Judges 11:11

"The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The LORD will be witness between us. Surely we will do what you say.”"

Key Reflection

The elders of Gilead appealed to Jephthah with a promise that their agreement was binding, invoking the witness of the LORD as a sacred guarantee. This reflects a common ancient Near Eastern practice where formal agreements were sealed by a divine oath, emphasizing the seriousness and solemnity of their pledge to honor Jephthah's terms.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Jephthah uttered all his words before the Lord in Mizpeh -This phrase designates the presence of the tabernacle, or the ark, or of the high priest with Urim and ThummimJudges 20:26;Judges 21:2;Jos 18:8;1 Samuel 21:7. The high priest waited upon Jephthah with the ephod, and possibly the ark, at his own house (seeJudges 20:18here). A trace of Jephthah’s claim to unite all Israel under his dominion is found inJudges 12:2, and breathes through his whole message to the king of the Ammonites. SeeJudges 11:12,Judges 11:15,Judges 11:23,Judges 11:27.

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