Judges 11:35

Judges 11:35 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back.
• New International Version (NIV)When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, “Oh no, my daughter! You have brought me down and I am devastated. I have made a vow to the Lord that I cannot break.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And as soon as he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, "Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you have become the cause of great trouble to me. For I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot take back my vow."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low! You are among those who trouble me! For I have given my word to the Lord, and I cannot go back on it.”

Context of Judges 11:35

33He inflicted a very great defeat on them from Aroer to the entrance of Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim. So the sons of Ammon were subdued before the sons of Israel. 34But Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, and behold, his daughter was coming out to meet him with tambourines and with dancing. And she was his one and only child; besides her he had no son or daughter. So when he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Oh, my daughter! You have brought me disaster, and you are among those who trouble me; for I have given my word to the Lord, and I cannot take it back.” 36So she said to him, “My father, you have given your word to the Lord; do to me just as you have said, since the Lord has brought you vengeance on your enemies, the sons of Ammon.” 37And she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me; allow me two months, so that I may go to the mountains and weep because of my virginity, I and my friends.”

Judges 11:35 word by word

וַיְהִי֩ כִרְאוֹת֨וֹ אוֹתָ֜הּ וַיִּקְרַ֣ע אֶת־בְּגָדָ֗יו וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֲהָ֤הּ בִּתִּי֙ הַכְרֵ֣עַ הִכְרַעְתִּ֔נִי וְאַ֖תְּ הָיִ֣יתְ בְּעֹֽכְרָ֑י וְאָנֹכִ֗י פָּצִ֤יתִי־פִי֙ אֶל־יְהוָ֔ה וְלֹ֥א אוּכַ֖ל לָשֽׁוּב׃Read the interlinear

• So when he sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• her, he toreקָרַעqâra‛ · to tearH7167
• his clothesבֶּ֫גֶדbeged · garmentH899
• and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Ohאֲהָהּ'ăhâhh · alas!H162
• my daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
• You have broughtכָּרַעkâra‛ · to bowH3766
• and you are among those who troubleעָכַר‛âkar · to troubleH5916
• givenפָּצָהpâtsâh · to openH6475
• my wordפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
• to the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• I cannotיָכֹלyâkôl yâkôl · be ableH3201
• I cannotלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
• takeשׁוּבshûb · to return: turn backH7725
• backשׁוּבshûb · to return: turn backH7725

Cross-references for Judges 11:35

• Genesis 37:29Now Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; so he tore his garments.
• Genesis 42:36And their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons: Joseph is gone, and Simeon is gone, and now you would take Benjamin; all these things are against me.”
• 2 Samuel 13:30Now it was while they were on the way that the report came to David, saying, “Absalom has struck and killed all the king’s sons, and not one of them is left.”
• 2 Samuel 18:33Then the king trembled and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And this is what he said as he walked: “My son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!”
• Job 1:20Then Job got up, tore his robe, and shaved his head; then he fell to the ground and worshiped.
• Leviticus 27:28‘Nevertheless, anything which someone sets apart to the Lord for destruction out of all that he has, of man or animal or of the field of his own property, shall not be sold nor redeemed. Anything set apart for destruction is most holy to the Lord.
• Numbers 30:2If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or takes an oath to put himself under a binding obligation, he shall not break his word; he shall act in accordance with everything that comes out of his mouth.
• Psalms 15:4A despicable person is despised in his eyes, But he honors those who fear the Lord; He takes an oath to his own detriment, and does not change;
• Ecclesiastes 5:2Do not be quick with your mouth or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few.
• Judges 21:1Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, “None of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin in marriage.”
• 1 Samuel 14:44And Saul said, “May God do the same to me and more also, for you shall certainly die, Jonathan!”
• Matthew 14:7so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked.
• Acts 23:14They came to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have put ourselves under an oath to taste nothing until we have killed Paul.

Commentaries on Judges 11:35

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 35Thou hast brought me very low - He was greatly distressed to think that his daughter, who was his only child, should be, in consequence of his vow, prevented from continuing his family in Israel; for it is evident that he had not any other child, for besides her, says the text, he had neither son nor daughter, Judges 11:34. He might, therefore, well be grieved that thus his family was to become extinct in Israel.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 35Jephthah was right in not being deterred from keeping his vow by the loss and sorrow to himself (compare the marginal references), just as Abraham was right in not withholding his son, his only son, from God, when commanded to offer him up as a burnt-offering. But Jephthah was wholly wrong in that conception of the character of God which led to his making the rash vow. And he would have done right not to slay his child, though the guilt of making and of…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
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 35Jephthah made a hasty promise and then blamed his daughter for the outcome. He did not consider the guidance of Scripture. Vows were usually unbreakable (Numbers 30:2), but the Old Testament allows exceptions for unwise vows (Numbers 30:6–8). Since the law forbade human sacrifice, he could have offered a substitute (Leviticus 27:1–8). Jephthah likely did not know these laws, possibly due to his upbringing far from Israel's main centers.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 11:35

• Consecration
• Jephthah
• Mourning
• Rashness
• Rending
• Vows
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Dress
• Fight
• Inherit
• Meet
• Abdon (1)
• Achan
• God
• Israel, History of
• Israel, Religion of
• Jephthah

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