Balak

9"Then Balak, the son of Zippor, went to war against Israel. He was the king of Moab. He sent for a man named Balaam and asked him to curse you.

Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you:

NoteMoab was a small country near Israel. To curse someone means to ask a god to bring harm to them.

10"But I would not listen to Balaam. So instead he kept blessing you. That is how I kept you safe from Balak.

But I would not hearken unto Balaam; therefore he blessed you still: so I delivered you out of his hand.

NoteTo bless someone means to ask God to be good to them. Balaam was asked to say bad words but said good ones instead.

23"The LORD, the God of Israel, drove the Amorites out for his people. So should you take that land now?"

So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it?

24"You keep whatever your god Chemosh gives you, don't you? In the same way, we keep whatever the LORD our God gives us."

Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.

NoteChemosh was the god that the people of Moab and Ammon prayed to. Jephthah is talking to the king in the king's own words.

25"Are you better than Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab? Did he ever argue with Israel or fight against them?"

And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them,

NoteBalak was a king of Moab many years before this. He never went to war with Israel.

26"For three hundred years Israel has lived in Heshbon and its towns, in Aroer and its towns, and in all the towns by the Arnon. Why did you not take them back in all that time?"

While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover them within that time?

NoteThree hundred years is a very long time. Jephthah is saying, "You waited far too long to ask for this land."

27"I have done nothing wrong to you. You are the one doing wrong by fighting me. Let the LORD, the true Judge, decide today between Israel and Ammon."

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.

NoteA judge is someone who listens and then says who is right. Jephthah asks God to be that judge.

3"My people, what have I done to you? How have I made you tired of me? Tell me."

O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me.

4"I brought you up out of Egypt. I set you free from being slaves there. I sent Moses ahead of you, and Aaron and Miriam too."

For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.

NoteLong ago God's people were slaves in Egypt, a country far to the south. Slaves are people forced to work and not allowed to leave. God brought them out and made them free. Moses, Aaron, and Miriam were the leaders who walked them out.

5"My people, remember what Balak, the king of Moab, planned. Remember what Balaam son of Beor answered him. Remember your trip from Shittim to Gilgal. Then you will know that the LORD does what is right."

O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the LORD.

NoteBalak was a king who wanted God's people hurt. He paid a man named Balaam to speak words against them. Balaam ended up speaking kind words about them instead. Shittim and Gilgal were two places on the long walk to their new home.

14But I have a few things against you. Some of you follow the teaching of Balaam. He taught Balac how to trip up the people of Israel. The trap was to get them to eat food offered to idols, which are statues people worship. It was also to get them to do wrong things with sex.

But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

NoteBalaam and Balac come from a much older story in the Bible. Balac was a king. He wanted Balaam to bring harm to the people of Israel. A stumbling block is something left in a path to trip people. Idols are statues that people pray to. Meat was often given to an idol first, then eaten.

15In the same way, some of you follow the teaching of the Nicolaitans. I hate that teaching.

So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.

16So turn back. If you do not, I will come to you soon. I will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

NoteA sword coming out of a mouth is a word picture. It means his words do the work a sword does.