Introduction
One of my favorite characters in the book of Judges is the underdog Jephthah (as found in Judges 11). He was the son of a prostitute and was ran out of town by his own brothers so that he could not share in his father’s inheritance. Though the least of his family in their eyes, God favoured him and raised him up out of the unsavory characters he ended up surrounding himself with when he fled to Tob. He went from reviled to revered, even among his own people, the Gileadites, who eventually came to him with the hope that he would be their leader and rescue them from the Ammonites (Not the fossils).
Committing his ways to the Lord, he was lead to victory. Though things were looking up for Jephthah, he had promised God the first thing that came through his door upon his return home from successful victory, and that was his only child. Like a good man, he honoured his vow, but this is where many people make the mistake: the English translations say he promised to sacrifice the first thing that came out of his door. This is said to be an example of a rash vow; further, many makes claims that he was only working for himself. But what does the text really say? Can Jephthah’s honour be redeemed?
Jephthah’s Vow
Judges 11: 30-31 (ESV) has the ‘tragic vow’ where Jephthah says to God, “If You will give the Ammonites into my hand, then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.”
The English translation would suggest that Jephthah was expecting an animal to come out of his house first (which is also an insight into the times) to greet him. Assuming that God was in control, it would be a clean animal to sacrifice unto Hashem. What happened, though, was that his daughter– his only child– came out of the door, singing and dancing, to greet the return of her father (verse 34). Upon seeing her, he tore his clothes and cried out in despair, which further fuels the argument that Jephthah was going to sacrifice his daughter. Verses 35, 36, and 39 show that he was going to make good on his promise, and the latter verse says he did. Most translations suggest that he sacrificed his daughter unto the Lord, and people today cite this as a rash vow– that one should be careful with what he promises. But is this really all there is, or even what is going on in the true story?
Redeeming Jephthah: Translator & Interpretation Error
The understanding of the vow hinges on that one linking conjunctive word, “and”, in the verse. “…shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt sacrifice.” The original Hebrew was a fairly poor language– not as developed as English with ten words having the same meaning (in the Hebrew, it is more like one word having ten meanings depending on the context of other words in a given passage).
The word for the conjunction “and” is the same for the conjunction “or”. It is the word “vav” or “waw”, which is translated as “or” in numerous other portions of Scripture. In a more literal translation like the ISR, though “vav” is still translated as “and”; but the literal translation says says that whatever comes out of his door “shall belong to הוה”. Notice the more possessive form: it shall belong to Him, and/or be offered up to Him. To belong to God is to be dedicated into His service, not necessarily to sacrifice, as we will presently discuss (see paragraph on verse 37).
Are We So Sure He Didn’t Sacrifice Her?
Of course, translating the word “and” as “or” cannot prove the case for Jephthah. Many have claimed that he did sacrifice his daughter because, at the time, Israel was so perverse and was “whoring after other nations and gods”, as the Lord would say. They use as their evidence the fact that Jephthah seems to say that Chemosh is a real god, as we will get to in a few minutes; but this would be to say that the ‘apostle’ Paul also admitted that there are multiple gods in Acts 17, along with numerous Scriptures from Genesis on. Some scholars have suggested that Israel was offering up human sacrifice, and that Jephthah, then, was also willing to offer up a servant if this would so please the Lord. But if this were the case, why would God pick Jephthah to be judge– religious leader– over Israel? Surely he would not pick a wicked man to lead the people toward righteousness!
No modern court judge would declare guilty or innocent on the above case alone, for it really only hinges on that one word, vav. All other evidence is circumstantial. Rather, we must look at other portions of the text to see what it says. The overwhelming evidence is in favor of the “or” translation based on the following argument:
Verse 36
Jephthah’s daughter tells him, “My father, you have opened your mouth to the Lord; do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth….“
Not too many people readily agree to being sacrificed. Even Isaac had to be cozened (tricked).
Verse 37
“Let this thing be done for me: leave me alone two months, that I may go up and down on the mountains and weep for my virginity, I and my companions.”
Notice that she says she wants to go and weep for her virginity. Not only would one so condemned be weeping for her life rather than her virginity, but the virginity side here is absolutely key; for, if you recall from the Mosaic Law and several other passages, a virgin/child can be dedicated to God (later, the Temple) for life as a living sacrifice (Remember Samuel?). Because she was a young virgin, pure and innocent, she was still offerable as a gift to God’s service– even if no Temple was around yet. Look at Judges 13, on Samson: there was no Temple, yet he was also dedicated to the Lord for life. Apparently, the price for such an exquisite victory as that which Jephthah was given was also a very high price: even to the giving up of his direct family line for an unrighteous Israel.
Verse 38
“… she departed, she and her companions, and wept for her virginity on the mountains.”
