Tag Archives: Judges 11:36

Apostles and Prophets, Part 3

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Lori Eldridge’s[1] argument “Why there are no Apostles today”[2] continued:

The apostles claimed to be eyewitnesses:    

Acts 5:32, Peter and the other apostles stated, “We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Therefore, ALLLLLLL the apostles were eye witnesses to Christ and his Resurrection.

On the surface of it the structure of the sentence in Acts 5:32—we are…and so is—doesn’t sound like the kind of exclusive claim Ms. Eldridge wants to make of it.  But I want to address something else first; namely, the Holy Spirit whom God has given (ἔδωκεν, a form of δίδωμι) to those who obey him.”[3]  The note in the NET reads:  “Those who obey.  The implication, of course, is that the leadership is disobeying God.”  What I object to is the implication that the Holy Spirit has been given as a result of human “obedience.”  And I don’t think Peter was at fault here.

The Greek word translated obey (πειθαρχοῦσιν, a form of πειθαρχέω) is a combination of πείθω:

A primary verb; to convince (by argument, true or false); by analogy to pacify or conciliate (by other fair means); reflexively or passively to assent (to evidence or authority), to rely (by inward certainty)

NET: 1) persuade 1a) to persuade, i.e. to induce one by words to believe 1b) to make friends of, to win one’s favour, gain one’s good will, or to seek to win one, strive to please one 1c) to tranquillise 1d) to persuade unto i.e. move or induce one to persuasion to do something 2) be persuaded 2a) to be persuaded, to suffer one’s self to be persuaded; to be induced to believe: to have faith: in a thing 2a1) to believe 2a2) to be persuaded of a thing concerning a person 2b) to listen to, obey, yield to, comply with 3) to trust, have confidence, be confident

and ἄρχω:

A primary verb; to be first (in political rank or power)

NET: 1) to be chief, to lead, to rule.

It is a reference back to Peter’s response to the council and the high priest[4]: We must obey (πειθαρχεῖν, another form of πειθαρχέω) God rather than people.[5]  And he said this as he refused to heed or be persuaded by the highest religious authority in Israel: We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name.[6]  Had πειθαρχεῖν δεῖ θεῷ been translated “we must trust God as leader” and πειθαρχοῦσιν αὐτῷ as “trust him as leader” we would have a better translation of Peter’s point without inducing him to propound a false concept.  And the Holy Spirit would be seen as the cause of human obedience rather than a reward for good behavior.

The structure of Ms. Eldridge’s argument is: The apostles claimed to be eyewitnesses in Acts 5:32, therefore all the apostles were eye witnesses to Christ and his Resurrection (and none other than eye witnesses can be apostles).  This argument depends on equating eyewitnesses (αὐτόπται, a form of αὐτόπτης) with witnesses (μάρτυρες, a form of μάρτυς) of these things (ρημάτων, a form of ῥῆμα; NET events).  These things (NIV) or events (NET) are specified: The God of our forefathers raised up Jesus, whom you seized and killed by hanging him on a tree.  God exalted him to his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.[7]

Admittedly, translating ρημάτων as things or events makes the relationship to αὐτόπται seem strong, and makes μάρτυρες seem exclusive to that generation.  You killed the Originator (ἀρχηγὸν, a form of ἀρχηγός) of life, Peter said elsewhere, whom God raised (ἤγειρεν, a form of ἐγείρω) from the dead.  To this fact (οὗ, a form of ὅς) we are witnesses (μάρτυρες, a form of μάρτυς)![8]  The apostles saw Jesus seized and killed by hanging him on a tree.  If Peter meant raised from the dead by The God of our forefathers raised up Jesus, the apostles certainly saw Jesus after his resurrection.    But if he meant God exalted him to his right hand as Leader  and Savior, was that something they saw with their eyes (Hebrews 2:6b-9 NET)?

“What is man that you think of him or the son of man that you care for him?  You made him lower than the angels for a little while.  You crowned him with glory and honor.  You put all things under his control.”  For when he put all things under his control, he left nothing outside of his control.  At present we do not yet see (ὁρῶμεν, a form of ὁράω) all things under his control, but we see (βλέπομεν, a form of βλέπω) Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by God’s grace he would experience death on behalf of everyone.

I don’t think we are meant to take we see Jesus as proof that the letter to the Hebrews was penned before Jesus’ ascension.  The apostles did see Jesus taken up[9] (ἀνελήμφθη, a form of ἀναλαμβάνω) into the sky: while they were watching (βλεπόντων, another form of βλέπω), he was lifted up (ἐπήρθη, a form of ἐπαίρω) and a cloud hid him from their sight[10] (ὀφθαλμῶν, a form of ὀφθαλμός) But only Stephen, as he was stoned to death, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently (ἀτενίσας, a form of ἀτενίζω) toward heaven (οὐρανὸν, a form of οὐρανός) and saw (εἶδεν, a form of εἴδω) the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.[11]  The others must have “seen” this in some other way, similar perhaps to the way they “saw” Jesus give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

Actually, the word (ρημάτων, a form of ῥῆμα) translated things or events in Acts 5:32 was translated words in: Then the women remembered his words[12] (ρημάτων), and If anyone hears my words (ρημάτων) and does not obey them, I do not judge him.[13]  Had Acts 5:32 been translated—And we are witnesses of these words—it would have been more obvious that the apostles became witnesses by believing what they heard rather than seeing with their eyes.  I could quote many instances of forms of ῥῆμα translated as word or words.  It will be more efficient to look into those which were translated differently.

But if he does not listen, take one or two others with you, so that at the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter (ρῆμα, another form of ῥῆμα) may be established.[14]  (This is the third time I am coming to visit you.  By the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter (ρῆμα, another form of ῥῆμα) will be established.[15])  The differences in the various translations prompts the question: What is being established (NET, DNT, NIV, ASV, KJV, NKJV, YLT, NAB), stood upon (DNT, YLT), clarified (TMSG), confirmed (ISVNT), verified (ISVNT, GWT), attested (MSNT), sustained (MSNT), proved true (CEV), upheld (TEV)?  Is it the word (ρῆμα) of the witnesses (μαρτύρων)?  Or is it the brother’s sin?[16]  Or is it both?

A single witness (Septuagint: μάρτυς) may not testify (Septuagint: μαρτυρῆσαι[17]) against another person for any trespass or sin that he commits.  A matter (Hebrew: dâbâr; Septuagint: ῥῆμα) may be legally established only on the testimony of two or three witnesses.[18]  In the context of the original verse Jesus’ quoted, it is fairly clear that the word of the witnesses was being legally established.  The words dâbâr or ῥῆμα might have been translated accusation, but I see no credible reason to translate them matter until I look at the larger context and its implications (Deuteronomy 19:16-19a NET).

If a false witness testifies against another person and accuses him of a crime [Table], then both parties to the controversy must stand before the Lord, that is, before the priests and judges who will be in office in those days [Table].  The judges will thoroughly investigate the matter, and if the witness should prove to be false and to have given false testimony against the accused [Table], you must do to him what he had intended to do to the accused [Table].

Those who malign the Lord (as I have done) for the law’s death penalty for very human offenses never mention this little gem.  The gossip who sees a man sneaking out of the widow’s house in the middle of the night must consider her own jeopardy before accusing them of a capital offense.  And as I begin to argue in my own mind that gossips would never be punished as severely as adulterers, I hear the law addressed directly to judges who would practice such injustice (Deuteronomy 19:19b-21 NET).

In this way you will purge evil from among you [Table].  The rest of the people will hear and become afraid to keep doing such evil [i.e., gossiping, becoming a false witness] among you [Table].  You must not show pity; the principle will be a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, and a foot for a foot [Table].

The judges had no discretion regarding the sentencing of false witnesses.  It truly is a beautiful law.  Deuteronomy 19:15-21 all but guarantees (as much as any law weakened through the flesh[19] can “guarantee” anything pertaining to human behavior) that only the most flagrant and egregious sins would ever come up for adjudication.  But none of this justifies the translation of dâbâr/ῥῆμα as matter in my mind until I ask, what triggers the investigation of the false witness?

I assume it is the same thing that triggers the procedural acceleration in Mathew 18:16, But if he does not listen (ἀκούσῃ, a form of ἀκούω).  If the accused hears the word of the witnesses, does not accuse them of lying, the matter is legally established…on the testimony of two or three witnesses as a matter of procedure.  The procedure is at its end.  In this sense I can barely justify translating dâbâr/ῥῆμα as matter, with the proviso that it hides the fact from the non-Hebrew-non-Greek-studying English-speaking world that the word of the witnesses was the primary focus and concern of the Word of God.

Given the time and place I came of age I can’t help but wonder if yehôvâh/Jesus, both in the law and in the Gospel of Matthew, hasn’t instituted the most virulent form of thought police ever conceived.  But let me take some of the things, events or words (ρημάτων, a form of ῥῆμα) the apostles “saw” (or heard and believed) seriously (Acts 5:31 NET):

God exalted [Jesus] to his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness (ἄφεσιν, a form of ἄφεσις) of sins.

The words do not say, God exalted [Jesus] to his right hand as Leader and Savior, to institute the most virulent form of thought police ever conceived.  Through hearing with faith I can stand up to the socially constructed reality of my upbringing and accept that what I may think was instituted as thought police was actually instituted to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.  It transforms my outlook.

What if an avid student of the law had heard Jephthah’s thoughtless oath?[20]  If you really do hand the Ammonites over to me [Table], then whoever is the first to come through the doors of my house to meet me when I return safely from fighting the Ammonites – he will belong to the Lord and I will offer him up as a burnt sacrifice [Table].[21]  Maybe the avid law student didn’t recognize it as a thoughtless oath until Jephthah came home to Mizpah, there was his daughter hurrying out to meet him, dancing to the rhythm of tambourines.[22]

Or perhaps the law didn’t come to his mind until Jephthah ripped his clothes and said, “Oh no!  My daughter!  You have completely ruined me!  You have brought me disaster!  I made an oath to the Lord, and I cannot break it.”[23]  Or if that didn’t do it maybe her answer jogged his memory, My father, since you made an oath to the Lord, do to me as you promised.  After all, the Lord vindicated you before your enemies, the Ammonites.[24]  Or if that fell on deaf ears, what if the law came to him any time during the two months Jephthah’s daughter wandered the hills with her friends to mourn her virginity?[25]

What if the avid law student came to Jephthah with two comrades who heard his oath? and said, “Jephthah, you have made a thoughtless oath in our hearing.  Now hear the word of the Lord (Leviticus 5:4-6 NET):

[W]hen a person swears an oath, speaking thoughtlessly with his lips, whether to do evil or to do good, with regard to anything which the individual might speak thoughtlessly in an oath, even if he did not realize it, but he himself has later come to know it and is guilty with regard to one of these oaths [Table]…he must confess how he has sinned [Table], and he must bring his penalty for guilt to the Lord for his sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, whether a female sheep or a female goat, for a sin offering.  So the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his sin [Table].

The risk for the witnesses, the avid law student and his two comrades, was a female sheep or a female goat (a piece, I assume, less if they were poor[26]).  The benefit for Jephthah was his daughter’s life.  It is in keeping with the beautiful law, and the intent of God the Father and Jesus the Leader and Savior to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

Jephthah may have rejected the word of the witnesses anyway.  The religious mind is capable of atrocities ordinary sinners shrink from committing.  But if he had rejected the word of the witnesses Jephthah would have been a rebellious son of Israel rather than the tragic victim of a pious good: After two months she returned to her father, and [Jephthah] did to her as he had vowed.[27]

Standing up to the religious mind, one’s own as well as those of others, is part and parcel of following Christ.  For some of us it is the cross[28] we bear.  I’ll return to Ms. Eldridge’s argument and more instances of ῥῆμα in the next essay.  A table of the translation in various Bibles of dâbâr/ῥῆμα from the three verses considered above follows.

Translation of ρῆμα[29] Matthew 18:16 2 Corinthians 13:1 Deuteronomy 19:15
matter NET, DNT, NIV NET, DNT, TMSG,[30] NIV NET, DNT, NIV, ASV, KJV, NKJV
word ASV, ISVNT, KJV, MSNT, NKJV, YLT ASV, KJV, NKJV
charges CEV
charge MSNT NAB
complaint CEV
accusation GWT, TEV GWT, ISVNT, TEV
saying YLT
fact NAB NAB
a case TMSG

Back to Romans, Part 55

[1] http://www.endtime-prophets.com/statement.html

[2] http://www.endtime-prophets.com/noproph.html

[3] Acts 5:32b (NET)

[4] Acts 5:27 (NET)

[5] Acts 5:29 (NET)

[6] Acts 5:28a (NET)

[7] Acts 5:30, 31 (NET)

[8] Acts 3:15 (NET)

[9] Acts 1:2 (NET)  The note in the NET reads: “The words ‘to heaven’ are not in the Greek text, but are supplied from v. 11.”  As they were still staring into the sky (οὐρανὸν, a form of οὐρανός) while he was going, suddenly two men in white clothing stood near them and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking up into the sky (οὐρανὸν, a form of οὐρανός)?  This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven (οὐρανὸν, a form of οὐρανός) will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven (οὐρανὸν, a form of οὐρανός).” (Acts 1:10, 11 NET)

[10] Acts 1:9 (NET)

[11] Acts 7:55 (NET)

[12] Luke 24:8 (NET)

[13] John 12:47a (NET)

[14] Matthew 18:16 (NET)

[15] 2 Corinthians 13:1 (NET)

[16] Matthew 18:15 (NET)

[17] http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=marturh%3Dsai&la=greek&prior=moi (a form of μαρτυρέω)

[18] Deuteronomy 19:15 (NET) Table

[19] Romans 8:3-4 (NET)

[20] Leviticus 5:4 (NET)

[21] Judges 11:30b, 31 (NET)

[22] Judges 11:34a (NET) Table

[23] Judges 11:35 (NET) Table

[24] Judges 11:36 (NET) Table

[25] Judges 11:37, 38 (NET)

[26] Leviticus 5:7-13 (NET)

[27] Judges 11:39a (NET) Table

[28] Matthew 10:38, 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23, 14:27

[29] In Deuteronomy the word is dâbâr though ῥῆμα was used in the Septuagint.  The ISVNT and MSNT are New Testament only.  The CEV, GWT, and TEV are too paraphrased for me to tell which word is a translation of what.

