But the king of the Ammonites paid no heed to the message Jephthah sent him.
Parallel translations
- WEB However the king of the children of Ammon didn’t listen to the words of Jephthah which he sent him.
- KJV Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him.
- NKJV However, the king of the people of Ammon did not heed the words which Jephthah sent him.
- NASB But the king of the sons of Ammon disregarded the message which Jephthah sent him.
- NLT But the king of Ammon paid no attention to Jephthah’s message.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The Ammonite king ignores Jephthah's words. Diplomacy fails, and war becomes inevitable.
Overview
Despite Jephthah's careful and just argument, the Ammonite king refuses to listen. His rejection of reasoned appeal leaves armed conflict as the only path. The closed ear of Ammon sets the stage for the LORD to give Israel victory in battle.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- 2 Kgs 14:11But Amaziah would not listen, and Jehoash king of Israel advanced. He and King Amaziah of Judah faced each other at Beth-shemesh in Judah.
- Prov 16:18Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Israel's cycle of sin and rescue through flawed deliverers cries out for a Savior who never fails — the true and final Judge and Deliverer who saves his people not for a season but forever.
How Judges 11:28 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.