Judges 11:40 (KJV)

What does Judges 11:40 mean?

Judges 11:40 describes a yearly custom among the young women of Israel. They spent four days each year lamenting Jephthah’s daughter, giving her story a place in the community’s memory.

The verse completes the account of Jephthah’s daughter after her father carried out his vow in verse 39. The narrator presents the women’s gathering as an established custom, rather than a single visit.

The Hebrew behind Judges 11:40

• “lament” — תָּנָה (tanah): This word can mean “recount” or “commemorate.” The KJV understands the women’s action as lamenting, while the word itself can also suggest telling or recalling someone’s story.
• “yearly” — יָמִים יָמִים (yamim yamim): The repeated word means “days.” Together, the words express a recurring time, rendered “yearly” in the KJV.

Why Judges 11:40 matters

• The women’s custom centers on Jephthah’s daughter, not on celebrating his victory. Verse 40 names her as the person they went to lament.
• The four days belong to each year of the custom. They are distinct from the two months the daughter spent with her companions before returning to her father in verses 37–39.
• The account draws attention to her life as well as her father’s vow. Verse 39 says she had not known a man, connecting her story with the concern she expressed to her companions.