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Nach YomiJudges · שופטיםChapter 11

Judges 11

שופטים פרק י״א

Section: נביאים · נביאים ראשונים | Book: Judges | Chapter: 11 of 21 | Day: 35 of 742

Date: March 18, 2026

קלאוד על הנ״ך

Judges 11 is one of the most structurally intricate and morally troubling chapters in the entire book, weaving together themes of social marginality, diplomatic argumentation, divine empowerment, and the catastrophic consequences of a rash vow. The chapter centers on Jephthah (yiftach), a gibbor chayil — a mighty warrior — who is simultaneously an outsider, the son of a prostitute (ben ishah zonah) driven from his family by his legitimate half-brothers. His story captures a recurring tension in Judges: the leaders whom God raises up are rarely the ones society would choose, and their personal flaws often shadow their public triumphs.

The opening section (verses 1-11) traces Jephthah’s journey from outcast to ruler with remarkable attention to the politics of desperation. The elders of Gilead, who had previously tolerated or facilitated his expulsion, return to him only when the Ammonite threat becomes unbearable. Jephthah’s negotiation with the elders is shrewd and pointed: he demands not merely a temporary military commission (katzin) but permanent leadership (rosh), and he insists on having this agreement ratified before God at Mizpah. The narrative thus establishes Jephthah as a figure of considerable political intelligence, someone who understands power and leverage despite — or perhaps because of — his years on the margins.

The central diplomatic exchange between Jephthah and the king of Ammon (verses 12-28) constitutes the longest sustained argument in the book of Judges and one of the finest examples of legal reasoning in the Hebrew Bible. Jephthah presents three distinct arguments against Ammon’s territorial claims: a historical argument (Israel took the land from Sihon the Amorite, not from Ammon or Moab), a theological argument (God dispossessed the Amorites for Israel, just as Chemosh gives land to his people), and an argument from prescription (Israel has held the territory for three hundred years without challenge). This passage reveals Jephthah as far more than a bandit chieftain — he commands a sophisticated grasp of Israelite history reaching back to the Exodus and the wilderness wanderings. Rashi and Radak both note that his chronological claims can be verified against the biblical record, lending his argument considerable weight.

The chapter’s final section (verses 29-40) pivots sharply from diplomatic triumph to personal catastrophe. The spirit of God (ruach Hashem) descends upon Jephthah, and he marches against Ammon. But between the divine empowerment and the military victory, the text inserts Jephthah’s devastating vow (neder): whatever emerges first from his house to greet him will be dedicated to God as a burnt offering (olah). The classical commentators are deeply divided over what actually happened to his daughter. Radak reads the crucial vav in verse 31 as disjunctive — “it shall be for God OR I shall offer it as a burnt offering” — concluding that she was consigned to lifelong celibate seclusion rather than sacrificed. Rashi, drawing on the Talmud (Taanit 4a) and the Yalkut, suggests that the tragedy could have been averted entirely had either Jephthah or Pinchas the priest been willing to humble themselves and seek annulment of the vow. Both were punished for their pride: the Shechinah departed from Pinchas, and Jephthah suffered a gruesome death by the disintegration of his limbs.

The daughter of Jephthah — unnamed, like so many women in Judges — emerges as a figure of extraordinary dignity. Her acceptance of her father’s vow, her request for two months to mourn her virginity (betulim) on the hills with her companions, and the custom (chok) established in her memory all serve to underscore the human cost of reckless speech. The chapter thus functions as a pointed meditation on the binding power of words spoken before God, and on the gap between military competence and moral wisdom — a theme that will continue to haunt the remaining chapters of Judges.

פרק י״א · Chapter 11

פסוק א׳ · Verse 1

Hebrew:

וְיִפְתָּ֣ח הַגִּלְעָדִ֗י הָיָה֙ גִּבּ֣וֹר חַ֔יִל וְה֖וּא בֶּן־אִשָּׁ֣ה זוֹנָ֑ה וַיּ֥וֹלֶד גִּלְעָ֖ד אֶת־יִפְתָּֽח׃

English:

Jephthah the Gileadite was an able warrior, who was the son of a certain prostitute. Jephthah’s father was Gilead;

Jephthah is introduced as a mighty warrior from Gilead, but his mother was a prostitute (or concubine, according to Radak). Despite his illegitimate birth, it was well-known that Gilead was his father.

פסוק ב׳ · Verse 2

Hebrew:

וַתֵּ֧לֶד אֵֽשֶׁת־גִּלְעָ֛ד ל֖וֹ בָּנִ֑ים וַיִּגְדְּל֨וּ בְֽנֵי־הָאִשָּׁ֜ה וַיְגָרְשׁ֣וּ אֶת־יִפְתָּ֗ח וַיֹּ֤אמְרוּ לוֹ֙ לֹא־תִנְחַ֣ל בְּבֵית־אָבִ֔ינוּ כִּ֛י בֶּן־אִשָּׁ֥ה אַחֶ֖רֶת אָֽתָּה׃

English:

but Gilead also had sons by his wife, and when the wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out. They said to him, “You shall have no share in our father’s property, for you are the son of an outsider.”aan outsider Lit. “another woman.”

Gilead's legitimate sons drove Jephthah out by force, denying him any share of the inheritance on the grounds that he was the son of another woman, tactfully avoiding the word 'prostitute' to protect their father's honor.

פסוק ג׳ · Verse 3

Hebrew:

וַיִּבְרַ֤ח יִפְתָּח֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י אֶחָ֔יו וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב בְּאֶ֣רֶץ ט֑וֹב וַיִּֽתְלַקְּט֤וּ אֶל־יִפְתָּח֙ אֲנָשִׁ֣ים רֵיקִ֔ים וַיֵּצְא֖וּ עִמּֽוֹ׃ {פ}

English:

So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the Tob country. Men of low characterbMen of low character Or “Rootless men”; see note at 9.4. gathered about Jephthah and went out raiding with him.

Jephthah fled to the land of Tob, where rootless men gathered around him and he became the leader of a band of raiders. Radak explains that 'Tob' was the name of the local ruler.

פסוק ד׳ · Verse 4

Hebrew:

וַיְהִ֖י מִיָּמִ֑ים וַיִּלָּחֲמ֥וּ בְנֵֽי־עַמּ֖וֹן עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

English:

Some time later, the Ammonites went to war against Israel.

