Who was Jephthah in the Bible?
Judge, before Israel had a king
Jephthah was a judge of Israel during the period between the conquest of Canaan and the establishment of the monarchy. Jephthah appears in 24 verses across 2 books of the Bible.
What does the Bible say about Jephthah?
Jephthah was a judge of Israel during the period between the conquest of Canaan and the establishment of the monarchy. He was the son of Gilead and a prostitute, and his half-brothers drove him away from the family inheritance. Jephthah fled to the land of Tob, where he gathered a group of warriors around him. When the Ammonites attacked Israel, the elders of Gilead asked Jephthah to lead them in battle, promising him leadership if he succeeded. Jephthah made a vow to God, pledging to sacrifice the first thing that came out of his house to meet him if he were victorious. Jephthah defeated the Ammonites, but tragically, his daughter was the first to greet him upon his return. Jephthah fulfilled his vow, and his daughter willingly submitted to her fate. Jephthah judged Israel for six years before his death. His story highlights the importance of making wise vows and the consequences of rash decisions. Despite his tragic vow, Jephthah is commended in the New Testament for his faith and is listed among the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11.
Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.
Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.
Where does Jephthah appear in the Bible?
Jephthah is referenced in 24 verses across 2 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.
- 1 Samuel 12:11
- Judges 11:1
- Judges 11:2
- Judges 11:3
- Judges 11:5
- Judges 11:7
- Judges 11:8
- Judges 11:9
- Judges 11:10
- Judges 11:11
- Judges 11:12
- Judges 11:13
- Judges 11:14
- Judges 11:15
- Judges 11:28
- Judges 11:29
- Judges 11:30
- Judges 11:32
- Judges 11:34
- Judges 11:40
- Judges 12:1
- Judges 12:2
- Judges 12:4
- Judges 12:7
What else appears in these passages?
These turn up in the same passages as Jephthah.
Common questions
How many times does the Bible mention Jephthah?
Jephthah appears in 24 verses across 2 books, most often in Judges, which accounts for 23 of them.
Which books of the Bible mention Jephthah?
Judges, 1 Samuel.
Where can I read every verse about Jephthah?
This page lists 24 of them. Protos carries all 24, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.


