וְיִפְתָּח הַגִּלְעָדִי הָיָה גִּבּוֹר חַיִל וְהוּא בֶּן אִשָּׁה זוֹנָה וַיּוֹלֶד גִּלְעָד אֶת יִפְתָּח

Yiftah the Giladite was a mighty warrior; he was the son of a harlot. The plain meaning of this statement is that Yiftah’s mother was a licentious woman who became Gilad’s concubine. However, some commentaries suggested a gentler interpretation: She was merely from a different tribe, as marriage between members of different tribes was contrary to the accepted custom at the time. And Gilad, the head of this particular branch of the tribe, begot Yiftah.

וַתֵּלֶד אֵשֶׁת גִּלְעָד לוֹ בָּנִים וַיִּגְדְּלוּ בְנֵי הָאִשָּׁה וַיְגָרְשׁוּ אֶת יִפְתָּח וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ לֹא תִנְחַל בְּבֵית אָבִינוּ כִּי בֶּן אִשָּׁה אַחֶרֶת אָתָּה

And Gilad’s lawful wife bore him other sons; his wife’s sons grew, and they banished Yiftah, and they said to him: You shall not inherit in the household of our father, for you are the son of another, inferior woman, who is a stranger. In the Bible, the word “other,” aḥer, can denote otherness in the negative sense, not merely difference. This meaning of the word endured for many generations.

וַיִּבְרַח יִפְתָּח מִפְּנֵי אֶחָיו וַיֵּשֶׁב בְּאֶרֶץ טוֹב וַיִּתְלַקְּטוּ אֶל יִפְתָּח אֲנָשִׁים רֵיקִים וַיֵּצְאוּ עִמּוֹ

Yiftah fled from his brothers, and he settled in the land of Tov, a deserted region beyond the border of Gilad, which had become an area full of thieves. Idle people gathered to Yiftah, adventurers who could not find a home or make a living among their tribes, and they ventured out with him. Yiftah went there without support, but thanks to his personality and skills, those people saw him as their leader.

וַיְהִי מִיָּמִים וַיִּלָּחֲמוּ בְנֵי עַמּוֹן עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל

It was some time later, and the children of Amon waged war with Israel.

וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר נִלְחֲמוּ בְנֵי עַמּוֹן עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֵּלְכוּ זִקְנֵי גִלְעָד לָקַחַת אֶת יִפְתָּח מֵאֶרֶץ טוֹב

It was when the children of Amon made war with Israel that the elders of Gilad, some of whom were apparently Yiftah’s own brothers, as they were also sons of Gilad himself, went to take Yiftah from the land of Tov.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ לְיִפְתָּח לְכָה וְהָיִיתָה לָּנוּ לְקָצִין וְנִלָּחֲמָה בִּבְנֵי עַמּוֹן

They said to Yiftah: Come and be our chief, commander, and we will wage war with the children of Amon.

וַיֹּאמֶר יִפְתָּח לְזִקְנֵי גִלְעָד הֲלֹא אַתֶּם שְׂנֵאתֶם אוֹתִי וַתְּגָרְשׁוּנִי מִבֵּית אָבִי וּמַדּוּעַ בָּאתֶם אֵלַי עַתָּה כַּאֲשֶׁר צַר לָכֶם!

Yiftah said to the elders of Gilad: Why should I help you? Didn’t you hate me and banish me from my father’s house? Why did you come to me now when you are in distress?

וַיֹּאמְרוּ זִקְנֵי גִלְעָד אֶל יִפְתָּח לָכֵן עַתָּה שַׁבְנוּ אֵלֶיךָ וְהָלַכְתָּ עִמָּנוּ וְנִלְחַמְתָּ בִּבְנֵי עַמּוֹן וְהָיִיתָ לָּנוּ לְרֹאשׁ לְכֹל יֹשְׁבֵי גִלְעָד

The elders of Gilad said to Yiftah: We regret our past deeds. For this we have returned to you now: You will go with us and wage war against the children of Amon, and you will be chief for us, and the leader over all the inhabitants of Gilad.