[30] If he won’t listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again (Matthew 18:16 TMSG).  I have no idea how ρῆμα was translated here.

The Will of God – Jesus, Part 3

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Jesus trusted his Father so completely that the flesh of Adam was much more subjugated in Him than in me.  Still, I can think of two incidents where the flesh made an appearance and was recorded by the Gospel writers.  Matthew and Mark had different opinions as to whether the first incident happened before or after Jesus cleansed the temple, but both associated it with that event.

Now early in the morning, Matthew recorded, as [Jesus] returned to the city, he was hungry.  After noticing a fig tree by the road he went to it, but found nothing on it except leaves.  He said to it, “Never again will there be fruit from you!”  And the fig tree withered at once.[1]  The tree appeared as if it should have fruit on it but did not have any.  Mark wrote: Now the next day, as they went out from Bethany, [Jesus] was hungry.  After noticing in the distance a fig tree with leaves, he went to see if he could find any fruit on it.  When he came to it he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.”  And his disciples heard it.[2]

Mark added the following details: 1) The fig tree that withered at once was overnight, 2) Jesus saw and approached the tree from a distance; and 3) it was not the season for figs.  This is what persuades me that I am witnessing the flesh of Adam in Jesus, a frustration that overcame his reason.

It’s not too hard to see that the actual frustration Jesus vented on the fig tree was the hypocrisy of his own people.  He might have cursed those who were selling and buying in the temple courts[3] with chilling effect.  Instead, as a man like Adam He began to drive out those who were selling and buying in the temple courts.  He turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, and he would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.  Then he began to teach them…[4]

The second incident occurred in the garden of Gethsemane the night he was betrayed.  Jesus, born of the Spirit of God, knew that the death of the flesh of Adam was part of his Father’s purpose for his life and ministry.  Now my soul is greatly distressed, He said.  And what should I say?  ‘Father, deliver me from this hour’?  No, but for this very reason I have come to this hour.[5]  But Jesus, also born of the flesh of Adam, prayed, My Father, if possible, let this cup pass from me![6]

It is important to me to believe that Jesus’ willingness to suffer was of utmost concern to his Father.  I believe Jesus could have said, Father, deliver me from this hour, with complete impunity.  He still would have sat at his Father’s right hand, and his Father would have said something equivalent to, “Don’t worry about it.  We’ll get’em next time, Tiger.”  But Jesus did not pray Father, deliver me from this hour.  He never put his Father in that position.

Jesus prayed, Father, if possible, let this cup pass from me!  Yet not what I will (θέλω),[7] but what you will.[8]  He was strengthened by the Holy Spirit, then prayed a second time, My Father, if this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will (θέλημα)[9] must be done.”[10]  Luke wrote, Father, if you are willing (βούλει, a form of βούλομαι),[11] take this cup away from me.  Yet not my will (θέλημα) but yours be done.[12]  As subjugated as the flesh was in Jesus He did not rely on his desires (θέλω or θέλημα) to direct his path, but relied on the will of God.

While I am completely convinced by my own experience (for the Scripture doesn’t say it) that the living Holy Spirit of God interceded with Jesus in real time and space, and strengthened Him at that precise moment, I can’t escape how the same Holy Spirit interceded for Jesus in other ways as well.  The flesh of Adam transmitted to Jesus came through his mother.  When I see Jesus praying My Father, if this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will must be done, I can’t help but see Mary answering Gabriel, Yes, I am a servant of the Lord; let this happen to me according to your word.[13]  This is the spirit of the woman who raised Jesus as a boy.

I am becoming more and more convinced that the idea of human sacrifice (including the death of the Lord Jesus) did not originate in the mind of God.  They have also built places of worship in a place called Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom so that they can sacrifice their sons and daughters by fire. That is something I never commanded them to do!  Indeed, it never even entered my mind to command such a thing![14]  They have built places here for worship of the god Baal so that they could sacrifice their children as burnt offerings to him in the fire.  Such sacrifices are something I never commanded them to make!  They are something I never told them to do!  Indeed, such a thing never even entered my mind![15]  They built places of worship for the god Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom [that is, Gehenna] so that they could sacrifice their sons and daughters to the god Molech.  Such a disgusting practice was not something I commanded them to do!  It never even entered my mind to command them to do such a thing![16]

Though I don’t believe that Jesus’ sacrifice originated in the mind of God, I do believe it is evidence of how far God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—will go to communicate to the religious minds of those born of the flesh of Adam, who thought that such sacrifice should have some merit.  So as I see Jesus praying, your will must be done, accepting the death that will put an end to sacrifice—I want (θέλω) mercy and not sacrifice[17]—and an end to oaths of righteousness—I say to you, do not take oaths at all[18]—and I see his mother praying, let this happen to me according to your word, I also see an unnamed girl who was commemorated for her words, My father, since you made an oath to the Lord, do to me as you promised,[19] after she returned from mourning her virginity and was sacrificed to God to fulfill Jephthah’s reckless oath.  Here I find my understanding of one of Jesus’ more enigmatic sayings, enigmatic to those of us who must follow Him by faith rather than by sight.

If anyone wants to become my follower, Jesus said, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.[20]  Peter and Paul helped me see what it meant to deny myself, to believe that I have died to sin,[21] to say, I do not know the man[22] to the old man that was crucified with [Christ] so that the body of sin would no longer dominate[23] me.  To take up [my] cross is to join Jesus distrusting my own desires and saying to God, not my will but yours be done.[24]  And finally, to follow Jesus is to love and forgive others as He did, which is the fulfillment of the law.[25]  Freely you received, Jesus told his disciples, freely give.[26]

[1] Matthew 21:18, 19 (NET)

[2] Mark 11:12-14 (NET)

[4] Mark 11:15b-17a (NET)

[5] John 12:27 (NET)

[6] Matthew 26:39 (NET)

[8] Matthew 26:39 (NET)

[10] Matthew 26:42 (NET)

[12] Luke 22:42 (NET)

[13] Luke 1:38 (NET)

[14] Jeremiah 7:31 (NET)

[15] Jeremiah 19:5 (NET) Table

[16] Jeremiah 32:35 (NET)

[17] Matthew 9:13 and 12:7 (NET) ἔλεος θέλω καὶ οὐ θυσίαν a quotation of Hosea 6:6 from the Septuagint, ἔλεος θέλω καὶ οὐ θυσίαν.  Hosea 6:6 translated from contemporary Hebrew reads, For I delight in faithfulness, not simply in sacrifice (NET).  See also Hebrews 10:5-9 (NET).

[18] Matthew 5:34 (NET)

[19] Judges 11:36 (NET) Table

[20] Matthew 16:24 (NET)

[23] Romans 6:6 (NET)

[24] Luke 22:42 (NET)

[26] Matthew 10:8 (NET)

David’s Forgiveness, Part 3

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The Social Construction of Reality helped me understand my own life in a new way.  I didn’t take my Dad’s advice to avoid or watch out for women too much to heart.  Though, now that I think about it, I’ve never had sex without the benefit of some form of birth control.  I did, however, deeply internalize my uselessness and meaninglessness.  And I learned even better than I knew that I was the cause of my Dad’s problems.  They were my fault.

Now before I go too far with this I need to say that my Dad was not a son of his father’s youth but of his old age.  My Dad’s father died when my Dad was eight, leaving the family destitute and my Dad fearful for his own welfare and survival.  In other words, while I might fault my father for who or what he was, my father’s father for all practical purposes was not.

My father provided well enough for my survival and welfare that I grew up taking it and him for granted.  And to be fair to him, the other legacy he bequeathed me was his constant admonition from Proverbs 4:7 (KJV; Addendum below): Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.  There are times, admittedly, when I look at myself with dismay as little more than a program carrying out my father’s command.  But considering the relationship with my father in this multigenerational-social-construction-of-reality way made it fairly obvious to me that there are many ways to make a son less than a blessing, ways that fall far short of taking that son’s life.  So I discarded that reason for the death of David’s first son with Bathsheba.

Another thought occurred to me: maybe the Lord Jesus didn’t want the child of an adulterous affair and a murderous cover-up to become king of Israel.  But Jephthah—one of the Judges—was the son of an adulterous affair between Gilead and a prostitute, and The Lord’s spirit empowered Jephthah.1

I’ve covered Jephthah pretty thoroughly elsewhere and won’t do it again here, except to comment on the reality that was socially constructed for Jephthah’s daughter by her father and other adults around her.  They apparently wholeheartedly believed the Lord’s command, If a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath of binding obligation on himself, he must not break his word, but must do whatever he has promised.2  Jephthah’s daughter’s response when she learned of her father’s oath, and who was to be the victim, indicated that she knew and believed this command, too.  My father, she said, since you made an oath to the Lord, do to me as you promised.  After all, the Lord vindicated you before your enemies, the Ammonites.3

Nothing I believe or think or feel about Jephthah can or should taint my admiration for this girl’s childlike faith.  It is as stunning today as it was to Jephthah’s contemporaries.  She only asked for two months reprieve that she might mourn her virginity with her friends.  Jephthah granted her request.

Perhaps he hoped she would flee.  He would never see her again.  She would be as good as dead to him, but she would live.  But she, like her father, was true to her word and returned after two months as she promised.

Perhaps he hoped for a pardon as he prepared the sacrifice.  The Lord Jesus had commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac and then at the last moment provided a substitute for the boy.  No angel came to stay Jephthah’s hand.  No substitute was provided.  Jephthah sacrificed his daughter, his only child.  Even after the fact the Lord Jesus remained silent.  No prophets came, no dreams, no word from the Lord.  Every year Israelite women commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for four days.4

Since the Lord was silent, what social reality could the Israelites of Jephthah’s day construct except that Jephthah was an honorable and righteous man, fulfilling his vow to the Lord, no matter the cost?  After all, Jesus told his disciples, whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.5  It was many years after Jephthah’s time in the Proverbs of Solomon that I see the first glimmer of a subtle hint: It is a snare for a person to rashly cry, “Holy!” and only afterward to consider what he has vowed.6  To declare something “Holy” was equivalent to vowing it to the Lord.  This proverb may have had Jephthah in view.  Even so, it said little more than to consider your vows carefully or you may end up like Jephthah, sacrificing your daughter for righteousness’ sake.

It was many years after that, when the Israelites were sacrificing their children to Baal, the Lord Jesus finally spoke to the prophet Jeremiah and said: Such sacrifices are something I never commanded them to make! They are something I never told them to do! Indeed, such a thing never even entered my mind!7  The first time I understood this passage, I thought it was the most disingenuous thing I had ever heard.  Actually, I went ballistic, “What did you expect them to think?!” I shrieked with that tone in my voice that said, “what, are you stupid or something?”

If you ever hear that I was struck by lightning, you’ll know why, though subsequent years of daily infusion of spiritual fruit8 have tempered my temper some, especially with the Lord.  And beginning to recognize the religious mind as a human phenomena as opposed to a divine one, that God is always reaching out to communicate to us through this ungodly barrier, hasn’t hurt.  Let’s face it, historically speaking God was late to the game with both a law and a religion.  There is no indication in Genesis that Cain’s (or Abel’s) offering was God’s idea.

At the designated time Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground for an offering to the Lord.9  It was either Cain’s idea or if the phrase And it happened at the end of days actually carries the meaning At the designated time that the translators of the NET have assigned it, it was Adam’s idea.  The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering, but with Cain and his offering he was not pleased.  So Cain became very angry, and his expression was downcast.10  His religion and his worship were unacceptable, but his younger brother’s religion and worship was?  I am an older brother, believe me, I feel Cain’s anger and dejection.

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why is your expression downcast?  Is it not true that if you do what is right, you will be fine?  But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door.  It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it.”11  My mom tells a story about a time when I was angry with the boy next door.  She tried to soothe my anger with counsel about Jesus and turning the other cheek.  Apparently, I didn’t get the message any better than Cain did.  I left the house, saying, “I’ll make him turn the other cheek.”  Cain subdued his brother Abel by killing him.  I don’t recall what I did to the boy next door.  I know he survived it.

