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Judges 11:12

ESV Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites and said, “What do you have against me, that you have come to me to fight against my land?”
NIV Then Jephthah sent messengers to the Ammonite king with the question: 'What do you have against me that you have attacked my country?'
NASB So Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon, saying, 'What conflict do you and I have, that you have come to me to fight against my land?'
CSB Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites, asking, "What do you have against me that you have come to fight me in my land? "
NLT Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of Ammon, asking, 'Why have you come out to fight against my land?'
KJV And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land?

What does Judges 11:12 mean?

Jephthah has just been made ruler of Gilead and leader of its fighting forces (Judges 11:11). He immediately takes ownership of his new role and goes to work. Jephthah acts very much as a king might do in similar circumstances. He presents himself as the rightful representative of Gilead; as such, attacks from the Ammonites are a personal insult against himself. He sends messengers to the king of the Ammonites to begin diplomatic negotiations. Jephthah's aim is to understand why the Ammonites believe Gilead belongs to them, rather than to Jephthah and his people.

His first message implies a question: What do you have against me that you feel justified in fighting against my land? What right do you think you have to our territory?
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