וַיֹּאמֶר יִפְתָּח אֶל זִקְנֵי גִלְעָד אִם מְשִׁיבִים אַתֶּם אוֹתִי לְהִלָּחֵם בִּבְנֵי עַמּוֹן וְנָתַן ה' אוֹתָם לְפָנָי אָנֹכִי אֶהְיֶה לָכֶם לְרֹאשׁ

Yiftah said to the elders of Gilad: I will return and fight on the following condition: If you restore me, to make war with the children of Amon, and the Lord delivers them before me, from now onward I will be chief over you.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ זִקְנֵי גִלְעָד אֶל יִפְתָּח ה' יִהְיֶה שֹׁמֵעַ בֵּינוֹתֵינוּ אִם לֹא כִדְבָרְךָ כֵּן נַעֲשֶׂה

The elders of Gilad said to Yiftah: May the Lord be witness between us, and He will attest to it if we do not act according to your word.

וַיֵּלֶךְ יִפְתָּח עִם זִקְנֵי גִלְעָד וַיָּשִׂימוּ הָעָם אוֹתוֹ עֲלֵיהֶם לְרֹאשׁ וּלְקָצִין וַיְדַבֵּר יִפְתָּח אֶת כָּל דְּבָרָיו לִפְנֵי ה' בַּמִּצְפָּה

Yiftah went with the elders of Gilad, and the people installed him over them as chief and commander; and Yiftah spoke all his words, enumerating his conditions, before the Lord at the Mitzpa, where Israel was encamped.

וַיִּשְׁלַח יִפְתָּח מַלְאָכִים אֶל מֶלֶךְ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן לֵאמֹר מַה לִּי וָלָךְ כִּי בָאתָ אֵלַי לְהִלָּחֵם בְּאַרְצִי

Yiftah sent messengers to the king of the children of Amon, saying: What is there between you and me that you have come to me to wage war in my land? Yiftah initiated a diplomatic correspondence with the king of Amon, asking him: Now that you are no longer facing a few isolated villages, but a united, organized army, why do you want this war?

וַיֹּאמֶר מֶלֶךְ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן אֶל מַלְאֲכֵי יִפְתָּח כִּי לָקַח יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת אַרְצִי בַּעֲלוֹתוֹ מִמִּצְרַיִם מֵאַרְנוֹן וְעַד הַיַּבֹּק וְעַד הַיַּרְדֵּן וְעַתָּה הָשִׁיבָה אֶתְהֶן בְּשָׁלוֹם

The king of the children of Amon said to the messengers of Yiftah: I have historical justification for waging war over this land, because Israel took my land, when it ascended from Egypt, the entire area from the Arnon in the south, to the Yabok in the north, and to the Jordan in the west. Now, restore them peacefully, if you wish to avoid war.

וַיּוֹסֶף עוֹד יִפְתָּח וַיִּשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים אֶל מֶלֶךְ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן

Yiftah continued to send messengers to the king of the children of Amon,

וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ כֹּה אָמַר יִפְתָּח לֹא לָקַח יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת אֶרֶץ מוֹאָב וְאֶת אֶרֶץ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן

and he said to him: So said Yiftah: Israel did not take the land of Moav or the land of the children of Amon.

כִּי בַּעֲלוֹתָם מִמִּצְרָיִם וַיֵּלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּמִּדְבָּר עַד יַם סוּף וַיָּבֹא קָדֵשָׁה

For when they came up from Egypt, Israel went in the wilderness to the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh.

וַיִּשְׁלַח יִשְׂרָאֵל מַלְאָכִים אֶל מֶלֶךְ אֱדוֹם לֵאמֹר אֶעְבְּרָה נָּא בְאַרְצֶךָ וְלֹא שָׁמַע מֶלֶךְ אֱדוֹם וְגַם אֶל מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב שָׁלַח וְלֹא אָבָה וַיֵּשֶׁב יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּקָדֵשׁ

Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying: Please let me pass through your land; but the king of Edom would not heed, as described in Numbers 20:14–21. It also sent messengers to the king of Moav, a detail that is not mentioned in the Torah; but he was unwilling to heed. And therefore, Israel resided in Kadesh.

