THE JEPHTHAH'S VOW

 

There are stories in the Bible that are not easy to read. Some passages are so difficult that even respected scholars and theologians struggle to make sense of them. One of these is the story of the vow made by Jephthah (Judges 11:30–40). This is about a judge who made a vow to God that if he were given victory in battle, he would offer as a sacrifice to the Lord whatever came out of his house to meet him upon his return (vv. 30–31).

The good news is—he won the battle (vv. 32–33). The bad news is—it was his only daughter who came out to welcome him (vv. 34–35). Did he really sacrifice his own daughter to the Lord? Did God approve of what he did? Today, let’s explore one of the most curious stories in the Bible. 

A LIVING SACRIFICE?

Before we talk about how exactly Jephthah’s daughter was offered, we need to first take note that he likely had a person in mind when he made the vow. It’s highly unlikely that a livestock animal, like a sheep, would come out to greet someone returning from a journey. (Dogs, which are known to greet their owners, were considered unclean at that time and were not kept as pets.) So while he didn’t know who it would be, the judge was likely thinking of offering a person from his household—someone who cared enough to meet him upon his return from battle.

Some scholars argue that Jephthah’s daughter was not killed as a sacrifice, but instead was dedicated to the Tabernacle as a living sacrifice—meaning she would serve the Lord for the rest of her life, similar to certain women-ministers mentioned in the Bible (Exodus 38:8; 1 Samuel 2:22). They offer several points to support this view:

First, Jephthah knew that God was against human sacrifice (Leviticus 18:21; 20:2–5; Deuteronomy 12:31; 18:10). So it’s unlikely that he would deliberately vow to offer a human life in exchange for victory.

Second, the passage does not explicitly say he burned his daughter as a burnt offering. It only says, “he did to her as he had vowed” (Judges 11:39).

Third, what his daughter mourned was not her impending death, but the fact that she would never marry (vv. 37–39). According to these scholars, this implies that the vow involved lifelong virginity, not physical death. And since she was Jephthah’s only child, this also meant his family line would end.

Next, if her death were truly the issue, and not her remaining unmarried, she could have chosen to marry during the two-month period she was given before fulfilling the vow.

Furthermore, these scholars argue that it would cast doubt on God’s integrity if He allowed Jephthah to win the battle while knowing he would offer his daughter in human sacrifice. God granting him victory might be seen as approval of the vow.

Lastly, if Jephthah had actually burned his daughter as an offering, it’s hard to imagine why he would be honored in Hebrews 11—among the heroes of faith like Gideon, David, Samuel, and others (vv. 32–34).

A LITERAL SACRIFICE

Though the previous view is appealing to many—since it is less disturbing—others believe that Jephthah actually carried out a horrible act just to fulfill his vow. According to them, the passage should be understood to mean that the daughter was literally killed by her own father. Here are several points that support the idea of a literal offering:

First, during the time of the Judges, people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes (Judges 17:6; 21:25). This was a dark and troubled period in Israel’s history. Just because Jephthah knew how God had acted in Israel’s past (Judges 11:14–26), or that God was against human sacrifice, doesn’t mean he would necessarily obey Him. People still disobeyed the Lord and committed human sacrifices even after the time of the Judges—like King Ahaz (2 Kings 16:3), the Israelites (2 Kings 17:17), and King Manasseh (2 Kings 21:6).

Also, during Jephthah’s time, the Israelites had once again committed idolatry (Judges 10:6). One of the gods they worshipped was Molech, the god of the Ammonites—the very enemies they were fighting—who required human sacrifice (Leviticus 20:2–3; 2 Kings 23:10; Jeremiah 32:35). It’s highly possible that Jephthah, though he invoked Yahweh, was influenced by these corrupt religious practices, and thought Yahweh would also accept such a sacrifice—just like Molech supposedly did. Human sacrifices might please false gods, but never the true God of Israel.

Second, although the passage does not explicitly say he killed his daughter, it clearly states that he vowed to offer as a burnt offering whoever came out to meet him (Judges 11:31). And it says, “he did to her as he had vowed” (v. 39).

We must also note: if the vow was only for Tabernacle service, God provided a way to redeem the person by paying a set amount (Leviticus 27:4). The fact that Jephthah didn’t redeem his daughter—despite realizing the weight of his vow—supports the view that he intended to sacrifice her physically, as a burnt offering.

Third, though the daughter mourned her virginity, this doesn’t contradict the idea that she would soon die. It’s possible that both were causes of grief. The author may have included this detail to highlight the tragedy: because of Jephthah’s foolish vow, she would never marry, never become a mother, and his family line would come to an end.

Fourth, the idea that she should’ve just gotten married immediately is unreasonable. Two months was not enough time for her to marry and bear children. She likely chose to spend her final days mourning and cherishing the time left with her friends.

Also, the victory God gave Jephthah (Judges 11:32–33) should not be seen as an endorsement of his vow. God also gave power to Samson, but that doesn’t mean He approved all of Samson’s reckless behavior. It wouldn’t be a challenge to God’s integrity if Jephthah did indeed sacrifice his daughter. God would have granted him victory regardless of any vow.

Lastly, just because Jephthah is listed as a man of faith in Hebrews 11 doesn’t mean that everything he did was right or done in faith. The context shows he is honored for being among those who, “through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice” (v. 33)—not because he fulfilled his vow. Even David, who committed serious sins, was still by grace considered a man of faith. Jephthah’s sacrifice of his daughter is not like Abraham’s offering of Isaac, which was commanded by God—and which God Himself stopped from actually happening.

MAKING SENSE OF THE SENSELESS VOW

What’s the point of this disturbing story? What happened to Jephthah serves as an example of what can happen when people do only what seems right in their own eyes (Judges 17:6; 21:25). He thought he could bribe God with a vow—without realizing that God, out of His mercy, was going to give him the victory anyway. His story also shows that God can use unlikely and undeserving people for His greater purposes. God used Jephthah to save Israel, even though He knew that this judge would later make a foolish decision. The same can be said of other judges like Samson and Eli. The Spirit of God empowered Jephthah to accomplish great things, but he remained accountable for his own wrong actions.
The author’s emphasis on details like his daughter being his only child (v. 34), that she would never marry (v. 37), and that she died a virgin (v. 39), highlights the tragic consequences of Jephthah’s actions. In ancient times, it was a serious issue if a family line ended with no one to carry it on.

Jephthah’s senseless vow cost him his only daughter, and eventually, the end of his own lineage. The Lord often allows people to face the consequences of their own choices. Stay Curious.

Sources and Studies:

Walton J. and, Craig K. (2016). “Women Serving in the Tabernacle”. 𝘕𝘐𝘝 𝘊𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 (p.433). Zondervan Publishing.
Gleason, A. (2011). Why Did God Allow Jephthah’s Vow to Run Its Course? 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘌𝘯𝘤𝘺𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢 𝘰𝘧 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴. Zondervan (originally published 1982)
Geisler, N. Howe, T., (1992). “Judges 11:29–40 —How could God allow Jephthah to offer his daughter up as a burnt offering?” . 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘈𝘴𝘬: 𝘈 𝘗𝘰𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘰𝘯 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴. Victor Books.
Keiser, W., et al., (1996). “11:30-39 Jephthah Sacrificed His Daughter?”. 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘚𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦. InterVarsity Press