Original Word: יִפְתָּח
Part of Speech: proper name; masculine; location
Transliteration: Yiphtach
Pronunciation: yif-takh'
Phonetic Spelling: (yif-tawkh')
KJV: Jephthah, Jiphtah
NASB: Jephthah, Iphtah
Word Origin: [from H6605 (פָּתַח - To open)]

1. he will open
2. Jiphtach, an Israelite
3. also a place in Israel

Jephthah, Jiphtah

From pathach; he will open; Jiphtach, an Israelite; also a place in Palestine -- Jephthah, Jiphtah.

see HEBREW pathach

Word Origin
from pathach
Definition
"He opens," a Gileadite, also a city of Judah
NASB Translation
Iphtah (1), Jephthah (29).

יִפְתָּח proper name

1. masculine Jephthah, Ιεφθαε (he [God] openeth); — Judges 11:1 (twice in verse) + 26 t. 11, 12, 1 Samuel 12:11.

2. location in the שְׁפֵלָה Joshua 15:43 (P), A ᵐ5^L ιεφθα.

Historical Setting

Jephthah lived in the turbulent era of the Judges, when “there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). His public ministry centers on the east side of the Jordan, among the Trans-Jordan tribes, during the Ammonite oppression that followed Israel’s relapse into idolatry (Judges 10:6-9).

Family Background and Early Life

Jephthah was “a mighty warrior,” yet the son of a prostitute. His father was Gilead, a prominent man of the tribe of Manasseh settled in the land also called Gilead. Driven out by his half-brothers so that he might not share in the inheritance (Judges 11:1-3), Jephthah relocated to Tob, a district northeast of Gilead. There, discontented men gathered around him, honing his skills as both leader and fighter.

Rise to Leadership

When the Ammonites attacked, the elders of Gilead sought Jephthah’s help: “Come, be our commander, so that we may fight the Ammonites” (Judges 11:6). After securing their promise that he would become head over all Gilead (Judges 11:9-11), Jephthah was installed as ruler before the LORD at Mizpah. His first act was diplomacy—he sent messengers who rehearsed Israel’s divinely guided history and lawful occupation of the land (Judges 11:12-27). The Ammonite king refused, setting the stage for battle.

Deliverance from the Ammonites

“Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah” (Judges 11:29). Empowered by God, he routed Ammon from Aroer to Abel-keramim, securing a decisive deliverance for Israel (Judges 11:32-33). Scripture credits the victory directly to God’s enabling, affirming Jephthah’s role as an instrument of divine salvation.

The Controversial Vow

Before battle, Jephthah vowed:

“If You will give the Ammonites into my hand, then whatever comes out of the doors of my house to greet me on my return in triumph from the Ammonites will belong to the LORD, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering” (Judges 11:30-31).

His only child—his daughter—was first to greet him (Judges 11:34). After two months of mourning her virginity with her companions, she returned, and “he did to her as he had vowed” (Judges 11:39). The text emphasizes her perpetual virginity, leaving open whether she was literally sacrificed or devoted to lifelong service akin to that of Samuel later in Shiloh. Either way, the account underscores the gravity of vows and the danger of rash speech (Ecclesiastes 5:2-6).

Conflict with Ephraim

Ephraim felt slighted for not being summoned earlier to fight Ammon. Crossing the Jordan to quarrel, they labeled the Gileadites fugitives (Judges 12:1-4). The dispute escalated into civil war. Jephthah’s forces seized the fords of the Jordan and used the pronunciation test “Shibboleth” versus “Sibboleth” to identify Ephraimites, killing forty-two thousand (Judges 12:5-6). The incident lays bare the fracture among tribes and the deadly potential of pride.

Legacy and Death

Jephthah judged Israel six years (Judges 12:7). He was buried in one of the towns of Gilead. His short judgeship, bracketed by a great deliverance and internal strife, highlights both his military prowess and the costliness of spiritual and social ambiguity in Israel.

Jephthah in Later Scripture

• In 1 Samuel 12:11, the prophet Samuel lists Jephthah among Israel’s God-given deliverers.
• Hebrews 11:32 groups him with Gideon, Barak, Samson, and David—men “who through faith conquered kingdoms,” affirming his genuine faith despite imperfections.
• Psalm 78:60-72 and Hosea 9:17 imply the recurring issue of tribal fragmentation that Jephthah both confronted and embodied.

Theological Themes and Lessons

1. Divine grace over personal stigma: Though rejected for his birth, Jephthah becomes God’s chosen deliverer, reflecting the LORD’s freedom to exalt the humble (1 Samuel 2:7-8).
2. The seriousness of vows: Scripture never lightens Jephthah’s rash promise (compare Deuteronomy 23:21-23; Matthew 5:33-37). His account warns believers to let “Yes” be “Yes.”
3. The ministry of the Spirit: Jephthah’s effectiveness springs from the Spirit of the LORD, illustrating that true power in service comes from God, not natural talent alone.
4. The peril of tribal jealousy: The Ephraimite conflict foreshadows later divisions that would split the kingdom. Unity under God’s rule is essential for covenant blessing.
5. Faith that acts: Hebrews recognizes Jephthah because, when confronted with national crisis, he believed God would give victory and stepped forward. Saving faith manifests in courageous obedience.

Key References

Judges 11:1–40; Judges 12:1–7; 1 Samuel 12:11; Hebrews 11:32

וְיִפְתָּ֣ח וְיִפְתָּ֥ח ויפתח יִפְתָּ֑ח יִפְתָּ֔ח יִפְתָּ֖ח יִפְתָּ֗ח יִפְתָּ֛ח יִפְתָּ֜ח יִפְתָּ֣ח יִפְתָּ֥ח יִפְתָּ֧ח יִפְתָּֽח׃ יִפְתָּח֙ יפתח יפתח׃ לְיִפְתָּ֔ח לְיִפְתָּ֜ח ליפתח lə·yip̄·tāḥ leyifTach ləyip̄tāḥ veyifTach wə·yip̄·tāḥ wəyip̄tāḥ yifTach yip̄·tāḥ yip̄tāḥInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts