SEV Biblia, Chapter 11:3
Huyendo, pues, Jefté a causa de sus hermanos, habitó en tierra de Tob; y se juntaron con él hombres vacíos, los cuales salían con él.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Judges 11:3
Verse 3. There were gathered vain men to Jephthah] µyqyr µyŤna anashim reykim, empty men-persons destitute of good sense, and profligate in their manners. The word may, however, mean in this place poor persons, without property, and without employment. The versions in general consider them as plunderers.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 3. Then Jephthah fled from his brethren , etc.] Being ill used by them, and a man of spirit and courage, and could not bear to be treated with contempt, nor to live in a dependence on others, and therefore sought to make himself another way: and dwelt in the land of Tob ; which Kimchi and Ben Gersom think was the name of the lord and owner of the land; Abarbinel interprets it, a good land, as Tob signifies, so the Targum; but others the name of a city or country, and conjecture it may be the same with Ishtob, and which was not far from the children of Ammon, since they sent thither for assistance, ( 2 Samuel 10:6). Jerom takes it for a country, in which Jephthah dwelt, but says no more of it. Junius says it was on the entrance of Arabia Deserta, in the Apocypha: “Yea, all our brethren that were in the places of Tobie are put to death: their wives and their children also they have carried away captives, and borne away their stuff; and they have destroyed there about a thousand men.” (1 Maccabees 5:13) “Then departed they from thence seven hundred and fifty furlongs, and came to Characa unto the Jews that are called Tubieni.” (2 Maccabees 12:17) where the inhabitants of it are called Tobienians or Tubienians: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah ; not wicked men, but empty men, whose pockets were empty; men without money, as Abarbinel interprets it, had nothing to live upon, no more than Jephthah, and he being a valiant man, they enlisted themselves under him: and went out with him ; not on any bad design, as to rob and plunder, but to get their living by hunting; or rather by making excursions into the enemy’s country, and carrying off booty, on which they lived. Josephus says he maintained them at his own expense, and paid them wages.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 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 prevai for the further punishment of Israel. Nor does he speak with an confidence at all in himself. If he succeed, it is the Lord deliver them into his hand; he thereby reminds his countrymen to look up to God as the Giver of victory. The same question as here, in fact, is put to those who desire salvation by Christ. If he save you, will ye be willing that he shall rule you? On no other terms will he save you. I he make you happy, shall he make you holy? If he be your helper, shal he be your Head? Jephthah, to obtain a little worldly honour, wa willing to expose his life: shall we be discouraged in our Christia warfare by the difficulties we may meet with, when Christ has promise a crown of life to him that overcometh?
Original Hebrew
ויברח 1272 יפתח 3316 מפני 6440 אחיו 251 וישׁב 3427 בארץ 776 טוב 2897 ויתלקטו 3950 אל 413 יפתח 3316 אנשׁים 582 ריקים 7386 ויצאו 3318 עמו׃ 5973
