What Does Judges 11:29 Mean?

(29) **The Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah.**—A weaker expression is used than that which is applied to Gideon in Judges 6:34. It implies, as R. Tanchum rightly says, that he was endowed with the courage and wisdom without which success would have been impossible. The phrase no more involves a complete inspiration of Jephthah than it does in the case of Samson; nor is it meant to imply the least approval of many of his subsequent actions. It furnished the power which he needed to work out the deliverance—and that only. To hold up characters like Jephthah and Samson as religious examples, *except *(as is done in Hebrews 11:32) in the one special characteristic of faith displayed at memorable crises, is to sacrifice the whole spirit of Scripture to the mis-interpretation of a phrase. (29) **He passed over Gilead and Manasseh.**—Rather, *he went through *(Vulg., *circuiens*)*. *His object clearly was to collect levies and rouse the tribes—“He swept through the land from end to end to kindle the torch of war and raise the population” (Ewald). **Passed over Mizpeh.**—Perhaps, as in the next clause, *to Mizpeh.* **Passed over unto the children of Ammon.**—*i.e., *went to attack them.