Some time after Jephthah's expulsion, the Ammonites launched a war against Israel. Metzudat David emphasizes that this occurred long after Jephthah had been driven away.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
וַיִּלָּחֲמוּ בְנֵי עַמּוֹן. הִיא הָאֲמוּרָה לְמַעְלָה (י:ט):
The Bnei Ammon waged war. As mentioned above.1

פסוק ה׳ · Verse 5

Hebrew:

וַיְהִ֕י כַּאֲשֶׁר־נִלְחֲמ֥וּ בְנֵֽי־עַמּ֖וֹן עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיֵּֽלְכוּ֙ זִקְנֵ֣י גִלְעָ֔ד לָקַ֥חַת אֶת־יִפְתָּ֖ח מֵאֶ֥רֶץ טֽוֹב׃

English:

And when the Ammonites attacked Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah back from the Tob country.

Faced with the Ammonite threat, the elders of Gilead traveled to the land of Tob to bring back the very man they had previously allowed to be expelled.

פסוק ו׳ · Verse 6

Hebrew:

וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לְיִפְתָּ֔ח לְכָ֕ה וְהָיִ֥יתָה לָּ֖נוּ לְקָצִ֑ין וְנִֽלָּחֲמָ֖ה בִּבְנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃

English:

They said to Jephthah, “Come be our chief, so that we can fight the Ammonites.”

פסוק ז׳ · Verse 7

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יִפְתָּח֙ לְזִקְנֵ֣י גִלְעָ֔ד הֲלֹ֤א אַתֶּם֙ שְׂנֵאתֶ֣ם אוֹתִ֔י וַתְּגָרְשׁ֖וּנִי מִבֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑י וּמַדּ֜וּעַ בָּאתֶ֤ם אֵלַי֙ עַ֔תָּה כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר צַ֥ר לָכֶֽם׃

English:

Jephthah replied to the elders of Gilead, “You are the very people who rejected me and drove me out of my father’s house. How can you come to me now when you are in trouble?”

Jephthah confronts the elders with bitter irony: you hated me and helped drive me from my father's house, and now you come only because you are desperate. Their timing reveals that the old hostility has not truly subsided.

פסוק ח׳ · Verse 8

Hebrew:

וַיֹּאמְרוּ֩ זִקְנֵ֨י גִלְעָ֜ד אֶל־יִפְתָּ֗ח לָכֵן֙ עַתָּה֙ שַׁ֣בְנוּ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְהָלַכְתָּ֣ עִמָּ֔נוּ וְנִלְחַמְתָּ֖ בִּבְנֵ֣י עַמּ֑וֹן וְהָיִ֤יתָ לָּ֙נוּ֙ לְרֹ֔אשׁ לְכֹ֖ל יֹשְׁבֵ֥י גִלְעָֽד׃

English:

The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “Honestly, we have now turned back to you. If you come with us and fight the Ammonites, you shall be our commander over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”

The elders sweeten the deal: they came in person to show genuine respect, not merely out of desperation. They offer Jephthah permanent leadership over all the inhabitants of Gilead, not just a temporary military appointment.

פסוק ט׳ · Verse 9

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יִפְתָּ֜ח אֶל־זִקְנֵ֣י גִלְעָ֗ד אִם־מְשִׁיבִ֨ים אַתֶּ֤ם אוֹתִי֙ לְהִלָּחֵם֙ בִּבְנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן וְנָתַ֧ן יְהֹוָ֛ה אוֹתָ֖ם לְפָנָ֑י אָנֹכִ֕י אֶהְיֶ֥ה לָכֶ֖ם לְרֹֽאשׁ׃

English:

Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “[Very well,] if you bring me back to fight the Ammonites and GOD delivers them to me, I am to be your commander.”

Jephthah shrewdly insists on being made leader before the battle, not after. As Metzudat David explains, a post-victory appointment would be meaningless since he would deserve it anyway; he demands the leadership be conferred immediately as a sign of genuine trust.

פסוק י״ · Verse 10

Hebrew:

וַיֹּאמְר֥וּ זִקְנֵֽי־גִלְעָ֖ד אֶל־יִפְתָּ֑ח יְהֹוָ֗ה יִֽהְיֶ֤ה שֹׁמֵ֙עַ֙ בֵּינוֹתֵ֔ינוּ אִם־לֹ֥א כִדְבָרְךָ֖ כֵּ֥ן נַעֲשֶֽׂה׃

English:

And the elders of Gilead answered Jephthah, “GOD shall be witness between us: we will do just as you have said.”

The elders of Gilead invoke God as their witness, swearing to fulfill Jephthah's condition and appoint him as leader immediately, before the battle begins.

פסוק י״א · Verse 11

Hebrew:

וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ יִפְתָּח֙ עִם־זִקְנֵ֣י גִלְעָ֔ד וַיָּשִׂ֨ימוּ הָעָ֥ם אוֹת֛וֹ עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם לְרֹ֣אשׁ וּלְקָצִ֑ין וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר יִפְתָּ֧ח אֶת־כׇּל־דְּבָרָ֛יו לִפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה בַּמִּצְפָּֽה׃ {פ}

English:

Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him their commander and chief. And Jephthah repeated all these terms before GOD at Mizpah.

Jephthah returned to Gilead and was formally appointed as head and commander. He then declared all the terms of their agreement before God at Mizpah, a sacred gathering place where the Divine Presence rested upon the assembled multitude.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
אֶת כָּל דְּבָרָיו. הַתְּנַאי שֶׁבֵּינֵיהֶם: לִפְנֵי ה׳ בַּמִּצְפָּה. לְמָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֶסְפוּ כֻּלָּם, שֶׁהַשְּׁכִינָה שׁוֹרָה עַל רוֹב צִבּוּר:
All his stipulations. The conditions between them. Before Adonoy, at Mitzpah. Where everyone was assembled, as the Divine Presence rests upon multitudes.

פסוק י״ב · Verse 12

Hebrew:

וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח יִפְתָּח֙ מַלְאָכִ֔ים אֶל־מֶ֥לֶךְ בְּנֵֽי־עַמּ֖וֹן לֵאמֹ֑ר מַה־לִּ֣י וָלָ֔ךְ כִּֽי־בָ֥אתָ אֵלַ֖י לְהִלָּחֵ֥ם בְּאַרְצִֽי׃

English:

Jephthah then sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites, saying, “What have you against me that you have come to make war on my country?”

