Jephthah: Ammonite Oppression · Jephthah is not mentioned by name, but this section sets the stage, both generally and specifically, for his entrance on the scene. The author describes Israel’s deteriorating spiritual condition and interaction with God about their circumstances (vv. 6–16); more specifically, he begins to focus attention upon the events that directly led to Jephthah’s rise to leadership (vv. 17–18). The obvious emphasis in this section is upon the general, spanning as it does eleven verses. To be sure, we have not encountered such a lengthy and detailed exposé of Israel’s condition since the beginning of the book (2:1–3:6). But because Jephthah’s story marks the beginning of the second half of the book, the author pauses to review the basic principles set out in the first h…