Debate: Jephthah’s Vow

Question: In the book of Judges, a judge named Jephthah makes a vow that seems to result in him offering up his daughter as a burnt offering! Did he actually do that?

Answer: Jephthah called upon God to give him and the Israelites victory over the Ammonites. He rashly vowed that if they were victorious he would offer up whatever came out of the door of his house first. The relevant text is, “Whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me…I will offer it up as a burnt offering” (Jud. 11:31), and “he carried out his vow” (vs. 39).

Some commentators seek to soften the outcome, suggesting the girl was, instead, committed to lifelong virginity, and devoted to ministry in the tabernacle–the way Anna later served in the temple (Lk. 2:37; cf. Exod. 38:8). But this is not the most natural reading of the text. Martin Luther’s opinion was, “The text is too clear to admit of this interpretation.”

That being said, there are points which seem to support one side or the other. And there will likely never be a satisfactory resolution to the question of whether Jephthah actually killed his daughter. Arguments against it can be explained, and those for it are inconclusive. My personal view is that the human sacrifice did take place–though it was certainly not done with God’s approval.

It is important to keep the promises we make to God (Deut. 23:21). However, if a vow was foolish–and, therefore, possibly sinful to make–we are not under obligation to keep a vow that would involve us in sinning further against God. That would simply add one sin to another! In my view, we should seek God’s gracious forgiveness for our foolish pledge (I Jn. 1:9), and determine to be more careful in making such promises in the future.

Here are the counterarguments regarding Jephthah’s vow, discussed, one by one.

1) The Law forbad human sacrifice (Lev. 18:21; 20:2-5). And Jephthah appears to have had some knowledge of the Law (vs. 12-28).

¤ But these were lawless days, not always characterized by Law-keeping (17:6; 21:25). This weakens the argument that no priest would ever officiate at a human sacrifice.

2) There was an option in the Law of monetary redemption of human beings devoted to God (cf. Exod. 13:11-16; Num. 3:44-48).

¤ But Jephthah may not have known the Law well, since he grieved that he must do as he had said (vs. 35).

3) His vow was, clearly, that he was going to offer up something as a burnt offering (vs. 31). Surely he intended it to be an animal.

¤ (But see #4) There is no law or precedent for commuting such a vow to tabernacle/temple service, and we read “he carried out his vow” (vs. 39).

4) Animals may have been kept in the courtyard. In some ancient homes, they were even brought into the house itself, especially overnight, to protect them from thieves. And Jephthah must have had good reason to believe his daughter was elsewhere at this time (perhaps visiting a friend).

¤ But he was horribly mistaken. His daughter was at home.

5) Some suggest that God would not give victory on the basis of such a vow.

¤ But there was nothing intrinsically wrong with the vow itself. Jephthah did not vow to offer up his daughter.

6) Others object that there would hardly be an annual commemoration of a gross sin (vs. 40).

¤ But the memorial was of the death of Jephthah’s daughter, not of his sin in sacrificing her.

7) Jephthah’s daughter “bewailed her virginity” for two months–that it meant she could give her father no heir (vs. 38). That is what concerned them. Later, four days of mourning for her became an annual practice (vs. 40).

¤ But the memorial was rather an extreme measure to remember one who had simply gone to serve the Lord at the tabernacle (and could likely visit with her father from time to time). If such service was the custom in Israel, as it may have been (cf. I Sam. 2:22), it hardly seems to merit the extreme reaction of vs. 35-40.

8) What saddened her father was not her death, but the fact that she would remain childless, and his family line would come to an end (she being his only child, vs. 34).

¤ But her death would also mean she died childless!

9) The idea of child sacrifice was surely repugnant to the Israelites.

¤ But child sacrifice happened many times in Israel, certainly later (II Kgs. 3:27; 16:3; 17:17; II Chron, 33:6; Jer. 7:31; 19:5; 32:35). Jephthah, the son of a prostitute (vs. 1), lived in a semi-pagan environment, in a time of great lawlessness, and he was associated with a band of “worthless men” (vs. 3). This kind of “honour code” is what we might expect from cruel and violent men.

10) Jephthah had a measure of faith in God (cf. Heb. 11:32), and the Spirit of God is said to have worked through him (vs. 29).

¤ But the same can be said for immoral Samson whom God used.