Jephthah opens diplomatic negotiations by sending messengers to the Ammonite king, challenging the basis for war. As the newly appointed leader, he speaks in the first person on behalf of all Israel.

פסוק י״ג · Verse 13

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֩אמֶר֩ מֶ֨לֶךְ בְּנֵֽי־עַמּ֜וֹן אֶל־מַלְאֲכֵ֣י יִפְתָּ֗ח כִּֽי־לָקַ֨ח יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל אֶת־אַרְצִי֙ בַּעֲלוֹת֣וֹ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם מֵאַרְנ֥וֹן וְעַד־הַיַּבֹּ֖ק וְעַד־הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן וְעַתָּ֕ה הָשִׁ֥יבָה אֶתְהֶ֖ן בְּשָׁלֽוֹם׃

English:

The king of the Ammonites replied to Jephthah’s messengers, “When Israel came from Egypt, they seized the land that is mine, from the Arnon to the Jabbok as far as the Jordan. Now, then, restore it peaceably.”

The Ammonite king states his claim: Israel seized territory between the Arnon and the Jabbok when they came up from Egypt, and he demands its peaceful return. This sets the stage for Jephthah's detailed historical rebuttal.

פסוק י״ד · Verse 14

Hebrew:

וַיּ֥וֹסֶף ע֖וֹד יִפְתָּ֑ח וַיִּשְׁלַח֙ מַלְאָכִ֔ים אֶל־מֶ֖לֶךְ בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃

English:

Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites.

פסוק ט״ו · Verse 15

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ כֹּ֖ה אָמַ֣ר יִפְתָּ֑ח לֹֽא־לָקַ֤ח יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ מוֹאָ֔ב וְאֶת־אֶ֖רֶץ בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃

English:

He said to him, “Thus said Jephthah: Israel did not seize the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites.

Jephthah begins his legal argument: Israel never took the land of Moab or Ammon. As Radak explains, the disputed territory had already been conquered by the Amorite king Sihon from Moab before Israel arrived, so Israel took it from Sihon, not from Ammon.

פסוק ט״ז · Verse 16

Hebrew:

כִּ֖י בַּעֲלוֹתָ֣ם מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל בַּמִּדְבָּר֙ עַד־יַם־ס֔וּף וַיָּבֹ֖א קָדֵֽשָׁה׃

English:

When they left Egypt, Israel traveled through the wilderness to the Sea of Reeds and went on to Kadesh.

Jephthah recounts Israel's itinerary from Egypt: they traveled through the wilderness to the Sea of Reeds and then to Kadesh. Rashi locates the Sea of Reeds south of Edom, establishing the geographical context for Israel's circuitous route.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
עַד יַם סוּף. בִּדְרוֹמָהּ שֶׁל אֶרֶץ אֱדוֹם, וְאֶרֶץ אֱדוֹם בִּדְרוֹמָהּ שֶׁל אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן:
Until the Reed Sea. South of the land of Edom, while the land of Edom is south of the land of Canaan.

פסוק י״ז · Verse 17

Hebrew:

וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל מַלְאָכִ֣ים ׀ אֶל־מֶ֩לֶךְ֩ אֱד֨וֹם ׀ לֵאמֹ֜ר אֶעְבְּרָה־נָּ֣א בְאַרְצֶ֗ךָ וְלֹ֤א שָׁמַע֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ אֱד֔וֹם וְגַ֨ם אֶל־מֶ֧לֶךְ מוֹאָ֛ב שָׁלַ֖ח וְלֹ֣א אָבָ֑ה וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּקָדֵֽשׁ׃

English:

Israel then sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Allow us to cross your country.’ But the king of Edom would not consent. They also sent a mission to the king of Moab, and he refused. So Israel, after staying at Kadesh,

Israel sent messengers requesting peaceful passage through Edom and Moab, but both kings refused. Israel remained at Kadesh rather than forcing its way through, demonstrating that they had not acted aggressively toward neighboring nations.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
אֶעְבְּרָה נָּא בְאַרְצֶךָ. מִדָּרוֹם לְצָפוֹן, לִיכָּנֵס לְאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן: וְגַם אֶל מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב. שֶׁהָיְתָה אַרְצוֹ בְּסוֹף אֶרֶץ אֱדוֹם, בְּמִזְרָחָהּ שֶׁל אֱדוֹם וּבִדְרוֹמָהּ שֶׁל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל: וְלֹא אָבָה. מֹשֶׁה רְמָזָהּ בַּתּוֹרָה (דברים ב:כט): כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ לִי בְּנֵי עֵשָׂו הַיּוֹשְׁבִים בְּשֵׂעִיר וְהַמּוֹאָבִים הַיּוֹשְׁבִים בְּעָר, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאֱדוֹם לֹא נְתָנוּם לַעֲבֹר, כָּךְ מוֹאָב לֹא נְתָנוּם לַעֲבֹר:
Please allow me to traverse your country. From south to north, in order to enter the land of Canaan. To the king of Moav as well. Whose country bordered the extremity of the land of Edom, east of Edom, and south of Eretz Yisroel. And he refused. Moshe alludes to this in the Torah, "As perpetrated against me by the Bnei Eisov residing at Sair, and the Moavites residing at Ar."2Devarim, 2:29. Just as Edom refused them permission to pass, so did Moav refuse them permission to pass.

פסוק י״ח · Verse 18

Hebrew:

וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ בַּמִּדְבָּ֗ר וַיָּ֜סׇב אֶת־אֶ֤רֶץ אֱדוֹם֙ וְאֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ מוֹאָ֔ב וַיָּבֹ֤א מִמִּזְרַח־שֶׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ לְאֶ֣רֶץ מוֹאָ֔ב וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּן בְּעֵ֣בֶר אַרְנ֑וֹן וְלֹֽא־בָ֙אוּ֙ בִּגְב֣וּל מוֹאָ֔ב כִּ֥י אַרְנ֖וֹן גְּב֥וּל מוֹאָֽב׃

English:

traveled on through the wilderness, skirting the land of Edom and the land of Moab. They kept to the east of the land of Moab until they encamped on the other side of the Arnon; and, since Moab ends at the Arnon, they never entered Moabite territory.

