Bible Name Meaning Tool — Search Any Name (KJV)

Jephthah

Pronounced JEF-thuh

boy

✓ In the King James Bible — Yes — Jephthah appears in the King James Bible, including Judges 11:1.

Meaning: "He opens; God opens"
Origin: Hebrew

Jephthah means "he opens" or "God opens" in Hebrew. He was one of Israel's judges — a mighty warrior who rose from rejection to become his people's deliverer, yet whose rash vow led to one of Scripture's most heartbreaking outcomes. Jephthah was the son of Gilead by a prostitute, cast out by his half-brothers who said: "Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house; for thou art the son of a strange woman." He fled to the land of Tob, where he gathered a band of outcasts around him. When the Ammonites attacked Israel, the very elders who had rejected Jephthah begged him to lead their army. Before battle, Jephthah vowed: "Whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me... shall surely be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering." God gave Jephthah victory, but the first person to greet him was his only daughter. The text says Jephthah "did with her according to his vow" — a passage that has generated centuries of debate. His story is listed in Hebrews 11's hall of faith, yet it warns about the danger of rash promises.

Spiritual meaning

Jephthah — rejected, recalled, and ultimately remembered in faith — teaches that God uses the outcast and the overlooked. But his rash vow warns: never promise God something you haven't thought through.

Related verses (KJV)

"Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot."
Judges 11:1 (KJV) →
"And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae."
Hebrews 11:32 (KJV) →

Full page for Jephthah

People also looked up

Questions about biblical name meanings

How do I find the biblical meaning of a name?

Type the name into the search box above. The tool returns the Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, or Latin root behind the name, its literal meaning, and the King James Version passages where it appears.

Does every name have a biblical meaning?

No. Many modern Christian names never appear in Scripture, and some popular 'biblical meanings' circulating online are inaccurate. Where a name is thematic rather than scriptural, we say so plainly instead of inventing a verse for it.

Which Bible translation do the verses come from?

The King James Version. It is public domain in the United States, so the text can be quoted and shared freely.

How can I tell whether a name is actually in the Bible?

Each result distinguishes a name that appears in the KJV from a later Christian or thematic name. Related verses explain a theme; they are not presented as proof that a modern name occurs in Scripture.