What happened to Jephthah's daughter?

[tonychanyt]

I think Jephthah's daughter died as a willing human sacrifice. Here is some evidence for this position.

Judges 11:

29 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites. 30 And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord: “If you give the Ammonites into my hands, 31 whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.”

What did he have in mind: goat? sheep?

I agree that it was a strange vow. But then, the book of Judges contains some strange happenings.

34 When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of timbrels! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, “Oh no, my daughter! You have brought me down and I am devastated. I have made a vow to the Lord that I cannot break.”

If Jephthah intended just to dedicate his daughter to work in the temple for the rest of her life, I don't think he would be so devastated.

36“My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the Lord. Do to me just as you promised, now that the Lord has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites.

She was a willing sacrifice for her father. If she had protested, Jephthah would not have sacrificed her.

37 But grant me this one request,” she said. “Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry.”

She, too, was heartbroken, knowing that she was going to die.

38 “You may go,” he said. And he let her go for two months. She and her friends went into the hills and wept because she would never marry. 39 After the two months, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed.

i.e., burnt offering

And she was a virgin. From this comes the Israelite tradition 40 that each year the young women of Israel go out for four days to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.

The event was a big deal. It was celebrated annually. Human sacrifice to the Lord is a tough one to believe. I believe it because the simple reading suggests it:

1. Jephthah equated the variable "whatever" to "his daughter" specifically.
2. He was devastated that he had to follow up with the vow, i.e., sacrifice her as a burnt offering.

That was what went through Jephthah's head.

Did Jephthah kill his daughter?

I think so, Psalm 15:

1 O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? ...
4 [He] who swears to his own hurt and does not change;

He was honored in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11:

32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets,

Like the story of Abraham's attempt to sacrifice his son, Isaac, perhaps this one also is a type of Christ's sacrifice on the cross. Brenton Septuagint Translation, Judges 11:

And Jephthae came to Massepha to his house; and behold, his daughter came forth to meet him with timbrels and dances; and she was his only child [G3439 μονογενής], he had not another son or daughter.

That's the same Greek word in John 3:

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son [G3439], that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

See also WHATEVER comes out from the doors of my house to meet me, I will offer it up for a burnt offering.

 

[Mark Quayle]

I think Jephthah's daughter died as a willing human sacrifice. Here is some evidence for this position.

Judges 11:


What did he have in mind: goat? sheep?

I agree that it was a strange vow. But then, the book of Judges contains some strange happenings.


If Jephthah intended just to dedicate his daughter to work in the temple for the rest of her life, I don't think he would be so devastated.


She was a willing sacrifice for her father. If she had protested, Jephthah would not have sacrificed her.


She, too, was heartbroken, knowing that she was going to die.


i.e., burnt offering


The event was a big deal. It was celebrated annually. Human sacrifice to the Lord is a tough one to believe. I believe it because the simple reading suggests it:

1. Jephthah equated the variable "whatever" to "his daughter" specifically.
2. He was devastated that he had to follow up with the vow, i.e., sacrifice her as a burnt offering.

That was what went through Jephthah's head.

Did Jephthah kill his daughter?

I think so, Psalm 15:


He was honored in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11:


Like the story of Abraham's attempt to sacrifice his son, Isaac, perhaps this one also is a type of Christ's sacrifice on the cross. Brenton Septuagint Translation, Judges 11:


That's the same Greek word in John 3:


See also WHATEVER comes out from the doors of my house to meet me, I will offer it up for a burnt offering.

In the currently common logic for interpreting Scripture, since he was mentioned in the Hebrews 11 list, many might think that God commended him for burning up his daughter, or even that God likes human sacrifice, but so far, I see nothing but that God commends keeping your word, and perhaps an implication that one should be careful about, or even avoid altogether, making vows —certainly about making vows in order to get something favorable from the Lord.

 

[BobRyan]

I think Jephthah's daughter died as a willing human sacrifice. Here is some evidence for this position.

Judges 11:


What did he have in mind: goat? sheep?

I agree that it was a strange vow. But then, the book of Judges contains some strange happenings.


If Jephthah intended just to dedicate his daughter to work in the temple for the rest of her life, I don't think he would be so devastated.


She was a willing sacrifice for her father. If she had protested, Jephthah would not have sacrificed her.


