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Commentary on Judges 11 verses 29–40
We have here Jephthah triumphing in a glorious victory, but, as an alloy to his joy, troubled and distressed by an unadvised vow.
I. Jephthah's victory was clear, and shines very brightly, both to his honour and to the honour of God, his in pleading and God's in owning a righteous cause. 1. God gave him an excellent spirit, and he improved it bravely, Jdg 11:29. When it appeared by the people's unanimous choice of him for their leader that he had so clear a call to engage, and by the obstinate deafness of the king of Ammon to the proposals of accommodation that he had so just a cause to engage in, then the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and very much advanced his natural faculties, enduing him with power from on high, and making him more bold and more wise than ever he had been, and more fired with a holy zeal against the enemies of his people. Hereby God confirmed him in his office, and assured him of success in his undertaking. Thus animated, he loses no time, but with an undaunted resolution takes the field. Particular notice is taken of the way by which he advanced towards the enemy's camp, probably because the choice of it was an instance of that extraordinary discretion with which the Spirit of the Lord had furnished him; for those who sincerely walk after the Spirit shall be led forth the right way. 2. God gave him eminent success, and he bravely improved that too (Jdg 11:32): The Lord delivered the Ammonites into his hand, and so gave judgment upon the appeal in favour of the righteous cause, and made those feel the force of war that would not yield to the force of reason; for he sits in the throne, judging right. Jephthah lost not the advantages given him, but pursued and completed his victory. Having routed their forces in the field, he pursued them to their cities, where he put to the sword all he found in arms, so as utterly to disable them from giving Israel any molestation, Jdg 11:33. But it does not appear that he utterly destroyed the people, as Joshua had destroyed the devoted nations, nor that he offered to make himself master of the country, though their pretensions to the land of Israel might have given him colour to do so: only he took care that they should be effectually subdued. Though others' attempting wrong to us will justify us in the defence of our own right, yet it will not authorize us to do them wrong.
II. Jephthah's vow is dark, and much in the clouds. When he was going out from his own house upon this hazardous undertaking, in prayer to God for his presence with him he makes a secret but solemn vow or religious promise to God, that, if God would graciously bring him back a conqueror, whosoever or whatsoever should first come out of his house to meet him it should be devoted to God, and offered up for a burnt-offering. At his return, tidings of his victory coming home before him, his own and only daughter meets him with the seasonable expressions of joy. This puts him into a great confusion; but there was no remedy: after she had taken some time to lament her own infelicity, she cheerfully submitted to the performance of his vow. Now,
1.There are several good lessons to be learnt out of this story. (1.) That there may be remainders of distrust and doubting even in the hearts of true and great believers. Jephthah had reason enough to be confident of success, especially when he found the Spirit of the Lord come upon him, and yet, now that it comes to the settling, he seems to hesitate (v. 30): If thou wilt without fail deliver them into my hand, then I will do so and so. And perhaps the snare into which his vow brought him was designed to correct the weakness of his faith, and a fond conceit he had that he could not promise himself a victory unless he proffered something considerable to be given to God in lieu of it. (2.) That yet it is very good, when we are in the pursuit or expectation of any mercy, to make vows to God of some instance of acceptable service to him, not as a purchase of the favour we desire, but as an expression of our gratitude to him and the deep sense we have of our obligations to render according to the benefit done to us. The matter of such a singular vow (Lev 27:2) must be something that has a plain and direct tendency either to the advancement of God's glory, and the interests of his kingdom among men, or to the furtherance of ourselves in his service, and in that which is antecedently our duty. (3.) That we have great need to be very cautious and well advised in the making of such vows, lest, by indulging a present emotion even of pious zeal, we entangle our own consciences, involve ourselves in perplexities, and are forced at last to say before the angel