KJV ORIGINAL
Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
So Jephthah ran away from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. There, worthless men gathered around Jephthah and followed him wherever he went.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
The writer is showing how Jephthah, rejected by his family, became the leader of a group of outcasts and troublemakers.
📚 Historical Context
This takes place during the period of the Judges (around 1100 BC) when Israel had no king and various leaders arose to deliver them from oppression. Jephthah was the illegitimate son of Gilead, cast out by his half-brothers who didn't want to share their inheritance with him. The land of Tob was likely a region east of the Jordan River where social outcasts often gathered.
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