Judges 11:6
New International Version
“Come,” they said, “be our commander, so we can fight the Ammonites.”

New Living Translation
The elders said, “Come and be our commander! Help us fight the Ammonites!”

English Standard Version
And they said to Jephthah, “Come and be our leader, that we may fight against the Ammonites.”

Berean Standard Bible
“Come,” they said, “be our commander, so that we can fight against the Ammonites.”

King James Bible
And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.

New King James Version
Then they said to Jephthah, “Come and be our commander, that we may fight against the people of Ammon.”

New American Standard Bible
and they said to Jephthah, “Come and be our leader, that we may fight against the sons of Ammon.”

NASB 1995
and they said to Jephthah, “Come and be our chief that we may fight against the sons of Ammon.”

NASB 1977
and they said to Jephthah, “Come and be our chief that we may fight against the sons of Ammon.”

Legacy Standard Bible
and they said to Jephthah, “Come and be our chief that we may fight against the sons of Ammon.”

Amplified Bible
and they said to Jephthah, “Come and be our leader, so that we may fight against the Ammonites.”

Christian Standard Bible
They said to him, “Come, be our commander, and let’s fight the Ammonites.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They said to him, “Come, be our commander, and let’s fight against the Ammonites.”

American Standard Version
and they said unto Jephthah, Come and be our chief, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.

Contemporary English Version
"Please come back to Gilead! If you lead our army, we will be able to fight off the Ammonites."

English Revised Version
and they said unto Jephthah, Come and be our chief, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They said to Jephthah, "Come and be our commander so that we can wage war against Ammon."

Good News Translation
They told him, "Come and lead us, so that we can fight the Ammonites."

International Standard Version
They told him, "Come and be our commander so we can fight the Ammonites!"

Majority Standard Bible
“Come,” they said, “be our commander, so that we can fight against the Ammonites.”

NET Bible
They said, "Come, be our commander, so we can fight with the Ammonites."

New Heart English Bible
and they said to Jephthah, "Come and be our chief, that we may fight with the people of Ammon."

Webster's Bible Translation
And they said to Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.

World English Bible
They said to Jephthah, “Come and be our chief, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and they say to Jephthah, “Come, and you have been for a captain to us, and we fight against the sons of Ammon.”

Young's Literal Translation
and they say unto Jephthah, 'Come, and thou hast been to us for captain, and we fight against the Bene-Ammon.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And they will say to Jephthah, Come and be to us for leader, and we will war against the sons of Ammon.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they said to him: Come thou and be our prince, and fight against the children of Ammon.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And they said to him, “Come and be our leader, and fight against the sons of Ammon.”

New American Bible
“Come,” they said to Jephthah, “be our commander so that we can fight the Ammonites.”

New Revised Standard Version
They said to Jephthah, “Come and be our commander, so that we may fight with the Ammonites.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And they said to Jephthah, Come and be our leader, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they said to Naphthakh: “Come be a Ruler to us and we shall fight with the sons of Amon!”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And they said unto Jephthah: 'Come and be our chief, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And they said to Jephthae, Come, and be our head, and we will fight with the sons of Ammon.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jephthah Delivers Israel
5and made war with them, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. 6“Come,” they said, “be our commander, so that we can fight against the Ammonites.” 7Jephthah replied to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and expel me from my father’s house? Why then have you come to me now, when you are in distress?”…

Cross References
Hebrews 11:32
And what more shall I say? Time will not allow me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets,

1 Samuel 12:11
So the LORD sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel, and He delivered you from the hands of your enemies on every side, and you dwelt securely.

Judges 3:9-10
But when the Israelites cried out to the LORD, He raised up Othniel son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz as a deliverer to save them. / The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge and went out to war. And the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into the hand of Othniel, who prevailed against him.

Judges 2:16
Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them from the hands of those who plundered them.

Judges 10:18
And the rulers of Gilead said to one another, “Whoever will launch the attack against the Ammonites will be the head of all who live in Gilead.”

1 Samuel 8:19-20
Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We must have a king over us. / Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to judge us, to go out before us, and to fight our battles.”

1 Samuel 10:19
But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your troubles and afflictions, and you have said to Him, ‘No, set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and clans.”

2 Kings 13:5
So the LORD gave Israel a deliverer, and they escaped the power of the Arameans. Then the people of Israel lived in their own homes as they had before.

