Judges 11 4

Judges 11:4 kjv

And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel.

Judges 11:4 nkjv

It came to pass after a time that the people of Ammon made war against Israel.

Judges 11:4 niv

Some time later, when the Ammonites were fighting against Israel,

Judges 11:4 esv

After a time the Ammonites made war against Israel.

Judges 11:4 nlt

At about this time, the Ammonites began their war against Israel.

Judges 11 verses

Judges 11 4 Meaning

Judges 11:4 concisely states a pivotal development in Israel's history: after an unspecified period following eighteen years of oppression, the Ammonites escalated their long-standing antagonism into direct, full-scale military conflict against Israel. This action established the immediate context for the urgent need for a deliverer and sets the stage for Jephthah's narrative.

Judges 11 4 Context

The book of Judges operates on a cyclical pattern: Israel sins, the Lord delivers them into the hands of oppressors, Israel cries out, the Lord raises a deliverer (judge), and a period of peace ensues until the cycle repeats. Judges 10:6-8 details Israel's deep apostasy, serving various foreign deities, including "the gods of the children of Ammon." As a direct consequence, God allowed the Philistines and Ammonites to oppress Israel for eighteen years. Specifically, the Ammonites afflicted the Transjordanian tribes (Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh in Gilead), but their oppression then spread west of the Jordan (Judg 10:9). This immediate verse, Judges 11:4, specifies the escalation of this prolonged Ammonite "vexation and oppression" (Judg 10:8) into open, organized warfare. This hostile act provides the urgent context for Israel's plea for a deliverer and sets the stage for the narrative of Jephthah, highlighting the immediate crisis in Gilead that precipitates his return and leadership. Historically, the Ammonites, residing east of the Jordan, were perpetual rivals to Israel, claiming territory Israel had taken from the Amorites and Sihon (Num 21:24). Their worship of false gods, like Molech, further emphasized their fundamental opposition to Yahweh and His people.

Judges 11 4 Word analysis

• "And it came to pass": Hebrew: וַיְהִי (vayehi). A common transitional phrase in biblical narrative, signifying a new development or event in a sequence of time. It underscores the unfolding of the historical narrative and, often, the progression of God's hand in history, even through human conflicts.
• "after a time": Hebrew: מִיָּמִים (miyyamim). Literally "from days" or "after days." This indefinite phrase indicates that a significant but unstated period of time has elapsed since the preceding events. It suggests a process or passage of time has led to this current state, implying a ripening or culmination of existing tensions rather than a sudden incident. Given Judges 10:8, this time is after 18 years of oppression.
• "that the children of Ammon": Hebrew: בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן (b'nei Ammon). Refers to the nation of Ammonites, descendants of Ben-ammi, the son of Lot and his younger daughter (Gen 19:38). They were a well-known adversarial nation, situated in Transjordan, frequently clashing with Israel over land and ideological differences. Their presence specifically targets the Transjordanian Israelite tribes, underscoring their historical claim and animosity.
• "made war": Hebrew: נִלְחֲמוּ (nilchamū). From the root לָחַם (lacham), "to fight, do battle." This denotes an active, organized military campaign, indicating a shift from a period of general oppression (Judg 10:8) to a full-blown declaration of war. It highlights a heightened state of aggression and a direct challenge to Israel's sovereignty and existence.
• "against Israel": Hebrew: בְיִשְׂרָאֵל (b'Yisrael). "Against Israel" clarifies the specific target of the Ammonite aggression, emphasizing a direct confrontation with the covenant people of God. This indicates a national-level threat, uniting the individual tribal issues under a collective struggle, compelling a unified response.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "And it came to pass after a time": This opening phrase serves as a temporal marker, signifying the progression of events following the prior account of Israel's sustained sin and the ensuing eighteen-year Ammonite oppression (Judg 10:6-9). It communicates that the impending war is not an abrupt incident but a development resulting from the passage of an indefinite, but significant, period, indicating a prolonged buildup of hostile conditions and the continued effect of divine judgment.
• "the children of Ammon made war against Israel": This declarative statement concisely presents the primary catalyst for the entire Jephthah narrative. It highlights a definite act of military aggression from a long-standing, pagan adversary directly threatening the chosen nation. This aggression mandates a national response and creates the urgent need for a deliverer, initiating the divine-human drama of rescue and restoration typical of the Judges period.

Judges 11 4 Bonus section

The phrase "after a time" (miyyamim) often functions as an indefinite period marker in the Hebrew Bible, but in Judges 11:4, given the prior chapter, it is understood to be the culminating moment following 18 years of increasing Ammonite hostility. This suggests that the initial oppression evolved from economic pressure or raids into an outright invasion aimed at territorial gain and dominance. The historical rivalry between Ammon and Israel for control over Transjordanian lands (Gilead particularly) is crucial to understanding this conflict. The Ammonites believed the land Israel inhabited was theirs, tracing claims back before Israel's entry into Canaan, thereby refusing to acknowledge Israel's God-given inheritance. This is specifically addressed in Jephthah's diplomatic message (Judges 11:12-28), where he rebuts the Ammonite claim, solidifying that this war was as much about land and national identity as it was about the consequences of Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness.

Judges 11 4 Commentary

Judges 11:4 sets the stage for Jephthah's dramatic rise by defining the crisis at hand: the Ammonites, a long-standing adversary, have escalated their oppression into full-scale war against Israel. This escalation, occurring "after a time" of existing vexation (Judg 10:8), demonstrates the compounding effect of Israel's prolonged apostasy and God's continued disciplinary hand through foreign nations. The verse starkly presents the direct national threat, compelling the Gileadite elders to desperately seek a leader. It's a precise identification of the enemy and their action, laying the groundwork for the narrative's focus on Jephthah's controversial past and his role as the chosen, albeit flawed, deliverer in this divinely-ordained response to Israel's plight.