19 JEPHTHAH AND HIS DAUGHTER
They Fulfilled a Difficult Vow
ONCE again, times were bad in Israel, for the people had once more abandoned Jehovah. As a result, Jehovah let the Ammonites oppress them for some 18 years. (Judg. 10:8) Finally, God’s people admitted their sin, got rid of their false gods, and returned to Jehovah. However, not long after that, the Ammonites gathered in Gilead to launch an attack.
The elders in Gilead asked a man named Jephthah to come and lead them in warfare. Jephthah had been badly mistreated by his half brothers in Gilead, so he had fled the region. Did he turn bitter or nurse a grudge? No. Jephthah agreed to return and fight. First, though, he sought peace. Jephthah sent messengers who explained in detail to the king of the Ammonites why he was not entitled to the land he sought to take from Israel. Jephthah showed that he had extensive knowledge of the record of Jehovah’s dealings with His people and the surrounding nations. Yet, the Ammonite king refused to listen. He was determined to wage war!
As Jephthah prepared to fight, Jehovah’s spirit came upon him. So Jephthah was not being rash or foolish when he made this vow to Jehovah: “If you give the Ammonites into my hand, then whoever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites will become Jehovah’s, and I will offer that one up as a burnt offering.”
Did Jephthah mean that he would literally burn up a human? Of course not. Jehovah detested and forbade the practice of human sacrifice. (Deut. 18:10, 12) Rather, Jephthah meant that the person who emerged first from his house would “become Jehovah’s” in the sense of being completely devoted to His service, likely at the tabernacle in Shiloh. Jephthah knew that his vow might prove costly. He had only one child, a beloved daughter. She might well be the one who would greet him upon his return.
At the moment, though, Jephthah had a war to fight. Bravely, he led his men into battle. And Jehovah blessed them mightily! They struck down the enemy and then went on to destroy 20 Ammonite cities with “a very great slaughter.”
Jephthah returned home triumphant. Perhaps he had begun to hope that a servant would emerge from the house first. If so, such hopes were dashed. The first person to come out was his daughter, dancing and playing the tambourine! Grieved, Jephthah ripped his garments and cried: “Oh no, my daughter! You have broken my heart, for you have become the one I have banished.”
Jephthah and his daughter had a vow to fulfill—but doing so would cost them dearly
Jephthah’s daughter grasped what her father’s vow meant for her. She would be fully devoted to Jehovah’s sacred service. Thus, she could never marry or bear children; for women of Israel, that was a calamity. Yet, this young girl bravely assured her father: “If you have opened your mouth to Jehovah, do to me as you have promised.” She asked only that she be allowed to spend some time alone with her friends to grieve over her loss of any prospect of marriage or motherhood.
Jephthah’s daughter received both comfort and commendation. Each year, the young women of Israel spent four days commending that selfless and courageous woman! And her service at the sacred tabernacle surely had its rewards. Likely around that time, the young boy Samuel lived there. Did Jephthah’s daughter get to help train and encourage him as he grew up? We do not know. If she did, that may have given her great joy, since she did not have a child of her own. We do know, though, that there was a problem with immorality at the tabernacle in those days. (1 Sam. 2:22) Did Jephthah’s daughter get involved in sexual misconduct? No. The inspired record says: “She never had relations with a man.”
The apostle Paul listed Jephthah among men and women of great faith. (Heb. 11:32) Both Jephthah and his daughter left a sterling example of courage. He fought for God’s people, and she fully supported him. Together, they fulfilled a difficult vow to Jehovah!
Read the Bible account:
For discussion:
In what ways did Jephthah and his daughter show courage?
Dig Deeper
1. What indicates that the Ammonites were warring against not only the Israelites but also true worship? (it “Jephthah” ¶6) A
Picture A: “They removed the foreign gods from their midst and served Jehovah.”—Judg. 10:16
2. How was Jephthah’s attitude similar to that of Jacob when he made a vow to Jehovah? (it “Jephthah” ¶11)
3. Why was it a real sacrifice for Jephthah to fulfill his vow? (w17.04 4 ¶6)
4. The prophet Samuel was born about the year 1180 B.C.E. What suggests that he and Jephthah’s daughter may have served at the tabernacle at the same time? (it “Jephthah” ¶2; see the timeline “From the Days of the Patriarchs to the Time of the Judges.”)
Reflect on the Lessons
When parents show courage like Jephthah, what effect does it have on their children?
How can Christians today imitate the young women who commended Jephthah’s daughter and helped her remain courageous? B
Picture B
How might you imitate the courage of Jephthah and his daughter in your life?
Meditate on the Bigger Picture
What does this account teach me about Jehovah?
How does the account tie in with Jehovah’s purposes?
What would I like to ask Jephthah and his daughter in the resurrection?
Learn More
How can the example of Jephthah’s daughter help Christians who are unmarried?
See how Jephthah and his daughter teach us how to remain faithful to Jehovah.