Jephthah invokes the Lord’s name, which sounds pious. But like Abimelech, Jephthah is driven only by self-interest and self-validation. The Lord has been completely silent so far. Jephthah’s relationship to the Lord is at best one of convenience at this point. Victory really matters to Jephthah. It is not just his life, but his status at stake here. If he wins, he gets to be someone!
9 Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you bring me home again to fight against the Ammonites, and the LORD gives them over to me, I will be your head.”