Judges 11:29-40 tells the intriguing story of a mighty warrior named Jephthah who made an irresponsible vow to God that was not required of him. He vowed that if God gave his enemies in his hand, he would sacrifice whatever came out of the doors of his house when he returned victorious. He defeated and subdued the Ammonites, conquering 20 of their cities. It was a comprehensive victory, and there was reason for celebration. When Jephthah arrived home, his daughter came out of his house dancing with tambourines in hand…
The Story of Jephthah, the Judge
Jephthah was the son of a prostitute. He was ejected from the house of his father, Gilead when he had other sons with his wife. His siblings denied him any possible inheritance and he fled to Tob. There, some “worthless men” gathered around him, likely also outcasts from society. They “went out with him,” implying he became the leader of a group of bandits.
Some years passed and Jephthah became a mighty warrior and his reputation as the leader of a notable group of fighters preceded him. He also had a daughter, an only child, though the Bible does not mention his wife. She may have died or the author deemed it unnecessary to mention her.
Jephthah’s band became a formidable force since the elders of Gilead wanted him and his men to return and lead them against their enemies, the Ammonites. Jephthah agreed on the condition that he then remain their head and leader. The people of Gilead accepted his condition, and Jephthah engaged with the king of the Ammonites to avoid a conflict. He showed that the grievance of the Ammonites was unfounded, and war would be unnecessary. His attempts at a peaceful settlement failed and war was imminent.
Jephthah, of his own volition, made a vow that he would sacrifice the first thing that came from his house as a burnt offering if he would return from the war victorious. With him at the helm, his band of warriors and the men from Gilead vanquished 20 Ammonite cities. His military conquest was a resounding success and he returned home the victor.
On his arrival in Mizpah, where his home was, his daughter came out of their home, dancing with tambourines in hand, celebrating her father’s victory. This was normal practice when men returned home after a successful military campaign or when significant events occurred (Exodus 15:20; 1 Samuel 18:6; 2 Samuel 6:14-16). Jephthah was devastated. Remembering his vow, he realized how unwise it was to make it. He disclosed his vow to his daughter, and she submitted to her fate, though she requested that her father grant her two months to “weep for my virginity” with her friends. Afterward, her father could pay his due.
Jephthah granted his daughter’s wish and she spent two months in the mountains with her friends mourning her virginity. The Bible then says: “And at the end of two months, she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow that he had made” (Judges 11:39).
There are two possible ways to interpret the text, and both seem to have good arguments to support them. According to the first, Jephthah sacrificed his daughter as a burnt offering to God as he had vowed. According to the second, the sacrifice was not a physical burnt offering, because it would violate other principles relating to sacrifices. Rather, Jephthah’s daughter would be dedicated to service at the Tabernacle. Let’s consider the two arguments.
Jephthah’s Daughter Sacrificed as a Burnt Offering
Several Church Fathers, such as Origen, Jerome, Augustine, and Chrysostom commented on Jephthah and his vow. Most believed that Jephthah slaughtered and sacrificed his daughter as a burnt offering like he had vowed to do. They believed that Jephthah’s sacrifice served as a warning to others not to make dangerous and irresponsible vows in the future.
This view faces some significant challenges. Firstly, why would the daughter of Jephthah and her friends mourn her virginity instead of her death (Judges 11:37-40)? Surely, if she were to die soon, they would mourn the loss of her life and her virginity would not be of concern.
Secondly, according to the Levitical laws, only clean animals could be sacrificed to God (Leviticus 11). God would not accept the sacrifice of an unclean animal. The firstborn of a donkey, an unclean animal, could be redeemed with a lamb, a clean animal because an unclean animal could not be sacrificed to God (Exodus 13:13; Exodus 34:20). Since humans do not fall into the criteria of a clean animal, Jephthah would not have been able to sacrifice his daughter as a legitimate and acceptable sacrifice to the Lord. He would then redeem her by substituting a lamb, for which biblical precedent existed.
Thirdly, Jeremiah 7:31, 19:5, and 32:35 state that it never even entered the mind of God to have his worshippers offer their children to him. Child sacrifice was a distinct practice among some pagan nations who worshipped gods like Molech. God was fundamentally opposed to such practices.
Some may present a counter-argument that God instructed Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. It is imperative to note that God did not allow Abraham to go through with sacrificing Isaac. God stopped him by sending his angel and providing a ram to sacrifice instead. The instruction to sacrifice his son tested Abraham’s obedience and faith.
Jephthah’s Daughter Dedicated in Service of God
The alternative interpretation of the story of Jephthah’s vow is that he sacrificed her figuratively by dedicating her to the service of God. Leviticus 27 provides details on vows and how vows could be redeemed. Unclean animals could be redeemed with clean ones, and people could be redeemed for their reasonable value which was partly determined by the priests. According to verse 28, a devoted person, animal or land could not be redeemed.
Jephthah’s vow was “whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return … shall be the LORD’s.” Jephthah’s vow dedicated his daughter, the first to come out of his house, to the Lord. Since his daughter could neither be redeemed with money nor substituted with something else, or sacrificed as a burnt offering because humans are unclean creatures, she had to serve at the Tabernacle for life.
Hannah made a similar vow to God in 1 Samuel 1, and when Samuel was born, and once he had been weaned, his mother sent him to serve in the Tabernacle for the rest of his life. Samuel was male, and he held the office of a priest. There was no office for a female at the Tabernacle. Exodus 38:8, however, suggests that there were women who ministered at the entrance of the tent of meeting. They did not hold office in the ceremonial system but contributed to work related to the Tabernacle. This was likely what the life of the daughter of Jephthah would have been dedicated to.
She was never to marry and thus Jephthah would never have a lineage. From the backstory of Jephthah, it seems obvious that he would want for his child what he never had, an inheritance and a lineage where she felt appreciated and beloved. He worked hard to receive status and recognition in society and Jephthah achieved it, but the folly of his vow meant that it had no real effect on his child. He died a few years later.
This interpretation seems more in line with the daughter and her friends mourning her virginity. She would never marry or have children, being dedicated to God and his service at the Tabernacle. Jephthah’s lineage would end abruptly because of the vow he had made.
The weakness of this interpretation is that it lacks textual confirmation in this passage. It is based on inference and conjecture. It relies heavily on other sections of the Old Testament which must be applied to this narrative.
Jephthah’s Daughter: In Conclusion
A definitive conclusion is hard to reach in this case. In early Christianity, scholars preferred the first interpretation, but in recent centuries, the latter option has gained the upper hand.
Maybe the author of Judges purposefully left the matter vague and unresolved to have people mull the story over more. The intended message of Jephthah’s vow is that vows have consequences and should not be made lightly. The author of Ecclesiastes, who likely knew of Jephthah’s folly, warned:
Ecclesiastes 5:4-6
“When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands?”