What have you done? The Lord said to Cain.  The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground!  So now, you are banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.  When you try to cultivate the ground it will no longer yield its best for you.  You will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.12  Cain said, My punishment is too great to endure!13

For a long time I believed Cain.  But as I look back now this banishment from his occupation as a tiller of the field sounds more like the events that became David’s life after the Lord forgave his sin.  Cain’s punishment would have been his death.  Now scripture rolls and boils and tumbles in my mind:  before the law was given, sin was in the world, but there is no accounting for sin when there is no law.14

So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you could be joined to another, to the one who was raised from the dead, to bear fruit to God.  For when we were in the flesh, the sinful desires, aroused by the law, were active in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.  But now we have been released from the law, because we have died to what controlled us, so that we may serve in the new life of the Spirit and not under the old written code.15

The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some regard slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.16  He was not slow to establish a law of specific commandments and punishments, or a religion of specific rites and obligations.  He was positively resistant to the idea.  He chose to drown all but eight human beings and start over rather than establish a law or a religion.  I can only assume that He relented when it proved to be the only way to communicate to and through the ungodliness of human religious minds.  Even as He gave the law and founded the Hebrew religion He resisted it, saying defiantly to Moses, I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.17

But that was all in my future the first time I understood Him to say, such a thing never even entered my mind!18  “All this started when you told Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac,” I continued my rant.  “It culminates with God the Father sacrificing his only begotten Son, and somewhere in the middle of it all is Jephthah.  It never entered your mind that desperate people might think this was a good way to get your attention?”

I calmed down eventually and felt bad.  But I didn’t have some wonderful intuitive answer.  For me at the time it was a matter of brute faith.  I had to force myself to give the Lord Jesus the benefit of the doubt and simply believe that He is self-aware enough to determine the boundary between his thoughts and ours, to distinguish between his intent and his foreknowledge of our misunderstanding of that intent, and that He speaks sincerely and without guile.

Finally, with his feet firmly planted on earth, Jesus gave a definitive answer to Jephthah, to Israel and to me in the Sermon on the Mount: Again, you have heard that it was said to an older generation, “Do not break an oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.”  But I say to you, do not take oaths at all….Let your word be “Yes, yes” or “No, no.”  More than this is from the evil one.19  The NIV translated this verse:  “Simply, let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”

Now if I ask, Why would Jesus consider Jephthah’s oath from the evil one? the answer seems fairly obvious.  If you really do hand the Ammonites over to me, Jephthah vowed to the Lord, then whoever is the first to come through the doors of my house to meet me when I return safely from fighting the Ammonites – he will belong to the Lord and I will offer him up as a burnt sacrifice.20  I’m going to give Jephthah the benefit of the doubt that he intended to offer a goat to bribe God to help him defeat the Ammonites, and he was willing to let God choose which, or any, or all, of his goats.  I think the translators of the NET have deliberately made Jephthah’s oath even more from the evil one.21

But imagine with me for a moment that Jephthah intended to bribe God with any or all of his goats.  God could have brought any goat, or as many goats as He wanted, out to meet Jephthah on his triumphant return.  But God didn’t bring any goats to meet Jephthah.  God wasn’t satisfied with goats as a bribe.  God wanted Jephthah’s daughter, his only child.  What was Jephthah to do?  Certainly God deserves to be bribed with something better than goats.

Jephthah acted on a kind of faith.  It would have been very difficult for him to see that the bribe, the oath, was the evil, and the thing that Jephthah should have repented.  To paraphrase Paul, I can testify that Jephthah was zealous for God, but his zeal was not in line with the truth.  For ignoring the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking instead to establish his own righteousness, he did not submit to God’s righteousness.22  But Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and Paul’s letter to the Romans were not part of Jephthah’s socially constructed reality.  Why not? I began to wonder.

Why were You silent for so long? I asked the Lord.

 

Addendum: June 21, 2020
When I discovered that Proverbs 4:7 wasn’t in the Septuagint my first thought was, “Well, that figures!”  I talked with my brother about it.  He thought it was somewhere else but couldn’t find it.  I read all of Proverbs in English translation of the Elpenor Septuagint and didn’t recognize it in any other chapter.  I also did a search of the Greek words I imagined might underlie the English translation and didn’t discover it in Proverbs.  I haven’t searched every book in the Septuagint.

I don’t know for certain what Dad actually meant when he quoted it.  He suffered a stroke and couldn’t speak or write before it ever occurred to me to ask.  I had assumed that wisdom and understanding were science and engineering.  He idolized electrical engineers.  I had also assumed that he didn’t mean the Bible, especially my mother’s interpretation of it.  At least, the Bible wasn’t where I sought wisdom or understanding as a child.  Proverbs 2:1-12 is a fairly accurate description how I understand the disputable Proverbs 4:7 as I run its programming today.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Proverbs 2:1-12 (Tanakh) Proverbs 2:1-12 (NET) Proverbs 2:1-12 (NETS)

Proverbs 2:1-12 (English Elpenor)
My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; My son, if, when you accept the saying of my commandment, you hide it with yourself, [My] son, if thou wilt receive the utterance of my commandment, and hide it with thee;
So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; by making your ear attentive to wisdom, and by turning your heart to understanding, your ear will be attentive to wisdom, and you shall incline your heart to understanding; yes, you shall incline it to the admonition of your son. thine ear shall hearken to wisdom; thou shalt also apply thine heart to understanding, and shalt apply it to the instruction of thy son.
Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; indeed, if you call out for discernment—shout loudly for understanding— For if you call upon wisdom and raise your voice for understanding, as well as seek perception with a loud voice, For it thou shalt call to wisdom, and utter thy voice for understanding; (τὴν δὲ αἴσθησιν ζητήσῃς μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ was not translated into English.)
If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; if you seek it like silver, and search for it like hidden treasure, and if you seek it like silver and search for it like treasures, and if thou shalt seek it as silver, and search diligently for it as for treasures;
Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. then you will understand how to fear the Lord, and you will discover knowledge about God. then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and you will find divine knowledge. then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. Because the Lord gives wisdom, also from his presence come knowledge and understanding, For the Lord gives wisdom; and from his presence [come] knowledge and understanding,
He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He stores up effective counsel for the upright, and is like a shield for those who live with integrity, and he stores up salvation for those who succeed; he will shield their journey and he treasures up salvation for them that walk uprightly: he will protect their way;
He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. to guard the paths of the righteous and to protect the way of his pious ones. to guard the ways of righteous deeds, and he will protect the way of the ones who revere him. that he may guard the righteous ways: and he will preserve the way of them that fear him.
Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity—every good way. Then you will understand righteousness and judgment, and you will make all good courses straight. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment; and shalt direct all thy course aright.
When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; For wisdom will enter your heart, and moral knowledge will be attractive to you. For if wisdom comes into your mind and perception seems pleasing to your soul, For if wisdom shall come into thine understanding, and discernment shall seem pleasing to thy soul,
Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: Discretion will protect you, understanding will guard you, good counsel will guard you, and holy insight will protect you good counsel shall guard thee, and holy understanding shall keep thee;

Tables comparing Proverbs 4:7; 2:1; 2:2; 2:3; 2:4; 2:5; 2:6; 2:7; 2:8; 2:9, 2:10; 2:11; 2:12; Judges 11:29; Numbers 30:2 (30:3); Judges 11:36; 11:40; Proverbs 20:25; Jeremiah 19:5; Genesis 4:3; 4:4; 4:5; 4:6; 4:7; 4:10; 4:11; 4:12; 4:13; Judges 11:30 and 11:31 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing Proverbs 4:7; 2:1; 2:2; 2:3; 2:4; 2:5; 2:6; 2:7; 2:8; 2:9; 2:10; 2:11; 2:12; Judges 11:29; Numbers 30:2 (30:3); Judges 11:36; 11:40; Proverbs 20:25; Jeremiah 19:5; Genesis 4:3; 4:4; 4:5; 4:6; 4:7; 4:10; 4:11; 4:12; 4:13; Judges 11:30 and 11:31 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.

Proverbs 4:7 (Tanakh)

 Proverbs 4:7 (KJV)

Proverbs 4:7 (NET)
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Wisdom is supreme—so acquire wisdom, and whatever you acquire, acquire understanding!

Proverbs 4:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 4:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
N/A N/A

Proverbs 4:7 (NETS)

Proverbs 4:7 (English Elpenor)
N/A N/A

Proverbs 2:1 (Tanakh)

 Proverbs 2:1 (KJV)

Proverbs 2:1 (NET)
My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; My child, if you receive my words, and store up my commands inside yourself,

Proverbs 2:1 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 2:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
υἱέ ἐὰν δεξάμενος ῥῆσιν ἐμῆς ἐντολῆς κρύψῃς παρὰ σεαυτῷ ΥΙΕ, ἐὰν δεξάμενος ῥῆσιν ἐμῆς ἐντολῆς κρύψῃς παρὰ σεαυτῷ

Proverbs 2:1 (NETS)

Proverbs 2:1 (English Elpenor)
My son, if, when you accept the saying of my commandment, you hide it with yourself, [My] son, if thou wilt receive the utterance of my commandment, and hide it with thee;

Proverbs 2:2 (Tanakh)

 Proverbs 2:2 (KJV)

Proverbs 2:2 (NET)
So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; by making your ear attentive to wisdom, and by turning your heart to understanding,

Proverbs 2:2 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 2:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὑπακούσεται σοφίας τὸ οὖς σου καὶ παραβαλεῗς καρδίαν σου εἰς σύνεσιν παραβαλεῗς δὲ αὐτὴν ἐπὶ νουθέτησιν τῷ υἱῷ σου ὑπακούσεται σοφία τὸ οὖς σου, καὶ παραβαλεῖς καρδίαν σου εἰς σύνεσιν, παραβαλεῖς δὲ αὐτὴν ἐπὶ νουθέτησιν τῷ υἱῷ σου

Proverbs 2:2 (NETS)

Proverbs 2:2 (English Elpenor)
your ear will be attentive to wisdom, and you shall incline your heart to understanding; yes, you shall incline it to the admonition of your son. thine ear shall hearken to wisdom; thou shalt also apply thine heart to understanding, and shalt apply it to the instruction of thy son.

Proverbs 2:3 (Tanakh)

 Proverbs 2:3 (KJV)

Proverbs 2:3 (NET)
Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; indeed, if you call out for discernment—shout loudly for understanding—

Proverbs 2:3 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 2:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν γὰρ τὴν σοφίαν ἐπικαλέσῃ καὶ τῇ συνέσει δῷς φωνήν σου τὴν δὲ αἴσθησιν ζητήσῃς μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ ἐὰν γὰρ τὴν σοφίαν ἐπικαλέσῃ καὶ τῇ συνέσει δῷς φωνήν σου, τὴν δὲ αἴσθησιν ζητήσῃς μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ

Proverbs 2:3 (NETS)

Proverbs 2:3 (English Elpenor)
For if you call upon wisdom and raise your voice for understanding, as well as seek perception with a loud voice, For it thou shalt call to wisdom, and utter thy voice for understanding;

Proverbs 2:4 (Tanakh)

 Proverbs 2:4 (KJV)

Proverbs 2:4 (NET)
If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; if you seek it like silver, and search for it like hidden treasure,

Proverbs 2:4 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 2:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐὰν ζητήσῃς αὐτὴν ὡς ἀργύριον καὶ ὡς θησαυροὺς ἐξερευνήσῃς αὐτήν καὶ ἐὰν ζητήσῃς αὐτὴν ὡς ἀργύριον καὶ ὡς θησαυροὺς ἐξερευνήσῃς αὐτήν

Proverbs 2:4 (NETS)

Proverbs 2:4 (English Elpenor)
and if you seek it like silver and search for it like treasures, and if thou shalt seek it as silver, and search diligently for it as for treasures;

Proverbs 2:5 (Tanakh)

 Proverbs 2:5 (KJV)

Proverbs 2:5 (NET)
Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. then you will understand how to fear the Lord, and you will discover knowledge about God.

Proverbs 2:5 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 2:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
τότε συνήσεις φόβον κυρίου καὶ ἐπίγνωσιν θεοῦ εὑρήσεις τότε συνήσεις φόβον Κυρίου καὶ ἐπίγνωσιν Θεοῦ εὑρήσεις

Proverbs 2:5 (NETS)

Proverbs 2:5 (English Elpenor)
then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and you will find divine knowledge. then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

Proverbs 2:6 (Tanakh)

 Proverbs 2:6 (KJV)

Proverbs 2:6 (NET)
For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

Proverbs 2:6 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 2:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅτι κύριος δίδωσιν σοφίαν καὶ ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ γνῶσις καὶ σύνεσις ὅτι Κύριος δίδωσι σοφίαν, καὶ ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ γνῶσις καὶ σύνεσις

Proverbs 2:6 (NETS)

Proverbs 2:6 (English Elpenor)
Because the Lord gives wisdom, also from his presence come knowledge and understanding, For the Lord gives wisdom; and from his presence [come] knowledge and understanding,

Proverbs 2:7 (Tanakh)

 Proverbs 2:7 (KJV)

Proverbs 2:7 (NET)
He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He stores up effective counsel for the upright, and is like a shield for those who live with integrity,

Proverbs 2:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 2:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ θησαυρίζει τοῗς κατορθοῦσι σωτηρίαν ὑπερασπιεῗ τὴν πορείαν αὐτῶν καὶ θησαυρίζει τοῖς κατορθοῦσι σωτηρίαν, ὑπερασπιεῖ τὴν πορείαν αὐτῶν

Proverbs 2:7 (NETS)

Proverbs 2:7 (English Elpenor)
and he stores up salvation for those who succeed; he will shield their journey and he treasures up salvation for them that walk uprightly: he will protect their way;

Proverbs 2:8 (Tanakh)

 Proverbs 2:8 (KJV)

Proverbs 2:8 (NET)
He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. to guard the paths of the righteous and to protect the way of his pious ones.

