“What man is he that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon?”
The full verse · Judges 10:18 · KJV
And the and of to , What is he that will to against the of ? he shall be over all the of .
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Asked to
The question circulates within the gathered assembly itself, as they deliberate among themselves about who might lead them into battle.
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionThe leaders seek a volunteer commander by attaching a political reward to the military challenge, transforming desperation into opportunity and inviting ambitious warriors to step forward.
The Response
What Scripture recordsThe assembly turned to Jephthah, a mighty warrior they had previously expelled because he was the son of a prostitute (Judges 11:1-3). The elders of Gilead went to him in the land of Tob and requested he become their commander, eventually agreeing to make him head over all Gilead (Judges 11:5-11).
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyThe question reveals both desperation and pragmatism in Israel’s leaderless condition. The assembly transforms their military need into a political auction, promising permanent leadership to whoever will fight. The Hebrew construction uses the interrogative mi (who) with a participial phrase, emphasizing the ongoing action of beginning to fight. Why ask rather than command? Because without centralized authority, the Gileadites must negotiate rather than conscript. The offer of headship (rosh) represents permanent civil authority, not merely military command during crisis. This question exposes the cost of Israel’s apostasy; they have forsaken God’s appointed judges and must now bargain with men. Their mercenary approach to leadership foreshadows the problems that will plague Jephthah’s tenure, as political expedience replaces divine calling.
When crisis forces you to bargain for help, God often provides deliverance from unexpected sources. The Gileadites had to swallow their pride and seek out Jephthah, the very man they had rejected. Sometimes the solution to your desperate situation requires humility, admitting you need someone you’ve dismissed or overlooked. God delights in using unlikely people to accomplish His purposes, reminding us that He looks at the heart, not human credentials (1 Samuel 16:7). Your current limitation may be the platform for someone else’s calling, and your willingness to receive help with gratitude honors the Deliverer who came from unexpected origins to save us all.
Built from the biblical text and checked against trusted commentaries and lexicons. References & Sources
Keep questioning
“Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!?”
“Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?”
“Who hath done this thing?”
“Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you?”