Judges 11:12

And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land?

Cross-references

Joel 3:4 Allusion

Joel 3:4 uses the identical rhetorical question 'What are you to me?' to confront enemy nations, directly echoing Jephthah's challenge.

Deuteronomy 20:10 commands offering peace before battle; Jephthah's messengers to Ammon reflect this principle of seeking terms.

Numbers 20:14 shows Moses sending messengers to Edom with a diplomatic inquiry, similar to Jephthah's approach to Ammon.

Numbers 21:21 records Israel sending messengers to Sihon, a parallel diplomatic overture to Jephthah's message to Ammon.

Deuteronomy 2:26 describes Moses sending peace messengers to Sihon, echoing Jephthah's diplomatic approach to Ammon.

Deuteronomy 20:11 Historical context

Deuteronomy 20:11 prescribes a peace offer before besieging a city, showing the biblical precedent Jephthah's question follows.

2 Kings 14:8-12 records a similar diplomatic exchange between kings before battle, showing a pattern of sending challenge messages in Israel's history.