וַיֵּלֶךְ בַּמִּדְבָּר וַיָּסָב אֶת אֶרֶץ אֱדוֹם וְאֶת אֶרֶץ מוֹאָב וַיָּבֹא מִמִּזְרַח שֶׁמֶשׁ לְאֶרֶץ מוֹאָב וַיַּחֲנוּן בְּעֵבֶר אַרְנוֹן וְלֹא בָאוּ בִּגְבוּל מוֹאָב כִּי אַרְנוֹן גְּבוּל מוֹאָב

They, Israel, went through the wilderness and circled the land of Edom and the land of Moav without making any attempt to attack or conquer Edom or Moav, and they came from the rising sun to the land of Moav. They encamped beyond the Arnon Stream; but they did not enter the border of Moav, as the Arnon Stream is the border of Moav.

וַיִּשְׁלַח יִשְׂרָאֵל מַלְאָכִים אֶל סִיחוֹן מֶלֶךְ הָאֱמֹרִי מֶלֶךְ חֶשְׁבּוֹן וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל נַעְבְּרָה נָּא בְאַרְצְךָ עַד מְקוֹמִי

Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Emorites, king of Heshbon; and Israel said to him: Please let us pass through your land, until we get to our place, west of the Jordan.

וְלֹא הֶאֱמִין סִיחוֹן אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲבֹר בִּגְבֻלוֹ וַיֶּאֱסֹף סִיחוֹן אֶת כָּל עַמּוֹ וַיַּחֲנוּ בְּיָהְצָה וַיִּלָּחֶם עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל

But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his border. Some commentaries suggest that as the ruler of the border region, Sihon was obligated to defend the land of Canaan from bandits and invaders from the east. And Sihon gathered all his people, and they encamped in Yahatz, and they waged war against Israel.

וַיִּתֵּן ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת סִיחוֹן וְאֶת כָּל עַמּוֹ בְּיַד יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּכּוּם וַיִּירַשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵת כָּל אֶרֶץ הָאֱמֹרִי יוֹשֵׁב הָאָרֶץ הַהִיא

The Lord, God of Israel, delivered Sihon and his entire people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them; Israel took possession of the entire land of the Emorites, who were the inhabitants of that land.

וַיִּירְשׁוּ אֵת כָּל גְּבוּל הָאֱמֹרִי מֵאַרְנוֹן וְעַד הַיַּבֹּק וּמִן הַמִּדְבָּר וְעַד הַיַּרְדֵּן

They took possession of the entire border, the territory of the Emorites, from the Arnon in the south to the Yabok in the north, and from the wilderness in the east to the Jordan in the west.

וְעַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הוֹרִישׁ אֶת הָאֱמֹרִי מִפְּנֵי עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאַתָּה תִּירָשֶׁנּוּ!

Now the Lord, God of Israel, has dispossessed the Emorites from before His people Israel; would you take possession of it? Will you dispossess us? Didn’t we conquer this land legitimately?

הֲלֹא אֵת אֲשֶׁר יוֹרִישְׁךָ כְּמוֹשׁ אֱלֹהֶיךָ אוֹתוֹ תִירָשׁ וְאֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר הוֹרִישׁ ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ מִפָּנֵינוּ אוֹתוֹ נִירָשׁ

That which Kemosh your god grants you to possess, that is what you may take possession of. You worship Kemosh, and you will receive anything that your god gives you; so too, all that the Lord our God dispossesses for our sake, we will take possession of it.

וְעַתָּה הֲטוֹב טוֹב אַתָּה מִבָּלָק בֶּן צִפּוֹר מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב ! הֲרוֹב רָב עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל אִם נִלְחֹם נִלְחַם בָּם!

