And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The LORD be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words.

They answered him: The Lord who heareth these things, he himself is mediator and witness that we will do as we have promised.

And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, |The LORD will be witness between us; we will surely do as you say.|

And the elders of Gilead say unto Jephthah, 'Jehovah is hearkening between us, if according to thy word we do not so.'

And the responsible men of Gilead said to Jephthah, May the Lord be our witness: we will certainly do as you say.

They answered him, "The Lord who hears these things is himself the Mediator and the Witness that we shall do what we have promised."

And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah,.... Assenting to his proposal, and not only giving their word for it, but their oath:
the Lord be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words; that is, make him head over them; they appealed to the omniscient God, and called on him to be a witness of their agreement to it, and swore by him they would fulfil it; or if they did not, that the Lord would take vengeance on them for it, and punish the breach of this covenant and oath in some way or another; the Targum of Jonathan is,"the Word of the Lord be a witness between us, &c.''

the elders of Israel said unto Jephthah, The Lord be witness between us--Their offer being accompanied by the most solemn oath, Jephthah intimated his acceptance of the mission, and his willingness to accompany them. But to make "assurance doubly sure," he took care that the pledge given by the deputies in Tob should be ratified in a general assembly of the people at Mizpeh; and the language of the historian, "Jephthah uttered all his words before the Lord," seems to imply that his inauguration with the character and extraordinary office of judge was solemnized by prayer for the divine blessing, or some religious ceremonial.

The elders promised this on oath. "Jehovah be hearing between us," i.e., be hearer and judge of the things concerning which we are negotiating; "truly according to thy word so will we do" (לא אם, a particle used in connection with an oath).

The Lord be witness - The Lord be an hearer: so the Hebrew word is. Whatever we speak it concerns us to remember, that God is an hearer!