Judges 11:1-5

Judges 11:1

Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.

Now enter Jephthah the Gileadite.  He was called a mighty man of valor.  His reputation probably preceded him in the area of battle from campaigns that he waged against enemies.  Jephthah’s mother was a harlot and that placed an immediate stigma on him, especially among the people of Israel.  He would have been looked down upon because of it.  He was a descendant of Gilead who was a descendant of Machir of the tribe of Manasseh.  Numbers 26:29 (KJV)   Of the sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites: and Machir begat Gilead: of Gilead come the family of the Gileadites.

Judges 11:2

And Gilead's wife bare him sons; and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house; for thou art the son of a strange woman.

First we need to look at his upbringing. Jephthah was condemned because he was the son of a strange woman and was cast out of his house and he fled to the land of Tob. Tob was an area east of Manasseh, north of Ammon and on the border of Syria. Now being in this area, outside the borders of Israel, Jephthah would not have had the biblical upbringing that any male would have had within the borders of the twelve tribes.

When we look at the area in which he lived, between Ammon and Syria, he would no doubt have had much contact with the false religions of that area. The chief deity of the Ammonites was Milcom. (1 Ki 11:5 KJV) For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. The Syrians had been worshippers of Tammuz which was the god of pasture and flocks. He was the husband and brother of Ishtar. He was supposed to have died every autumn and then in the Spring he was revived by Ishtar and then when he returned to life, then Spring time and new life came upon the land.

Then the Ammonites also worshipped Molech in which sacrifices of children were made unto this false deity. They revered Molech as a protecting father. Solomon built an altar to Molech at Tophet in the valley of Hinnom and wicked King Manasseh also honored this false deity.

Now when we look at the types of deities which were prevalent in that area, it would be easy to presume that Jephthah had much contact with these false deities and their forms of worship. These worthless men that he rode with were probably all or most came out of these false religious cultures. It would also be safe to presume that Jephthah, being an outcast from Israel, would not have had the knowledge of God and His requirements as did someone who grew up in the land of Israel at that time. If Jephthah was surrounded by the false religion of these false deities, then he would have grown up and lived within that culture and would have known their barbaric customs. He may even have participated in them but that we cannot be sure of.

So now the elders of Gilead were in trouble and they prayed to the Lord to be delivered from the Ammonites which were camped in Gilead ready to march and conquer Israel. Now the nation of Israel had sunk so low, they now had to resort to a man who headed up a rebel army. (Judg 10:6 KJV) And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him. There was not a godly man in Israel who was able to lead them in battle against such a hardened enemy. So to fight a pagan army, God places them under the command of a pagan outcast. Israel had become so corrupt with their worship of false religions, that God raised up an outcast to defend them.

Judges 11:3

Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.

With Tob being that close to both Ammon and Syria, the Bible tells us that he gathered himself with “vain” men. The word “vain” carries with it the meaning of “worthless.” A good commentary on this kind of man is found in Proverbs:

(Prov 12:11 KJV) He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding.

(Prov 28:19 KJV) He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough.

The same word for vain is used in the Proverbs verses as well as the Judges verse. We see then that Jephthah had become head of a group of men who were probably thieves and criminals of all sorts.

Judges 11:4

And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel.

Ammon was ready to attack the forces of Israel and once they were ready they commenced attacking but Israel was still without a central commander for their forces. 

Judges 11:5

And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob: