In the 12th Chapter of Judges Jephtha is portrayed as making a vow to God to present as a "burnt offering" the first thing that comes out of his house to greet him if God will let him defeat the Ammonites. As anyone who's read the story knows, his daughter rushes out to greet him, and gamely submits to the terms of her father's vow. Now I see this story as one of the Bible's many brilliant allegories rather than as an actual historical account--Jephtha was probably a real person, and he probably had a daughter, but the story implying his sacrifice of his daughter in fulfillment of a vow is probably meant to make some larger point rather than being an account of something that really happened. On the other hand, if the story is historical, the question of her fate is left to the imagination. Any fresh interpretation of the story gets 10 points.
2006-10-19 04:42:34 · 10 answers · asked by nacmanpriscasellers 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Jephtha was a Gileadite, the son of a prostitute, and was thus cast out of Gilead by his half brothers, who came running to him when they needed help because he was a great warrior. This is one of the other interesting parts of the story.
I think Jephtha made the vow rather pretentiously, and that God allowed his daughter to be the first to greet him to teach him a lesson. I do not believe that God would have let Jephtha murder her, though; the Bible is full of accounts of God punishing Israel for resorting to "abominable" practices such as human sacrifice.
Oh, and just because the Bible contains absolute truth doesn't mean that one has to take every account as historical. Absolute truth can be presented allegorically as well.
Lastly, of course it's Judges 11, not 12, but we're all entitled to one mistake every once in a while.
2006-10-19 06:24:01 · update #1
The lesson applies to everyone, to be careful what you promise, especially to God.
I still think it's an allegorical story--no disrespect intended to those who think otherwise. (I'm not chatting, so don't report me.)
2006-10-20 05:32:36 · update #2
The answer to the teaching is in Jesus words when he said "Do not make a vow, let your no be no and your yes be yes." To strengthen something by making a vow shows that there is something wrong. Do not give GOD an ultimatum. Everything is his. Is it evil to require the sacrifice of Jephthah's daughter? He gave his only son. He required the baby from David and Bathsheba. GOD is very loving but GOD is also very just. Grace and forgiveness only have value when you know what you deserve. We need that reminder every once and a while.
May GOD richly bless you.
2006-10-19 04:53:07 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It could very well be a kind of cultural memory of a time when the people of ancient Israel were still making the transition from cultic practices to state monotheism. For some generations, the two existed side by side. Some Israelites did practice human sacrifice before they were convinced to join other tribes in stopping the practice. Just as we have other traces of an earlier story line (the two creation stories in Genesis for example) here we have a kind of folk memory of a time when the daughter would have been killed as a sacrifice to Yahweh, the war god.
2006-10-19 11:48:09 · answer #2 · answered by Isis 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The same vow that Hannah made when praying for a baby,Samuel came en was given to the service of God.Jephthas daughter was given to the service,taken in as a covenant betwwen her dad en God.Ofcourse nowhere in the bible records ANincidence where God was offered a human sacrifice!
2006-10-19 13:01:30 · answer #3 · answered by KELI N 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One thing that's interesting, and this part of the story reminds us of it, is that not every judge was an Israelite, and not every judge who listened to God really knew Him that well. (God will use anybody He wills for His purpose).
Jephtha (tough name to pronounce), if I remember correctly, was a Gentile, called by God to save His people. 1 reason I say this is b/c human sacrifices were not an Israelite practice...it was one of the Gentiles (or other nations in the area)...a pagan ritual. In God's eyes, it was murder (notice, He wouldn't even allow Abe to go through with sacrificing Isaac).
Though Jephtha's life was one to reflect on, I agree that there are a lot of views we could take on this, even some discussion questions, like:
-God insists that all vows to Him be carried out. But knowing how God destests such practices as human sacrifices, do you think God insisted on the fulfillment of this vow?
-What do you think was behind Jephtha's need to suggest such a vow in the first place? Was it a righteous vow? Do you think he said it as a means of glorifying God, or himself?
-It seems too perfect that his daughter walked out after he said this. Do you suppose it was God that had her walk through at that time? Why or why not? (If you suggested from the previous question that he made the vow as a way of glorifying himself, do you suppose this was why God "allowed" her to walk through?)
-Also, one of the themes seems to be that even though the vow was obviously a bad idea, both Jephtha & his daughter remained faithful to God. Now, it may've been more of a superstition or personal commitment to carry out a promise for something that God is obviously against, but either way, he carried it out. And this could go on further, too...
But at the end of Judges 11, it tells us that after his daughter lamented for 2 months, she returned and he did just what he said he would do. And the story ends by explaining that it's the reason for one of Israel's annual custom of Israel's daughters going out to lament her for 4 days.
So according to the scriptures, he killed her like he said he would...a burnt offering to God. But we know this is a sinful offering, for God detests such sacrifices.
Is it true? Did it really happen? I believe that if we are to believe the scriptures as Absolute Truth, then we have to believe everything in it, regardless of how crazy it sounds. Otherwise, if we begin picking what we're going to believe, then what constitutes absolute truth?
Also, keep in mind that the Old Testament is not a history book about God's creation, but a book about how God interacts with His creation, in history, the present, and future. So when we read about Jephtha, it's not only to tell us what happened to his daughter, but to help us wrestle with our understandings of God, and get to know Him through His interaction w/ His people.
2006-10-19 12:39:51 · answer #4 · answered by Turmoyl 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Some believe that she was offered in the sense that she could never marry and would remain a virgin for life. It is a difficult story.
He certainly made a rash vow.
2006-10-19 11:53:21 · answer #5 · answered by beek 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, G-d was teaching him a leason, but it did actually happen. And the Rabbis disagree about exactly what happened. Thank you for being reasonably respectful.
2006-10-20 10:16:26 · answer #6 · answered by ysk 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Finish reading the story, she got some time first, but then she was killed. I find it the most disturbing story in the bible, makes me ill.
2006-10-19 12:06:01 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe she was killed.
The talmud discusses how jepthas actions were completely wrong and appalling. (I have no idea how he killed her. but it certainly wasn't done in the temple.)
cheerio
2006-10-19 11:51:01 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
She moved to Ohio.
2006-10-19 11:46:05 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I heard she's hooking out in L.A. for crack.
2006-10-19 11:44:43 · answer #10 · answered by Allison L 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