Proverbs 2:8 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 2:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
τοῦ φυλάξαι ὁδοὺς δικαιωμάτων καὶ ὁδὸν εὐλαβουμένων αὐτὸν διαφυλάξει τοῦ φυλάξαι ὁδοὺς δικαιωμάτων καὶ ὁδὸν εὐλαβουμένων αὐτὸν διαφυλάξει

Proverbs 2:8 (NETS)

Proverbs 2:8 (English Elpenor)
to guard the ways of righteous deeds, and he will protect the way of the ones who revere him. that he may guard the righteous ways: and he will preserve the way of them that fear him.

Proverbs 2:9 (Tanakh)

 Proverbs 2:9 (KJV)

Proverbs 2:9 (NET)
Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity—every good way.

Proverbs 2:9 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 2:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
τότε συνήσεις δικαιοσύνην καὶ κρίμα καὶ κατορθώσεις πάντας ἄξονας ἀγαθούς τότε συνήσεις δικαιοσύνην καὶ κρίμα καὶ κατορθώσεις πάντας ἄξονας ἀγαθούς

Proverbs 2:9 (NETS)

Proverbs 2:9 (English Elpenor)
Then you will understand righteousness and judgment, and you will make all good courses straight. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment; and shalt direct all thy course aright.

Proverbs 2:10 (Tanakh)

 Proverbs 2:10 (KJV)

Proverbs 2:10 (NET)
When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; For wisdom shall enter into thy heart, And knowledge shall be pleasant unto thy soul; For wisdom will enter your heart, and moral knowledge will be attractive to you.

Proverbs 2:10 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 2:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν γὰρ ἔλθῃ ἡ σοφία εἰς σὴν διάνοιαν ἡ δὲ αἴσθησις τῇ σῇ ψυχῇ καλὴ εἶναι δόξῃ ἐὰν γὰρ ἔλθῃ ἡ σοφία εἰς σὴν διάνοιαν, ἡ δὲ αἴσθησις τῇ σῇ ψυχῇ καλὴ εἶναι δόξῃ

Proverbs 2:10 (NETS)

Proverbs 2:10 (English Elpenor)
For if wisdom comes into your mind and perception seems pleasing to your soul, For if wisdom shall come into thine understanding, and discernment shall seem pleasing to thy soul,

Proverbs 2:11 (Tanakh)

 Proverbs 2:11 (KJV)

Proverbs 2:11 (NET)
Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: Discretion will protect you, understanding will guard you,

Proverbs 2:11 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 2:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
βουλὴ καλὴ φυλάξει σε ἔννοια δὲ ὁσία τηρήσει σε βουλὴ καλὴ φυλάξει σε, ἔννοια δὲ ὁσία τηρήσει σε

Proverbs 2:11 (NETS)

Proverbs 2:11 (English Elpenor)
good counsel will guard you, and holy insight will protect you good counsel shall guard thee, and holy understanding shall keep thee;

Proverbs 2:12 (Tanakh)

 Proverbs 2:12 (KJV)

Proverbs 2:12 (NET)
To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; to deliver you from the way of the wicked, from those speaking perversity,

Proverbs 2:12 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 2:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἵνα ῥύσηταί σε ἀπὸ ὁδοῦ κακῆς καὶ ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς λαλοῦντος μηδὲν πιστόν ἵνα ρύσηταί σε ἀπὸ ὁδοῦ κακῆς καὶ ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς λαλοῦντος μηδὲν πιστόν

Proverbs 2:12 (NETS)

Proverbs 2:12 (English Elpenor)
in order that it can rescue you from an evil way and from a man who speaks nothing reliable. to deliver thee from the evil way, and from the man that speaks nothing faithfully.

Judges 11:29 (Tanakh)

 Judges 11:29 (KJV)

Judges 11:29 (NET)
Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon. Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon. The Lord’s Spirit empowered Jephthah.  He passed through Gilead and Manasseh and went to Mizpah in Gilead. From there he approached the Ammonites.

Judges 11:29 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:29 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐγενήθη ἐπὶ Ιεφθαε πνεῦμα κυρίου καὶ διέβη τὴν γῆν Γαλααδ καὶ τὸν Μανασση καὶ διέβη τὴν σκοπιὰν Γαλααδ καὶ ἀπὸ σκοπιᾶς Γαλααδ εἰς τὸ πέραν υἱῶν Αμμων Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐπὶ ᾿Ιεφθάε πνεῦμα Κυρίου, καὶ παρῆλθε τὸν Γαλαὰδ καὶ τὸν Μανασσῆ καὶ παρῆλθε τὴν σκοπιὰν Γαλαὰδ εἰς τὸ πέραν υἱῶν ᾿Αμμών

Judges 11:29 (NETS)

Judges 11:29 (English Elpenor)
And a spirit of the Lord came upon Iephthae, and he passed through the land of Galaad and Manasses.  And he passed through the vantage point of Galaad and from the vantage point of Galaad to the other side of the sons of Ammon. And the spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthae, and he passed over Galaad, and Manasse, and passed by the watch-tower of Galaad to the other side of the children of Ammon.

Numbers 30:3 (Tanakh)

 Numbers 30:2 (KJV)

Numbers 30:2 (NET)
When a man voweth a vow unto HaShem, or sweareth an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth. If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth. If a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath of binding obligation on himself, he must not break his word, but must do whatever he has promised.

Numbers 30:2 (Septuagint BLB)

Numbers 30:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἄνθρωπος ἄνθρωπος ὃς ἂν εὔξηται εὐχὴν κυρίῳ ἢ ὀμόσῃ ὅρκον ἢ ὁρίσηται ὁρισμῷ περὶ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ οὐ βεβηλώσει τὸ ῥῆμα αὐτοῦ πάντα ὅσα ἐὰν ἐξέλθῃ ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ ποιήσει ἄνθρωπος ἄνθρωπος, ὃς ἂν εὔξηται εὐχὴν Κυρίῳ ἢ ὀμόσῃ ὅρκον ἢ ὁρίσηται ὁρισμῷ περὶ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ, οὐ βεβηλώσει τὸ ρῆμα αὐτοῦ· πάντα ὅσα ἂν ἐξέλθῃ ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ, ποιήσει

Numbers 30:3 (NETS)

Numbers 30:3 (English Elpenor)
Person by person—if he vows a vow to the Lord or swears an oath or determines for himself with determination about his soul, he shall not profane his word; everything that proceeds out of his mouth he shall do. Whatsoever man shall vow a vow to the Lord, or swear an oath, or bind himself with an obligation upon his soul, he shall not break his word; all that shall come out of his mouth he shall do.

Judges 11:36 (Tanakh)

 Judges 11:36 (KJV)

Judges 11:36 (NET)
And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon. And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon. She said to him, “My father, since you made an oath to the Lord, do to me as you promised.  After all, the Lord vindicated you before your enemies, the Ammonites.”

Judges 11:36 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:36 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτόν πάτερ μου εἰ ἐν ἐμοὶ ἤνοιξας τὸ στόμα σου πρὸς κύριον ποίει μοι ὃν τρόπον ἐξῆλθεν ἐκ τοῦ στόματός σου ἀνθ᾽ ὧν ἐποίησέν σοι κύριος ἐκδικήσεις ἐκ τῶν ἐχθρῶν σου ἐκ τῶν υἱῶν Αμμων ἡ δὲ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτόν· πάτερ, ἤνοιξας τὸ στόμα σου πρὸς Κύριον; ποίησόν μοι ὃν τρόπον ἐξῆλθεν ἐκ στόματός σου, ἐν τῷ ποιῆσαί σοι Κύριον ἐκδίκησιν τῶν ἐχθρῶν σου ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν ᾿Αμμών

Judges 11:36 (NETS)

Judges 11:36 (English Elpenor)
And she said to him, “My father, if against me you have opened your mouth to the Lord, do to me as it came out of your mouth, now that the Lord has exacted vengeance for you from your enemies, from the sons of Ammon.” And she said to him, Father, hast thou opened thy mouth to the Lord?  Do to me accordingly as [the word] went out of thy mouth, in that the Lord has wrought vengeance for thee on thine enemies of the children of Ammon.

Judges 11:40 (Tanakh)

 Judges 11:40 (KJV)

Judges 11:40 (NET)
That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year. That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year. Every year Israelite women commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for four days.

Judges 11:40 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:40 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐξ ἡμερῶν εἰς ἡμέρας συνεπορεύοντο αἱ θυγατέρες Ισραηλ θρηνεῗν τὴν θυγατέρα Ιεφθαε τοῦ Γαλααδίτου τέσσαρας ἡμέρας ἐν τῷ ἐνιαυτῷ ἀπὸ ἡμερῶν εἰς ἡμέρας ἐπορεύοντο θυγατέρες ᾿Ισραὴλ θρηνεῖν τὴν θυγατέρα ᾿Ιεφθάε τοῦ Γαλααδίτου ἐπὶ τέσσαρας ἡμέρας ἐν τῷ ἐνιαυτῷ

Judges 11:40 (NETS)

Judges 11:40 (English Elpenor)
from days to days the daughters of Israel would go together to lament the daughter of Iephthae the Galaadite, four days in the year. and it was an ordinance in Israel, [That] the daughters of Israel went from year to year to bewail the daughter of Jephtha the Galaadite for four days in a year.

Proverbs 20:25 (Tanakh)

 Proverbs 20:25 (KJV)

Proverbs 20:25 (NET)
It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry. It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry. It is a snare for a person to rashly cry, “Holy!” and only afterward to consider what he has vowed.

Proverbs 20:25 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 20:25 (Septuagint Elpenor)
παγὶς ἀνδρὶ ταχύ τι τῶν ἰδίων ἁγιάσαι μετὰ γὰρ τὸ εὔξασθαι μετανοεῗν γίνεται παγὶς ἀνδρὶ ταχύ τι τῶν ἰδίων ἁγιάσαι, μετὰ γὰρ τὸ εὔξασθαι μετανοεῖν γίνεται

Proverbs 20:25 (NETS)

Proverbs 20:25 (English Elpenor)
Quickly to consecrate something of his own is a snare to a man, for after making a vow a change of mind can happen. It is a snare to a man hastily to consecrate some of his own property: for [in that case] repentance comes after vowing.

Jeremiah 19:5 (Tanakh)

 Jeremiah 19:5 (KJV)

Jeremiah 19:5 (NET)
They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind: They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind: They have built places here for worship of the god Baal so that they could sacrifice their children as burnt offerings to him in the fire.  Such sacrifices are something I never commanded them to make.  They are something I never told them to do! Indeed, such a thing never even entered my mind.

Jeremiah 19:5 (Septuagint BLB)

Jeremiah 19:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ᾠκοδόμησαν ὑψηλὰ τῇ Βααλ τοῦ κατακαίειν τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτῶν ἐν πυρί ἃ οὐκ ἐνετειλάμην οὐδὲ ἐλάλησα οὐδὲ διενοήθην ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου καὶ ᾠκοδόμησαν ὑψηλὰ τῇ Βάαλ τοῦ κατακαίειν τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτῶν ἐν πυρί, ἃ οὐκ ἐνετειλάμην οὐδὲ διενοήθην ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου

Jeremiah 19:5 (NETS)

Jeremiah 19:5 (English Elpenor)
and built high places of the goddess Baal to burn their sons with fire, which things I did not command nor intended in my heart. and built high places for Baal, to burn their children in the fire, which things I commanded not, neither did I design [them] in my heart:

Genesis 4:3 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 4:3 (KJV)

Genesis 4:3 (NET)
And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto HaShem. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. At the designated time Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground for an offering to the Lord.

Genesis 4:3 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐγένετο μεθ᾽ ἡμέρας ἤνεγκεν Καιν ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν τῆς γῆς θυσίαν τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ ἐγένετο μεθ᾿ ἡμέρας ἤνεγκε Κάϊν ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν τῆς γῆς θυσίαν τῷ Κυρίῳ,

Genesis 4:3 (NETS)

Genesis 4:3 (English Elpenor)
And it came about after some days that Kain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruits of the earth, And it was so after some time that Cain brought of the fruits of the earth a sacrifice to the Lord.

Genesis 4:4 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 4:4 (KJV)

Genesis 4:4 (NET)
And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof.  And HaShem had respect unto Abel and to his offering; And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But Abel brought some of the firstborn of his flock—even the fattest of them. And the Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering,

Genesis 4:4 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ Αβελ ἤνεγκεν καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπὸ τῶν πρωτοτόκων τῶν προβάτων αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν στεάτων αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπεῗδεν ὁ θεὸς ἐπὶ Αβελ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῗς δώροις αὐτοῦ καὶ Ἄβελ ἤνεγκε καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπὸ τῶν πρωτοτόκων τῶν προβάτων αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν στεάτων αὐτῶν. καὶ ἐπεῖδεν ὁ Θεὸς ἐπὶ ῎Αβελ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς δώροις αὐτοῦ,

Genesis 4:4 (NETS)

Genesis 4:4 (English Elpenor)
And Habel, he also brought of the firstlings of his sheep and of their fat portions.  And God looked upon Habel and upon his gifts, And Abel also brought of the first born of his sheep and of his fatlings, and God looked upon Abel and his gifts,

Genesis 4:5 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 4:5 (KJV)

Genesis 4:5 (NET)
but unto Cain and to his offering He had not respect.  And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect.  And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. but with Cain and his offering he was not pleased.  So Cain became very angry, and his expression was downcast.

