Judges 11:29-40
29 Now the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh; then he passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he went on to the sons of Ammon.
30 And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, “If You will indeed hand over to me the sons of Ammon.
31 Then whatever comes out the doors of my house to meet me when I return safely from the sons of Ammon, it shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”
32 So Jephthah crossed over to the sons of Ammon to fight against them; and the Lord handed them over to him.
33 He inflicted a very great defeat on them from Aroer to the entrance of Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim. So the sons of Ammon were subdued before the sons of Israel.
34 But Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, and behold, his daughter was coming out to meet him with tambourines and with dancing. And she was his one and only child; besides her he had no son or daughter.
35 So when he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Oh, my daughter! You have brought me disaster, and you are among those who trouble me; for I have given my word to the Lord, and I cannot take it back.”
36 So she said to him, “My father, you have given your word to the Lord; do to me just as you have said, since the Lord has brought you vengeance on your enemies, the sons of Ammon.”
37 And she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me; allow me two months, so that I may go to the mountains and weep because of my virginity, I and my friends.”
38 Then he said, “Go.” So he let her go for two months; and she left with her friends, and wept on the mountains because of her virginity.
39 And at the end of two months she returned to her father, who did to her what he had vowed; and she had no relations with a man. And it became a custom in Israel.
40 That the daughters of Israel went annually to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for four days in the year.
Jephthah’s Petition
Hasty petition
One must be careful when speaking words of a vow. Hasty vows lead to regrets. Moreover, vows to God should not be made to ask for a favor from God, rather it should be a response to the grace already received. Jephthah’s petition was not an expression of faith, but rather a manifestation of his anxiety. Jephthah made a vow that if he could achieve victory, he would offer the first one who comes out of his house to meet him as a “burnt offering.” As per his request, the Lord granted him victory. When Jephthah returned home, the first to come out dancing to meet him was his only daughter. Dancing to greet soldiers was a common practice at that time. Seeing his daughter, Jephthah mourned. His daughter’s inability to bear children meant the end of his lineage. This was a “curse” that we cannot even imagine today. The daughter also tears her clothes and laments. (Jephthah claims that this petition cannot be revoked, but according to the Law of Moses, this was not a valid petition to begin with, so could have been revoked. Not revoking it was either due to ignorance or stubbornness).
Did the daughter die?
Regarding what happened to the daughter, there are two opinions. (1) She was literally sacrificed as a “burnt offering.” (2) She was dedicated to serve the Lord in the tabernacle for her entire life. The author of this article leans towards the latter possibility. Here are a few reasons: (1) Jephthah made this petition after the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. It’s highly unlikely that one would make a vow to offer a human sacrifice while being under the influence of the Holy Spirit. (2) The Law of Moses itself prohibits human sacrifice (Deut. 12:31). The Lord would not find pleasure in such a sacrifice. (3) Both Jephthah and his daughter are lamenting, yet the emphasis is not on her “death” but on her “virginity.” This suggests that she laments entering a life without bearing children. Have you ever experienced regret after making a hasty promise? Let us be cautious with our words and continue to speak the thoughts of the Lord.
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, I am often quick to speak and prone to making mistakes. Please forgive me and help me continue to speak Your thoughts. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.