Judges 11 · Verse 10

Judges 11:10

And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The Lord be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words.
Judges 11:10, King James Version

Judges 11:10 in other translations

BSBAnd the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The LORD is our witness if we do not do as you say.”
WEBThe elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The LORD will be witness between us. Surely we will do what you say.”
ASVAnd the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Jehovah shall be witness between us; surely according to thy word so will we do.
YLTAnd the elders of Gilead say unto Jephthah, ‘Jehovah is hearkening between us--if according to thy word we do not so.'
DARBYAnd the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Jehovah be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words!
BBEAnd the responsible men of Gilead said to Jephthah, May the Lord be our witness: we will certainly do as you say.
WebsterAnd the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, The LORD be a witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words.

What does Judges 11:10 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Judges 11:10-11
10-11. the elders of Israel said unto Jephthah, The Lord be witness between us--Their offer being accompanied by the most solemn oath, Jephthah intimated his acceptance of the mission, and his willingness to accompany them. But to make "assurance doubly sure," he took care that the pledge given by the deputies in Tob should be ratified in a general assembly of the people at Mizpeh; and the language of the historian, "Jephthah uttered all his words before the Lord," seems to imply that his inauguration with the character and extraordinary office of judge was solemnized by prayer for the divine blessing, or some religious ceremonial.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Judges 11:1-11

Men ought not to be blamed for their parentage, so long as they by their personal merits roll away any reproach. God had forgiven Israel, therefore Jephthah will forgive. He speaks not with confidence of his success, knowing how justly God might suffer the Ammonites to prevail for the further punishment of Israel. Nor does he speak with any confidence at all in himself. If he succeed, it is the Lord delivers them…

Read the full comment on Judges 11:1-11 →

Judges 11:10 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּאמְר֥וּvai.yo.me.Ruand they saidH559
זִקְנֵֽי\־zik.nei-[the] elders ofH2205
גִלְעָ֖דgil.'AdGileadH1568
אֶל\־'el-toH413
יִפְתָּ֑חyif.TachJephthahH3316
יְהוָ֗הYah.wehYahwehH3068
יִהְיֶ֤הyih.Yehhe will beH1961
שֹׁמֵ֙עַ֙sho.Me.a'hearingH8085
בֵּֽינוֹתֵ֔ינוּbei.no.Tei.nubetween usH996
אִם\־'im-ifH518
לֹ֥אlo'notH3808
כִדְבָרְךָ֖khid.va.re.Khaaccording to word yourH1697
כֵּ֥ןkensoH3651
נַעֲשֶֽׂה\׃na.'a.Sehwe will doH6213

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Judges 11:10

  • Jeremiah 42:5

    Then they said to Jeremiah, The Lord be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us.

  • Genesis 31:50

    If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee.

  • Genesis 16:5

    And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the Lord judge between me and thee.

  • Jeremiah 29:23

    Because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours’ wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the Lord.

  • 1 Samuel 24:12

    The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.

  • 1 Samuel 12:5

    And he said unto them, The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.

  • Zechariah 5:4

    I will bring it forth, saith the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.

  • Genesis 21:23

    Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.

  • 2 Corinthians 11:31

    The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.

  • Malachi 3:5

    And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts.

  • Genesis 31:53

    The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac.

  • Deuteronomy 1:16

    And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
The Lord.
Ge 21:23; 31:50; 1Sa 12:5; Jer 29:23; 42:5; Ro 1:9; 2Co 11:31
be witness. be the hearer.
Ge 16:5; 31:53; De 1:16; 1Sa 24:12
if we do.
Ex 20:7; Zec 5:4; Mal 3:5

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Judges 11:9

    And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the Lord deliver them before me, shall I be your head?

  • Judges 11:10

    And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The Lord be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words.

  • Judges 11:11

    Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his words before the Lord in Mizpeh.

Read all of Judges 11

Judges 11:10 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y los ancianos de Galaad respondieron á Jephté: Jehová oiga entre nosotros, si no hiciéremos como tú dices.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et les anciens de Galaad dirent à Jephthé: L’ Éternel est témoin entre nous si nous ne faisons pas selon ce que tu as dit!
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und die Ältesten von Gilead sprachen zu Jephtha: Jehova sei Zeuge zwischen uns, wenn wir nicht also tun, wie du geredet hast!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Qui responderunt ei: Dominus, qui hæc audit, ipse mediator ac testis est quod nostra promissa faciemus.