Judges 11:40 Made Simple

KJV ORIGINAL

That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.

Close to the original. Clear modern English.

✦ MADE SIMPLE

Every year, the young women of Israel would go out for four days to mourn and remember the daughter of Jephthah from Gilead.

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

This verse describes how the women of Israel established an annual tradition to honor and grieve for Jephthah's daughter who died because of her father's vow.

📚 Historical Context

In the Book of Judges, Jephthah was a warrior leader in ancient Israel who made a hasty vow to God before going into battle against the Ammonites, promising to sacrifice the first thing that came out of his house if he won. Tragically, his only daughter emerged first to greet him, leading to her untimely death as he felt bound by his oath. As a result, the Israelite women established an annual custom of mourning her for four days each year to remember this sorrowful event.

Explore Similar Verses

Judges 11:34

When Jephthah returned home to Mizpeh, his daughter came out to celebrate with him, playing tambourines and dancing. She was his only child, he had no other sons or daughters.

Judges 11:39

After two months had passed, she returned to her father, who carried out the vow he had made. She never married or had relations with a man. This became a tradition in Israel,

Judges 11:36

And she said to him, 'My father, if you have made a promise to the LORD, do to me exactly what you said you would do, since the LORD has given you victory over your enemies, the people of Ammon.'

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