Israel took a long detour through the wilderness, skirting around the southern borders of Edom and Moab, then approaching from the east. They carefully avoided entering Moabite territory, camping only beyond the Arnon River, which marked Moab's border.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
וַיֵּלֶךְ בַּמִּדְבָּר. מִן הַמַּעֲרָב לַמִּזְרָח, בְּמֵיצַר דְּרוֹמִי שֶׁל אֱדוֹם וּמוֹאָב: וַיָּסָב אֶת אֶרֶץ אֱדוֹם. כָּל דְּרוֹמָהּ: וְאֶת אֶרֶץ מוֹאָב. כָּל דְּרוֹמָהּ, וּכְשֶׁהִגִּיעַ לְמִקְצוֹעַ דְּרוֹמִית מִזְרָחִית, פָּנָה אֶל הַצָּפוֹן לִסְבּוֹב אֶת מֵיצַר הַמִּזְרָחִי: וַיָּבֹא מִמִּזְרַח שֶׁמֶשׁ לְאֶרֶץ מוֹאָב וַיַּחֲנוּן בְּעֵבֶר אַרְנוֹן. לְסוֹף מִזְרָחָהּ שֶׁל אֶרֶץ מוֹאָב, וְשָׁם הִתְחִילָה אֶרֶץ סִיחוֹן וְעוֹג, וְכָבְשׁוּ עֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן בְּמִזְרַח אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן וְעָבְרוּ הַיַּרְדֵּן, וְנִכְנְסוּ לָהּ לְאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן דֶּרֶךְ הַמִּזְרָח:
They then continued through the wilderness from west to east, along the southern borders of Edom and Moav. Circumvented the land of Edom. All of its southern border. And the land of Moav. All of its southern border. When they reached the southeastern corner, they angled northward along the periphery of the eastern border. Arrived at the east of the land of Moav, and camped opposite Arnon. At the end of the eastern border of the land of Moav. This was the starting point of the lands of Sichon and Og. They conquered the trans-Yardeinian territory east of the land of Canaan, crossed the Yardein, and invaded the land of Canaan by the eastern route.

פסוק י״ט · Verse 19

Hebrew:

וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מַלְאָכִ֔ים אֶל־סִיח֥וֹן מֶלֶךְ־הָאֱמֹרִ֖י מֶ֣לֶךְ חֶשְׁבּ֑וֹן וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל נַעְבְּרָה־נָּ֥א בְאַרְצְךָ֖ עַד־מְקוֹמִֽי׃

English:

“Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon. Israel said to him, ‘Allow us to cross through your country to our homeland.’

Israel then sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, requesting only passage through his land to reach Canaan, which Metzudat David identifies as the land God had designated for them.

פסוק כ׳ · Verse 20

Hebrew:

וְלֹא־הֶאֱמִ֨ין סִיח֤וֹן אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ עֲבֹ֣ר בִּגְבֻל֔וֹ וַיֶּאֱסֹ֤ף סִיחוֹן֙ אֶת־כׇּל־עַמּ֔וֹ וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּיָ֑הְצָה וַיִּלָּ֖חֶם עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

English:

But Sihon would not trust Israel to pass through his territory. Sihon mustered all his troops, and they encamped at Jahaz; he engaged Israel in battle.

Sihon refused to trust Israel's request for peaceful passage, suspecting it was a ruse to conquer his land. He mustered his army and attacked Israel at Jahaz, making himself the aggressor.

פסוק כ״א · Verse 21

Hebrew:

וַ֠יִּתֵּ֠ן יְהֹוָ��ה אֱלֹהֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶת־סִיח֧וֹן וְאֶת־כׇּל־עַמּ֛וֹ בְּיַ֥ד יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וַיַּכּ֑וּם וַיִּירַשׁ֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֵ֚ת כׇּל־אֶ֣רֶץ הָאֱמֹרִ֔י יוֹשֵׁ֖ב הָאָ֥רֶץ הַהִֽיא׃

English:

But the ETERNAL, the God of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his troops into Israel’s hands, and they defeated them; and Israel took possession of all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that land.

פסוק כ״ב · Verse 22

Hebrew:

וַיִּ֣ירְשׁ֔וּ אֵ֖ת כׇּל־גְּב֣וּל הָאֱמֹרִ֑י מֵֽאַרְנוֹן֙ וְעַד־הַיַּבֹּ֔ק וּמִן־הַמִּדְבָּ֖ר וְעַד־הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃

English:

Thus they possessed all the territory of the Amorites from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan.

Israel took possession of the entire Amorite territory from the Arnon to the Jabbok. Rashi underscores that the very land Ammon now claims was annexed from Sihon, not taken from Ammon or Moab.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
וַיִּירְשׁוּ וְגוֹ׳ מֵאַרְנוֹן וְעַד הַיַּבֹּק. שֶׁאַתָּה אוֹמֵר שֶׁהוּא שֶׁלְּךָ (פסוק יג), הֵם מִסִּיחוֹן לָקְחוּ: וּמִן הַמִּדְבָּר וְעַד הַיַּרְדֵּן. מִדְבָּרוֹת הָיוּ שָׁם לִפְנֵי הַיַּרְדֵּן:
They took possession, etc., from Arnon to the Yabok. Which you claim as yours, they annexed from Sichon. From the wilderness to the Yardein. There was a wilderness area adjoining the Yardein.

פסוק כ״ג · Verse 23

Hebrew:

וְעַתָּ֞ה יְהֹוָ֣ה ׀ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הוֹרִישׁ֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֱמֹרִ֔י מִפְּנֵ֖י עַמּ֣וֹ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְאַתָּ֖ה תִּירָשֶֽׁנּוּ׃

English:

“Now, then, the ETERNAL, the God of Israel, dispossessed the Amorites before this covenanted people Israel; and should you possess their land?

Jephthah makes a theological argument: God Himself dispossessed the Amorites on Israel's behalf. Metzudat David reads the final phrase as a rhetorical question — 'And you would dare take possession of it?'

פסוק כ״ד · Verse 24

Hebrew:

הֲלֹ֞א אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁ֧ר יוֹרִֽישְׁךָ֛ כְּמ֥וֹשׁ אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ אוֹת֣וֹ תִירָ֑שׁ וְאֵת֩ כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֨ר הוֹרִ֜ישׁ יְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֵ֛ינוּ מִפָּנֵ֖ינוּ אוֹת֥וֹ נִירָֽשׁ׃

English:

Do you not hold what Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So we will hold on to everything that the ETERNAL our God has given us to possess.