She, too, was heartbroken, knowing that she was going to die.


i.e., burnt offering


The event was a big deal. It was celebrated annually. Human sacrifice to the Lord is a tough one to believe. I believe it because the simple reading suggests it:

1. Jephthah equated the variable "whatever" to "his daughter" specifically.
2. He was devastated that he had to follow up with the vow, i.e., sacrifice her as a burnt offering.

That was what went through Jephthah's head.

Did Jephthah kill his daughter?

I think so, Psalm 15:


He was honored in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11:


Like the story of Abraham's attempt to sacrifice his son, Isaac, perhaps this one also is a type of Christ's sacrifice on the cross. Brenton Septuagint Translation, Judges 11:


That's the same Greek word in John 3:


See also WHATEVER comes out from the doors of my house to meet me, I will offer it up for a burnt offering.

IT is very unlikely that Jeptha executed his own daughter since God condemned that practice in Lev 18 and in Lev 20 in the Law of Moses.

Jer 32:35 They built the high places of Baal that are in the Valley of Ben-hinnom to make their sons and their daughters pass through the fire to Molech, which I had not commanded them, nor had it entered My mind that they should do this abomination, to mislead Judah to sin.

But you are right that the text makes it clear that Jeptha was rashly and indeed foolishly willing to engage in the sin and gross abominiation before God - of human sacrifice.

It is clear from the text that when he saw that it was not merely a servant but rather his own flesh-and-blood daughter that came out of the house - he was grief stricken and realized his sin. The text does not say that he went through with it.

Your texts about God demanding that the vow be honored does not apply when the vow is of the form "I will commit gross abomination against God if you will answer my prayer". That kind of vow can not be carried out as if God wants "gross abomination against His Word - in exchange for answered prayer".

It would be like saying "I will take your name in vain, blaspheme your name and worship false gods if you will please grant this petition". The only reason Jeptha would not be struck dead for such a prayer is that his mind was so befuddled/confused/clouded that he did not fully realize what he was saying. God brought the point home for him by having his own daughter be the first to come out of the house when he came home.

 

[65James]

IT is very unlikely that Jeptha executed his own daughter since God condemned that practice in Lev 18 and in Lev 20 in the Law of Moses.

Jer 32:35 They built the high places of Baal that are in the Valley of Ben-hinnom to make their sons and their daughters pass through the fire to Molech, which I had not commanded them, nor had it entered My mind that they should do this abomination, to mislead Judah to sin.

But you are right that the text makes it clear that Jeptha was rashly and indeed foolishly willing to engage in the sin and gross abominiation before God - of human sacrifice.

It is clear from the text that when he saw that it was not merely a servant but rather his own flesh-and-blood daughter that came out of the house - he was grief stricken and realized his sin. The text does not say that he went through with it.

Your texts about God demanding that the vow be honored does not apply when the vow is of the form "I will commit gross abomination against God if you will answer my prayer". That kind of vow can not be carried out as if God wants "gross abomination against His Word - in exchange for answered prayer".

It would be like saying "I will take your name in vain, blaspheme your name and worship false gods if you will please grant this petition". The only reason Jeptha would not be struck dead for such a prayer is that his mind was so befuddled/confused/clouded that he did not fully realize what he was saying. God brought the point home for him by having his own daughter be the first to come out of the house when he came home.

Agreed
Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which He hateth, have they done unto their gods, for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.
Deuteronomy 12:31

Myself being an older Single I find death preferable to a life of celibacy. But children sacrifices by fire is one of the highest offenses to the Father. So Judges 11:39 “and she knew no man.” Probably refers to a terrible life of celibacy, hopefully God granted her the gift of celibacy to ease her pain caused by her father.

 

[food4thought]

A straightforward reading of the text does indeed indicate that he offered his daughter as a burnt offering. Just because the Bible records it does not mean the Lord considers it good. There is much in the life of Jephtha for the author of Hebrews to commend other than the offering of his daughter.

 

[Mark Quayle]

A straightforward reading of the text does indeed indicate that he offered his daughter as a burnt offering. Just because the Bible records it does not mean the Lord considers it good. There is much in the life of Jephtha for the author of Hebrews to commend other than the offering of his daughter.

Even to commend him for at least keeping his vow, foolishly made though it was.