Again, they’re weeping for her virginity, not for her life. If any culture knew there was more to life than sex, it was certainly that of God’s chosen people; we will lightly discuss this in a moment.The main message here is, there is repeated emphasis on her virginity, not her life.
Verses 39-40
“And at the end of two months, she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow that he had made. She had never known a man, and it became a custom in Israel that the daughters of Israel went year by year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year.”
Once more, the verses say that she had never known a man (they were written some time after their lives ended, even up to 600 years later). It’s a bit odd to say, “Yes, she never had a husband” after you’ve just slaughtered someone. Rather, it would read more like, “And her body was sacrificed to the Lord at such and such a place”. Surely, if human sacrifice were the norm, as some scholars suggested, then they wouldn’t even bother lamenting her virginity, for her value would be little in the eyes of such a degraded people.
Rather, they’re lamenting the fact that she will never have children– that she will never have the honour of passing on the family line, for the Talmud says that the woman who does not have a child is one that is cursed. The Jews of the time considered child-rearing as the highest aim and fulfillment of a woman’s life, for it was crucial to tracking the lineage (lineages which can be found all over Scripture having been considered important enough to make it into holy Scriptures). That she now had no chance to even have the pleasure of this chance is what is lamented– she had no chance, so what could have been is wept for, and even commemorated as the price paid for their victory over the Ammonites.
Rash Vow Unfounded
Before we close on Jephthah making a rash vow or not, I will touch on a topic we will get to presently: Jephthah was not one given over to impulse, as far as we can tell. Impulse would be running blindly into a wild battle, but Jephthah, instead, asked the Ammonites why they were warring against Israel, and he made an attempt to explain why Israel had done no wrong to them. Jephthah was good at diplomacy long before books were written on the topic. He was thoughtful and considerate, even seeking peace without war. Of course, some might say that he was afraid, hence he first sought peace. This I do not think was the case, though, for he spent most of his adult life before the war with the Ammonites among rowdy and violent people (verse 3) and had become a valiant warrior (verse 1). In a minute, we will come to a discussion on Jephthah’s great diplomacy– some of the best I’ve seen in the Bible. Though this discussion is mainly on chapter 11 (chapters were not present in the original Scriptures), if you will jump down to the section on Judges 12, you will find a striking example of knowledge and cunning accredited to Jephthah.
Verdict
It is in my opinion that Jepthah’s daughter was never sacrificed, for God would never desire such a thing (for, if we recall, our bodies are the true Temple of God and are made in His Image: to kill the body, even accidentally, was to commit a crime unto God as per Mosaic Law). My opinion follows the evidence prayerfully considered and researched. Was he not a man seeking peace, as seen even in the promise of his vow? What man of peace would be so readily available to sacrifice even a servant, let alone the potential for a daughter or wife?
The book of Judges is meant as a historical book, yet this story is treated as a moral lesson. While even the historic book of Judges is full of moral lessons, the main point of this story is not to say, “Don’t make rash vows”. Rather, it is to relate the great price paid for victory as a historical anecdote in the lineage of Israel. To me, the main part of these historic books is to show our need for a permanent Saviour, as it is clear that Israel over and over left God except when they had a righteous, religious leader to guide them in the way of the Lord. The Bible points the way to our need of Yeshua (Jesus), and Judges does a wonderful job of showing that.
What About Other Accusations?
Jephthah may be cleared from guilt of murder of his daughter (one might argue that he killed his family line by his vow to give unto the Lord whatever God chose, though), but his character is still in jeopardy. This, too, can be reconciled even by Hebrews 11:32, which puts Jephthah in a passage of valiant and honourable men in Israel’s history. But, we will get to that in a minute. Let’s remain with the passage for now.
Selfish Reason for Leading?
The Talmud makes the claim that Jephthah was acting on selfish impulses and under rash, in-the-moment thinking. Many scholars agree, for in verses 6-10 the elders of Gilead come to Tob (as he has become a mighty warrior of note) and ask him to be their “katzin”, or commander of their military, but he asks, paraphrased “Oh, you want me only when you’re in trouble, having despised me and taken all that was mine? Harumph!” (No, they don’t say ‘harumph’ in ancient Israel; I doubt they do today.)
Basically rejected, the elders raise the value of their offer and tell him, paraphrased, “If you will do this thing, we promise to make you our ‘rosh'”, or high leader, and Jephthah readily agrees. Some suggest that this was his seizing the title of what we now call a Judge of Israel, but think about it from his perspective: how could he not? He had been driven out of his father’s home, from his rightful inheritance as the eldest child, and lived among rather lowly people. Now, having found some form of greatness and acceptance, Jephthah’s family has returned to beg him to help them when he really has no reason to do so. But to become great again, even in the eyes of his family…. What a answered prayer and then some!