that it was an error, Ecc 5:2-6. It is a snare to a man hastily to devour that which is holy, without due consideration quid valeant humeri, quid ferre recusent - what we are able or unable to effect, and without inserting the needful provisos and limitations which might prevent the entanglement, and then after vows to make the enquiry which should have been made before, Pro 20:25. Let Jephthah's harm be our warning in this matter. See Deu 23:22. (4.) That what we have solemnly vowed to God we must conscientiously perform, if it be possible and lawful, though it be ever so difficult and grievous to us. Jephthah's sense of the powerful obligation of his vow must always be ours (Jdg 11:35): "I have opened my mouth unto the Lord in a solemn vow, and I cannot go back," that is, "I cannot recall the vow myself, it is too late, nor can any power on earth dispense with it, or give me up my bond." The thing was my own, and in my own power (Act 5:4), but now it is not. Vow and pay, Psa 76:11. We deceive ourselves if we think to mock God. If we apply this to the consent we have solemnly given, in our sacramental vows, to the covenant of grace made with poor sinners in Christ, what a powerful argument will it be against the sins we have by those vows bound ourselves out from, what a strong inducement to the duties we have hereby bound ourselves up to, and what a ready answer to every temptation! "I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot go back; I must therefore go forward. I have sworn, and I must, I will, perform it. Let me not dare to play fast and loose with God." (5.) That it well becomes children obediently and cheerfully to submit to their parents in the Lord, and particularly to comply with their pious resolutions for the honour of God and the keeping up of religion in their families, though they be harsh and severe, as the Rechabites, who for many generations religiously observed the commands of Jonadab their father in forbearing wine, and Jephthah's daughter here, who, for the satisfying of her father's conscience, and for the honour of God and her country, yielded herself as one devoted (Jdg 11:36): "Do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; I know I am dear to thee, but am well content that God should be dearer." The father might disallow any vow made by the daughter (Num 30:5), but the daughter could not disallow or disannul, no, not such a vow as this, made by the father. This magnifies the law of the fifth commandment. (6.) That our friends' grievances should be our griefs. Where she went to bewail her hard fate the virgins, her companions, joined with her in her lamentations, Jdg 11:38. With those of her own sex and age she used to associate, who no doubt, now that her father had on a sudden grown so great, expected, shortly after his return, to dance at her wedding, but were heavily disappointed when they were called to retire to the mountains with her and share in her griefs. Those are unworthy the name of friends that will only rejoice with us, and not weep with us. (7.) That heroic zeal for the honour of God and Israel, though alloyed with infirmity and indiscretion, is worthy to be had in perpetual remembrance. It well became the daughters of Israel by an annual solemnity to preserve the honourable memory of Jephthah's daughter, who made light even of her own life like a noble heroine, when God had taken vengeance on Israel's enemies, Jdg 11:36. Such a rare instance of one that preferred the public interest before life itself was never to be forgotten. Her sex forbade her to follow to the war, and so to expose her life in battle, in lieu of which she hazards it much more (and perhaps apprehended that she did so, having some intimation of his vow, and did it designedly; for he tells her, Jdg 11:35, Thou hast brought me very low) to grace his triumphs. So transported was she with the victory as a common benefit that she was willing to be herself offered up as a thank-offering for it, and would think her life well bestowed when laid down on so great an occasion. She thinks it an honour to die, not as a sacrifice of atonement for the people's sins (that honour was reserved for Christ only), but as a sacrifice of acknowledgment for the people's mercies. (8.) From Jephthah's concern on this occasion, we must learn not to think it strange if the day of our triumphs in this world prove upon some account or other the day of our griefs, and therefore must always rejoice with trembling; we hope for a day of triumph hereafter which will have no alloy.
2.Yet there are some difficult questions that do arise upon this story which have very much employed the pens of learned men. I will say but little respecting them, because Mr. Poole has discussed them very fully in his English annotations.
(1.)It is hard to say what Jephthah did to his daughter in performance of his vow. [1.] Some think he only shut her up for a nun, and that it being unlawful, according to one part of his vow (for they make it disjunctive), to offer her up for a burnt-offering, he thus, according to the other part, engaged her to be the Lord's, that is, totally to sequester herself from all the affairs of this life, and consequently from marriage, and to employ herself wholly in the acts of devotion all her days. That which countenances this opinion is that she is said to bewail her virginity (Jdg 11:37, Jdg 11:38) and that she knew no man, Jdg 11:39. But, if he sacrificed her, it was proper enough for her to bewail, not her death, because that was intended to be for the honour of God, and she would undergo it cheerfully, but that unhappy circumstance of it which made it more grievous to her than any other, because she was her father's only child, in whom he hoped his name and family would be built up, that she was unmarried, and so left no issue to inherit her father's honour and estate; therefore it is particularly taken notice of (Jdg 11:34) that besides her he had neither son nor daughter. But that which makes me think Jephthah did not go about thus to satisfy his vow, or evade it rather, is that we do not find any law, usage, or custom, in all the Old Testament, which does in the least intimate that a single life was any branch or article of religion, or that any person, man or woman, was looked upon as the more holy, more the Lord's, or devoted to him, for living unmarried: it was no part of the law either of the priests or of the Nazarites. Deborah and Huldah, both prophetesses, are both of them particularly recorded to have been married women. Besides, had she only been confined to a single life, she needed not to have desired these two months to bewail it in: she had her whole life before her to do that, if she saw cause. Nor needed she to take such a sad leave of her companions; for those that are of that opinion understand what is said in Jdg 11:40 of their coming to talk with her, as our margin reads it, four days in a year. Therefore, [2.] It seems more probable that he offered her up for a sacrifice, according to the letter of his vow, misunderstanding that law which spoke of persons devoted by the curse of God as if it were to be applied to such as were devoted by men's vows (Lev 27:29, None devoted shall be redeemed, but shall surely be put to death), and wanting to be better informed of the power the law gave him in this case to redeem her. Abraham's attempt to offer up Isaac perhaps encouraged him, and made him think, if God would not accept this sacrifice which he had vowed, he would send an angel to stay his hand, as he did Abraham's. If she came out designedly to be made a sacrifice, as who knows but she might? perhaps he thought that would make the case the plainer. Volenti non sit injuria - No injury is done to a person by that to which he himself consents. He imagined, it may be, that where there was neither anger nor malice there was no murder, and that his good intention would sanctify this bad action; and, since he had made such a vow, he thought better to kill his daughter than break his vow, and let Providence bear the blame, that brought her forth to meet him.
(2.)But, supposing that Jephthah did sacrifice his daughter, the question is whether he did well. [1.] Some justify him in it, and think he did well, and as became one that preferred the honour of God before that which was dearest to him in this world. He is mentioned among the eminent believers who by faith did great things, Heb 11:32. And this was one of the great things he did. It was done deliberately, and upon two months' consideration and consultation. He is never blamed for it by any inspired writer. Though it highly exalts the paternal authority, yet it cannot justify any in doing the like. He was an extraordinary person. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him. Many circumstances, now unknown to us, might make this altogether extraordinary, and justify it, yet not so as that it might justify the like. Some learned men have made this sacrifice a figure of Christ the great sacrifice: he was of unspotted purity and innocency, as she a chaste virgin; he was devoted to death by his Father, and so made a curse, or an anathema, for us; he submitted himself, as she did, to his Father's will: Not as I will, but as thou wilt. But, [2.] Most condemn Jephthah; he did ill to make so rash a vow, and worse to perform it. He could not be bound by his vow to that which God had forbidden by the letter of the sixth commandment: Thou shalt not kill. God had forbidden human sacrifices, so that it was (says Dr. Lightfoot) in effect a sacrifice to Moloch. And, probably, the reason why it is left dubious by the inspired penman whether he sacrificed her or no was that those who did afterwards offer their children might not take any encouragement from this instance. Concerning this and some other such passages in the sacred story, which learned men are in the dark, divided, and in doubt about, we need not much perplex ourselves; what is necessary to our salvation, thanks be to God, is plain enough.
