The Meaning of Judges 11:12 Explained

Judges 11:12

KJV: And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land?

YLT: And Jephthah sendeth messengers unto the king of the Bene-Ammon, saying, 'What -- to me and to thee, that thou hast come in unto me, to fight in my land.'

Darby: Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites and said, "What have you against me, that you have come to me to fight against my land?"

ASV: And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come unto me to fight against my land?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Jephthah  sent  messengers  unto the king  of the children  of Ammon,  saying,  What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come  against me to fight  in my land? 

What does Judges 11:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Judges 11:12-28 - A Warning From History
Jephthah acted with great prudence. Before rushing into war, he endeavored to argue the matter at issue in peaceful and courteous terms. In answer to the contention that Ammon was only trying to regain its own territories, he insisted that, when Israel came on the scene, they wrested the land, not from Ammon, but from the Amorites. Besides, the occupation of 300 years, which had never before been challenged, surely disproved the claim of the Ammonite king.
When a nation has right and justice on its side and is fighting against aggression, especially when the choice between two ideals is in the scale, there is every reason why it should appeal to the Lord, the Judge, to vindicate its cause. It was a question whether the worship of Jehovah or of Chemosh should dominate the country; on that issue there could be no vacillation nor hesitancy. It is interesting to notice how accurately Jephthah had studied the sacred annals of his people and how reverently he alludes to God. There is more religion in the hearts of men like Jephthah than certain Pharisees and priests give them credit for! [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Judges 11:12 mean?

And sent Jephthah messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon saying what do have against me and you that you have come against me to fight in my land
וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח יִפְתָּח֙ מַלְאָכִ֔ים אֶל־ מֶ֥לֶךְ בְּנֵֽי־ עַמּ֖וֹן לֵאמֹ֑ר מַה־ לִּ֣י וָלָ֔ךְ כִּֽי־ בָ֥אתָ אֵלַ֖י לְהִלָּחֵ֥ם ؟ בְּאַרְצִֽי

וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח  And  sent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
יִפְתָּח֙  Jephthah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִפְתָּח 
Sense: a son of Gilead and a concubine and the judge who defeated the Ammonites; after the victory because of a vow taken before the battle he sacrificed his daughter as a burnt offering.
מַלְאָכִ֔ים  messengers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַלְאָךְ  
Sense: messenger, representative.
מֶ֥לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
בְּנֵֽי־  of  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
עַמּ֖וֹן  of  Ammon 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַמֹּון  
Sense: a people dwelling in Transjordan descended from Lot through Ben-ammi.
לֵאמֹ֑ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לִּ֣י  do  have  against  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
וָלָ֔ךְ  and  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition, second person feminine singular
כִּֽי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
בָ֥אתָ  you  have  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֵלַ֖י  against  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
לְהִלָּחֵ֥ם  to  fight 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Nifal, Infinitive construct
Root: לָחַם 
Sense: to fight, do battle, make war.
؟ בְּאַרְצִֽי  in  my  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.