Yiftah added another historical consideration: Now, are you better than Balak son of Tzipor, king of Moav, a famous warrior in his day, who defeated several smaller neighboring nations? Did he provoke a fight with Israel? Did he wage war against them?

בְּשֶׁבֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן וּבִבְנוֹתֶיהָ וּבְעַרְעוֹר וּבִבְנוֹתֶיהָ וּבְכָל הֶעָרִים אֲשֶׁר עַל יְדֵי אַרְנוֹן שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וּמַדּוּעַ לֹא הִצַּלְתֶּם בָּעֵת הַהִיא!

Furthermore, this status quo has persisted for centuries: While Israel lived in Heshbon and in its environs, and in Aroer and in its environs, and in all the cities that are along the Arnon, for the past three hundred years, why didn’t you recover them at that time? If your people had a grievance, they should have presented it hundreds of years ago; however, you failed to do so.

וְאָנֹכִי לֹא חָטָאתִי לָךְ וְאַתָּה עֹשֶׂה אִתִּי רָעָה לְהִלָּחֶם בִּי יִשְׁפֹּט ה' הַשֹּׁפֵט הַיּוֹם בֵּין בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבֵין בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן

Thus, I did not sin against you. We have not attacked you, nor done anything against you; but you are doing me wrong to wage war against me. May the Lord, the Judge, judge today between the children of Israel and the children of Amon.

וְלֹא שָׁמַע מֶלֶךְ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן אֶל דִּבְרֵי יִפְתָּח אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַח אֵלָיו

But the king of the children of Amon did not heed the words of Yiftah that he sent to him. Whether or not the king conceded the accuracy of the historical facts, he was unconvinced by Yiftah’s reasoning.

וַתְּהִי עַל יִפְתָּח רוּחַ ה' וַיַּעֲבֹר אֶת הַגִּלְעָד וְאֶת מְנַשֶּׁה וַיַּעֲבֹר אֶת מִצְפֵּה גִלְעָד וּמִמִּצְפֵּה גִלְעָד עָבַר בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן

Then the spirit of valor from the Lord was upon Yiftah, and he, Yiftah, passed Gilad and Manasseh, and he passed Mitzpe Gilad, the gathering place for the men of Gilad, and from Mitzpe Gilad he passed to the children of Amon to launch the military campaign.

וַיִּדַּר יִפְתָּח נֶדֶר לַה' וַיֹּאמַר אִם נָתוֹן תִּתֵּן אֶת בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן בְּיָדִי

Yiftah vowed to the Lord, and he said: If You deliver the children of Amon into my hand,

וְהָיָה הַיּוֹצֵא אֲשֶׁר יֵצֵא מִדַּלְתֵי בֵיתִי לִקְרָאתִי בְּשׁוּבִי בְשָׁלוֹם מִבְּנֵי עַמּוֹן וְהָיָה לַה' וְהַעֲלִיתִהוּ עוֹלָה

it shall be that that which emerges first from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the children of Amon, it shall be for the Lord, and I will present it as a burnt offering. Presumably, Yiftah meant that even if a large bull were to emerge first, he would offer it.

וַיַּעֲבֹר יִפְתָּח אֶל בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן לְהִלָּחֶם בָּם וַיִּתְּנֵם ה' בְּיָדוֹ

Yiftah passed to the children of Amon to wage war against them, and the Lord delivered them into his hand. Yiftah triumphed in the war.

וַיַּכֵּם מֵעֲרוֹעֵר וְעַד בּוֹאֲךָ מִנִּית עֶשְׂרִים עִיר וְעַד אָבֵל כְּרָמִים מַכָּה גְּדוֹלָה מְאֹד וַיִּכָּנְעוּ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן מִפְּנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

He smote them from Aroer until your approach to Minit, a total of twenty cities, and to Avel Keramim, a very great blow, in their land. And the children of Amon submitted before the children of Israel.