Never shall I be led to believe that the leader Jephthah made his vow otherwise than without thought, when he promised to offer to God whatever should meet him at the threshold of his house on his return. For he repented of his vow, as afterwards his daughter came to meet him. He tore his clothes and said, “Alas, my daughter, you have entangled me, you have become a source of trouble for me.” And though with pious fear and reverence he took upon himself the bitter fulfillment of his cruel task, yet he ordered and left to be observed an annual period of grief and mourning for future times. It was a hard vow, but far more bitter was its fulfillment, while he who carried it out had the greatest cause to mourn. Thus it became a rule and a law in Israel from year to year, as it says: “that the daughters of Israel went to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.” I cannot blame the man for holding it necessary to fulfill his vow, but yet it was a wretched necessity which could only be solved by the death of his child.…What, then, in the case of esteemed and learned people is full of marvel, that in the case of a virgin is found to be far more splendid, far more glorious, as she says to her sorrowing father, “Do to me according to that which has proceeded out of your mouth.” But she asked for a delay of two months in order that she might go about with her companions upon the mountains to bewail fitly and dutifully her virginity now given up to death. The weeping of her companions did not move her, their grief did not prevail upon her, nor did their lamentations hold her back. She did not allow the day to pass, nor did the hour escape her notice. She returned to her father as though returning according to her own desire, and of her own will [she] urged him on when he was hesitating, and acted thus of her own free choice, so that what was at first an awful chance became a pious sacrifice.
It is also sometimes contrary to duty to fulfill a promise or to keep an oath. As was the case with Herod, who swore that whatever was asked he would give to the daughter of Herodias, and so allowed the death of John, that he might not break his word. And what shall I say of Jephthah, who offered up his daughter in sacrifice, she having been the first to meet him as he returned home victorious; whereby he fulfilled the vow which he had made that he would offer to God whatever should meet him first. It would have been better to make no promise at all than to fulfill it in the death of his daughter.
For Jephthah likewise, when he had promised that the first thing that met him, after a victorious battle, he would sacrifice, fell into the snare of child murder; for his daughter first meeting him, he sacrificed her, and God did not forbid it. And I know, indeed, that many of the unbelievers impugn us of cruelty and inhumanity on account of this sacrifice; but I should say that the concession in the case of this sacrifice was a striking example of providence and clemency; and that it was in care for our race that he did not prevent that sacrifice. For if after that vow and promise he had forbidden the sacrifice, many also who were subsequent to Jephthah, in the expectation that God would not receive their vows, would have increased the number of such vows, and proceeding on their way would have fallen into child murder. But now, by suffering this vow to be actually fulfilled, he put a stop to all such cases in the future. And to show that this is true, after Jephthah’s daughter had been slain, in order that the calamity might be always remembered and that her fate might not be consigned to oblivion, it became a law among the Jews that the virgins assembling at the same season should bewail during forty days the sacrifice which had taken place; in order that renewing the memory of it by lamentation, they should make all people wiser for the future; and that they might learn that it was not after the mind of God that this should be done, for in that case he would not have permitted the virgins to bewail and lament her. And that what I have said is not conjectural, the event demonstrated; for after this sacrifice, no one vowed such a vow to God. Therefore also he did not indeed forbid this; but what he had expressly commanded in the case of Isaac, that he directly prohibited, plainly showing through both cases that he does not delight in such sacrifices.
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SUMMARY
Judges 11:40 concludes the deeply tragic narrative of Jephthah and his daughter, establishing a poignant annual tradition among the women of Israel. This verse memorializes the devastating outcome of Jephthah's rash vow, where his only daughter became the unwitting sacrifice for his military victory. It underscores the profound and enduring communal grief and remembrance of a personal tragedy that became a stark symbol of the spiritual and moral decline prevalent during the period of the Judges.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Judges 11:40 serves as the somber epilogue to Jephthah's story, immediately following the fulfillment of his catastrophic vow. The preceding verses detail Jephthah's rise as a deliverer, his desperate vow to sacrifice the first entity that emerged from his house upon his victorious return from battle against the Ammonites, as recorded in Judges 11:30-31. The profound tragedy unfolds as his only daughter is the one who greets him, a moment of devastating irony captured in Judges 11:34. Her subsequent two-month period of lamenting her virginity and impending death, detailed in Judges 11:37-38, culminates in Jephthah fulfilling his vow upon her, as stated in Judges 11:39. This final verse solidifies the personal tragedy into a communal, perpetual memorial, highlighting the far-reaching consequences of human folly within a period characterized by a lack of central authority and a pervasive sense that "every man did that which was right in his own eyes" throughout the entire book of Judges.
