Judges 11 · Verse 34

Judges 11:34

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.
Judges 11:34, King James Version

Judges 11:34 in other translations

BSBAnd when Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, there was his daughter coming out to meet him with tambourines and dancing! She was his only child; he had no son or daughter besides her.
WEBJephthah came to Mizpah to his house; and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter.
ASVAnd Jephthah came to Mizpah unto his house; and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; besides her he had neither son nor daughter.
YLTAnd Jephthah cometh into Mizpeh, unto his house, and lo, his daughter is coming out to meet him with timbrels, and with choruses, and save her alone, he hath none, son or daughter.
DARBYAnd Jephthah came to Mizpah to his house, and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambours and with dances; and she was an only child: besides her he had neither son nor daughter.
BBEThen Jephthah came back to his house in Mizpah, and his daughter came out, meeting him on his way with music and with dances; she was his only child; he had no other sons or daughters.
WebsterAnd Jephthah came to Mizpeh to 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.

What does Judges 11:34 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Judges 11:34-40
34-40. Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances--The return of the victors was hailed, as usual, by the joyous acclaim of a female band (1Sa 18:6), the leader of whom was Jephthah's daughter. The vow was full in his mind, and it is evident that it had not been communicated to anyone, otherwise precautions would doubtless have been taken to place another object at his door. The shriek, and other accompaniments of irrepressible grief, seem to indicate that her life was to be forfeited as a sacrifice; the nature of the sacrifice (which was abhorrent to the character of God) and distance from the tabernacle does not suffice to overturn this view, which the language and whole strain of the narrative plainly support; and although the lapse of two months might be supposed to have afforded time for reflection, and a better sense of his duty, there is but too much reason to conclude that he was impelled to the fulfilment by the dictates of a pious but unenlightened conscience.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 34 With timbrels and with dances - From this instance we find it was an ancient custom for women to go out to meet returning conquerors with musical instruments, songs, and dances; and that it was continued afterwards is evident from the instance given 1Sam 18:6, where David was met, on his return from the defeat of Goliath and the Philistines, by women from all the cities of Israel, with singing and dancing, and various instruments of music.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Judges 11:29-40

Several important lessons are to be learned from Jephthah's vow. 1. There may be remainders of distrust and doubting, even in the hearts of true and great believers. 2. Our vows to God should not be as a purchase of the favour we desire, but to express gratitude to him. 3. We need to be very well-advised in making vows, lest we entangle ourselves. 4. What we have solemnly vowed to God, we must perform, if it be…

Read the full comment on Judges 11:29-40 →

Judges 11:34 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.

וַיָּבֹ֨אvai.ya.Vo'and he cameH935
יִפְתָּ֣חyif.TachJephthahH3316
הַמִּצְפָּה֮ha.mitz.Pah<the> MizpahH4709
אֶל\־'el-toH413
בֵּיתוֹ֒bei.Tohouse hisH1004
וְהִנֵּ֤הve.hi.Nehand there!H2009
בִתּוֹ֙vi.Todaughter hisH1323
יֹצֵ֣אתyo.Tzet[was] coming outH3318
לִקְרָאת֔וֹlik.ra.Toto meet himH7122
בְתֻפִּ֖יםve.tu.Pimwith tambourinesH8596
וּבִמְחֹל֑וֹתu.vim.cho.Lotand with dancingH4246
וְרַק֙ve.Rakand onlyH7535
הִ֣יאhi'sheH1931
יְחִידָ֔הye.chi.Dah[was] an only [child]H3173
אֵֽין\־'ein-notH369
ל֥וֹlo[belonged] to <the> him
מִמֶּ֛נּוּmi.Me.nufrom himH4480
בֵּ֖ןbena sonH1121
אוֹ\־'ov-orH176
בַֽת\׃Vata daughterH1323

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

Cross references for Judges 11:34

  • Jeremiah 31:4

    Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.

  • Exodus 15:20

    And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.

  • 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.

  • Judges 10:17

    Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpeh.

  • Psalms 150:4

    Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.

  • Psalms 68:25

    The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels.

  • Luke 7:12

    Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.

  • Zechariah 12:10

    And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

  • Psalms 148:11-12

    Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth: Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children:

  • Jeremiah 31:13

    Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.

  • 1 Samuel 18:6-7

    And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick. And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

  • Luke 8:42

    For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Mizpeh.
11; 10:17
his daughter.
5:1-31; Ex 15:20; 1Sa 18:6,7; Ps 68:25; 148:11,12; 150:4
Jer 31:4,13
beside her. or, he had not of his own either son ordaughter. Heb. of himself. neither.
Zec 12:10; Lu 7:12; 8:42; 9:38

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

Context

  • Judges 11:33

    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.

  • Judges 11:34

    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.

  • Judges 11:35

    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.

Read all of Judges 11

Judges 11:34 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y volviendo Jephté á Mizpa á su casa, he aquí que su hija le salió á recibir con adufes y danzas, y era la sola, la única suya; no tenía fuera de ella otro hijo ni hija.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Jephthé vint à Mitspa, dans sa maison; et voici, sa fille sortit à sa rencontre avec des tambourins et des danses; et elle était seule, unique: il n’avait, à part elle, ni fils ni fille.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und als Jephtha nach Mizpa, nach seinem Hause kam, siehe, da trat seine Tochter heraus, ihm entgegen, mit Tamburinen und mit Reigen; und sie war nur die einzige; außer ihr hatte er weder Sohn noch Tochter.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Revertente autem Jephte in Maspha domum suam, occurrit ei unigenita filia sua cum tympanis et choris: non enim habebat alios liberos.