Genesis 4:5 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐπὶ δὲ Καιν καὶ ἐπὶ ταῗς θυσίαις αὐτοῦ οὐ προσέσχεν καὶ ἐλύπησεν τὸν Καιν λίαν καὶ συνέπεσεν τῷ προσώπῳ ἐπὶ δὲ Κάϊν καὶ ἐπὶ ταῖς θυσίαις αὐτοῦ οὐ προσέσχε. καὶ ἐλυπήθη Κάϊν λίαν, καὶ συνέπεσε τῷ προσώπῳ αὐτοῦ.

Genesis 4:5 (NETS)

Genesis 4:5 (English Elpenor)
but on Kain and on his offerings he was not intent.  And it distressed Kain exceedingly, and he collapsed in countenance. but Cain and his sacrifices he regarded not, and Cain was exceedingly sorrowful and his countenance fell.

Genesis 4:6 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 4:6 (KJV)

Genesis 4:6 (NET)
And HaShem said unto Cain: ‘Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why is your expression downcast?

Genesis 4:6 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς τῷ Καιν ἵνα τί περίλυπος ἐγένου καὶ ἵνα τί συνέπεσεν τὸ πρόσωπόν σου καὶ εἶπε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τῷ Κάϊν· ἵνα τί περίλυπος ἐγένου, καὶ ἵνα τί συνέπεσε τὸ πρόσωπόν σου;

Genesis 4:6 (NETS)

Genesis 4:6 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord God said to Kain, “Why have you become deeply grieved, and why has your countenance collapsed? And the Lord God said to Cain, Why art thou become very sorrowful and why is thy countenance fallen?

Genesis 4:7 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 4:7 (KJV)

Genesis 4:7 (NET)
If thou doest well, shall it not be lifted up? and if thou doest not well, sin coucheth at the door; and unto thee is its desire, but thou mayest rule over it.’ If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.  And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. Is it not true that if you do what is right, you will be fine?  But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door.  It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it.”

Genesis 4:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐκ ἐὰν ὀρθῶς προσενέγκῃς ὀρθῶς δὲ μὴ διέλῃς ἥμαρτες ἡσύχασον πρὸς σὲ ἡ ἀποστροφὴ αὐτοῦ καὶ σὺ ἄρξεις αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐὰν ὀρθῶς προσενέγκῃς, ὀρθῶς δὲ μὴ διέλῃς, ἥμαρτες; ἡσύχασον· πρὸς σὲ ἡ ἀποστροφὴ αὐτοῦ, καὶ σὺ ἄρξεις αὐτοῦ

Genesis 4:7 (NETS)

Genesis 4:7 (English Elpenor)
If you offer correctly but do not divide correctly, have you not sinned?  Be still; his recourse is to you, and you will rule over him.” Hast thou not sinned if thou hast brought it rightly, but not rightly divided it? be still, to thee shall be his submission, and thou shalt rule over him.

Genesis 4:10 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 4:10 (KJV)

Genesis 4:10 (NET)
And He said: ‘What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto Me from the ground. And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground. But the Lord said, “What have you done?  The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground!

Genesis 4:10 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν ὁ θεός τί ἐποίησας φωνὴ αἵματος τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου βοᾷ πρός με ἐκ τῆς γῆς καί εἶπε Κύριος· τί πεποίηκας; φωνὴ αἵματος τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου βοᾷ πρός με ἐκ τῆς γῆς

Genesis 4:10 (NETS)

Genesis 4:10 (English Elpenor)
And God said, “What have you done?  The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the earth! And the Lord said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood cries to me out of the ground.

Genesis 4:11 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 4:11 (KJV)

Genesis 4:11 (NET)
And now cursed art thou from the ground, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand; So now you are banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

Genesis 4:11 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ νῦν ἐπικατάρατος σὺ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἣ ἔχανεν τὸ στόμα αὐτῆς δέξασθαι τὸ αἷμα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου ἐκ τῆς χειρός σου καὶ νῦν ἐπικατάρατος σὺ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, ἣ ἔχανε τὸ στόμα αὐτῆς δέξασθαι τὸ αἷμα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου ἐκ τῆς χειρός σου

Genesis 4:11 (NETS)

Genesis 4:11 (English Elpenor)
And now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened wide its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. And now thou [art] cursed from the earth which has opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand.

Genesis 4:12 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 4:12 (KJV)

Genesis 4:12 (NET)
When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a wanderer shalt thou be in the earth.’ When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. When you try to cultivate the ground it will no longer yield its best for you.  You will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.”

Genesis 4:12 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅτι ἐργᾷ τὴν γῆν καὶ οὐ προσθήσει τὴν ἰσχὺν αὐτῆς δοῦναί σοι στένων καὶ τρέμων ἔσῃ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ὅτε ἐργᾷ τὴν γῆν, καὶ οὐ προσθήσει τὴν ἰσχὺν αὐτῆς δοῦναί σοι· στένων καὶ τρέμων ἔσῃ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς

Genesis 4:12 (NETS)

Genesis 4:12 (English Elpenor)
For you will till the earth, and it will not continue to yield its strength to you; you will be groaning and trembling on the earth.” When thou tillest the earth, then it shall not continue to give its strength to thee: thou shalt be groaning and trembling on the earth.

Genesis 4:13 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 4:13 (KJV)

Genesis 4:13 (NET)
And Cain said unto HaShem: ‘My punishment is greater than I can bear. And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Then Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is too great to endure!

Genesis 4:13 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν Καιν πρὸς τὸν κύριον μείζων ἡ αἰτία μου τοῦ ἀφεθῆναί με καὶ εἶπε Κάϊν πρὸς Κύριον τὸν Θεόν· μείζων ἡ αἰτία μου τοῦ ἀφεθῆναί με

Genesis 4:13 (NETS)

Genesis 4:13 (English Elpenor)
And Kain said to the Lord, “My guilt is too great for me to be forgiven! And Cain said to the Lord God, My crime [is] too great for me to be forgiven.

Judges 11:30 (Tanakh)

 Judges 11:30 (KJV)

Judges 11:30 (NET)
And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, saying, “If you really do hand the Ammonites over to me,

Judges 11:30 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:30 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ηὔξατο Ιεφθαε εὐχὴν τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ εἶπεν ἐὰν παραδώσει παραδῷς μοι τοὺς υἱοὺς Αμμων ἐν χειρί μου καὶ ηὔξατο ᾿Ιεφθάε εὐχὴν τῷ Κυρίῳ καὶ εἶπεν· ἐὰν διδοὺς δῷς μοι τοὺς υἱοὺς ᾿Αμμὼν ἐν τῇ χειρί μου

Judges 11:30 (NETS)

Judges 11:30 (English Elpenor)
And Iephthae vowed a vow to the Lord and said, “If with a giving over, you will give over to me the sons of Ammon in my hand, And Jephthae vowed a vow to the Lord, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver the children of Ammon into my hand,

Judges 11:31 (Tanakh)

 Judges 11:31 (KJV)

Judges 11:31 (NET)
Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering. Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering. then whoever is the first to come through the doors of my house to meet me when I return safely from fighting the Ammonites—he will belong to the Lord and I will offer him up as a burnt sacrifice.”

Judges 11:31 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:31 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔσται ὃς ἂν ἐξέλθῃ ἐκ τῶν θυρῶν τοῦ οἴκου μου εἰς ἀπάντησίν μου ἐν τῷ ἐπιστρέψαι με ἐν εἰρήνῃ ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν Αμμων καὶ ἔσται τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ ἀνοίσω αὐτὸν ὁλοκαύτωμα καὶ ἔσται ὁ ἐκπορευόμενος, ὃς ἂν ἐξέλθῃ ἀπὸ τῆς θύρας τοῦ οἴκου μου εἰς συνάντησίν μου ἐν τῷ ἐπιστρέφειν με ἐν εἰρήνῃ ἀπὸ υἱῶν ᾿Αμμών, καὶ ἔσται τῷ Κυρίῳ ἀνοίσω αὐτὸν ὁλοκαύτωμα

Judges 11:31 (NETS)

Judges 11:31 (English Elpenor)
it shall also be that whoever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, shall also be the Lord’s, and I will offer him up as a whole burnt offering.” then it shall come to pass that whosoever shall first come out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, he shall be the Lord’s: I will offer him up for a whole-burnt-offering.

 

1 Judges 11:29a (NET)

2 Numbers 30:2 (NET)

3 Judges 11:36 (NET)

4 Judges 11:40 (NET)

5 Matthew 10:37b (NET)

6 Proverbs 20:25 (NET)

7 Jeremiah 19:5bc (NET)

9 Genesis 4:3 (NET)

10 Genesis 4:4b, 5 (NET)

11 Geneis 4:6, 7 (NET)

12 Genesis 4:10-12 (NET)  When thou tillest the earth, then it shall not continue to give its strength to thee: thou shalt be groaning and trembling on the earth. Genesis 4:12 (Elpenor English)

13 Genesis 4:13 (NET)

14 Romans 5:13 (NET)

15 Romans 7:4-6 (NET)

16 2 Peter 3:9 (NET) Table

17 Exodus 33:19b (NET) Table

18 Jeremiah 19:5 (NET)

19 Matthew 5:33, 34a, 37 (NET)

20 Judges 11:30, 31 (NET)

21 Consider the same passage in the KJV: And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.

22 Paraphrase of Romans 10:2, 3 (NET)

Jephthah and Moses

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Jephthah was somewhat unique among the Judges.  His leadership style hearkened back to someone more like Moses than the other Judges up to his time (compare Ehud,1 for instance).  Though I wouldn’t expect a marauding leader of lawless men, the exiled son of a professional (or eager amateur) devotee of one of the Baals or Ashtars, to be an avid student of the five books of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy), Jephthah did not rush into battle with the king of the Ammonites (Judges 11:12, 13 NET).

Jephthah sent messengers to the Ammonite king, saying, “Why have you come against me to attack my land?”  The Ammonite king said to Jephthah’s messengers, “Because Israel stole my land when they came up from Egypt – from the Arnon River in the south to the Jabbok River in the north, and as far west as the Jordan.  Now return it peaceably!”

Perhaps Jephthah’s ancestry and personal history made him more careful than others to imitate Moses of old.  Whether he knew the history himself or enlisted priests or prophets to help him, Jephthah’s response to the Ammonite king was a relatively detailed Bible2 study.

Jephthah sent messengers back to the Ammonite king and said to him, “This is what Jephthah says, ‘Israel did not steal the land of Moab and the land of the Ammonites.

Judges 11:14, 15 (NET)
When they left Egypt, Israel traveled through the desert as far as the Red Sea and then came to Kadesh.  Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, “Please allow us to pass through your land.” But the king of Edom rejected the request.

Judges 11:16, 17a (NET)

Deuteronomy 2:1-8 (NET)

Numbers 20:14-21 (NET)
Israel sent the same request to the king of Moab, but he was unwilling to cooperate.  So Israel stayed at Kadesh.  Then Israel went through the desert and bypassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab.  They traveled east of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon River; they did not go through Moabite territory (the Arnon was Moab’s border).

Judges 11:17b, 18 (NET)

Deuteronomy 2:9 (NET)

Numbers 21:11-13 (NET)
Israel sent messengers to King Sihon, the Amorite king who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him, “Please allow us to pass through your land to our land.”  But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory.  He assembled his whole army, camped in Jahaz, and fought with Israel.  The Lord God of Israel handed Sihon and his whole army over to Israel and they defeated them.  Israel took all the land of the Amorites who lived in that land.  They took all the Amorite territory from the Arnon River on the south to the Jabbok River on the north, from the desert in the east to the Jordan in the west.  Since the Lord God of Israel has driven out the Amorites before his people Israel, do you think you can just take it from them?  You have the right to take what Chemosh your god gives you, but we will take the land of all whom the Lord our God has driven out before us.

Judges 11:19-24 (NET)

Deuteronomy 2:24-37 (NET)

Numbers 21:21-25 (NET)
Are you really better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab?  Did he dare to quarrel with Israel? Did he dare to fight with them?  Israel has been living in Heshbon and its nearby towns, in Aroer and its nearby towns, and in all the cities along the Arnon for three hundred years!  Why did you not reclaim them during that time?

Judges 11:25, 26 (NET)

Numbers 22-25 (NET)
I have not done you wrong, but you are doing wrong by attacking me. May the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ, יהוה), the Judge (šāp̄aṭ, השפט), judge (šāp̄aṭ, ישפט) this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites!’”  But the Ammonite king disregarded the message sent by Jephthah.

Judges 11:27, 28 (NET)

Deuteronomy 2:17-19 (NET)

The next part of Jephthah’s story was introduced by the statement, The Lord’s spirit empowered Jephthah.3  And by the Lord’s spirit, Jephthah approached the Ammonites to fight with them, and the Lord handed them over to him.  He defeated them from Aroer all the way to Minnith – twenty cities in all, even as far as Abel Keramim! He wiped them out!  The Israelites humiliated the Ammonites.4  But after the Lord’s spirit empowered him, and before he defeated the Ammonites, on the way to battle, probably in the hearing of his officers and men (Judges 11:30, 31 NET):

Jephthah made (nāḏar, וידר) a vow (neḏer, נדר) to the Lord, saying, “If you really do hand the Ammonites over to me [Table], then whoever is the first to come through the doors of my house to meet me when I return safely from fighting the Ammonites – he will belong to the Lord and I will offer him up as a burnt sacrifice [Table].”

