Judges 11:29
*“Now the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, so that he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, then he passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he went on to the sons of Ammon.”* (Judges 11:29, NASB-95)
Here, Scripture illuminates that Jephthah, a judge of Israel around the 1100s BC, is uniquely empowered when *the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah* to launch a military campaign against the sons of Ammon. This divine empowerment often foreshadows how God’s Spirit equips chosen leaders to accomplish His will (see also Hebrews 11:32, which highlights Jephthah’s faith). Though Jephthah’s background was fraught with rejection—he was driven out of his family inheritance (Judges 11:1–3)—God’s call on his life was unmistakable. When the text says *he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, then he passed through Mizpah of Gilead* (Judges 11:29), it points to a strategic route through territories east of the Jordan River. The region of Gilead, laying in modern-day Jordan, was a significant area often associated with tribal disputes or covenants (Genesis 31:43–55). Mizpah, meaning “watchtower,” functioned as a gathering place for leaders or armies preparing for conflict.
The phrase *from Mizpah of Gilead he went on to the sons of Ammon* (Judges 11:29) underscores Jephthah’s readiness to defend Israel by confronting the Ammonites directly, with the Spirit’s leading. The biblical narrative later reveals that Jephthah vowed to the LORD prior to his victory, following the ancient tradition of making solemn promises for divine aid (Judges 11:30–31; see also Deuteronomy 23:21 regarding faithfulness to vows citeturn0file0). This passage reminds readers that while human initiative is crucial, success ultimately comes from God’s strength. In the Old Testament era, the Holy Spirit rested upon individuals, granting them extraordinary ability to lead and deliver God’s people, pointing ahead to the expanded outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament (Acts 2:17–21).
Jephthah’s example testifies to how a person’s difficult past does not limit God’s purposes once His Spirit intervenes, and it sets the stage for his decisive role in Israel’s history.
Jephthah’s divinely guided march toward the Ammonites illustrates how God empowers those who trust Him to accomplish extraordinary acts of deliverance.
This quick synopsis was AI autogenerated utilizing existing TheBibleSays commentaries as the primary source material. To read a related commentary that has been fully developed, see the list below. If there is an issue with this summary please let us know by emailing:[email protected]
Other Relevant Commentaries:
- Judges 4:11 meaning. Judges 4:11 introduces Heber the Kenite. The details concerning Heber’s location and lineage in this verse foreshadow his involvement in the unfolding events of Sisera’s defeat, though it seems incidental at first.
- Judges 1:11-15 meaning. Caleb offers his daughter Achsah in marriage to whoever captures Kiriath-sepher. Othniel, Caleb’s nephew, successfully captures the city and marries Achsah. Achsah then asks Caleb for a field and additional water resources, and Caleb grants her the upper and lower springs.
- Exodus 12:29-36 meaning. Verses 29-36 relate the coming of the tenth plague and its immediate aftermath. The time for judgment (on Egypt) and deliverance (for Israel) had come. The LORD Himself went through the land of Egypt at midnight and killed all of the firstborn, even Pharaoh’s. Pharaoh woke up, saw what had happened, and called Moses and Aaron and told them to leave Egypt with all their families and flocks. He also asked Moses for a final blessing.