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JUDGES 11:30-31
The circumstances of the text has to do with Jephthah’s “rash” vow concerning the sacrificing of his daughter. He had led a battle against the Ammonites and had vowed that, if God granted him the victory the first thing that came from his house when he returned would be sacrificed to God. Sure enough, the first one to meet him was his daughter! And so the question is, “did Jephthah actually offer his daughter as a sacrifice to God?” This has troubled men for years, when we see no reason for such to be the case. It is this writer’s conviction that Jephthah did not offer her as a sacrifice. Also, we doubt that Jephthah’s vow was “rash” at all. It was made, not in the heat of battle, but in the calm before the battle started. Several translations (LXX; RSV; Amplified Bible; Goodspeed; footnote, ASV) has the word “whatsoever” in v. 31 translated as “whosoever,” showing that Jephthah had a person in mind and not an animal. Furthermore, he would not have kept his animals in his house! God does not put men in impossible circumstances. If Jephthah literally sacrificed
his daughter, we have him violating a decree of God against human sacrifices (Lev.
; 20:2-5). Or, he reneged on his vow if he refused to slay her. What then must
be the answer to this dilemma? We believe it must be considered within the framework
of God’s law concerning such vows.
The answer seems to us to be found in the law, that even if such vows were made, a substitutionary payment or person could be offered into the service of God (Lev. 27:1ff). A vow under such circumstances is called “a difficult vow” (NASV), or a “special vow” (ASV), or “ a special vow of persons” (RSV). This provision had respect to persons – not animals. The text in Lev. 27 gives the stipulated amounts to be given into the service of the Lord, depending upon the age and sex of the person involved. Jephthah, being a Hebrew, would know of this law and it seems to us that following it would be the sensible thing for him to pursue. That way, his vow could be kept as well as the law of God prohibiting human sacrifices. Furthermore, the little statement in v. 39 – “and she knew no man” is very telling. Why that statement – if she were dead? Why then the sadness and sorrow that accompanies all this? Notice the daughter’s
request in v. 37 – why would she bewail her virginity if she were going to be
dead? The prospect of being unmarried seemed to be the source of her sorrow. It
was common to offer women into the service of God in the tabernacle (Exo. 38:8;
1 Sam.
). Knowing she would spend her life in such a service, she would never have husband
or children. And so her sorrow seemed to grow out of this; that of Jephthah seems
to be connected with it, feeling as he did for his daughter.
Is this the answer to this thorny problem? It is a situation that this writer wrestled with for many years before coming to these conclusions. You do not agree? I will not argue the point – but I do know that human sacrifices were an abomination to God! - Bill Moseley |
