The Meaning of Judges 11:27 Explained

Judges 11:27

KJV: Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the LORD the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.

YLT: And I -- I have not sinned against thee, and thou art doing with me evil -- to fight against me. Jehovah, the Judge, doth judge to-day between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon.'

Darby: I therefore have not sinned against you, and you do me wrong by making war on me; the LORD, the Judge, decide this day between the people of Israel and the people of Ammon."

ASV: I therefore have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: Jehovah, the Judge, be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Wherefore I have not sinned  against thee, but thou doest  me wrong  to war  against me: the LORD  the Judge  be judge  this day  between the children  of Israel  and the children  of Ammon. 

What does Judges 11:27 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 11:27 mean?

therefore I not have sinned against you but you do me wronged by fighting against me May render judgment Yahweh the Judge this day between the sons of Israel and of Ammon
וְאָֽנֹכִי֙ לֹֽא־ חָטָ֣אתִי לָ֔ךְ וְאַתָּ֞ה עֹשֶׂ֥ה אִתִּ֛י רָעָ֖ה לְהִלָּ֣חֶם בִּ֑י יִשְׁפֹּ֨ט יְהוָ֤ה הַשֹּׁפֵט֙ הַיּ֔וֹם בֵּ֚ין בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וּבֵ֖ין עַמּֽוֹן

וְאָֽנֹכִי֙  therefore  I 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אָנׄכִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
חָטָ֣אתִי  have  sinned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.
לָ֔ךְ  against  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
וְאַתָּ֞ה  but  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
אִתִּ֛י  me 
Parse: Direct object marker, first person common singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
רָעָ֖ה  wronged 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
לְהִלָּ֣חֶם  by  fighting 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Nifal, Infinitive construct
Root: לָחַם 
Sense: to fight, do battle, make war.
בִּ֑י  against  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
יִשְׁפֹּ֨ט  May  render  judgment 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁפַט  
Sense: to judge, govern, vindicate, punish.
יְהוָ֤ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הַשֹּׁפֵט֙  the  Judge 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁפַט  
Sense: to judge, govern, vindicate, punish.
הַיּ֔וֹם  this  day 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
בֵּ֚ין  between 
Parse: Preposition
Root: בַּיִן 
Sense: between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between.
בְּנֵ֣י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  of  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.
עַמּֽוֹן  of  Ammon 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַמֹּון  
Sense: a people dwelling in Transjordan descended from Lot through Ben-ammi.