Judges 11:40

Judges 11:40 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.
• New International Version (NIV)that each year the young women of Israel go out for four days to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.
• English Standard Version (ESV)that the daughters of Israel went year by year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year.
• New King James Version (NKJV)that the daughters of Israel went four days each year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.

Context of Judges 11:40

38He said, “You may go.” He permitted her to leave for two months. She went with her friends and mourned her virginity as she walked through the hills. 39After two months she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. She died a virgin. Her tragic death gave rise to a custom in Israel. Every year Israelite women commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for four days.

Judges 11:40 word by word

מִיָּמִ֣ים׀ יָמִ֗ימָה תֵּלַ֙כְנָה֙ בְּנ֣וֹת יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְתַנּ֕וֹת לְבַת־יִפְתָּ֖ח הַגִּלְעָדִ֑י אַרְבַּ֥עַת יָמִ֖ים בַּשָּׁנָֽה׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• the daughtersבַּתbath · daughterH1323
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• wentיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• yearlyיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• to lamentתָּנָהtânâh · to recountH8567
• of Jephthahיִפְתָּחyiphtâch · JephthahH3316
• the Gileaditeגִּלְעָדִיgil‛âdîy · GileaditeH1569
• fourאַרְבַּע'arba‛ 'arbâ‛âh · fourH702
• in a yearשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141

Cross-references for Judges 11:40

• Judges 5:11Hear the sound of those who divide the sheep among the watering places; there they tell of the Lord’s victorious deeds, the victorious deeds of his warriors in Israel. Then the Lord’s people went down to the city gates –
• 1 Kings 9:25Three times a year Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar he had built for the Lord, burning incense along with them before the Lord. He made the temple his official worship place.

Commentaries on Judges 11:40

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 40To lament the daughter of Jephthah - I am satisfied that this is not a correct translation of the original יפתח לבת לתנות lethannoth lebath yiphtach . Houbigant translates the whole verse thus: Sed iste mos apud Israel invaluit, ut virgines Israel, temporibus diversis, irent ad filiam Jepthe-ut eam quotannis dies quatuor consolarentur; "But this custom prevailed in Israel that the virgins of Israel went at different times, four days in the year, to the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 40There is no allusion extant elsewhere to this annual lamentation of the untimely fate of Jephthah‘s daughter. But the poetical turn of the narrative suggests that it may be taken from some ancient song (compare the marginal note 4).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 11:40

• Consecration
• Jephthah
• Vows

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Jephthah
• Gilead, Gileadite
• Fight
• Inherit
• Meet
• Abdon (1)
• Four
• God
• Israel, History of

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