Judges 11:34

Judges 11:34 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.
• New International Version (NIV)When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of timbrels! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah. And behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child; besides her he had neither son nor daughter.
• New King James Version (NKJV)When Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, there was his daughter, coming out to meet him with timbrels and dancing; and she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter.

Context of Judges 11:34

32Then Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight with them; and the Lord gave them into his hand. 33And from Aroer to the entrance of Minnith he struck them, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim (brook by the vineyard), with a very great defeat. So the Ammonites were subdued and humbled before the Israelites. Then Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, and this is what he saw: his daughter coming out to meet him with tambourines and with dancing. And she was his only child; except for her he had no son or daughter. 35And when he saw her, he tore his clothes [in grief] and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me great disaster, and you are the cause of ruin to me; for I have made a vow to the Lord, and I cannot take it back.” 36And she said to him, “My father, you have made a vow to the Lord; do to me as you have vowed, since the Lord has taken vengeance for you on your enemies, the Ammonites.”

Judges 11:34 word by word

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Jephthahיִפְתָּחyiphtâch · JephthahH3316
• cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• to Mizpehמִצְפָּהmitspâh · MizpahH4709
• unto his houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• and, behold, his daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
• came outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• to meetקִרְאָהqir'âh · befallH7125
• him with timbrelsתֹּףtôph · tambourineH8596
• and with dancesמְחוֹלָהmechôlâh · danceH4246
• only childיָחִידyâchîyd · onlyH3173
• beside her he had neither sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• norאוֹ'ô 'av · orH176

Cross-references for Judges 11:34

• Judges 11:11So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and leader over them. And Jephthah repeated everything that he had promised before the Lord at Mizpah.
• Judges 10:17Then the Ammonites were assembled together and they camped in Gilead. And the sons of Israel assembled and camped at Mizpah.
• Judges 5:1Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying,
• Exodus 15:20Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron [and Moses], took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her with timbrels and dancing.
• 1 Samuel 18:6As they were coming [home], when David returned from killing the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul with tambourines, [songs of] joy, and musical instruments.
• Psalms 68:25The singers go in front, the players of instruments last; Between them the maidens playing on tambourines.
• Psalms 148:11Kings of the earth and all people; Princes and all judges of the earth;
• Psalms 150:4Praise Him with tambourine and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flute.
• Jeremiah 31:4Again I will build you and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel! You will again be adorned with your tambourines and timbrels And go out to the dances of those who celebrate.
• Zechariah 12:10“I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace (unmerited favor) and supplication. And they will look at Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him as one who weeps bitterly over a firstborn.
• Luke 7:12Now as He approached the city gate, a dead man was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her [in the funeral procession].
• Luke 8:42for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. But as Jesus went, the people were crowding against Him [almost crushing Him].
• Luke 9:38And a man from the crowd shouted for help, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, because he is my only child;

Commentaries on Judges 11:34

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 34With timbrels and with dances - From this instance we find it was an ancient custom for women to go out to meet returning conquerors with musical instruments, songs, and dances; and that it was continued afterwards is evident from the instance given 1 Samuel 18:6, where David was met, on his return from the defeat of Goliath and the Philistines, by women from all the cities of Israel, with singing and dancing, and various instruments of music.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 34His daughter came out to meet him - The precise phrase of his vow Judges 11:31. She was his “only child,” a term of special endearment (see Jeremiah 6:26; Zechariah 12:10). The same word is used of Isaac Genesis 22:2, Genesis 22:12, Genesis 22:16.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 29-40Verses 29-40 Several important lessons are to be learned from Jephthah's vow. 1. There may be remainders of distrust and doubting, even in the hearts of true and great believers. 2. Our vows to God should not be as a purchase of the favour we desire, but to express gratitude to him. 3. We need to be very well-advised in making vows, lest we entangle ourselves. 4. What we have solemnly vowed to God, we must perform, if it be possible and lawful, though it…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 34-4034-40. Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances--The return of the victors was hailed, as usual, by the joyous acclaim of a female band (1Sa 18:6), the leader of whom was Jephthah's daughter. The vow was full in his mind, and it is evident that it had not been communicated to anyone, otherwise precautions would doubtless have been taken to place another object at his door. The…Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 11:34

• Consecration
• Dancing
• Jephthah
• Joy
• Music
• Rashness
• Timbrel
• Vows
• Women
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Jephthah
• Dance
• Fight
• Inherit
• Meet
• Mizpah
• Timbrel
• Abdon (1)
• Father
• Gad (1)

Commentaries on Judges 11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary