Judges 12:2

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

Jephthah said to them,“My people and I were in a struggle and the Ammonites were oppressing me greatly. I asked for your help, but you did not deliver me from their power.

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Judg 11:12-33 : 12 Jephthah Gives a History Lesson Jephthah sent messengers to the Ammonite king, saying,“Why have you come against me to attack my land?” 13 The Ammonite king said to Jephthah’s messengers,“Because Israel stole my land when they came up from Egypt– from the Arnon River in the south to the Jabbok River in the north, and as far west as the Jordan. Now return it peaceably!” 14 Jephthah sent messengers back to the Ammonite king 15 and said to him,“This is what Jephthah says,‘Israel did not steal the land of Moab and the land of the Ammonites. 16 When they left Egypt, Israel traveled through the desert as far as the Red Sea and then came to Kadesh. 17 Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying,“Please allow us to pass through your land.” But the king of Edom rejected the request. Israel sent the same request to the king of Moab, but he was unwilling to cooperate. So Israel stayed at Kadesh. 18 Then Israel went through the wilderness and bypassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab. They traveled east of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon River; they did not go through Moabite territory(the Arnon was Moab’s border). 19 Israel sent messengers to King Sihon, the Amorite king who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him,“Please allow us to pass through your land to our land.” 20 But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. He assembled his whole army, camped in Jahaz, and fought with Israel. 21 The LORD God of Israel handed Sihon and his whole army over to Israel and they defeated them. Israel took all the land of the Amorites who lived in that land. 22 They took all the Amorite territory from the Arnon River on the south to the Jabbok River on the north, from the desert in the east to the Jordan in the west. 23 Since the LORD God of Israel has driven out the Amorites before his people Israel, do you think you can just take it from them? 24 You have the right to take what Chemosh your god gives you, but we will take the land of all whom the LORD our God has driven out before us. 25 Are you really better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he dare to quarrel with Israel? Did he dare to fight with them? 26 Israel has been living in Heshbon and its nearby towns, in Aroer and its nearby towns, and in all the cities along the Arnon for three hundred years! Why did you not reclaim them during that time? 27 I have not done you wrong, but you are doing wrong by attacking me. May the LORD, the Judge, judge this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites!’” 28 But the Ammonite king disregarded the message sent by Jephthah. 29 A Foolish Vow Spells Death for a Daughter The LORD’s Spirit empowered Jephthah. He passed through Gilead and Manasseh and went to Mizpah in Gilead. From there he approached the Ammonites. 30 Jephthah made a vow to the LORD, saying,“If you really do hand the Ammonites over to me, 31 then whoever is the first to come through the doors of my house to meet me when I return safely from fighting the Ammonites– he will belong to the LORD and I will offer him up as a burnt sacrifice.” 32 Jephthah approached the Ammonites to fight with them, and the LORD handed them over to him. 33 He 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.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Judg 12:3-5
    3 verses
    90%

    3When I saw that you were not going to help, I risked my life and advanced against the Ammonites, and the LORD handed them over to me. Why have you come up to fight with me today?”

    4Jephthah assembled all the men of Gilead and they fought with Ephraim. The men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because the Ephraimites insulted them, saying,“You Gileadites are refugees in Ephraim, living within Ephraim’s and Manasseh’s territory.”

    5The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan River opposite Ephraim. Whenever an Ephraimite fugitive said,“Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead asked him,“Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said,“No,”

  • Judg 12:1
    85%

    1Civil Strife Mars the Victory The Ephraimites assembled and crossed over to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah,“Why did you go and fight with the Ammonites without asking us to go with you? We will burn your house down right over you!”

  • Judg 11:2-15
    14 verses
    82%

    2Gilead’s wife also gave him sons. When his wife’s sons grew up, they made Jephthah leave and said to him,“You are not going to inherit any of our father’s wealth, because you are another woman’s son.”

    3So Jephthah left his half-brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Lawless men joined Jephthah’s gang and traveled with him.

    4It was some time after this when the Ammonites fought with Israel.

    5When the Ammonites attacked, the leaders of Gilead asked Jephthah to come back from the land of Tob.

    6They said,“Come, be our commander, so we can fight with the Ammonites.”

    7Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead,“But you hated me and made me leave my father’s house. Why do you come to me now, when you are in trouble?”

    8The leaders of Gilead said to Jephthah,“That may be true, but now we pledge to you our loyalty. Come with us and fight with the Ammonites. Then you will become the leader of all who live in Gilead.”

    9Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead,“All right! If you take me back to fight with the Ammonites and the LORD gives them to me, I will be your leader.”

    10The leaders of Gilead said to Jephthah,“The LORD will judge any grievance you have against us, if we do not do as you say.”

    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.

    12Jephthah Gives a History Lesson Jephthah sent messengers to the Ammonite king, saying,“Why have you come against me to attack my land?”

