
Jephte also said to them: If you be come to me sincerely, that I should fight for you against the children of Ammon, and the Lord shall deliver them into my hand, shall I be your prince?
Revised Standard Version
Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you bring me home again to fight with the Ammonites, and the LORD gives them over to me, I will be your head."
THE MESSAGE
Jephthah addressed the elders of Gilead, "So if you bring me back home to fight the Ammonites and God gives them to me, I'll be your head—is that right?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you take me back to fight against the sons of Ammon and the LORD gives them up to me, will I become your head?"

Contextual Overview

4 And it happened after some time, the sons of Ammon fought with Israel. 5 And it happened when the sons of Ammon fought with Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah from the land of Tob. 6 And they said to Jephthah, Come, and you shall be our commander, that we may fight against the sons of Ammon. 7 And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, Have you not hated me? Yea, you threw me out from my father's house. Why have you come to me when you are in distress? 8 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, For this reason we have come back to you now; and you shall go with us and fight against the sons of Ammon. And you shall be our head, to all the people of Gilead. 9 And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, If you take me back to fight against the sons of Ammon, and Jehovah gives them up before me, shall I be your head? 10 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, Jehovah shall be witness between us; surely we will do according to your word. 11 And Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people appointed him head over them, and as commander. And Jephthah spoke all his words before Jehovah in Mizpeh.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

If ye bring: Numbers 32:20-29

Reciprocal: Judges 8:23 - I will

Cross-References

Genesis 10:5
The coasts of the nations were divided by these in their lands each by his tongue, by their families, in their nations.
Genesis 10:10
And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
Genesis 10:20
These were the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their tongues, in their countries, in their nations.
Genesis 10:25
And two sons were born to Eber; the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother's name was Joktan.
Genesis 11:1
And the whole earth was of one lip and of one speech.
Genesis 11:14
And Salah lived thirty years and fathered Eber.
Genesis 11:31
And Terah took his son Abram, and Lot, Haran's son, his grandson and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram's wife. And he went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan. And they came to Haran and lived there.
Genesis 11:32
And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years; and Terah died in Haran.
Acts 17:26
And He made every nation of men of one blood, to live on all the face of the earth, ordaining fore-appointed seasons and boundaries of their dwelling,
1 Corinthians 14:23
Then if the whole assembly comes together, and all speak in tongues, and uninstructed ones or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you rave?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead,.... Considering the former usage he had met with from them, and the character which he himself bore, and the fickleness of men, when their turn is served, was willing to make a sure bargain with them:

if ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon; that is, should he consent to go along with them, and fight their battle for them:

and the Lord deliver them before me; or into his hands, on whom he depended for success, and not on his own courage and valour, and military skill:

shall I be your head? not only captain general of their forces during the war, but the chief ruler of them when that was ended.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Jephthah made his own aggrandisement the condition of his delivering; his country. The circumstances of his birth and long residence in a pagan land were little favorable to the formation of the highest type of character. Yet he has his record among the faithful Hebrews 11:32.


 
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