And Gilead’s wife bare him sons; and his wife’s sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father’s house; for thou art the son of a strange woman (Judges 11:2). The covetousness of the younger brothers for the family inheritance is obvious and stated as the reason for thrusting him out, but they may also have had the law against any illegitimate child going into the congregation of the people (Deuteronomy 23:2) in mind too.

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