The Meaning of Judges 11:26 Explained

Judges 11:26

KJV: While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover them within that time?

YLT: In Israel's dwelling in Heshbon and in its towns, and in Aroer and in its towns, and in all the cities which are by the sides of Arnon three hundred years -- and wherefore have ye not delivered them in that time?

Darby: While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and its villages, and in Aro'er and its villages, and in all the cities that are on the banks of the Arnon, three hundred years, why did you not recover them within that time?

ASV: While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and its towns, and in Aroer and its towns, and in all the cities that are along by the side of the Arnon, three hundred years; wherefore did ye not recover them within that time?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

While Israel  dwelt  in Heshbon  and her towns,  and in Aroer  and her towns,  and in all the cities  that [be] along by the coasts  of Arnon,  three  hundred  years?  why therefore did ye not recover  [them] within that time? 

What does Judges 11:26 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 11:26 mean?

While dwelt Israel in Heshbon and its villages and in Aroer and its villages and in all the cities that along the banks of the Arnon three hundred for years and why not did you recover [them] within time that
בְּשֶׁ֣בֶת יִ֠שְׂרָאֵל בְּחֶשְׁבּ֨וֹן וּבִבְנוֹתֶ֜יהָ וּבְעַרְע֣וֹר וּבִבְנוֹתֶ֗יהָ וּבְכָל־ הֶֽעָרִים֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־ יְדֵ֣י אַרְנ֔וֹן שְׁלֹ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת ؟ שָׁנָ֑ה וּמַדּ֥וּעַ לֹֽא־ הִצַּלְתֶּ֖ם בָּעֵ֥ת ؟ הַהִֽיא

בְּשֶׁ֣בֶת  While  dwelt 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
יִ֠שְׂרָאֵל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
בְּחֶשְׁבּ֨וֹן  in  Heshbon 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶשְׁבֹּון  
Sense: the capital city of Sihon, king of the Amorites, located on the western border of the high plain and on the border line between the tribes of Reuben and Gad.
וּבִבְנוֹתֶ֜יהָ  and  its  villages 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
וּבְעַרְע֣וֹר  and  in  Aroer 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֲרֹועֵר  
Sense: a city on the north bank of the river Arnon, the southern point of the territory of Sihon the king of the Amorites and later of Reuben; modern ‘Arair’.
וּבִבְנוֹתֶ֗יהָ  and  its  villages 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
וּבְכָל־  and  in  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הֶֽעָרִים֙  the  cities 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
אֲשֶׁר֙  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
עַל־  along 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
יְדֵ֣י  the  banks 
Parse: Noun, fdc
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
אַרְנ֔וֹן  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.
שְׁלֹ֥שׁ  three 
Parse: Number, feminine singular construct
Root: מִשְׁלֹשׁ 
Sense: three, triad.
מֵא֖וֹת  hundred 
Parse: Number, feminine plural
Root: מֵאָה 
Sense: hundred.
؟ שָׁנָ֑ה  for  years 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
וּמַדּ֥וּעַ  and  why 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interrogative
Root: מַדּוּעַ  
Sense: why?, on what account?, wherefore?.
הִצַּלְתֶּ֖ם  did  you  recover  [them] 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: נָצַל  
Sense: to snatch away, deliver, rescue, save, strip, plunder.
בָּעֵ֥ת  within  time 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
؟ הַהִֽיא  that 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person feminine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.