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.

JUDGES 11:27KJV
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Judges 11:27 (KJV)

What does Judges 11:27 mean?

Judges 11:27 records Jephthah telling the king of Ammon that he has not wronged him, and that it is the Ammonites who are doing wrong by attacking Israel; Jephthah calls on the LORD to judge between Israel and Ammon that day. Jephthah appeals to God as the ultimate judge to decide who is right in this conflict.

Jephthah, the leader of Israel at this time, is speaking directly to the king of Ammon during a dispute over land. Jephthah insists that Israel has not sinned (done wrong) against Ammon, but that Ammon is the aggressor by making war. By invoking "the LORD the Judge," Jephthah is publicly trusting God to determine justice between the two peoples, rather than relying only on human arguments or force.

The Hebrew behind Judges 11:27

  • "sinned" (חָטָא, ḥāṭā’): This word means to miss the mark or do wrong. Jephthah uses it to claim innocence, saying Israel has not acted wrongly toward Ammon.
  • "wrong" (רַע, ra‘): This word means evil or harm. Jephthah accuses the Ammonites of doing harm by attacking Israel, shifting the blame for the conflict.
  • "LORD" (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name of Israel’s God, emphasizing that Jephthah is appealing to his own God, not just a generic deity.
  • "Judge" and "judge" (שָׁפַט, shāphaṭ): The same word is used for both God’s title ("the Judge") and the action ("be judge"). This highlights God’s role as the one who decides right and wrong, not just for Israel but between nations.

Why Judges 11:27 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Jephthah is not seeking war for personal or national gain, but is defending Israel’s innocence and appealing to God’s justice.
  • The emphasis on God as "the Judge" shows that the conflict is not just political or military, but also a moral and spiritual issue in Jephthah’s eyes.
  • By placing the outcome in God’s hands, Jephthah models a reliance on divine justice rather than just human negotiation or strength, which is a recurring theme in the book of Judges.

Where else these words appear

“doest” Hebrew H853 · used in 18 verses

  • Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
  • Genesis 19:13 For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.
  • Numbers 14:22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;

“Ammon” Hebrew H5983 · used in 98 verses

  • Genesis 19:38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.
  • Judges 12:1 And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire.
  • 1 Chronicles 19:11 And the rest of the people he delivered unto the hand of Abishai his brother, and they set themselves in array against the children of Ammon.