There had formerly lived in Gil'e-ad a man of great physical strength, boldness, and courage named Jeph'thah. He was the bastard son of a man named Gil'e-ad, and because of the circumstances of his birth was not entitled to dwell in the land of his father's inheritance, but was cast out by his half-brothers. It also appears that Jeph'thah may have been disliked by other members of his clan because he held strictly to the religion of the True God. They may also have been jealous of him because of his bold, enterprising spirit.
Jeph'thah went into a land called Tob, which was in Syr'i-a on the borders of Gil'e-ad to the north or northeast. Because of his adventurous spirit and ability as a leader of men, there soon gathered about him a band of warriors who made frequent raids upon the heathen settlers, including the Am'mon-ites who had plundered the Is'ra-el-ites.
Having learnt of Jeph'thah's success and great skill as a warrior. the elders of Is'ra-el invited him to lead his nation in war against the Am'mon-ites, offering to make him the permanent ruler if he succeeded in driving the invaders out of the land. After a series of conferences in which it was admitted that Jeph'thah had been unjustly treated by his brothers, he accepted the commission.
The first act of Jeph'thah was to send a deputation to the Am'mon-ites with a proposal to settle their differences without a war. This proposal was scornfully rejected, and Jeph'thah sought again for a friendly settlement of the strife between the Am'mon-ites and his people. The Am'mon-ites sought to justify their hostile attitude toward Is'ra-el on the grounds that their lands had been taken by this nation, and that they had the right to win them back even by the force of arms.
In reply to this argument Jeph'thah reviewed the history of Is'ra-el's dealings with the E'dom-ites, Mo'ab-ites, and Am'mon-ites. He reminded them that Si'hon, king of the Am'o-rites, had been the one who had taken their lands, and that God enabled the Is'ra-el-ites to defeat him, and to take possession of all his territory. The Am'mon-ites refused to yield to the argument of Jeph'thah, and forced an immediate war upon Is'ra-el.
