The Meaning of Judges 11:18 Explained

Judges 11:18

KJV: Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab.

YLT: and he goeth through the wilderness, and compasseth the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and cometh in at the rising of the sun of the land of Moab, and they encamp beyond Arnon, and have not come into the border of Moab, for Arnon is the border of Moab.

Darby: Then they journeyed through the wilderness, and went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and arrived on the east side of the land of Moab, and camped on the other side of the Arnon; but they did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the boundary of Moab.

ASV: Then they went through the wilderness, and went around the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and they encamped on the other side of the Arnon; but they came not within the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then they went along  through the wilderness,  and compassed  the land  of Edom,  and the land  of Moab,  and came  by the east side  of the land  of Moab,  and pitched  on the other side  of Arnon,  but came  not within the border  of Moab:  for Arnon  [was] the border  of Moab. 

What does Judges 11:18 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 11:18 mean?

And they went along through the wilderness and bypassed - the land of Edom and of Moab and came to the east side of the land and encamped on the other side of the Arnon but not they did enter the border for the Arnon [was] the border of Moab
וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ בַּמִּדְבָּ֗ר וַיָּ֜סָב אֶת־ אֶ֤רֶץ אֱדוֹם֙ וְאֶת־ מוֹאָ֔ב וַיָּבֹ֤א מִמִּזְרַח־ שֶׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ לְאֶ֣רֶץ וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּן בְּעֵ֣בֶר אַרְנ֑וֹן וְלֹא־ בָ֙אוּ֙ בִּגְב֣וּל כִּ֥י אַרְנ֖וֹן גְּב֥וּל מוֹאָֽב

וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ  And  they  went  along 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
בַּמִּדְבָּ֗ר  through  the  wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
וַיָּ֜סָב  and  bypassed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָבַב  
Sense: to turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or arou nd, surround, encircle, change direction.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֶ֤רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
אֱדוֹם֙  of  Edom 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱדֹום 
Sense: Edom.
מוֹאָ֔ב  of  Moab 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מֹואָב 
Sense: a son of Lot by his eldest daughter.
וַיָּבֹ֤א  and  came 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
שֶׁ֙מֶשׁ֙  the  east  side 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: שֶׁמֶשׁ  
Sense: sun.
לְאֶ֣רֶץ  of  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּן  and  encamped 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: חָנָה  
Sense: to decline, incline, encamp, bend down, lay siege against.
בְּעֵ֣בֶר  on  the  other  side 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֵבֶר  
Sense: region beyond or across, side.
אַרְנ֑וֹן  of  the  Arnon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַרְנׄון  
Sense: a river and surrounding valley in south Palestine, forms the border between Moab and the Amorites.
וְלֹא־  but  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
בָ֙אוּ֙  they  did  enter 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בִּגְב֣וּל  the  border 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: גְּבוּל  
Sense: border, territory.
אַרְנ֖וֹן  the  Arnon  [was] 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַרְנׄון  
Sense: a river and surrounding valley in south Palestine, forms the border between Moab and the Amorites.
גְּב֥וּל  the  border 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: גְּבוּל  
Sense: border, territory.
מוֹאָֽב  of  Moab 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מֹואָב 
Sense: a son of Lot by his eldest daughter.