Jephthah employs a sharp rhetorical argument: just as you keep whatever your god Chemosh grants you, so Israel keeps what the Lord has granted them. Metzudat David notes this was said mockingly, while Radak observes Chemosh was actually Moab's god, further undermining Ammon's claim.

פסוק כ״ה · Verse 25

Hebrew:

וְעַתָּ֗ה הֲט֥וֹב טוֹב֙ אַתָּ֔ה מִבָּלָ֥ק בֶּן־צִפּ֖וֹר מֶ֣לֶךְ מוֹאָ֑ב הֲר֥וֹב רָב֙ עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אִם־נִלְחֹ֥ם נִלְחַ֖ם בָּֽם׃

English:

“Besides, are you any better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he start a quarrel with Israel or go to war with them?

Jephthah adds an argument from precedent: Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, never disputed Israel's right to this land or went to war over it. Are you, the Ammonite king, greater than Balak?

פסוק כ״ו · Verse 26

Hebrew:

בְּשֶׁ֣בֶת יִ֠��ְׂרָאֵ֠ל בְּחֶשְׁבּ֨וֹן וּבִבְנוֹתֶ֜יהָ וּבְעַרְע֣וֹר וּבִבְנוֹתֶ֗יהָ וּבְכׇל־הֶֽעָרִים֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־יְדֵ֣י אַרְנ֔וֹן שְׁלֹ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָ֑ה וּמַדּ֥וּעַ לֹֽא־הִצַּלְתֶּ֖ם בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִֽיא׃

English:

“While Israel has been inhabiting Heshbon and its dependencies, and Aroer and its dependencies, and all the towns along the Arnon for three hundred years, why have you not tried to recover them all this time?

Jephthah delivers his strongest argument from prescription: Israel has dwelt in Heshbon, Aroer, and the surrounding cities for three hundred years without any challenge. Rashi provides a detailed chronological calculation proving this three-hundred-year figure from Joshua through Jephthah.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
עַל יְדֵי אַרְנוֹן. אֵצֶל אַרְנוֹן, שֶׁהָיוּ מִמּוֹאָב, וְיָדְעוּ שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה לָהֶם לַעֲבֹר עֲלֵיהֶם, שֶׁהֲרֵי מִסִּיחוֹן כְּבָשׁוּם (במדבר כא:כד), שֶׁלְּקָחָם מִמֶּלֶךְ מוֹאָב (שם שם כו): שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה. מִשֶּׁכָּבְשׁוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ בִּימֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ עַד יִפְתָּח מִכָּאן יֵשׁ לִלְמוֹד שְׁנוֹת הַשּׁוֹפְטִים הַנִּזְכָּרִים עַד הֵנָּה, אִם שְׁנֵי הַשִּׁעְבּוּד שֶׁל כָּל אוּמָּה נִמְנִים בְּתוֹךְ יְמֵי הַשּׁוֹפֵט אִם לָאו. שָׁנִינוּ בְּסֵדֶר עוֹלָם (פרק יב): יְהוֹשֻׁעַ פִּרְנֵס אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁמוֹנֶה שָׁנָה, וְאֵין לוֹ מִקְרָא מִמִּי לִלְמוֹד. עָתְנִיאֵל (לעיל ג:יא), אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה, וּשְׁנֵי שִׁעְבּוּד שֶׁל כּוּשַׁן רִשְׁעָתַיִם (שם שם ח) בִּכְלָלָם. אַחֲרָיו אֵהוּד (שם שם ל), שְׁמוֹנִים שָׁנָה, שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנִים שִׁעְבּוּד שֶׁל עֶגְלוֹן (שם שם יד) בְּתוֹכָם, הֲרֵי מֵאָה אַרְבָּעִים וּשְׁמוֹנֶה שָׁנָה. דְּבוֹרָה (שם ה:לא) אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה, וּשְׁנֵי שִׁעְבּוּד יָבִין (שם ד:ג) בְּתוֹכָם, הֲרֵי מֵאָה שְׁמוֹנִים וּשְׁמוֹנֶה. אַחֲרָיו, שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים שֶׁל שִׁעְבּוּד מִדְיָן (שם ו:א), וְאַרְבָּעִים שֶׁל גִּדְעוֹן (שם ח:כח), וְשָׁלֹשׁ שֶׁל אֲבִימֶלֶךְ (שם ט:כב), הֲרֵי מָאתַיִם שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁמוֹנֶה שָׁנִים. אַחֲרָיו, עֶשְׂרִים וְשָׁלֹשׁ שֶׁל תּוֹלָע (שם י:ב), וְעֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁתַּיִם שֶׁל יָאִיר (שם י:ג), אֶלָּא שֶׁעָלְתָה שָׁנָה אַחַת לִשְׁנֵיהֶם, וּשְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה שֶׁל בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן (שם שם ח) עַד שֶׁלֹּא בָּא יִפְתָּח, הֲרֵי שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת:
Adjoining [lit. by the hands of] Arnon. Near Arnon. These cities had belonged to Moav, but they recognized that they could not lay claim to them, since they were confiscated from Sichon, who had annexed them from the king of Moav. Three centuries from the conquest of the land in the days of Yehoshua, until Yiftoch. This teaches us concerning the years of the Judges mentioned until now—whether the years of subjugation by the nations are included in the reckoning of the days of the Judge, or not.3The three hundred year total is only accurate if certain of the years of subjugation are included in the years of the judge, and certain years are not, as Rashi explains below. We learn in Seder Olam:4Ch. 12. Yehoshua directed Yisroel for twenty eight years—I am not aware of any Scriptural derivation for this. Asniel for forty years,5 the years of subjugation by Cushan Rishasaim are included.6Eight years. (3:8). Afterward, Ehud for eighty years,7 with the eighteen years of subjugation by Eglon8 included. This totals one hundred forty eight years. Devorah for forty years,9 with the years of subjugation by Yavin10Twenty years. (4:3.) included, totaling one hundred eighty eight years. Afterward, seven years of subjugation by Midyon,11 forty years of Gidon,12 and13 three of Avimelech, totaling two hundred thirty eight years. Afterward, twenty three years of Tola14 and twenty two of Yair,15 with one year overlapping both, and eighteen years of the Bnei Ammon16 until Yiftoch's appearance. This totals three hundred.

