What do you think of Jephthah burning his daughter to death as a requirement to God...?

Question

God had given him lots of victories in war. So Jephthah killed tonnes of enemies then had to burn his poor child when he got back.

When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of tambourines! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, "Oh! My daughter! You have made me miserable and wretched, because I have made a vow to the LORD that I cannot break." "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. 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." "You may go," he said. And he let her go for two months. She and the girls went into the hills and wept because she would never marry. After the two months, she returned to her father and he did to her as he had vowed.

Answer 1

Just one more reason why the Bible isn't worth any more than any other religion, like Ancient Hellenistic Paganism for example (Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter so that the Trojan war would go smoother).

Answer 2

A judge of Israel, Jephthah, had made a foolish vow to the Lord that if God gave him victory in battle, he would sacrifice whatever first came out of his door when he came home (Judges 11:30-31). Jephthah’s daughter was the first thing to come of out his door when he came home (Judges 11:34). The Bible never specifically tells us whether Jephthah actually sacrificed his daughter as a burnt offering. Judges 11:39 seems to indicate that he did, "he did to her as he had vowed." However, the fact that his daughter was mourning the fact that she would never marry, instead of mourning that she was about to die (Judges 11:37-37) – possibly indicates that Jephthah gave her to the tabernacle as a servant instead of sacrificing her. Whatever the case, God had specifically forbidden offering human sacrifices – so God never would have wanted Jephthah to sacrifice his daughter (Leviticus 20:1-5). Jeremiah 7:31, 19:5, and 32:35 clearly indicate that the idea of human sacrifice has "never even entered God's mind." Jephthah serves as an example for us, not to make foolish vows.

Answer 3

I don't believe that Jephthah had his daughter in mind when he made the vow, but possibly an animal of some sort that he would give to God in exchange for victory in battle. When it turned out to be his only child, he had two choices, either to forfeit his vow or fulfill it in some way. While it would seem that he did burn her, the strange existence of the phrase "and she knew no man." after the execution of the vow, makes it less likely. In any case, God can take no blame for what occurred, for he neither commanded her death(possibly physical) nor performed the vow.

Reply to pugwashjw: Your comment raises another possibility, that Jephthah, in exchange for help, pretended to be willing enough to offer up his only child to God, in the likeness of Abraham's offering of Isaac, but hoping beyond hope that his daughter would not be there when he returned, and that he would not have to go through with it.

Answer 4

He burned her? Hhhmm, I thought he cut her head off. I could be getting this one mixed up with another human sacrifice shown in the Old Test though. But, I do know that the one you are talking about was done because he made that deal with God to begin with... he claimed IF he won the war against his enemies he would kill the first person to greet him coming out of his own home and it was his daughter.

*Shiver* And people wonder why Non-Believers don't want to follow a God like that.

Answer 5

Would you please cite the scripture where you found that story?

At any rate, the Hebrew/Christian Bible documents how people's understanding of God changed over time. Yes, God was perceived as a war deity demanding sacrifice (though human sacrifice was banned) and worse. As time went on, these views were replaces by a God expecting social justice (fair 'business' laws and decent treatment of the less fortunate), and finally as a God of love.

The fact that people in all religions prefer the old ways does not invalidate God's love for humanity.

In addition, I believe that scripture, which uses poetry, metaphor and allegory, uses stories like the one in question for teaching purposes; the incident in question did not have to be literally true, nor is it something that the loving God in which I believe would condone.

Answer 6

Yes, well, that WAS the deal..."let me win over my enemies, and I will toast the first thing that walks thru my door." Hey, a deal is a deal.... she got cooked. But, hey, she was female.

Notice god let Abraham off the hook when he was about to off his son. Notice in the second deal, it was a male. Lets ya know what kind of a god the god of Abraham really is, doesn't it?

There is no better way to become an atheist that to carefully read the bible, is there???

Answer 7

I think he got what he asked for. God had nothing to do with his wager to sacrifice the first thing that came out to meet him. He did it on his own because he did not count the cost. It should be a warning to us today to count the cost for what we do with our lives.

Answer 8

primitive early Iron Age war god ethics

Some think that she was consecrated to perpetual virginity like a vestal Virgin

I interpret the OT by the NT and both by Apostolic traditon and the Church

Answer 9

Did Jephthah have in mind human sacrifice when he vowed to present as a burnt offering the first one coming out of his house?