Whether he studied the scroll himself or with the aid of priests or Levites the information Jephthah shared with the Ammonite king came largely from Numbers.  In Numbers 30:1, 2 (NET), Moses told the leaders of the tribes concerning the Israelites, “This is what the Lord has commanded:  If a man makes (nāḏar, ידר) a vow (neḏer, נדר) to the Lord or takes (šāḇaʿ, השבע) an oath (šᵊḇûʿâ, שבעה) of binding obligation on himself, he must not break (ḥālal, יחל) his word, but must do whatever (kōl, ככל) he has promised (yāṣā’ היצא, pê מפיו) [Table].

The plot thickens (Judges 11:34, 35 NET):

When Jephthah came home to Mizpah, there was his daughter hurrying out to meet him, dancing to the rhythm of tambourines.  She was his only child; except for her he had no son or daughter.  When he saw her, he ripped his clothes and said, “Oh no!  My daughter!  You have completely ruined me!  You have brought me disaster!  I made (pāṣâ, פציתי) an oath (pê, פי) to the Lord, and I cannot break (šûḇ, לשוב) it.”

Though it is a tricky thing to do it might be possible to infer a few things about this marauding leader of lawless men, the exiled son of a professional (or eager amateur) devotee of one of the Baals or Ashtars, as a father by his daughter’s response.  “My father, since you made (pāṣâ, פציתה) an oath (pê, פיך) to the Lord, do to me as you promised (‘ăšer, כאשר; yāṣā’, יצא; pê, מפיך; literally: “whatever went out from your mouth”).  After all, the Lord vindicated you before your enemies, the Ammonites.”5  And it was not only before the Ammonites that Jephthah was vindicated.

The story concluded (Judges 11:37-40 NET):

She then said to her father, “Please grant me this one wish.  For two months allow me to walk through the hills with my friends and mourn my virginity.”  He said, “You may go.”  He permitted her to leave for two months.  She went with her friends and mourned her virginity as she walked through the hills.  After two months she returned (šûḇ, ותשב) to her father, and he did to her as he had (neḏer, נדרו) vowed (nāḏar, נדר).  She died a virgin.  Her tragic death gave rise to a custom in Israel.  Every year Israelite women commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for four days [Table].

For a long time I accepted this story as a tragic example of the high price of righteousness, or justification, by the works of the law.  The repetition of the words וידר (nāḏar) and נדר (nāḏar) in Judges 11:30 , and נדר (neḏer) and נדרו (neḏer) in Judges 11:39, as they appear in Numbers 30:2 (nāḏar, ידר and neḏer, נדר), leads me to believe that the author of Judges probably thought that, too.  The Bible I used at the time did not have a topical heading that read: A Foolish Vow Spells Death for a Daughter.  I’m not sure I would have believed it if it had.  It was only after encountering the divorce dilemma in Ezra and Malachi that I began to rethink Jephthah’s dilemma.  I wasn’t prepared yet to find salvation for Jephthah’s daughter in the law (Leviticus 5:4-6a NET).

…when a person swears an oath (šāḇaʿ, תשבע), speaking thoughtlessly (bāṭā’, לבטא) with his lips, whether to do evil or to do good, with regard to anything which the individual might speak thoughtlessly (bāṭā’, יבטא) in an oath (šᵊḇûʿâ, בשבעה), even if he did not realize it, but he himself has later come to know it and is guilty with regard to one of these oaths – when an individual becomes guilty with regard to one of these things he must confess how he has sinned, and he must bring his penalty for guilt to the Lord for his sin that he has committed…

 

Addendum: August 5, 2021
Tables comparing Judges 11:12; 11:13; 11:14; 11:15; 11:16; 11:17; 11:18; 11:19; 11:20; 11:21; 11:22; 11:23; 11:24; 11:25; 11:26; 11:27; 11:28; 11:32; 11:33; Numbers 30:1 (30:2); Judges 11:34; 11:35; 11:37; 11:38; 11:39; Leviticus 5:4; 5:5 and 5:6 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Judges 11:12; 11:13; 11:14; 11:15; 11:16; 11:17; 11:18; 11:19; 11:20; 11:21; 11:22; 11:23; 11:24; 11:25; 11:26; 11:27; 11:28; 11:32; 11:33; Numbers 30:1 (30:2); Judges 11:34; 11:35; 11:37; 11:38; 11:39 (11:39, 40a); Leviticus 5:4; 5:5 and 5:6 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.

Judges 11:12 (Tanakh)

 Judges 11:12 (KJV)

Judges 11:12 (NET)
And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land? And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land? Jephthah sent messengers to the Ammonite king, saying, “Why have you come against me to attack my land?”

Judges 11:12 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Ιεφθαε ἀγγέλους πρὸς βασιλέα υἱῶν Αμμων λέγων τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί ὅτι ἥκεις πρός με σὺ πολεμῆσαί με ἐν τῇ γῇ μου Καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ᾿Ιεφθάε ἀγγέλους πρὸς βασιλέα υἱῶν ᾿Αμμὼν λέγων· τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί, ὅτι ἦλθες πρός με τοῦ παρατάξασθαι ἐν τῇ γῇ μου

Judges 11:12 (NETS)

Judges 11:12 (English Elpenor)
And Iephthae sent messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon, saying, “What is there between you and me that you have come against me to fight me in my land?” And Jephthae sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What have I to do with thee, that thou hast come against me to fight in my land?

Judges 11:13 (Tanakh)

 Judges 11:13 (KJV)

Judges 11:13 (NET)
And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those lands again peaceably. And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those lands again peaceably. The Ammonite king said to Jephthah’s messengers, “Because Israel stole my land when they came up from Egypt—from the Arnon River in the south to the Jabbok River in the north, and as far west as the Jordan.  Now return it peaceably!”

Judges 11:13 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν βασιλεὺς υἱῶν Αμμων πρὸς τοὺς ἀγγέλους Ιεφθαε διότι ἔλαβεν Ισραηλ τὴν γῆν μου ἐν τῇ ἀναβάσει αὐτοῦ ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἀπὸ Αρνων ἕως Ιαβοκ καὶ ἕως τοῦ Ιορδάνου καὶ νῦν ἐπίστρεψον αὐτὰς μετ᾽ εἰρήνης καὶ εἶπε βασιλεὺς υἱῶν ᾿Αμμὼν πρὸς τοὺς ἀγγέλους ᾿Ιεφθάε· ὅτι ἔλαβεν ᾿Ισραὴλ τὴν γῆν μου ἐν τῷ ἀναβαίνειν αὐτὸν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἀπὸ ᾿Αρνὼν ἕως ᾿Ιαβὸκ καὶ ἕως τοῦ ᾿Ιορδάνου· καὶ νῦν ἐπίστρεψον αὐτὰς ἐν εἰρήνῃ, καὶ πορεύσομαι

Judges 11:13 (NETS)

Judges 11:13 (English Elpenor)
And the king of the sons of Ammon said to the messengers of Iephthae, “Because Israel took away my land in their journey up out of Egypt, from Arnon up to Iabok and up to the Jordan, and now restore them in peace.” And the king of the children of Ammon said to the messengers of Jephthae, Because Israel took my land when he went up out of Egypt, from Arnon to Jaboc, and to Jordan: now then return them peaceably and I will depart.

Judges 11:14 (Tanakh)

 Judges 11:14 (KJV)

Judges 11:14 (NET)
And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon: And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon: Jephthah sent messengers back to the Ammonite king

Judges 11:14 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀπέστρεψαν οἱ ἄγγελοι πρὸς Ιεφθαε καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Ιεφθαε ἀγγέλους πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα υἱῶν Αμμων καὶ προσέθηκεν ἔτι ᾿Ιεφθάε καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ἀγγέλους πρὸς βασιλέα υἱῶν ᾿Αμμών

Judges 11:14 (NETS)

Judges 11:14 (English Elpenor)
And the messengers returned to Iephthae, and Iephthae sent messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon, And Jephthae again sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon,

Judges 11:15 (Tanakh)

 Judges 11:15 (KJV)

Judges 11:15 (NET)
And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon: And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon: and said to him, “This is what Jephthah says, ‘Israel did not steal the land of Moab and the land of the Ammonites.

Judges 11:15 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
λέγων τάδε λέγει Ιεφθαε οὐκ ἔλαβεν Ισραηλ τὴν γῆν Μωαβ καὶ τὴν γῆν υἱῶν Αμμων καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ οὕτω λέγει ᾿Ιεφθάε· οὐκ ἔλαβεν ᾿Ισραὴλ τὴν γῆν Μωὰβ καὶ τὴν γῆν υἱῶν ᾿Αμμών

Judges 11:15 (NETS)

Judges 11:15 (English Elpenor)
saying: “This is what Iephthae says: Israel did not take away the land of Moab or the land of the sons of Ammon and said to him, Thus says Jephthae, Israel took not the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon;

Judges 11:16 (Tanakh)

 Judges 11:16 (KJV)

Judges 11:16 (NET)
But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh; But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh; When they left Egypt, Israel traveled through the desert as far as the Red Sea and then came to Kadesh.

Judges 11:16 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐν τῇ ἀναβάσει αὐτῶν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἀλλ᾽ ἐπορεύθη Ισραηλ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἕως θαλάσσης ἐρυθρᾶς καὶ ἦλθεν ἕως Καδης ὅτι ἐν τῷ ἀναβαίνειν αὐτοὺς ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἐπορεύθη ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἕως θαλάσσης Σὶφ καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς Κάδης

Judges 11:16 (NETS)

Judges 11:16 (English Elpenor)
in their journey up out of Egypt; rather, Israel went in the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kades. for in their going up out of Egypt Israel went in the wilderness as far as the sea of Siph, and came to Cades.

Judges 11:17 (Tanakh)

 Judges 11:17 (KJV)

Judges 11:17 (NET)
Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land: but the king of Edom would not hearken thereto.  And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh. Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land: but the king of Edom would not hearken thereto.  And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh. Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, “Please allow us to pass through your land.”  But the king of Edom rejected the request.  Israel sent the same request to the king of Moab, but he was unwilling to cooperate.  So Israel stayed at Kadesh.

Judges 11:17 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐξαπέστειλεν Ισραηλ ἀγγέλους πρὸς βασιλέα Εδωμ λέγων παρελεύσομαι διὰ τῆς γῆς σου καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσεν βασιλεὺς Εδωμ καί γε πρὸς βασιλέα Μωαβ ἀπέστειλεν καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησεν καὶ ἐκάθισεν Ισραηλ ἐν Καδης καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ᾿Ισραὴλ ἀγγέλους πρὸς βασιλέα ᾿Εδὼμ λέγων· παρελεύσομαι δὴ ἐν τῇ γῇ σου· καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσε βασιλεὺς ᾿Εδώμ. καί γε πρὸς βασιλέα Μωὰβ ἀπέστειλε, καὶ οὐκ εὐδόκησε. καὶ ἐκάθισεν ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐν Κάδης

Judges 11:17 (NETS)

Judges 11:17 (English Elpenor)
And Israel sent out messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘I will pass through your land,’ and the king of Edom did not listen.  And indeed he sent to the king of Moab, but he did not consent.  And Israel resided at Kades. And Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, I will pass, if it please thee, by thy land: and the king of Edom complied not: and [Israel] also sent to the king of Moab, and he did not consent; and Israel sojourned in Cades.

Judges 11:18 (Tanakh)

 Judges 11:18 (KJV)

Judges 11:18 (NET)
Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab. Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab. Then Israel went through the wilderness and bypassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab.  They traveled east of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon River; they did not go through Moabite territory (the Arnon was Moab’s border).

Judges 11:18 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ διῆλθεν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ καὶ ἐκύκλωσεν τὴν γῆν Εδωμ καὶ τὴν γῆν Μωαβ καὶ παρεγένετο κατ᾽ ἀνατολὰς ἡλίου τῆς γῆς Μωαβ καὶ παρενέβαλον ἐν τῷ πέραν Αρνων καὶ οὐκ εἰσῆλθον εἰς τὸ ὅριον Μωαβ ὅτι Αρνων ἦν ὅριον Μωαβ καὶ ἐπορεύθη ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ καὶ ἐκύκλωσε τὴν γῆν ᾿Εδὼμ καὶ τὴν γῆν Μωὰβ καὶ ἦλθεν ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν ἡλίου τῇ γῇ Μωὰβ καὶ παρενέβαλεν ἐν πέραν ᾿Αρνὼν καὶ οὐκ εἰσῆλθεν ἐν ὁρίοις Μωάβ, ὅτι ᾿Αρνὼν ὅριον Μωάβ

Judges 11:18 (NETS)

Judges 11:18 (English Elpenor)
And he journeyed through in the wilderness and went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab and arrived at sunrise of the land of Moab, and they camped on the other side of the Arnon.  And they did not enter the territory of Moab, for Arnon was the boundary of Moab. And Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, I will pass, if it please thee, by thy land: and the king of Edom complied not: and [Israel] also sent to the king of Moab, and he did not consent; and Israel sojourned in Cades.

Judges 11:19 (Tanakh)

 Judges 11:19 (KJV)

Judges 11:19 (NET)
And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place. And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place. Israel sent messengers to King Sihon, the Amorite king who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him, “Please allow us to pass through your land to our land.”