Historical & Cultural Context: The period of the Judges (roughly 1200-1050 BC) was a turbulent era for Israel, marked by cycles of apostasy, oppression, and deliverance. There was no central monarchy, and tribal loyalties often superseded national unity. Vows, while common and serious commitments in the ancient Near East, were subject to specific Mosaic laws. While vows to the Lord were expected to be kept, as outlined in Deuteronomy 23:21-23, human sacrifice was explicitly and vehemently forbidden by God's law as an abomination, as stated in Leviticus 18:21 and Deuteronomy 12:31. Jephthah's vow and its fulfillment reflect a tragic deviation from divine instruction, likely influenced by pagan practices of the surrounding nations, underscoring the spiritual syncretism and moral decay of the time. The annual lamentation by women was a culturally recognized form of mourning and communal remembrance, often associated with significant losses or tragic events, demonstrating a societal outlet for collective grief.
Key Themes: This verse powerfully reinforces several key themes woven throughout the book of Judges and the broader biblical narrative. Foremost is the Peril of Rash Vows, demonstrating the severe and often irreversible consequences of commitments made without divine wisdom or careful consideration, especially when they contradict God's explicit commands. It also highlights the Consequences of Human Autonomy and Spiritual Decline, illustrating how a society that abandons God's law and allows "every man to do what is right in his own eyes" inevitably spirals into moral and social chaos, leading to profound suffering, as seen throughout the latter chapters of Judges to Judges 21. The Sanctity of Human Life is implicitly underscored by the deep and enduring sorrow associated with the daughter's fate, contrasting sharply with the tragic disregard for life demonstrated by Jephthah's vow and God's clear prohibitions against child sacrifice in the Torah. Finally, the communal ritual of lamentation emphasizes the theme of Communal Memory and Grief, showing how a community processes and remembers its tragedies, serving as a perpetual reminder of past mistakes and their painful legacies, a practice seen in other biblical laments such as those found in Lamentations.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Judges 11:40, as the poignant conclusion to Jephthah's story, employs several powerful literary devices that amplify its emotional and thematic impact. The primary device is Pathos, which is deeply evoked by the annual lamentation for Jephthah's innocent daughter. This ritual serves as a constant, communal reminder of the profound sorrow and pity associated with her tragic, undeserved death, ensuring the reader feels the weight of the injustice. There is also a strong element of Irony woven throughout Jephthah's narrative, culminating in this verse. Jephthah, a deliverer raised up by God to save Israel, paradoxically brings about a personal tragedy that violates God's own law against human sacrifice, contrasting sharply with the divine deliverance he provides to the nation. The recurring nature of the lament, emphasized by the phrases "yearly" and "four days in a year," functions as Repetition, reinforcing the enduring impact of the tragedy and its perpetual place in the collective memory of the community. Finally, the entire narrative, culminating in this verse, serves as a powerful Cautionary Tale, a didactic literary device intended to warn against the dangers of rash vows, the consequences of moral and spiritual decline, and the perils of individuals and a nation abandoning divine wisdom for their own flawed understanding of righteousness.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Judges 11:40 encapsulates profound theological lessons, primarily highlighting the gravity of promises made to God and the dire consequences of human actions when divorced from divine wisdom. Jephthah's vow, born of desperation and perhaps a misguided understanding of God's nature, tragically demonstrates that not all commitments, even those made with earnest intent, are pleasing to the Lord, especially when they violate His explicit commands against human sacrifice. This story underscores the sanctity of human life, a core biblical principle, and implicitly critiques the moral relativism of the Judges period where "every man did what was right in his own eyes," leading to such abhorrent outcomes. The communal lament serves as a stark reminder of the long-term ripple effects of sin and folly, impacting not just individuals but entire communities and generations, emphasizing the need for discernment and adherence to God's revealed will.