Judges 11:15 (KJV)

What does Judges 11:15 mean?

Judges 11:15 begins Jephthah’s answer to a territorial claim made by the king of Ammon. Jephthah rejects the accusation that Israel took the land from Moab or Ammon. His answer starts a longer account of how Israel came to occupy the disputed land.

Jephthah speaks through messengers to the Ammonite king. The words “Thus saith Jephthah” identify the message as Jephthah’s own reply. In the verse before, the messengers are sent back to the king.

The Hebrew behind Judges 11:15

• “took … away” — לָקַח (laqach): This word can mean “take” or “seize.” Here, the denial concerns taking land from the peoples named in the verse.
• “children” — בֵּן (ben): This word can mean “son” or “descendant.” In “children of Ammon,” it refers to the Ammonite people, not only to young children.

Why Judges 11:15 matters

• The verse answers a specific complaint about who had owned the land. In Judges 11:13, the Ammonite king claims that Israel took land when it came out of Egypt.
• Jephthah’s later account distinguishes the land’s earlier owners from the people Israel fought. In Judges 11:21–22, he says Israel took the land after defeating Sihon, king of the Amorites.
• Jephthah’s argument reaches beyond a single generation. In Judges 11:26, he points to Israel’s long occupation of the towns in the disputed area.