And Gilead’s wife bare him sons; and his wife’s sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father’s house; for thou art the son of a strange woman.
Gilead's wife gave birth to sons for him. When his wife's sons grew up, they drove Jephthah away and told him, 'You will not receive any inheritance in our father's house, because you are the son of another woman.'
The writer is showing how Jephthah was rejected and cast out by his half-brothers because his mother wasn't their father's official wife.
📚 Historical Context
In ancient Israel, inheritance laws typically favored the sons of a man's official wife over children born to concubines or other women. Jephthah was likely born to a prostitute or concubine, making him illegitimate in the eyes of society and his half-brothers. This rejection would later become significant when these same people would desperately need Jephthah's military leadership.
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