Joseph Cuestas English 111 Heb 1 Robert Adcock 29 November 2011 Hasty Promises Hurt People A Comparison of Jephthahs

Response in his vow to God

Throughout the biblical book of Judges, the children of Israel fall into a vicious cycle of sin, bringing forth judgment upon themselves. The book of Judges records the accounts of Israels sin, suffering, supplication, and salvation. One of the most fascinating accounts among the judges is that of Jephthah and his rash vow. Jephthah, while leading the people into battle against the Ammonites, vowed that if the Lord gave them the victory that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering. God heard Jephthahs plea and gave the children of Israel the victory. While returning home to Mizpah, Jephthahs only daughter came out to greet him, and he was distraught at this greeting, because he would have to fulfill his vow. Did Jephthah really offer up his daughter as a human sacrifice to God, knowing it was against Gods law; or rather, did Jephthah dedicate his daughter to serve at the temple for the rest of her life, apart from her family, never to be married, and without children? The moral dilemma created by the hasty vow of Jephthah and whether he literally sacrificed his daughter or dedicated her to perpetual servitude can be argued both ways given the evidence that exists.

Cuestas 2 The view that Jephthah offered his daughter as a sacrifice can be supported by several ideas. The Hebrew word for burnt offering is olah which always has the idea of a burnt sacrifice in the Old Testament. This is the same word that is used in the account of Abraham when told to sacrifice his son Isaac. It is also to be noted that the background and surroundings of Jephthah may not have made the idea of a human sacrifice so appalling. Jephthah was the son of the prostitute Zonah, and spent a great deal of time with various people on the east side of the Jordan (Judges 11:1-3). Later individuals also engaged in human sacrifice. Second Kings 3:26-27, records the action of the king of Moab in offering his eldest son for a burnt offering on the wall of the city. Second Chronicles 28:3 tells of Ahazs burning of his children, and Second Kings 21:6 tells of Manassehs sacrifice of his son. If such practices were followed by leaders in Israel at the later period, it is not impossible that they could have been introduced at this earlier time. The fact that Jephthah was a judge of Israel does not remove the possibility of him making a rash vow. The dominant philosophy of this day was a moral and spiritual coin toss in which every man did that which was right in his own eyes (21:25). Many of Israels leaders were affected by this attitude. Recall that Gideon made a golden ephod which led Israel to Idolatry, and Samson engaged in activities that were obviously in opposition to the Law of Moses. The mention of Jephthahs daughter bewailing her virginity seems to imply that there was no hope for children in the future because of her impending death. This discussion is probably mentioned to give greater force to the sacrifice, as it would leave Jephthah without any means to further his lineage.

Cuestas 3 The other view held by those that read this passage is that Jephthah offered his daughter to serve in the temple for the rest of her life. Jephthah was too well acquainted with the law to be ignorant of Gods law against human sacrifice. It is also argued that Jephthah should have known that a human being would have come from his house, for a small animal would have been insufficient for such a victory. And if his daughter were to be slain, there would be no need to mention the bewailment of her virginity. The fact that she was going to bewail her virginity makes more sense that she was pledged into perpetual virginity by her father. In verse 29 of Judges 11, it is said that the Spirit of the Lord came over Jephthah, and surely he could not have made a vow in which the possibility of breaking Gods commandments could have existed. The conjunction and at the end of Judges 11:31 is the Hebrew word waw and could also be translated as the conjunction or. The verse would have read that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD's, or I will offer it up for a burnt offering. The text passage also notes that she knew no man which is a meaningless statement if she were to have died, but significant if she were dedicated to serve in the temple as a virgin. Whether or not Jephthah actually sacrificed his daughter is an interesting question to scrutinize over, but it is not possible to know for sure exactly what he did. Personally, I believe that Jephthah offered his daughter as a sacrifice. Surely Jephthah meant burnt offering when he said it, and I do believe that Gods Word was translated correctly in Judges 11:31. The times of Jephthah may have influenced him to where he thought that he was doing a good thing in performing this vow unto the Lord, although, the commandment against human sacrifice was already well known. It is also to be noted

Cuestas 4 that Jephthah was a human and capable of making serious and grievous mistakes, he may have been a judge over Israel, but he was far from perfect. While I believe Jephthah

sacrificed his daughter, I do not believe he was correct in doing so, for the Bible says in 1Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. But humble, sincere, and conscientious obedience to the will of God, is more pleasing and acceptable to him than all burnt-offering and sacrifices. God is more glorified and self more denied, by obedience than by sacrifice. It is much easier to bring a bullock or lamb to be burned upon the altar, than to bring every high thought into obedience to God, and to make our will subject to his will. Those are unfit and unworthy to rule over men, who are not willing that God should rule over them. (Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henrys Commentary on the Whole Bible. Old Tappan, NJ: Revell, n.d.) God is more interested that we obey His Word in the first place then to try and perform some ritualistic act in order to try and appease Him. If God does not make provision in His law for human sacrifice then it should not be done. Here Jephthah did what he thought was right instead of when He knew was stated in Gods law.