פסוק כ״ז · Verse 27

Hebrew:

וְאָֽנֹכִי֙ לֹא־חָטָ֣אתִי לָ֔ךְ וְאַתָּ֞ה עֹשֶׂ֥ה אִתִּ֛י רָעָ֖ה לְהִלָּ֣חֶם בִּ֑י יִשְׁפֹּ֨ט יְהֹוָ֤ה הַשֹּׁפֵט֙ הַיּ֔וֹם בֵּ֚ין בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וּבֵ֖ין בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃

English:

I have done you no wrong; yet you are doing me harm and making war on me. May GOD, who judges, decide today between the Israelites and the Ammonites!”

Jephthah concludes his diplomatic case by asserting Israel's innocence and calling upon God as the ultimate judge between the two nations. He places the moral responsibility for the conflict squarely on Ammon.

פסוק כ״ח · Verse 28

Hebrew:

וְלֹ֣א שָׁמַ֔ע מֶ֖לֶךְ בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֑וֹן אֶל־דִּבְרֵ֣י יִפְתָּ֔ח אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁלַ֖ח אֵלָֽיו׃ {פ}

English:

But the king of the Ammonites paid no heed to the message that Jephthah sent him.

פסוק כ״ט · Verse 29

Hebrew:

וַתְּהִ֤י עַל־יִפְתָּח֙ ר֣וּחַ יְהֹוָ֔ה וַיַּעֲבֹ֥ר אֶת־הַגִּלְעָ֖ד וְאֶת־מְנַשֶּׁ֑ה וַֽיַּעֲבֹר֙ אֶת־מִצְפֵּ֣ה גִלְעָ֔ד וּמִמִּצְפֵּ֣ה גִלְעָ֔ד עָבַ֖ר בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃

English:

Then the spirit of GOD came upon Jephthah. He marched through Gilead and Manasseh, passing Mizpeh of Gilead; and from Mizpeh of Gilead he crossed over [to] the Ammonites.

The spirit of God came upon Jephthah, granting him divine courage and strength. He marched through Gilead and Manasseh, gathering forces, and then crossed over into Ammonite territory to wage war.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
עָבַר בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן. אֶל בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן:
He crossed to the Bnei Ammon. "To" the Bnei Ammon.

פסוק ל׳ · Verse 30

Hebrew:

וַיִּדַּ֨ר יִפְתָּ֥ח נֶ֛דֶר לַיהֹוָ֖ה וַיֹּאמַ֑ר אִם־נָת֥וֹן תִּתֵּ֛ן אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י עַמּ֖וֹן בְּיָדִֽי׃

English:

And Jephthah made the following vow to GOD: “If You deliver the Ammonites into my hands,

פסוק ל״א · Verse 31

Hebrew:

וְהָיָ֣ה הַיּוֹצֵ֗א אֲשֶׁ֨ר יֵצֵ֜א מִדַּלְתֵ֤י בֵיתִי֙ לִקְרָאתִ֔י בְּשׁוּבִ֥י בְשָׁל֖וֹם מִבְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֑וֹן וְהָיָה֙ לַיהֹוָ֔ה וְהַעֲלִיתִ֖יהוּ עֹלָֽה׃ {פ}

English:

then whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me on my safe return from the Ammonites shall be GOD’s and shall be offered by me as a burnt offering.”

Jephthah makes his fateful vow: whatever comes out of his house to greet him upon his victorious return will be dedicated to God or offered as a burnt offering. Radak reads the vav as disjunctive ('or'), meaning he intended either consecration or sacrifice depending on what emerged.
▶Commentaries (1)
רד״קRadak
והעליתיהו עולה. דעת רז"ל בזה ידוע וא"א ז"ל פירש והעליתיהו הוי"ו במקום או ופירש והיה לה' הקדש אם אינו ראוי לעולה או העליתיהו עולה אם ראוי לעולה וכמו זה הוי"ו מכה אביו ואמו או אמו ויפה פי' וכן נראה מהפסוק כי לא המיתה שאמר ואבכה על נפשי לאות כי לא המיתה אך לא ידעה איש כמו שאמר והיא לא ידעה איש ומה שאמר גם כן ויעש לה את נדרו אשר נדר ולא אמר ויעלה עולה לאות כי פרושה היתה וזהו את נדרו אשר נדר והיה להשם כך נראה לפי פשטי הפסוקים ודברי רז"ל אם קבלה היא בידם עלינו לקבלה:
Shall be offered by me as an offering The opinion of our rabbis of blessed memory regarding this is known, and my lord and father, that the explanation of "shall be offered by me", the vav [ו] is disjunctive, with the same function as "or". And it can be explained as follows: "And it will be for God," i.e. sanctified [הקדש], if it is unsuitable for a burnt offering. Or it "shall be offered by me as a burnt offering," if it is suitable for a burnt offering. And similar to this, the vav of "He who strikes his father or [ו] his mother" (Exodus 25:15) signifies "or". And it is well explained, and so it seems to me from the verse, for it is not death, because the verse would say "And I will weep for my life" -- rather, [she will weep] that she has not known a man [because in fact the verse says "I will weep for my maidenhood" (Judges 11:37)]. And that which it also says, "he did to her as he had vowed to do" (Judges 11:39), and it does not say "He offered her as a burnt offering." This shows us that she was celibate/separated, and this is what he had vowed -- that she should be for God. This seems to me to be according to the plain meaning of the verses, and the words of our rabbis of blessed memory; if they [the words] were accepted into their hands as an acceptance, it is our duty to accept them [?].

פסוק ל״ב · Verse 32

Hebrew:

וַיַּעֲבֹ֥ר יִפְתָּ֛ח אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י עַמּ֖וֹן לְהִלָּ֣חֶם בָּ֑ם וַיִּתְּנֵ֥ם יְהֹוָ֖ה בְּיָדֽוֹ׃

English:

Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites and attacked them, and GOD delivered them into his hands.

פסוק ל״ג · Verse 33

Hebrew:

וַיַּכֵּ֡ם מֵעֲרוֹעֵר֩ וְעַד־בֹּאֲךָ֨ מִנִּ֜ית עֶשְׂרִ֣ים עִ֗יר וְעַד֙ אָבֵ֣ל כְּרָמִ֔ים מַכָּ֖ה גְּדוֹלָ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד וַיִּכָּֽנְעוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן מִפְּנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ {פ}

English:

He utterly routed them—from Aroer as far as Minnith, twenty towns—all the way to Abel-cheramim. So the Ammonites submitted to the Israelites.