Judges 11:19 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:19 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Ισραηλ ἀγγέλους πρὸς Σηων βασιλέα Εσεβων τὸν Αμορραῗον καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ισραηλ παρελεύσομαι διὰ τῆς γῆς σου ἕως τοῦ τόπου μου καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ᾿Ισραὴλ ἀγγέλους πρὸς Σηὼν βασιλέα τοῦ ᾿Αμορραίου βασιλέα ᾿Εσεβών, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ᾿Ισραήλ· παρέλθωμεν δὴ ἐν τῇ γῇ σου ἕως τοῦ τόπου ἡμῶν

Judges 11:19 (NETS)

Judges 11:19 (English Elpenor)
And Israel sent messengers to Seon, king of Heshbon, the Amorite, and Israel said to him, ‘I will pass through your land to my place.’ And Israel sent messengers to Seon king of the Amorite, king of Esbon, and Israel said to him, Let us pass, we pray thee, by thy land to our place.

Judges 11:20 (Tanakh)

 Judges 11:20 (KJV)

Judges 11:20 (NET)
But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel. But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel. But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory.  He assembled his whole army, camped in Jahaz, and fought with Israel.

Judges 11:20 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:20 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησεν Σηων διελθεῗν τὸν Ισραηλ διὰ τῶν ὁρίων αὐτοῦ καὶ συνήγαγεν Σηων πάντα τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ παρενέβαλεν εἰς Ιασσα καὶ ἐπολέμησεν μετὰ Ισραηλ καὶ οὐκ ἐνεπίστευσε Σηὼν τῷ ᾿Ισραὴλ παρελθεῖν ἐν τῷ ὁρίῳ αὐτοῦ· καὶ συνῆξε Σηὼν πάντα τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ παρενέβαλον εἰς ᾿Ιασά, καὶ παρετάξατο πρὸς ᾿Ισραήλ

Judges 11:20 (NETS)

Judges 11:20 (English Elpenor)
And Seon did not want Israel to cross his boundaries, and Seon gathered all his people together and encamped at Iassa and fought with Israel. And Seon did not trust Israel to pass by his coast; and Seon gathered all his people, and they encamped at Jasa; and he set the battle in array against Israel.

Judges 11:21 (Tanakh)

 Judges 11:21 (KJV)

Judges 11:21 (NET)
And the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country. And the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country. The Lord God of Israel handed Sihon and his whole army over to Israel, and they defeated them.  Israel took all the land of the Amorites who lived in that land.

Judges 11:21 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:21 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ παρέδωκεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ τὸν Σηων καὶ πάντα τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν χειρὶ Ισραηλ καὶ ἐπάταξεν αὐτούς καὶ ἐκληρονόμησεν Ισραηλ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν τοῦ Αμορραίου τοῦ κατοικοῦντος ἐν τῇ γῇ καὶ παρέδωκε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ᾿Ισραὴλ τὸν Σηὼν καὶ πάντα τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν χειρὶ ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ ἐπάταξεν αὐτόν· καὶ ἐκληρονόμησεν ᾿Ισραὴλ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν τοῦ ᾿Αμμοραίου τοῦ κατοικοῦντος τὴν γῆν ἐκείνην

Judges 11:21 (NETS)

Judges 11:21 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord, the God of Israel, gave Seon and all his people in the hand of Israel, and he struck them down, and Israel inherited all the land of the Amorrite who inhabited the land. And the Lord God of Israel delivered Seon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote him; and Israel inherited all the land of the Amorite who dwelt in that land,
Judges 11:22 (Tanakh) Judges 11:22 (KJV)

Judges 11:22 (NET)
And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan. And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan. They took all the Amorite territory from the Arnon River on the south to the Jabbok River on the north, from the desert in the east to the Jordan in the west.

Judges 11:22 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:22 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐκληρονόμησεν πᾶν τὸ ὅριον τοῦ Αμορραίου ἀπὸ Αρνων καὶ ἕως τοῦ Ιαβοκ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐρήμου καὶ ἕως τοῦ Ιορδάνου ἀπὸ ᾿Αρνὼν καὶ ἕως τοῦ ᾿Ιαβὸκ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐρήμου ἕως τοῦ ᾿Ιορδάνου

Judges 11:22 (NETS)

Judges 11:22 (English Elpenor)
And he inherited all the territory of the Amorrite from Arnon and up to Iabbok and from the wilderness and up to the Jordan. from Arnon and to Jaboc, and from the wilderness to Jordan.

Judges 11:23 (Tanakh)

 Judges 11:23 (KJV)

Judges 11:23 (NET)
So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it? So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it? Since the Lord God of Israel has driven out the Amorites before his people Israel, do you think you can just take it from them?

Judges 11:23 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ νῦν κύριος ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ ἐξῆρεν τὸν Αμορραῗον ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ Ισραηλ καὶ σὺ κληρονομήσεις αὐτὸν ἐπὶ σοῦ καὶ νῦν Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐξῇρε τὸν ᾿Αμορραῖον ἀπὸ προσώπου λαοῦ αὐτοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ σὺ κληρονομήσεις αὐτόν

Judges 11:23 (NETS)

Judges 11:23 (English Elpenor)
And now the Lord, the God of Israel, has removed the Amorrite from before his people Israel.  And shall you inherit them for yourself? And now the Lord God of Israel has removed the Amorite from before his people Israel, and shalt thou inherit his [land]?

Judges 11:24 (Tanakh)

 Judges 11:24 (KJV)

Judges 11:24 (NET)
Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess?  So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess. Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess?  So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess. You have the right to take what Chemosh your god gives you, but we will take the land of all whom the Lord our God has driven out before us.

Judges 11:24 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:24 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐχὶ ὅσα κατεκληρονόμησέν σοι Χαμως ὁ θεός σου αὐτὰ κληρονομήσεις καὶ πάντα ὅσα κατεκληρονόμησεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν ἀπὸ προσώπου ἡμῶν αὐτὰ κληρονομήσομεν οὐχὶ ἃ ἐὰν κληρονομήσει σε Χαμὼς ὁ θεός σου, αὐτὰ κληρονομήσεις, καὶ τοὺς πάντας, οὓς ἐξῇρε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν ἀπὸ προσώπου ὑμῶν, αὐτοὺς κληρονομήσομεν

Judges 11:24 (NETS)

Judges 11:24 (English Elpenor)
Should it not be that whatever your god Chamos has assigned you as an inheritance, that you will inherit?  And everything that the Lord our God has assigned as an inheritance from before us, that we will inherit. Wilt thou not inherit those possessions which Chamos thy god shall cause thee to inherit; and shall not we inherit the [land of] all those whom the Lord our God has removed from before you?

Judges 11:25 (Tanakh)

 Judges 11:25 (KJV)

Judges 11:25 (NET)
And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them, And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them, Are you really better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab?  Did he dare to quarrel with Israel?  Did he dare to fight with them?

Judges 11:25 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:25 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ νῦν μὴ κρείσσων εἶ σὺ τοῦ Βαλακ υἱοῦ Σεπφωρ βασιλέως Μωαβ μὴ μάχῃ ἐμαχέσατο μετὰ Ισραηλ ἢ πολεμῶν ἐπολέμησεν αὐτοῗς καὶ νῦν μὴ ἐν ἀγαθῷ ἀγαθώτερος σὺ ὑπὲρ Βαλὰκ υἱὸν Σεπφὼρ βασιλέως Μωάβ; μὴ μαχόμενος ἐμαχέσατο μετὰ ᾿Ισραὴλ ἢ πολεμῶν ἐπολέμησεν αὐτόν

Judges 11:25 (NETS)

Judges 11:25 (English Elpenor)
And now, are you any better than Balak son of Sepphor, king of Moab?  Did he fight in a battle with Israel, or going to war, did he go to war with them? And now art thou any better than Balac son of Sepphor, king of Moab? did he indeed fight with Israel, or indeed make war with him,

Judges 11:26 (Tanakh)

 Judges 11:26 (KJV)

Judges 11:26 (NET)
While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover them within that time? While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover them within that time? Israel has been living in Heshbon and its nearby towns, in Aroer and its nearby towns, and in all the cities along the Arnon for 300 years!  Why did you not reclaim them during that time?

Judges 11:26 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:26 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ Ισραηλ ἐν Εσεβων καὶ ἐν ταῗς θυγατράσιν αὐτῆς καὶ ἐν Ιαζηρ καὶ ἐν ταῗς θυγατράσιν αὐτῆς καὶ ἐν πάσαις ταῗς πόλεσιν ταῗς παρὰ τὸν Ιορδάνην τριακόσια ἔτη τί ὅτι οὐκ ἐρρύσαντο αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ ἐν τῷ οἰκῆσαι ἐν ᾿Εσεβὼν καὶ ἐν τοῖς ὁρίοις αὐτῆς καὶ ἐν γῇ ᾿Αροὴρ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ὁρίοις αὐτῆς καὶ ἐν πάσαις ταῖς πόλεσι ταῖς παρὰ τὸν ᾿Ιορδάνην τριακόσια ἔτη, καὶ διατί οὐκ ἐρρύσω αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ

Judges 11:26 (NETS)

Judges 11:26 (English Elpenor)
In the house of Israel in Hesebon and in its daughters and in Iazer and in its daughters and in all the cities that are along the Jordan, for three hundred years, why is it they did not recover them within that time? when [Israel] dwelt in Esebon and in its coasts, and in the land of Aroer and in its coasts, and in all the cities by Jordan, three hundred years? and wherefore didst thou not recover them in that time?

Judges 11:27 (Tanakh)

 Judges 11:27 (KJV)

Judges 11:27 (NET)
Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the LORD the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon. Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the LORD the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon. I have not done you wrong, but you are doing wrong by attacking me.  May the Lord, the Judge, judge this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites!’”

Judges 11:27 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:27 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐγὼ οὐχ ἥμαρτόν σοι καὶ σὺ ποιεῗς μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ πονηρίαν τοῦ πολεμῆσαι ἐν ἐμοί κρίναι κύριος ὁ κρίνων σήμερον ἀνὰ μέσον υἱῶν Ισραηλ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον υἱῶν Αμμων καὶ νῦν ἐγώ εἰμι οὐχ ἥμαρτόν σοι, καὶ σὺ ποιεῖς μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ πονηρίαν τοῦ παρατάξασθαι ἐν ἐμοί· κρίναι Κύριος ὁ κρίνων σήμερον ἀνὰ μέσον υἱῶν ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον υἱῶν ᾿Αμμών

Judges 11:27 (NETS)

Judges 11:27 (English Elpenor)
And as for me, I have not sinned against you, and you are the one who does evil against me, to make war against me.  May the Lord, who is judging, judge today between the sons of Israel and between the sons of Ammon.” And now I have not sinned against thee, but thou wrongest me in preparing war against me: may the Lord the Judge judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.

Judges 11:28 (Tanakh)

 Judges 11:28 (KJV)

Judges 11:28 (NET)
Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him. Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him. But the Ammonite king disregarded the message sent by Jephthah.

Judges 11:28 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:28 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ οὐκ εἰσήκουσεν βασιλεὺς υἱῶν Αμμων καὶ οὐκ εἰσήκουσεν τῶν λόγων Ιεφθαε ὧν ἀπέστειλεν πρὸς αὐτόν καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσε βασιλεὺς ᾿Αμμὼν τῶν λόγων ᾿Ιεφθάε, ὧν ἀπέστειλε πρὸς αὐτόν

Judges 11:28 (NETS)

Judges 11:28 (English Elpenor)
And the king of the sons of Ammon did not pay heed, and he did not pay heed to the words of Iephthae that he sent him. But the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not to the words of Jephthae, which he sent to him.

Judges 11:32 (Tanakh)

 Judges 11:32 (KJV)

Judges 11:32 (NET)
So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands. So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands. Jephthah approached the Ammonites to fight with them, and the Lord handed them over to him.

Judges 11:32 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:32 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ διέβη Ιεφθαε πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς Αμμων τοῦ πολεμῆσαι πρὸς αὐτούς καὶ παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς κύριος ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ παρῆλθεν ᾿Ιεφθάε πρὸς υἱοὺς ᾿Αμμὼν παρατάξασθαι πρὸς αὐτούς, καὶ παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς Κύριος ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ

Judges 11:32 (NETS)

Judges 11:32 (English Elpenor)
And Iephthae crossed over to the sons of Ammon to fight against them, and the Lord gave them up in his hand. And Jephthae advanced to meet the sons of Ammon to fight against them; and the Lord delivered them into his hand.

Judges 11:33 (Tanakh)

 Judges 11:33 (KJV)

Judges 11:33 (NET)
And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter.  Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel. And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter.  Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel. He defeated them from Aroer all the way to Minnith—20 cities in all, even as far as Abel Keramim.  He wiped them out!  The Israelites humiliated the Ammonites.

Judges 11:33 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:33 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐπάταξεν αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ Αροηρ καὶ ἕως τοῦ ἐλθεῗν εἰς Σεμωιθ εἴκοσι πόλεις ἕως Αβελ ἀμπελώνων πληγὴν μεγάλην σφόδρα καὶ ἐνετράπησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Αμμων ἀπὸ προσώπου υἱῶν Ισραηλ καὶ ἐπάταξεν αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ ᾿Αροὴρ ἕως ἐλθεῖν ἄχρις ᾿Αρνὼν ἐν ἀριθμῷ εἴκοσι πόλεις καὶ ἕως ᾿Εβελχαρμὶμ πληγὴν μεγάλην σφόδρα, καὶ συνεστάλησαν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Αμμὼν ἀπὸ προσώπου υἱῶν ᾿Ισραήλ.

