42 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon,.... Which was his royal city, where he had his palace, and kept his court, and is therefore particularly mentioned; and the rather, because he had taken it from the Moabites, and was part of that land now in dispute; and this Sihon was not only in possession of, when...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through, his coast,.... For fear they should seize upon his dominions, and retain them; and the more fearful he might be, as he knew that his people were one of the seven nations of the Canaanites, whose land they were going to possess, and whom they were to destroy: but Sihon gathered all his people together;...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the Lord God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel,.... So that as Sihon, his people, and his country, fell into the hands of Israel through the victory the Lord gave them over him, they had a divine right to the land now in dispute: and they smote them: destroyed him and all his people, as they were ordered to...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites,.... Peaceably and quietly, nor did any pretend to call their right in question, or dispute their title, or give them any disturbance: from Arnon unto Jabbok: which was the length of the country, and the direction was from south to north, and reached from the river Arnon, the border of Moab, to the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
So now the Lord God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel,.... It is his doing, and not the work of the Israelites; it is he that dispossessed the Amorites, and put the Israelites into the possession of their land, and therefore they enjoy it by a good tenure: and shouldest thou possess it? what through the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess?.... Chemosh was the idol of the Moabites, see Numbers 21:29, which has led some to think, that the present king of Ammon was also king of Moab, and who insisted on that part of the country, which formerly belonged to Moab, to be delivered to him, as well as that which had...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And now art thou anything better than Balak the son of Zippor king of Moab?.... This argument seems to strengthen the conjecture, that this king was king of Moab at this time, and so Balak was one of his predecessors. Now he is asked, whether he thought he was a wiser and more knowing prince than he, as to what was his right and due; or whether he...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns,.... This was the principal city, which formerly belonged to the Moabites, and was taken from them by Sihon; who being conquered by Israel, it fell into their hands, and they inhabited it, and the towns adjacent to it, from that time to the present; see Numbers 21:25 and in Aroer and her towns; another...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Wherefore I have not sinned against thee,.... Had done him no injury, not wronged him of anything, nor had taken away any part of his country from him; this Jephthah said in the name of all Israel, of whom he was governor: but thou doest me wrong to war against me; meaning that he had no just cause to commence a war against Israel, but acted an...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Howbeit, the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him. He attended not to the arguments Jephthah made use of, and did not choose to seem at least to be convinced by them, nor to regard the awful appeal he had made to the great Jehovah.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah,.... The spirit of strength, as the Targum; of fortitude of mind, of uncommon valour and courage, and of zeal for God and Israel, and against their enemies; such a spirit as used to be given to men, when they were in an extraordinary manner raised up by the Lord, to be judges, saviours, and deliverers...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord,.... Before he set out for the land of the children of Ammon, and to fight with them; hoping that such a religious disposition of mind would be regarded by the Lord, and be acceptable to him, and he should be blessed with success in his enterprise: and said, if thou shall without fail deliver the children of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me,.... If this phrase, "to meet me", is meant intentionally, then no other than an human creature can be meant; a child, or servant, or any other of mankind; for none else could come forth with a design to meet him: but if this is to be understood eventually, of what...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon, to fight against them,.... As in Judges 11:29, after he had made the above vow: and the Lord delivered them into his hands; when both armies met and engaged, victory was on the side of Jephthah; the Lord being with him, and giving him success, to where all is justly ascribed.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he smote them from Aroer,.... A city which lay near the river Arnon, on the borders of Moab, Deuteronomy 3:12 even till thou come to Minnith; which seems to have been a place famous for wheat, Ezekiel 27:17 so David de Pomis (a) says it was a place where the best wheat grew. Jerom says (b) in his time was shown a village called Mannith, four...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house,.... Where he had uttered his words before the Lord, which had passed between him and the elders of Gilead, and from whence he set out to fight the children of Ammon, and whither he returned after he had got the victory over them, Judges 11:11 and where it seems he had a house, and his family dwelt; for...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And it came to pass, when he saw her,.... She being the first person that presented to his view, as she was at the head of the virgins with their timbrels and dances: that he rent his clothes; as was the usual manner, when anything calamitous and distressing happened; see Genesis 37:34 and said, alas, my daughter, thou hast brought me very low;...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And she said unto him, my father, [if] thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord,.... The conditional word "if" may be left out, as it is not in the original text; for her father had told her that he had opened his mouth, or made a vow to the Lord, and had no doubt explained it to her what it was, though it is not expressed; she knew it respected...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And she said unto her father, let this thing be done for me,.... She had but one favour to ask of him, which she thought might be granted, without any breach of the vow: let me alone two months she desired such a space of time might be allowed her before the vow took place; and the rather she might be encouraged to expect that her request would be...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he said, go,.... He granted her request at once: and he sent her away for two months; as she desired: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains; for the space of two months: the Jewish commentators make mention of an allegorical exposition of a writer (i) of theirs, who by mountains understands the...