Judges 11:34

Authorized King James Version

And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.

Word-by-Word Analysis
#1
וַיָּבֹ֨א
came
to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
#2
יִפְתָּ֣ח
And Jephthah
jiphtach, an israelite; also a place in palestine
#3
הַמִּצְפָּה֮
to Mizpeh
mitspah, the name of two places in palestine
#4
אֶל
near, with or among; often in general, to
#5
בֵּיתוֹ֒
unto his house
a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
#6
וְהִנֵּ֤ה
lo!
#7
בַֽת׃
and behold his daughter
a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)
#8
יֹצֵ֣את
came out
to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim
#9
לִקְרָאת֔וֹ
to meet
an encountering, accidental, friendly or hostile (also adverbially, opposite)
#10
בְתֻפִּ֖ים
him with timbrels
a tambourine
#11
וּבִמְחֹל֑וֹת
and with dances
a dance
#12
וְרַק֙
properly, leanness, i.e., (figuratively) limitation; only adverbial, merely, or conjunctional, although
#13
הִ֣יא
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demo
#14
יְחִידָ֔ה
and she was his only child
properly, united, i.e., sole; by implication, beloved; also lonely; (feminine) the life (as not to be replaced)
#15
אֵֽין
a nonentity; generally used as a negative particle
#16
ל֥וֹ
H0
#17
מִמֶּ֛נּוּ
properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
#18
בֵּ֖ן
beside her he had neither son
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
#19
אוֹ
nor
desire (and so probably in proverbs 31:4); hence (by way of alternative) or, also if
#20
בַֽת׃
and behold his daughter
a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)

Analysis

The salvation theme here intersects with the metanarrative of redemption running from Genesis to Revelation. Biblical theology recognizes this as part of a unified storyline from the promise in Genesis 3:15 to its fulfillment in Christ. The phrase emphasizing divine revelation contributes to our systematic understanding of Christian doctrine and connects to the broader scriptural witness about God's saving work from the Exodus to the cross.

Historical Context

This passage must be understood within the political and social structures of the biblical period. The author writes to address believers seeking to understand God's will and purposes, making the emphasis on salvation particularly relevant. Historical documents from this period show cultural practices and social structures that would have been familiar to the original readers, illuminating the verse's original impact.

Questions for Reflection

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