Judges, Chapter 11, verses 29-39
29 Jephthah's vow, 32 His conquest of the Ammonites, 34 He performeth his vow on his daughterMatthew, Chapter 22, verses 1-14
1 The parable of the marriage of the king's son, 9 The vocation of the Gentiles, 12 The punishment of him that wanted the wedding garment22
22:1 Jesus answering, spake - That is, spake with reference to what had just past.
22:2 A king, who made a marriage feast for his son - So did God, when he brought his first - begotten into the world.
22:3 Them that were invited - Namely, the Jews.
22:4 Fatlings - Fatted beasts and fowls.
22:5 One to his farm, another to his merchandise - One must mind what he has; another, gain what he wants. How many perish by misusing lawful things!
22:7 The king sending forth his troops - The Roman armies employed of God for that purpose. Destroyed those murderers - Primarily the Jews.
22:8 Go into the highways - The word properly signifies, the by - ways, or turnings of the road.
22:10 They gathered all - By preaching every where.
22:11 The guest - The members of the visible Church.
22:12 A wedding garment - The righteousness of Christ, first imputed, then implanted. It may easily be observed, this has no relation to the Lord's Supper, but to God's proceeding at the last day.
22:14 Many are called; few chosen - Many hear; few believe. Yea, many are members of the visible, but few of the invisible Church. Mat 20:16.
11 The birth of Jephthah, rejected by his brethren, Jdg 11:1-3.
The Gileadites chuse him for their general, Jdg 11:4-11.
His treating with the king of Ammon, Jdg 11:12-28.
His war with, and victory over the Ammonites, Jdg 11:29-33.
His vow and the performance of it, Jdg 11:34-40.
11:29 Spirit came - Indued him with a more than ordinary courage and resolution. Manasseh - That is, Bashan, which the half tribe of Manasseh beyond Jordan inhabited. Mizpeh of Gilead - So called to distinguish it from other cities of the same name, having gathered what forces he suddenly could, he came hither to the borders of the Ammonites.
11:33 Minnith - A place not far from Rabbah, the chief city of the Ammonites. Subdued before Israel - It does not appear, that he offered to take possession of the country. Tho' the attempt of others to wrong us, will justify us in the defence of our own right, yet it will not authorize us to do them wrong.
11:34 His daughter - In concert with other virgins, as the manner was.
11:35 Trouble me - Before this, I was troubled by my brethren; and since, by the Ammonites; and now most of all, tho' but occasionally, by thee. Opened my mouth - That is, I have vowed. Cannot go back - That is, not retract my vow; I am indispensably obliged to perform it.
11:36 Do to me - Do not for my sake make thyself a transgressor; I freely give my consent to thy vow.
11:37 Mountains - Which she chose as a solitary place, and therefore fittest for lamentation. Bewail - That I shall die childless, which was esteemed both a curse and a disgrace for the Israelites, because such were excluded from that great privilege of increasing the holy seed, and contributing to the birth of the Messiah.
11:39 Did with her - Jephthah's daughter was not sacrificed, but only devoted to perpetual virginity. This appears,
- From ver. Jdg 11:37-38, where we read, that she bewailed not her death, which had been the chief cause of lamentation, if that had been vowed, but her virginity:
- From this ver. Jdg 11:39, where, after he had said, that he did with her according to his vow; he adds, by way of declaration of the matter of that vow, and she knew no man.
It is probably conceived, that the Greeks, who used to steal sacredhistories, and turn them into fables, had from this history their relation of Iphigenia (which may be put for Jephtigenia) sacrificed by her father Agamemnon, which is described by many of the same circumstances wherewith this is accompanied.