12:1–7 Following immediately after the sacrifice of his daughter (11:30–40), this story implies that Jephthah’s struggle with Ephraim and his abbreviated judgeship (v. 7) were God’s judgment on him for sacrificing his daughter. Ps. 78 (esp. vv. 9–11, 67) reflects on Ephraim’s failure to fight and explains God’s rejection of Ephraim as Israel’s leader. Judah, the tribe of David, and not Ephraim would lead Israel (Ps. 78:68–72).

Why. See 8:1 for an almost identical question put to Gideon.