Jephthah struck the Ammonites with a devastating defeat across twenty cities, from Aroer to Minnith and as far as Abel-cheramim (the Plain of the Vineyards). The Ammonites were thoroughly subdued before Israel.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
אָבֵל כְּרָמִים. (תרגום:) מֵישַׁר כַּרְמַיָּא:
The Vineyard plains. The plain of the vineyards.17This is Targum Yonasan’s translation.

פסוק ל״ד · Verse 34

Hebrew:

וַיָּבֹ֨א יִפְתָּ֣ח הַמִּצְפָּה֮ אֶל־בֵּיתוֹ֒ וְהִנֵּ֤ה בִתּוֹ֙ יֹצֵ֣את לִקְרָאת֔וֹ בְּתֻפִּ֖ים וּבִמְחֹל֑וֹת וְרַק֙ הִ֣יא יְחִידָ֔ה אֵֽין־ל֥וֹ מִמֶּ֛נּוּ בֵּ֖ן אוֹ־בַֽת׃

English:

When Jephthah arrived at his home in Mizpah, there was his daughter coming out to meet him, with hand-drum and dance! She was an only child; he had no other son or daughter.

In a tragic twist, Jephthah's own daughter emerges first from his house, dancing with timbrels to celebrate his victory. The text emphasizes that she was his only child, heightening the devastating consequences of his rash vow.

פסוק ל״ה · Verse 35

Hebrew:

וַיְהִי֩ כִרְאוֹת֨וֹ אוֹ��ָ֜הּ וַיִּקְרַ֣ע אֶת־בְּגָדָ֗יו וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֲהָ֤הּ בִּתִּי֙ הַכְרֵ֣עַ הִכְרַעְתִּ֔נִי וְאַ֖תְּ הָיִ֣ית בְּעֹֽכְרָ֑י וְאָנֹכִ֗י פָּצִ֤יתִי פִי֙ אֶל־יְהֹוָ֔ה וְלֹ֥א אוּכַ֖ל לָשֽׁוּב׃

English:

On seeing her, he rent his clothes and said, “Alas, daughter! You have brought me low; you have become my troubler! For I have uttered a vowcuttered a vow Lit. “opened my mouth.” to GOD and I cannot retract.”

Jephthah tears his garments in anguish, crying that his daughter has brought him low. He confesses that he opened his mouth to God in a vow and cannot retract it, revealing his tragic understanding that his words have bound him irrevocably.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
הַכְרֵעַ הִכְרַעְתִּנִי. לְשׁוֹן נְקֵבָה, וְדוֹמֶה לוֹ (שיר השירים ד:ט): לִבַּבְתִּנִי אֲחוֹתִי כַלָּה: הָיִית בְּעוֹכְרִי. כָּל דָּמִי נֶעְכָּר, קִפַּחְתְּ אֶת רַגְלִי:
You are among those who ruined me. This is the feminine usage.18הִכְרַעְתִּנִי, with the “cherik” vocalization under the ת, is generally translated as referring to the first person neuter, “I brought to the knees.” Here, however, the translation is the feminine “you brought to the knees.” Similarly, "You captured my heart, my sister bride."19Shir Hashirim, 4:9. Here, too, לִבַּבֽתִּנִי, with the “cherik” vocalization under the the ת, is translated as the feminine “you captured my heart.” You have surely brought me to my knees All my blood is in turmoil, You have taken away my feet.

פסוק ל״ו · Verse 36

Hebrew:

וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֗יו אָבִי֙ פָּצִ֤יתָה אֶת־פִּ֙יךָ֙ אֶל־יְהֹוָ֔ה עֲשֵׂ֣ה לִ֔י כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר יָצָ֣א מִפִּ֑יךָ אַחֲרֵ֡י אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂה֩ לְךָ֨ יְהֹוָ֧ה נְקָמ֛וֹת מֵאֹיְבֶ֖יךָ מִבְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃

English:

“Father,” she said, “you have uttered a vow to GOD; do to me as you have vowed, seeing that GOD has vindicated you against your enemies, the Ammonites.”

Jephthah's daughter responds with remarkable composure and piety, accepting her fate. She tells her father to fulfill his vow since God has vindicated him against the Ammonites, acknowledging that the condition of the vow has been met.

פסוק ל״ז · Verse 37

Hebrew:

וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־אָבִ֔יהָ יֵעָ֥שֶׂה לִּ֖י הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה הַרְפֵּ֨ה מִמֶּ֜נִּי שְׁנַ֣יִם חֳדָשִׁ֗ים וְאֵֽלְכָה֙ וְיָרַדְתִּ֣י עַל־הֶהָרִ֔ים וְאֶבְכֶּה֙ עַל־בְּתוּלַ֔י אָנֹכִ֖י (ורעיתי) [וְרֵֽעוֹתָֽי]׃

English:

She further said to her father, “Let this be done for me: let me be for two months, and I will go with my companions and lamentdlament Lit. “descend,” i.e., with weeping; cf. Isa. 15.3. upon the hills and there bewail my maidenhood.”

The daughter asks for two months to go to the hills with her companions to bewail her maidenhood. The Midrash (cited by Rashi) interprets 'the hills' as a reference to the Sanhedrin, suggesting she hoped they might find a way to annul the vow.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
וְיָרַדְתִּי עַל הֶהָרִים. לְשׁוֹן יְלָלָה הוּא, וְדוּגְמָתוֹ (ישעיהו טו:ג): עַל גַּגּוֹתֶיהָ וּבִרְחוֹבוֹתֶיהָ כֻּלֹּה יְיֵלִיל יָרַד בִּבְכִי, הַמִּתְעַצֵּב בִּבְכִי עַד שֶׁגּוּפוֹ מִשְׁתַּבֵּר. וּבְמִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה דּוֹרֵשׁ רַבִּי תַּנְחוּמָא (בחוקותי ה): עַל הֶהָרִים. לִפְנֵי סַנְהֶדְרִין, שֶׁמָּא יִמְצְאוּ פֶּתַח לְנִדְרְךָ:
To grieve on the hills. This word refers to bewailing. 20Not, as translated elsewhere, “To descend,” but “To grieve.” Similarly, "On its roofs and thoroughfares, total wailing, weeping grief."21Yeshaya, 15:3. Weeping so intense that it causes a physical breakdown.22רד may also be translated as “crushing.” See Yeshaya, 45:1. Midrash Agada: R' Tanchuma expounded, On the hills; before the Sanhedrin—perhaps they may find a loophole in your vow.23Yalkut, 67.