Judges 11:33 (NETS)

Judges 11:33 (English Elpenor)
And he struck them down from Aroer and until one comes to Semoith, twenty cities, as far as Abel-of-the-vineyards, a very great blow.  And the sons of Ammon were humbled from before the sons of Israel. And he smote them from Aroer till [one] comes to Arnon, in number twenty cities, and as far as Ebelcharmim, with a very great destruction: and the children of Ammon were straitened before the children of Israel.

Numbers 30:2 (Tanakh)

 Numbers 30:1 (KJV)

Numbers 30:1 (NET)
And Moses spoke unto the heads of the tribes of the children of Israel, saying: This is the thing which HaShem hath commanded. And Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded. Moses told the leaders of the tribes concerning the Israelites, “This is what the Lord has commanded:

Numbers 30:1 (Septuagint BLB)

Numbers 30:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐλάλησεν Μωυσῆς πρὸς τοὺς ἄρχοντας τῶν φυλῶν Ισραηλ λέγων τοῦτο τὸ ῥῆμα ὃ συνέταξεν κύριος καὶ ἐλάλησε Μωυσῆς πρὸς τοὺς ἄρχοντας τῶν φυλῶν υἱῶν ᾿Ισραὴλ λέγων· τοῦτο τὸ ῥῆμα, ὃ συνέταξε Κύριος

Numbers 30:2 (NETS)

Numbers 30:2 (English Elpenor)
And Moyses spoke to the rulers of the tribes of Israel, saying: This is the word that the Lord ordered: And Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the children of Israel, saying, This [is] the thing which the Lord has commanded.

Judges 11:34 (Tanakh)

 Judges 11:34 (KJV)

Judges 11:34 (NET)
And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter. And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter. When Jephthah came home to Mizpah, there was his daughter hurrying out to meet him, dancing to the rhythm of tambourines.  She was his only child; except for her he had no son or daughter.

Judges 11:34 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:34 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἦλθεν Ιεφθαε εἰς Μασσηφα εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἰδοὺ ἡ θυγάτηρ αὐτοῦ ἐξεπορεύετο εἰς ἀπάντησιν αὐτοῦ ἐν τυμπάνοις καὶ χοροῗς καὶ αὕτη μονογενὴς αὐτῷ ἀγαπητή καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτῷ πλὴν αὐτῆς υἱὸς ἢ θυγάτηρ Καὶ ἦλθεν ᾿Ιεφθάε εἰς Μασσηφὰ εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἡ θυγάτηρ αὐτοῦ ἐξεπορεύετο εἰς ὑπάντησιν ἐν τυμπάνοις καὶ χοροῖς· καὶ αὕτη ἦν μονογενής, οὐκ ἦν αὐτῷ ἕτερος υἱὸς ἢ θυγάτηρ

Judges 11:34 (NETS)

Judges 11:34 (English Elpenor)
And Iephthae came to Massepha, to his home, and see, his daughter was coming out to meet him with timbrels and with dancing.  And she was his beloved only child, and he had no son or daughter except her. And Jephthae came to Massepha to his house; and behold, his daughter came forth to meet him with timbrels and dances; and she was his only child, he had not another son or daughter.

Judges 11:35 (Tanakh)

 Judges 11:35 (KJV)

Judges 11:35 (NET)
And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back. And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back. When he saw her, he ripped his clothes and said, “Oh no! My daughter!  You have completely ruined me!  You have brought me disaster!  I made an oath to the Lord, and I cannot break it.”

Judges 11:35 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:35 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐγενήθη ἡνίκα εἶδεν αὐτήν καὶ διέρρηξεν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν οἴμμοι θύγατέρ μου ἐμπεποδοστάτηκάς με εἰς σκῶλον ἐγένου ἐν ὀφθαλμοῗς μου ἐγὼ δὲ ἤνοιξα τὸ στόμα μου περὶ σοῦ πρὸς κύριον καὶ οὐ δυνήσομαι ἀποστρέψαι καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς εἶδεν αὐτὴν αὐτός, διέρρηξε τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν· ἆ ἆ, θυγάτηρ μου, ταραχῇ ἐτάραξάς με καὶ σὺ ἦς ἐν τῷ ταράχῳ μου, καὶ ἐγώ εἰμι ἤνοιξα κατὰ σοῦ τὸ στόμα μου πρὸς Κύριον καὶ οὐ δυνήσομαι ἀποστρέψαι

Judges 11:35 (NETS)

Judges 11:35 (English Elpenor)
And it came about, when he saw her that he tore his clothes and said, “Alas, my daughter!  You have got in my way; you have become for a thorn in my eyes.  But I opened my mouth about you to the Lord, and I cannot turn away.” And it came to pass when he saw her, that he rent his garments, and said, Ah, ah, my daughter, thou hast indeed troubled me, and thou wast the cause of my trouble; and I have opened my mouth against thee to the Lord, and I shall not be able to return from it.

Judges 11:37 (Tanakh)

 Judges 11:37 (KJV)

Judges 11:37 (NET)
And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows. And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows. She then said to her father, “Please grant me this one wish.  For two months allow me to walk through the hills with my friends and mourn my virginity.”

Judges 11:37 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:37 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα αὐτῆς καὶ ποίησόν μοι τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο ἔασόν με δύο μῆνας καὶ πορεύσομαι καὶ καταβήσομαι ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη καὶ κλαύσομαι ἐπὶ τὰ παρθένιά μου καὶ ἐγὼ καὶ αἱ συνεταιρίδες μου καὶ ἥδε εἶπε πρὸς τὸν πατέρα αὐτῆς· ποιησάτω δὴ ὁ πατήρ μου τὸν λόγον τοῦτον· ἔασόν με δύο μῆνας, καὶ πορεύσομαι καὶ καταβήσομαι ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη καὶ κλαύσομαι ἐπὶ τὰ παρθένιά μου, ἐγώ εἰμι καὶ αἱ συνεταιρίδες μου

Judges 11:37 (NETS)

Judges 11:37 (English Elpenor)
And she said to her father, “Also, do this word for me: Grant me two months, and I will go and descend on the mountains and bewail my virginity, both I and my companions.” And she said to her father, Let my father now do this thing: let me alone for two months, and I will go up and down on the mountains, and I will bewail my virginity, I and my companions.

Judges 11:38 (Tanakh)

 Judges 11:38 (KJV)

Judges 11:38 (NET)
And he said, Go.  And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains. And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains. He said, “You may go.” He permitted her to leave for two months. She went with her friends and mourned her virginity as she walked through the hills.

Judges 11:38 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:38 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν πορεύου καὶ ἐξαπέστειλεν αὐτὴν δύο μῆνας καὶ ἐπορεύθη αὐτὴ καὶ αἱ συνεταιρίδες αὐτῆς καὶ ἔκλαυσεν ἐπὶ τὰ παρθένια αὐτῆς ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη καὶ εἶπε· πορεύου· καὶ ἀπέστειλεν αὐτὴν δύο μῆνας. καὶ ἐπορεύθη, αὐτὴ καὶ αἱ συνεταιρίδες αὐτῆς, καὶ ἔκλαυσεν ἐπὶ τὰ παρθένια αὐτῆς ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη

Judges 11:38 (NETS)

Judges 11:38 (English Elpenor)
And he said, “Go,” and sent her away for two months.  And she went, she and her companions, and she bewailed her virginity on the mountains. And he said, Go: and he sent her away for two months; and she went, and her companions, and she bewailed her virginity on the mountains.

Judges 11:39 (Tanakh)

 Judges 11:39 (KJV)

Judges 11:39 (NET)
And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man.  And it was a custom in Israel, And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man.  And it was a custom in Israel, After two months she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed.  She died a virgin.  Her tragic death gave rise to a custom in Israel.

Judges 11:39 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:39 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐγένετο μετὰ τέλος δύο μηνῶν καὶ ἀνέκαμψεν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα αὐτῆς καὶ ἐπετέλεσεν Ιεφθαε τὴν εὐχὴν αὐτοῦ ἣν ηὔξατο καὶ αὐτὴ οὐκ ἔγνω ἄνδρα καὶ ἐγενήθη εἰς πρόσταγμα ἐν Ισραηλ καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τέλει τῶν δύο μηνῶν καὶ ἐπέστρεψε πρὸς τὸν πατέρα αὐτῆς, καὶ ἐποίησεν ἐν αὐτῇ εὐχὴν αὐτοῦ, ἣν ηὔξατο· καὶ αὕτη οὐκ ἔγνω ἄνδρα. καὶ ἐγένετο εἰς πρόσταγμα ἐν ᾿Ισραήλ

Judges 11:39 (NETS)

Judges 11:39, 40a (English Elpenor)
And it came about after the end of two months that she returned to her father, and Iephthae fulfilled his vow that he had vowed.  And she had never known a man.  And it became for an ordinance in Israel: And it came to pass at the end of the two months that she returned to her father; and he performed upon her his vow which he vowed; and she knew no man: (40) and it was an ordinance in Israel,

Leviticus 5:4 (Tanakh)

 Leviticus 5:4 (KJV)

Leviticus 5:4 (NET)
or if any one swear clearly with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall utter clearly with an oath, and it be hid from him; and, when he knoweth of it, be guilty in one of these things; Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these. or when a person swears an oath, speaking thoughtlessly with his lips, whether to do evil or to do good, with regard to anything which the individual might speak thoughtlessly in an oath, even if he did not realize it, but he has later come to know it and is guilty with regard to one of these oaths—

Leviticus 5:4 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 5:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἢ ψυχή ἡ ἂν ὀμόσῃ διαστέλλουσα τοῗς χείλεσιν κακοποιῆσαι ἢ καλῶς ποιῆσαι κατὰ πάντα ὅσα ἐὰν διαστείλῃ ὁ ἄνθρωπος μεθ᾽ ὅρκου καὶ λάθῃ αὐτὸν πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν καὶ οὗτος γνῷ καὶ ἁμάρτῃ ἕν τι τούτων ἡ ψυχή, ἣ ἂν ὀμόσῃ διαστέλλουσα τοῖς χείλεσι κακοποιῆσαι ἢ καλῶς ποιῆσαι κατὰ πάντα, ὅσα ἐὰν διαστείλῃ ὁ ἄνθρωπος μεθ᾿ ὅρκου, καὶ λάθῃ αὐτὸν πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν, καὶ οὗτος γνῷ, καὶ ἁμάρτῃ ἕν τι τούτων,

Leviticus 5:4 (NETS)

Leviticus 5:4 (English Elpenor)
or a soul who swears, determining with his lips to do evil or to do good, in any way that the person may speak forcefully by an oath, and if it excapes the notice of his eyes and if he comes to know it and should sin in any one of these, That unrighteous soul, which determines with his lips to do evil or to do good according to whatsoever a man may determine with an oath, and it shall have escaped his notice, and he shall [afterwards] know [it], and [so] he should sin in some one of these things:

Leviticus 5:5 (Tanakh)

 Leviticus 5:5 (KJV)

Leviticus 5:5 (NET)
and it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that wherein he hath sinned; And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing: when an individual becomes guilty with regard to one of these things he must confess how he has sinned,

Leviticus 5:5 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 5:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐξαγορεύσει τὴν ἁμαρτίαν περὶ ὧν ἡμάρτηκεν κατ᾽ αὐτῆς καὶ ἐξαγορεύσει τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, περὶ ὧν ἡμάρτηκε κατ᾿ αὐτῆς,

Leviticus 5:5 (NETS)

Leviticus 5:5 (English Elpenor)
then he shall declare his sin concerning the things in which he has sinned. — then shall he declare his sin in the things wherein he has sinned by that sin.

Leviticus 5:6 (Tanakh)

 Leviticus 5:6 (KJV)

Leviticus 5:6 (NET)
and he shall bring his forfeit unto HaShem for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin-offering; and the priest shall make atonement for him as concerning his sin. And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin. and he must bring his penalty for guilt to the Lord for his sin that he has committed—a female from the flock, whether a female sheep or a female goat, for a sin offering.  So the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his sin.

Leviticus 5:6 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 5:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ οἴσει περὶ ὧν ἐπλημμέλησεν κυρίῳ περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἧς ἥμαρτεν θῆλυ ἀπὸ τῶν προβάτων ἀμνάδα ἢ χίμαιραν ἐξ αἰγῶν περὶ ἁμαρτίας καὶ ἐξιλάσεται περὶ αὐτοῦ ὁ ἱερεὺς περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ ἧς ἥμαρτεν καὶ ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ ἡ ἁμαρτία καὶ οἴσει περὶ ὧν ἐπλημμέλησε Κυρίῳ, περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἧς ἥμαρτε, θῆλυ ἀπὸ τῶν προβάτων, ἀμνάδα ἢ χίμαιραν ἐξ αἰγῶν, περὶ ἁμαρτίας· καὶ ἐξιλάσεται περὶ αὐτοῦ ὁ ἱερεὺς περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ, ἧς ἥμαρτε, καὶ ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ ἡ ἁμαρτία

Leviticus 5:6 (NETS)

Leviticus 5:6 (English Elpenor)
And he shall bring to the Lord for whatever he has done amiss, for the sin that he has committed, a female from the sheep—a lamb, or a young nanny goat for sin.  And the priest shall make atonement for him, for his sin that he has committed, and the sin will be forgiven him. And he shall bring for his transgressions against the Lord, for his sin which he has sinned, a ewe lamb of the flock, or a kid of the goats, for a sin-offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin which he has sinned, and his sin shall be forgiven him.