Judges 11:15
“and he said to him, “Thus says Jephthah: Israel didn’t take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon,”
What does Judges 11:15 mean?
Jephthah is defending Israel's claim to the land east of the Jordan River by reminding the king of Ammon of their actual history. He's pointing out that Israel didn't conquer Moab or Ammon's territory, but rather took land from the Amorites who had previously conquered it from those nations. It's a diplomatic argument, essentially saying, "We're not the aggressors here—we took territory from people who had already displaced others." Jephthah is trying to settle a territorial dispute through reason before resorting to war, showing that even in ancient times, leaders appealed to historical facts and justice to make their case.