Nehemiah 9:27
So You delivered them into the hands of enemies who oppressed them, and in their time of distress they cried out to You. From heaven You heard them, and in Your great compassion You gave them deliverers who saved them from the hands of their enemies.

Psalm 106:44-45
Nevertheless He heard their cry; He took note of their distress. / And He remembered His covenant with them, and relented by the abundance of His loving devotion.

Acts 13:20-21
All this took about 450 years. After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. / Then the people asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years.

1 Samuel 11:1-11
Then Nahash the Ammonite came up and laid siege to Jabesh-gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.” / But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you on one condition, that I may put out everyone’s right eye and bring reproach upon all Israel.” / “Hold off for seven days,” replied the elders of Jabesh, “and let us send messengers throughout Israel. If there is no one to save us, we will surrender to you.” ...

1 Samuel 9:16
“At this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you are to anoint him ruler over My people Israel; he will save them from the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to Me.”

2 Samuel 10:6-8
When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench to David, they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth-rehob and Zoba, as well as a thousand men from the king of Maacah and twelve thousand men from Tob. / On hearing this, David sent Joab and the entire army of mighty men. / The Ammonites marched out and arrayed themselves for battle at the entrance of the city gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country.

2 Chronicles 12:5-7
Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the LORD says: ‘You have forsaken Me; therefore, I have forsaken you into the hand of Shishak.’” / So the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The LORD is righteous.” / When the LORD saw that they had humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves; I will not destroy them, but will soon grant them deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak.


Treasury of Scripture

And they said to Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.

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Ammon Ammonites Bene-Ammon Captain Chief Children Commander Jephthah Leader War
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Ammon Ammonites Bene-Ammon Captain Chief Children Commander Jephthah Leader War
Judges 11
1. The covenant between Jephthah and the Gileadites, that he should lead
12. The treaty of peace between him and the Ammonites is in vain
29. Jephthah's vow
32. His conquest of the Ammonites
34. He performs his vow on his daughter.














Come
The invitation extended here is significant, as it implies a sense of urgency and necessity. In the Hebrew context, the word used can denote a call to action or a plea for assistance. This reflects the dire situation the Israelites found themselves in, needing a leader to deliver them from oppression. Theologically, it can be seen as a reminder of how God often calls individuals to step into roles of leadership and deliverance, even when they may seem unlikely candidates.

be our commander
This phrase indicates a request for leadership and guidance. The Hebrew term for "commander" suggests a military leader or chief, someone who can lead them into battle. Historically, this reflects the period of the Judges, where Israel was a loose confederation of tribes often in need of strong, divinely appointed leaders to unite them against common enemies. Spiritually, it underscores the human need for guidance and the importance of God-ordained leadership.

so that we can fight
The phrase highlights the purpose of the request: to engage in battle. The Israelites were often in conflict with surrounding nations, and this reflects the constant struggle for survival and autonomy in the Promised Land. Theologically, it can be seen as a metaphor for the spiritual battles believers face, requiring divine assistance and leadership to overcome.

the Ammonites
The Ammonites were a perennial enemy of Israel, often mentioned in the Old Testament as oppressors. Archaeologically, evidence of the Ammonite civilization has been found, confirming their historical presence and conflicts with Israel. This phrase situates the narrative in a specific historical context, reminding readers of the real and persistent threats faced by the Israelites. Spiritually, it can symbolize the ongoing challenges and adversaries that believers must confront with faith and reliance on God.

(6) Our captain.--The word used is katzin (Joshua 10:24; Isaiah 1:10; Isaiah 22:3), which is specially a leader in time of war; but Jephthah demands something more--namely, to be their "head" (rosh) in time of peace also.

Verse 6. - Our captain. A military term, as in Joshua 10:24. It is also used in Isaiah 1:10 for the rulers of Sodom.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Come,”
לְכָ֕ה (lə·ḵāh)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

they said,
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ (way·yō·mə·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“be
וְהָיִ֥יתָה (wə·hā·yî·ṯāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

our commander,
לְקָצִ֑ין (lə·qā·ṣîn)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7101: A magistrate, other leader

so that we can fight
וְנִֽלָּחֲמָ֖ה (wə·nil·lā·ḥă·māh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural
Strong's 3898: To feed on, to consume, to battle

against the Ammonites.”
בִּבְנֵ֥י (biḇ·nê)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son


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OT History: Judges 11:6 And they said to Jephthah Come (Jd Judg. Jdg)
Judges 11:5
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