    13The Ammonite king said to Jephthah’s messengers,“Because Israel stole my land when they came up from Egypt– from the Arnon River in the south to the Jabbok River in the north, and as far west as the Jordan. Now return it peaceably!”

    14Jephthah sent messengers back to the Ammonite king

    15and said to him,“This is what Jephthah says,‘Israel did not steal the land of Moab and the land of the Ammonites.

  • Judg 11:27-32
    6 verses
    82%

    27I have not done you wrong, but you are doing wrong by attacking me. May the LORD, the Judge, judge this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites!’”

    28But the Ammonite king disregarded the message sent by Jephthah.

    29A Foolish Vow Spells Death for a Daughter The LORD’s Spirit empowered Jephthah. He passed through Gilead and Manasseh and went to Mizpah in Gilead. From there he approached the Ammonites.

    30Jephthah made a vow to the LORD, saying,“If you really do hand the Ammonites over to me,

    31then whoever is the first to come through the doors of my house to meet me when I return safely from fighting the Ammonites– he will belong to the LORD and I will offer him up as a burnt sacrifice.”

    32Jephthah approached the Ammonites to fight with them, and the LORD handed them over to him.

  • Judg 10:11-13
    3 verses
    75%

    11The LORD said to the Israelites,“Did I not deliver you from Egypt, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines,

    12the Sidonians, Amalek, and Midian when they oppressed you? You cried out for help to me, and I delivered you from their power.

    13But since you abandoned me and worshiped other gods, I will not deliver you again.

  • Judg 8:1
    75%

    1The Ephraimites said to him,“Why have you done such a thing to us? You did not summon us when you went to fight the Midianites!” They argued vehemently with him.

  • 1 Sam 12:9-12
    4 verses
    74%

    9“But they forgot the LORD their God, so he gave them into the hand of Sisera, the general in command of Hazor’s army, and into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.

    10Then they cried out to the LORD and admitted,‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken the LORD and have served the Baals and the images of Ashtoreth. Now deliver us from the hand of our enemies so that we may serve you.’

    11So the LORD sent Jerub-Baal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel, and he delivered you from the hand of the enemies all around you, and you were able to live securely.

    12“When you saw that King Nahash of the Ammonites was advancing against you, you said to me,‘No! A king will rule over us’– even though the LORD your God is your king!

  • Judg 10:9
    74%

    9The Ammonites crossed the Jordan to fight with Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim. Israel suffered greatly.

  • Judg 11:35-36
    2 verses
    72%

    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.”

  • Judg 15:11-12
    2 verses
    72%

    11Three thousand men of Judah went down to the cave in the cliff of Etam and said to Samson,“Do you not know that the Philistines rule over us? Why have you done this to us?” He said to them,“I have only done to them what they have done to me.”

    12They said to him,“We have come down to take you prisoner so we can hand you over to the Philistines.” Samson said to them,“Promise me you will not kill me.”

  • Judg 10:17
    72%

    17An Outcast Becomes a General The Ammonites assembled and camped in Gilead; the Israelites gathered together and camped in Mizpah.

  • Judg 9:17
    71%

    17my father fought for you; he risked his life and delivered you from Midian’s power.

  • 2 Chr 20:10
    71%

    10Now the Ammonites, Moabites, and men from Mount Seir are coming! When Israel came from the land of Egypt, you did not allow them to invade these lands. They bypassed them and did not destroy them.

  • Ps 18:41
    71%

    41They cry out, but there is no one to help them; they cry out to the LORD, but he does not answer them.

  • Judg 7:2
    71%

    2The LORD said to Gideon,“You have too many men for me to hand Midian over to you. Israel might brag,‘Our own strength has delivered us.’

  • 2 Sam 22:42
    71%

    42They cry out, but there is no one to help them; they cry out to the LORD, but he does not answer them.

  • 1 Sam 11:1
    70%

    1Saul Comes to the Aid of Jabesh Nahash the Ammonite marched against Jabesh Gilead. All the men of Jabesh Gilead said to Nahash,“Make a treaty with us and we will serve you.”

  • Deut 1:42
    70%

    42But the LORD told me:“Tell them this:‘Do not go up and fight, because I will not be with you and you will be defeated by your enemies.’”

  • Josh 24:11
    70%

    11You crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The leaders of Jericho, as well as the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites, fought with you, but I handed them over to you.

  • Judg 12:7
    70%

    7Jephthah led Israel for six years; then he died and was buried in his city in Gilead.

  • 1 Sam 12:4
    70%

    4They replied,“You have not wronged us or oppressed us. You have not taken anything from the hand of anyone.”

  • 1 Chr 19:12
    70%

    12Joab said,“If the Arameans start to overpower me, you come to my rescue. If the Ammonites start to overpower you, I will come to your rescue.