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

32Jephthah approached the Ammonites to fight with them, and the Lord handed them over to him. 33He defeated them from Aroer all the way to Minnith – twenty cities in all, even as far as Abel Keramim! He wiped them out! The Israelites humiliated the Ammonites. When Jephthah came home to Mizpah, there was his daughter hurrying out to meet him, dancing to the rhythm of tambourines. She was his only child; except for her he had no son or daughter. 35When he saw her, he ripped his clothes and said, “Oh no! My daughter! You have completely ruined me! You have brought me disaster! I made an oath to the Lord, and I cannot break it.” 36She said to him, “My father, since you made an oath to the Lord, do to me as you promised. After all, the Lord vindicated you before 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 leaders of Gilead. The people made him their leader and commander. Jephthah repeated the terms of the agreement before the Lord in Mizpah.
• Judges 10:17The Ammonites assembled and camped in Gilead; the Israelites gathered together and camped in Mizpah.
• Judges 5:1On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this victory song:
• Exodus 15:20Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a hand-drum in her hand, and all the women went out after her with hand-drums and with dances.
• 1 Samuel 18:6When the men arrived after David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women from all the cities of Israel came out singing and dancing to meet King Saul. They were happy as they played their tambourines and three-stringed instruments.
• Psalms 68:25Singers walk in front; musicians follow playing their stringed instruments, in the midst of young women playing tambourines.
• Psalms 148:11you kings of the earth and all you nations, you princes and all you leaders on the earth,
• Psalms 150:4Praise him with the tambourine and with dancing! Praise him with stringed instruments and the flute!
• Jeremiah 31:4I will rebuild you, my dear children Israel, so that you will once again be built up. Once again you will take up the tambourine and join in the happy throng of dancers.
• Zechariah 12:10“I will pour out on the kingship of David and the population of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication so that they will look to me, the one they have pierced. They will lament for him as one laments for an only son, and there will be a bitter cry for him like the bitter cry for a firstborn.
• Luke 7:12As he approached the town gate, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother (who was a widow), and a large crowd from the town was with her.
• Luke 8:42because he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. As Jesus was on his way, the crowds pressed around him.
• Luke 9:38Then a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son – 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