Some critics and scholars have condemned Jephthah for his vow, having the view that Jephthah followed the practice of other nations, offering up his daughter by fire as a human burnt offering. But this is not the case. It would be an insult to Jehovah, a disgusting thing in violation of his law, to make a literal human sacrifice. He strictly commanded Israel: “You must not learn to do according to the detestable things of those nations. There should not be found in you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire . . . For everybody doing these things is something detestable to Jehovah, and on account of these detestable things Jehovah your God is driving them away from before you.” (De 18:9-12) Jehovah would curse, not bless, such a person. The very ones Jephthah was fighting, the Ammonites, practiced human sacrifice to their god Molech.—Compare 2Ki 17:17; 21:6; 23:10; Jer 7:31, 32; 19:5, 6.

When Jephthah said: “It must also occur that the one coming out, who comes out of the doors of my house to meet me . . . must also become Jehovah’s,” he had reference to a person and not an animal, since animals suitable for sacrifice were not likely kept in Israelite homes, to have free run there. Besides, the offering of an animal would not show extraordinary devotion to God. Jephthah knew that it might well be his daughter who would come out to meet him. It must be borne in mind that Jehovah’s spirit was on Jephthah at the time; this would prevent any rash vow on Jephthah’s part. How, then, would the person coming out to meet Jephthah to congratulate him on his victory “become Jehovah’s” and be offered up “as a burnt offering”?—Jg 11:31.

Persons could be devoted to Jehovah’s exclusive service in connection with the sanctuary. It was a right that parents could exercise. Samuel was one such person, promised to tabernacle service by a vow of his mother Hannah before his birth. This vow was approved by her husband Elkanah. As soon as Samuel was weaned, Hannah offered him at the sanctuary. Along with him, Hannah brought an animal sacrifice. (1Sa 1:11, 22-28; 2:11) Samson was another child specially devoted to God’s service as a Nazirite.—Jg 13:2-5, 11-14; compare the father’s authority over a daughter as outlined in Nu 30:3-5, 16.

When Jephthah brought his daughter to the sanctuary, which was in Shiloh at that time, he undoubtedly accompanied his presentation of her with an animal burnt offering. According to the Law, a burnt offering was slaughtered, skinned, and cut up; the intestines and shanks were washed; and its body, head and all, was burned on the altar. (Le 1:3-9) The wholeness of such offering represented full, unqualified, wholehearted dedication to Jehovah, and when it accompanied another offering (as, for example, when the burnt offering followed the sin offering on the Day of Atonement), it constituted an appeal to Jehovah to accept that other offering.—Le 16:3, 5, 6, 11, 15, 24.

It was a real sacrifice on the part of both Jephthah and his daughter, for he had no other child. (Jg 11:34) Therefore no descendant of his would carry on his name and his inheritance in Israel. Jephthah’s daughter was his only hope for this. She wept, not over her death, but over her “virginity,” for it was the desire of every Israelite man and woman to have children and to keep the family name and inheritance alive. (Jg 11:37, 38) Barrenness was a calamity. But Jephthah’s daughter “never had relations with a man.” Had these words applied only to the time prior to the carrying out of the vow, they would have been superfluous, for she is specifically said to have been a virgin. That the statement has reference to the fulfilling of the vow is shown in that it follows the expression, “He carried out his vow that he had made toward her.” Actually, the record is pointing out that also after the vow was carried out she maintained her virginity.—Jg 11:39; compare renderings in KJ; Dy; Yg; NW.

Moreover, Jephthah’s daughter was visited “from year to year” by her companions to ‘give her commendation.’ (Jg 11:40) The Hebrew word ta·nah′, used here, also occurs at Judges 5:11, and in that text is variously rendered “recount” (NW), “rehearse” (KJ), “recounted” (AT), “repeat” (RS). The word is defined in A Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon (edited by B. Davies, 1957, p. 693) as “to repeat, to rehearse.” At Judges 11:40 the King James Version renders the term “lament,” but the margin reads “talk with.” As Jephthah’s daughter served at the sanctuary, doubtless like other Nethinim (“Given Ones” devoted to sanctuary service), there was much she could do. These persons served in gathering wood, drawing water, doing repair work, and undoubtedly performing many other tasks as assistants to the priests and Levites there.—Jos 9:21, 23, 27; Ezr 7:24; 8:20; Ne 3:26.

JEPHTHAH's sacrifice was NOT to kill his daughter, but to offer her services in the temple to the worship of Jehovah God.
The ' sacrifice' was that she would never marry or have a family, a very important thing to a Jewish woman.

Answer 10

I forget how that story ended but he didn't burn her... Mabye you could post the verses that contain this story...