וַיָּבֹא יִפְתָּח הַמִּצְפָּה אֶל בֵּיתוֹ וְהִנֵּה בִתּוֹ יֹצֵאת לִקְרָאתוֹ בְּתֻפִּים וּבִמְחֹלוֹת וְרַק הִיא יְחִידָה אֵין לוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ בֵּן אוֹ בַת

Yiftah came to the Mitzpa, to his house, and behold, his daughter was coming out to meet him with drums and with dances. For her, Yiftah was not merely a great warrior and the acclaimed army general, but also her father, who was returning home as a triumphant hero. She was an only child; he did not have a son or a daughter besides her.

וַיְהִי כִרְאוֹתוֹ אוֹתָהּ וַיִקְרַע אֶת בְּגָדָיו וַיֹּאמֶר אֲהָהּ בִּתִּי! הַכְרֵעַ הִכְרַעְתִּנִי וְאַתְּ הָיִית בְּעֹכְרָי ואָנֹכִי פָּצִיתִי פִי אֶל ה' וְלֹא אוּכַל לָשׁוּב

It was upon his seeing her, that he rent his garments and said: Alas, my daughter, you have brought me low, and you are the source of my debasement; you have broken me and brought great distress upon me, as I opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot retract my word. I promised to give the first thing that emerged from my house as an offering to God, and you came out before anything else.

וַתֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אָבִי! פָּצִיתָה אֶת פִּיךָ אֶל ה'עֲשֵׂה לִי כַּאֲשֶׁר יָצָא מִפִּיךָ אַחֲרֵי אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לְךָ ה' נְקָמוֹת מֵאֹיְבֶיךָ מִבְּנֵי עַמּוֹן

She said to him: My father, you opened your mouth to the Lord; do to me as was expressed by your mouth, since the Lord has exacted vengeance for you from your enemies, from the children of Amon. I accept the consequences of the vow upon myself.

וַתֹּאמֶר אֶל אָבִיהָ יֵעָשֶׂה לִּי הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה הַרְפֵּה מִמֶּנִּי שְׁנַיִם חֳדָשִׁים וְאֵלְכָה וְיָרַדְתִּי עַל הֶהָרִים וְאֶבְכֶּה עַל בְּתוּלַי אָנֹכִי וְרֵעוֹתָי

She said to her father: Nevertheless, please let this matter be done for me: Let me be and delay the fulfillment of the vow for two months, and I will depart and go down upon the hills and bewail my virginity, as I am inconsolable over the fact that I will die without marrying and bearing children; I and my companions will go off and weep, and then I will return to you.

וַיֹּאמֶר לֵכִי וַיִּשְׁלַח אוֹתָהּ שְׁנֵי חֳדָשִׁים וַתֵּלֶךְ הִיא וְרֵעוֹתֶיהָ וַתֵּבְךְּ עַל בְּתוּלֶיהָ עַל הֶהָרִים

He said: Go, and he sent her away for two months; she departed, she and her companions, and she bewailed her virginity upon the hills.

וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ שְׁנַיִם חֳדָשִׁים וַתָּשָׁב אֶל אָבִיהָ וַיַּעַשׂ לָהּ אֶת נִדְרוֹ אֲשֶׁר נָדָר וְהִיא לֹא יָדְעָה אִישׁ וַתְּהִי חֹק בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל;

It was at the end of two months, and she returned to her father. He did to her in accordance with his vow that he vowed; and she had not been intimate with any man; she died a virgin. This thereafter became established as a practice in Israel:

מִיָּמִים יָמִימָה תֵּלַכְנָה בְּנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְתַנּוֹת לְבַת יִפְתָּח הַגִּלְעָדִי אַרְבַּעַת יָמִים בַּשָּׁנָה

From year to year the daughters of Israel would go to lament the daughter of Yiftah the Giladite, four days each year. For generations the girls of that region would go off to the hills to mourn the tragic fate of Yiftah’s daughter for four days each year.