Jephthah was a mighty warrior from Gilead, but he was the son of a prostitute (Judges 11:1). His brothers drove him out, saying he would not have an inheritance in their father’s house, and he fled to the land of Tob (Judges 11:2–3).
Judges 11:1–3 introduces Jephthah by pairing strength with stigma. He is a capable warrior from Gilead, yet his mother is described as a prostitute, and this becomes a reason others reject him. When Gilead’s legitimate sons grow up, they expel Jephthah and deny him any share in the family estate. The passage functions as the origin story for a new deliverer figure in Judges, setting up why Jephthah is available and socially outside the normal channels of leadership. It moves quickly from identity (who he is) to conflict (family rejection) to location and alliances (life in Tob with a following).
Judges 11:1–3 introduces Jephthah with a deliberate contrast: he is a proven warrior, yet his origins carry stigma. The text explicitly says his mother is described as a prostitute, while also naming “Gilead” as his father. The result is social vulnerability inside his own household. The passage also presents family membership and property as tightly linked.
A common mistake is to treat this as trivia. Names, places, numbers, and sequence details often carry memory, covenant identity, or narrative movement in the biblical story.
Start with Judges 11:1, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
1Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, and he was the son of a prostitute: and Gilead became the father of Jephthah.