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The annual lament for Jephthah's daughter, as described in Judges 11:40, offers a timeless and sobering reflection for believers today. It serves as a powerful reminder of the profound importance of wisdom, discernment, and prayer in all our decisions, especially when making commitments or vows. Our words carry immense weight, and promises made to God must be considered with utmost seriousness, ensuring they align with His character and revealed will, never contradicting His moral law. This narrative also compels us to value human life as sacred, recognizing that every individual is made in the image of God and possesses inherent dignity, a truth that should inform all our ethical considerations. Furthermore, the communal remembrance highlights the vital role of shared memory in processing grief, learning from past mistakes, and fostering a sense of collective responsibility within the community of faith. It encourages us to support one another in times of tragedy and to ensure that the lessons of history, both triumphs and failures, are passed down to future generations for their instruction and admonition, building resilience and spiritual maturity.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Was Jephthah's vow acceptable to God, and was he right to fulfill it?
Answer: No, Jephthah's vow was not acceptable to God, and his fulfillment of it was a tragic act of human folly, not a righteous demonstration of faith. While the Bible commands that vows to the Lord should be kept, as seen in Deuteronomy 23:21-23, God's law explicitly and repeatedly condemns human sacrifice as an abomination, as stated in Leviticus 18:21 and Deuteronomy 12:31. Jephthah's vow was rash, ill-conceived, and likely influenced by pagan practices of the surrounding nations, rather than a deep understanding of YHWH's character. His decision to fulfill it, even knowing it meant sacrificing his only daughter, as described in Judges 11:35, highlights the moral and spiritual decline of Israel during the Judges period, where individuals often acted according to their own flawed understanding of right and wrong, rather than God's clear commands.
Why did God allow such a tragic event to occur if He condemns human sacrifice?
Answer: The book of Judges consistently portrays a period where "every man did that which was right in his own eyes," as explicitly stated in Judges 21:25. God, in His sovereignty, allows humanity to exercise free will, even when that will leads to sinful and tragic outcomes. Jephthah's vow and its devastating fulfillment are presented as a consequence of his own rashness and the spiritual darkness of the era, not as an act commanded or endorsed by God. The narrative, by recording such a painful event, serves as a stark warning about the dangers of abandoning God's law and relying on human wisdom alone. It illustrates the real-world consequences of a nation's spiritual apostasy and the personal tragedies that can result from misguided devotion, serving as a powerful lesson for future generations about the importance of obedience to God's perfect law.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The annual lament for Jephthah's daughter, a sorrowful memorial to a tragic and unlawful sacrifice, finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the ultimate, perfect, and willing sacrifice of Jesus Christ. While Jephthah's daughter was an innocent victim of a misguided vow, her death brought only grief and a yearly reminder of human folly and the consequences of a broken covenant. In stark contrast, Jesus, the true Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, willingly offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for humanity's sin, not out of a rash vow, but out of divine love and eternal purpose, as beautifully articulated in John 3:16. His sacrifice on the cross, though involving immense suffering, was not a cause for perpetual lament in the same way, but the source of eternal life, forgiveness, and reconciliation with God, demonstrating the depth of divine love in Romans 5:8. The annual lament for Jephthah's daughter underscores the deep human need for a deliverer and a perfect atonement, pointing forward to the one whose sacrifice truly redeems, bringing not just remembrance of sorrow, but the joy of salvation and the promise of resurrection life, as affirmed in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. Through Christ, the cycle of human sin and its tragic consequences is broken, replaced by the eternal covenant of grace, offering hope and new life where only despair once reigned.