Judges 11:36
34 And when Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, there was his daughter coming out to meet him with tambourines and dancing! She was his only child; he had no son or daughter besides her.
35 As soon as Jephthah saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “No! Not my daughter! You have brought me to my knees! You have brought great misery upon me, for I have given my word to the LORD and cannot take it back.”
“My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the LORD. Do to me as you have said, for the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites.”
37 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.”
38 “Go,” he said. And he sent her away for two months. So she left with her friends and mourned her virginity upon the mountains.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- “My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the LORD. Do to me as you have said, for the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites.”
- KJV
- And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.
- WEB
- She said to him, “My father, you have opened your mouth to the LORD; do to me according to that which has proceeded out of your mouth, because the LORD has taken vengeance for you on your enemies, even on the children of Ammon.”
- ASV
- And she said unto him, My father, thou hast opened thy mouth unto Jehovah; do unto me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth, forasmuch as Jehovah hath taken vengeance for thee on thine enemies, even on the children of Ammon.
- DARBY
- And she said to him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth to Jehovah, do to me according to that which has proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as Jehovah has taken vengeance for thee upon thine enemies, upon the children of Ammon.
- BLB
- And she said to him, “My father, [if] you have given your word to YHWH, do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, after that YHWH has done for you vengeance on your enemies, the sons of Ammon.”
- ÅB
- Da sa hun til ham: Min far! Har du gjort et løfte til Herren, så gjør med meg som du har lovt, siden Herren lot deg få hevn over dine fiender, Ammons barn!
- OTB
- Hun svarte: «Min far, du har gitt ditt ord til Herren; gjør med meg som du har lovet, siden Herren har hevnet deg på dine fiender, ammonittene.»
- B1930
- Da sa hun til ham: Min far! Har du gjort et løfte til Herren, så gjør med mig som du har lovt, siden Herren lot dig få hevn over dine fiender, Ammons barn!
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Acts 21:13
Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
Read in contextRomans 16:4
who have risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.
Read in contextPhilippians 2:30
because he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for your deficit of service to me.
Read in context2 Samuel 18:19
Then Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Please let me run and tell the king the good news that the LORD has avenged him of his enemies.”
Read in context2 Samuel 19:30
And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Instead, since my lord the king has safely come to his own house, let Ziba take it all!”
Read in context2 Samuel 18:31
Just then the Cushite came and said, “May my lord the king hear the good news: Today the LORD has avenged you of all who rose up against you!”
Read in contextJudges 16:28–30
Then Samson called out to the LORD: “O Lord GOD, please remember me. Strengthen me, O God, just once more, so that with one vengeful blow I may pay back the Philistines for my two eyes.”
Read in contextActs 20:24
But I consider my life of no value to me, if only I may finish my course and complete the ministry I have received from the Lord Jesus—the ministry of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
Read in context