One could hardly call this dishonourable, for Jewish culture was all about God and family– more so than American ideals (though “family” in America has blown to pieces in recent decades). Rather, Jephthah was about to go from reviled and exiled to revered and put in a position he might have claimed had his brothers not despised him. Essentially, this was his ticket back in the door, and it would be payment for all his brothers had done to him. As a final note, in his very vow he starts off with saying, “If YOU (God) give the Ammonites into my hand…” Selfish? No, he knew he couldn’t do it without God. Jephthah had committed his way to the Lord.
Was Jephthah Following False Gods?
Some scholars make the claim that Jephthah worshiped other gods because in his diplomatic maneuver to bring peace without war, he wrote to the Ammonites, “Will you not possess what Chemosh your god gives you to possess? And all that the Lord our God has dispossessed before us, we will possess” (verse 24), even going so far as to name the god, which was prohibited by Mosaic Law. But, did not Moses say a very similar thing to the Egyptians, and Joshua to the Israelites, and Elijah to the Israelites, and Paul to the Athenians? Does not the majority of the Tanakh “(Old Testament”), based on taking verses out of context as even some scholars do, suggest that other gods exist? Doesn’t God Himself call His people ‘gods’– in their own eyes? (John 10:34).
Look at the surrounding text for context! Jephthah is making a stunning and highly diplomatic move. Verses 12 through 28 show a calm, collected, considerate, and rational argument on par with those of Paul in the New Testament as he tried furthering the Kingdom of God in the nations (see Acts 17). Beyond this, Jephthah knows his history, which suggests he was well aware of the Lord’s power in leading Israel and the holy Scriptures given to keep on their lips always, as Joshua told them about the Book of the Law.
This is not what could be expected for those “a-whoring after other gods”, as God Himself told the Israelites numerous times. Rather, verses 21, 23, the latter part of 24, and the last half of 27 all give glory to God as the One and Only Judge (verse 27) between the peoples. To say something like, “You take what your god gives, and I’ll take what mine gives” in this case means nothing more than, “Our God gave us this land”. It does not mean, “Chemosh and God cannot decide on whose land this is”, but that is what so many people might as well suggest– and it seems ludicrous. As Jephthah explains, for 300 years Israel had lived there. God had given it to them because the other people left it. Now the sons of Ammon want it back? Does that make sense?
Judges 12, the Story Continues
Judges 12 contains the continued story of Jephthah. In Judges 12 he is threatened with destruction and even death by the people of Ephraim as they claim that he did not ask them to share in the victory. He counters, saying he asked for help and they did not come to his aid. While I do not know which is true, it is apparent that Ephraim was highly insulted by not being allowed to share in the glory as they came to arms against the Gileadites. A battle ensues as the Gileadites are considered an unwelcome guest between “Ephraim and Manasseh” (verse 4). The victory goes again to Jephthah, and those “fugitive” or criminal Ephraimites seeking to cross over the Jordan were given a cunning test centered on the word “Shibboleth”, which the Ephraimites, with their dialect, pronounced as, “Sibboleth”. Some may say this was used as a way to enact genocide, but did not the Ephraimites seek to enact it against the Gileadites first? Rather, it is a further testimony to the cunning of Jephthah and a fascinating example of using one’s own words against one.
Jephthah, Redeemed or Not?
Hebrews 11:32 puts Jephthah among the faithful of Israel– he is highlighted as a hero till sometime between AD 70 (when the New Testament books were fully penned, barring Revelation with an unknown finish date between AD 60 and AD 90) and 500 AD, when the Talmud that condemns him was completed. Look, though, at what the author of Hebrews has to say about Jephthah and others– look at who this questioned character is surrounded by in Hebrews 11: 31-34:
“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.
And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.”
Jephthah is surrounded by heroes, even with a name next to the most honoured and revered figure of Jewish history: King David. Jephthah is in a passage about faithful people who did the Lord’s bidding (though all had their flaws, like Gideon the doubter, Samson and his easy persuasion to stupidity through love, David and his lust and even murder, and the great prophet Elijah who even doubted and feared and wanted out of service to God. People today praise these, yet many view Jephthah in a negative light– and for what? A single word in a verse that throws our whole understanding off!)
Conclusion
The evidence is clear. A 3,000-year-old cold-case for a man’s righteousness has been re-opened, and after over 1,500 years a man’s honour is again restored. Jephthah is not guilty of a rash vow, nor of human sacrifice/murder, and can hardly be said to have acted on selfish ambitions. It seems he had committed his ways to the Lord and followed and knew Him well (to the point that it seems he had only one wife, which even wise Solomon did not obey in the Law). He may have been Judge for only 6 years after the war, but he has a long testimony that is given honour and praise by the men who wrote the Bible. Yet, because of the mistranslation of a single word, “vav“, today many people frown upon Jephthah and see him as something he is not. The evidence above is a clear testimony to his honour, and it is my hope that one day this error will be remedied for a more accurate understanding of the Word of God and all it can offer us.
Seeking God 