Jephthah’s final point is that he is not guilty of taking the land from the Ammonites. This argument refers to the opening question in verse 11.12 in which Jephthah asked the Ammonite king what reason he had for attacking Israel. In this verse Jephthah returns to the central concern of the previous verses, namely that of fighting. This is a pivotal verse since it repeats the Hebrew keyword meaning “judge.”
I therefore have not sinned against you is literally “And I, I have not sinned against you.” Therefore, which renders the Hebrew waw conjunction at the beginning of this clause, may be omitted. The pronoun I is clearly emphatic here. Jephthah puts himself in the place of Israel by using this pronoun, when he declares he is not guilty (compare verse 11.12). The pronoun you, referring to the Ammonite king, is also emphatic, but can be seen to refer to all the king’s people as well. For sinned see verse 10.10. This word is not used in its strict sense here, but means “do wrong” (so Good News Translation). Contemporary English Version says “I haven’t done anything to you,” which seems somewhat weak. Good News Translation is better with “No, I have not done you any wrong.” Another possible model is “I myself have not wronged you!”
And you do me wrong by making war on me: The Hebrew waw conjunction rendered and introduces a contrast here, so it is better translated “but” (New Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version) or “yet.” Jephthah’s charge here against the Ammonite king seems stronger than his concession in the previous clause. He has done nothing wrong to the king, but the king is treating him very badly by attacking him. The Hebrew word for wrong (raʿah) refers to “evil” (see comments on verse 2.15). What is evil here is making war, which renders the same verb translated “fight” in verse 11.12, so it forms an inclusio for this section. This whole clause may be rendered “But you are the one doing the real evil/wrong because you are attacking me.”
The LORD, the Judge, decide this day between the people of Israel and the people of Ammon: Jephthah appeals to Yahweh, the God of Israel, to decide whose claim to the land is valid. He does so in confidence because he knows it is Yahweh who has given Israel the land. This is the first time in this book that Yahweh is given the title Judge, which Revised Standard Version capitalizes (compare Gen 18.25; verse 1 Sam 24.15). In Psalms the LORD is often described as the one judging the earth (see, for example, Psalm 7.8; verse 9.8). Judge renders a participle of the Hebrew verb (shafat) translated decide, so this clause literally says “May Yahweh, the Judge, judge….” This is the same word that it used often to refer to the judges or deliverers in Israel (see verse 2.16). This verb usually refers to the act of judging or deciding between two adversaries. With the exception of Deborah who judged cases for the Israelites (verse 4.4), this is the only use of this verb with this meaning in the book of Judges. Decide can certainly be rendered “judge” ( NET Bible). Many African languages say “cut the affair.” This day means that the judging be done at that very moment. We may say “here and now.” The people of Israel and the people of Ammon is literally “the sons/children of Israel and the sons/children of Ammon.” As Jephthah pronounces this wish, he moves from the personal pronouns I and you to more collective expressions. We might say “May Yahweh, the Judge, judge today whose claim is valid, the people of Israel or the people of Ammon.”
Quoted with permission from Zogbo, Lynell and Ogden, Graham S. A Handbook on Judges. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .