A Victorious Judge Who Makes a Foolish Vow
Jephthah is the son of Gilead and a prostitute. Gilead and his wife have other sons, who drive Jephthah away, lest they must share their inheritance with him. Jephthah forms a gang of troublemakers.
Some time later, the Ammonites fight Israel. In desperation, the elders of Gilead ask Jephthah to lead them into battle. He agrees, but then makes a rash vow.
The Vow
Jephthah pledges that upon his successful return he will sacrifice the first thing that comes through the door of his house as a burnt offering to thank God for his victory. Jephthah assumes it will be an animal.
He is indeed victorious.
Jephthah’s Daughter
To his dismay, the first thing that walks through the door when he returns home is his daughter. She dances in celebration for his success. She is his only child.
He laments the foolish promise he made to God but feels obligated to fulfill it.
We don’t know the name of Jephthah’s daughter, but we do grieve her fate. She doesn’t complain about her father’s careless promise. Instead, she confirms he must follow through.
Her only request is a two-month reprieve to mourn her misfortune with her friends. We applaud her steadfast confidence in how she accepts her father’s pledge, revealing her deep faith in God.
Sacrifice
Then Jephthah follows through on his vow.
What’s unclear is if Jephthah physically sacrifices his daughter, something Moses prohibited, or if her life is redeemed for service to God, like Hannah will later do in giving her son Samuel to serve God in the temple.
Regardless, it’s clear that Jephthah’s daughter will not enjoy the future she expected, for she willingly accepts the consequences of her father’s impulsive vow to God.
We commend her for her pious attitude, all the while being reminded to be careful with what we promise.
When have we made a rash vow?
Whether we followed through or reneged, what do we feel about our response to our unwise promise?
[Read about Jephthah in Judges 11. Discover more in the story of Hannah and Samuel in 1 Samuel 1:10–22.]
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Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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