פסוק ל״ח · Verse 38

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לֵ֔כִי וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח אוֹתָ֖הּ שְׁנֵ֣י חֳדָשִׁ֑ים וַתֵּ֤לֶךְ הִיא֙ וְרֵ֣עוֹתֶ֔יהָ וַתֵּ֥בְךְּ עַל־בְּתוּלֶ֖יהָ עַל־הֶהָרִֽים׃

English:

“Go,” he replied. He let her go for two months, and she and her companions went and bewailed her maidenhood upon the hills.

Jephthah granted her request, and she spent two months on the hills with her companions weeping over her virginity. Rashi notes the precise wording indicates she mourned her actual maidenhood — that she would never marry — rather than mourning with her maiden companions.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
וַתֵּבְךְּ עַל בְּתוּלֶיהָ. מִדְּלָא כְתִיב עַל בְּתוּלוֹתֶיהָ, מַשְׁמַע בְּתוּלִים מַמָּשׁ:
Wept over her maidenhood. Since it is not written "over her maidens," the inference is, over her actual maidenhood.

פסוק ל״ט · Verse 39

Hebrew:

וַיְהִ֞י מִקֵּ֣ץ ׀ שְׁנַ֣יִם חֳדָשִׁ֗ים וַתָּ֙שׇׁב֙ אֶל־אָבִ֔יהָ וַיַּ֣עַשׂ לָ֔הּ אֶת־נִדְר֖וֹ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָדָ֑ר וְהִיא֙ לֹא־יָדְעָ֣ה אִ֔ישׁ וַתְּהִי־חֹ֖ק בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

English:

After two months’ time, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. She had never known a man. So it became a custom in Israel

Jephthah fulfilled his vow upon his daughter, and she never knew a man. The commentators debate whether she was actually sacrificed (as the Talmud in Taanit 4a suggests) or devoted to a life of celibate seclusion in service of God (as Radak and Metzudat David prefer). Rashi notes that both Jephthah and Pinchas were punished for failing to seek annulment of the vow.
▶Commentaries (2)
רש״יRashi
וַתְּהִי חֹק. גָּזְרוּ שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם עוֹד כֵּן, שֶׁאִלּוּ הָלַךְ אֵצֶל פִּנְחָס, אוֹ הוּא בָּא אֶצְלוֹ, הָיָה מַתִּיר לוֹ נִדְרוֹ, עָמְדוּ בִּגְדֻלָּתָן, וּמִבֵּין שְׁנֵיהֶם אָבְדָה, וְנִפְרַע מֵהֶם, פִּנְחָס נִסְתַּלְּקָה שְׁכִינָה הֵימֶנּוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּדִבְרֵי הַיָּמִים (א ט:כ): לְפָנִים ה׳ עִמּוֹ, לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁבְּסוֹפוֹ אֵינוֹ עִמּוֹ, וְיִפְתָּח הוּכָּה בִּשְׁחִין וְנִפּוּל אֵבָרִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (לקמן יב:ז): וַיִּקָּבֵר בְּעָרֵי גִלְעָד. וְיֵשׁ עוֹד לִפְתֹּר: וַתְּהִי חֹק בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. מְחֻבָּר לְמִקְרָא שֶׁלְּאַחֲרָיו:
She became the subject of a law. Legislation was enacted prohibiting any repetition of this, for, had he approached Pinchos, or had Pinchos approached him, he would have released him from his vow.24By informing him that a human being cannot be designated as an offering. But they refused to humble themselves,25Pinchas, because it was Yiftoch who required his services; Yiftoch, because he was the supreme commander. (Yalkut, 68) and were, thus, both responsible for her ruin. They were punished. The Divine Presence departed from Pinchos, as it is said in Divrei Hayamim,26Divrei Hayamim 1, 9:20. "Adonoy was with him previously." We learn that he was not with him later. And Yiftoch was afflicted with ulcerations and the loss of his limbs, as it is said,27Below, 12:7. "He was buried in the cities of Gilod."28Individual limbs, like the entire body, require burial. The plural usage, “cities”, teaches that his burial took place in a number of cities—wherever his limbs fell. (Yalkut, ibid.) Another interpretation: "She became the subject of a law in Yisroel" relates to the following passage.29She was the subject of a law requiring the daughters of Yisroel to visit her yearly.
מצודת דודMetzudat David
ויעש לה וגו׳. הפרישה מבני אדם לשבת בודדה עוסקת בעבודת ה׳, ורבותינו זכרונם לברכה אמרו (תענית ד א) שנדר להקריב עולה את כל היוצא וכו׳, וכן עשה נדרו: והיא לא ידעה איש. רצה לומר, כאשר נדר, כן עשה, והיתה פרושה מאיש: ותהי חק בישראל. הוא מה שיאמר במקרא שלאחריו:
And he did to her [as he had vowed]. She separated from human company to live alone, busy with the worship of God. And our teachers of blessed memory have said (Ta'anit 4a) that he vowed to sacrifice as a burnt offering all that came out of his house, and so he performed his vow. And she had not known a man It wishes to say, as he had vowed, so she had done, and she had separated from men.

פסוק מ׳ · Verse 40

Hebrew:

מִיָּמִ֣ים ׀ יָמִ֗ימָה תֵּלַ֙כְנָה֙ בְּנ֣וֹת יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְתַנּ֕וֹת לְבַת־יִפְתָּ֖ח הַגִּלְעָדִ֑י אַרְבַּ֥עַת יָמִ֖ים בַּשָּׁנָֽה׃ {פ}

English:

for the maidensemaidens Lit. “daughters.” of Israel to go every year, for four days in the year, and chant dirges for the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.

A custom was established in Israel for the daughters of Israel to go annually for four days to lament with (or for) the daughter of Jephthah. Metzudat David explains they came to comfort her and alleviate her sorrow throughout her lifetime of seclusion.
▶Commentaries (1)
רש״יRashi
מִיָּמִים יָמִימָה תֵּלַכְנָה וְגוֹ׳. הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה קָבְעוּ עֲלֵיהֶם לְחֹק: לְתַנּוֹת. לְקוֹנֵן:
Journeyed annually. This was established as a law.30This follows Rashi’s second interpretation of v. 39. See fn.29. To grieve. To weep.

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