Cheryl Schatz

Hannah,

The story of Jephthat’s daughter is a very tragic story of a rash promise used as a bargaining tool to get what Jephthat needed. It is actually an example of the ultimate abuse. The righteous person in the story turns out to be Jephthat’s daughter who not wanting her father to suffer for having a failed vow to the Lord, willingly offers herself to be killed by her father.

Judges 11:35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are among those who trouble me; for I have given my word to the LORD, and I cannot take it back.”

What is quite amazing is that after making a rash vow to the Lord and understanding the stupidity of having made his rash promise, he actually blames his daughter for bringing him trouble. It is an unfortunate event and one that should never have happened. However it is not a command by God for human sacrifice and there is provision in the law for the redemption of a sacrifice.

Lev 27:11 ‘If, however, it is any unclean animal of the kind which men do not present as an offering to the LORD, then he shall place the animal before the priest.
Lev 27:12 ‘The priest shall value it as either good or bad; as you, the priest, value it, so it shall be.
Lev 27:13 ‘But if he should ever wish to redeem it, then he shall add one-fifth of it to your valuation.

If a dog would have come out of Jephthah’s house first, the dog would not be considered a proper sacrifice as it was unclean.

The entire story is very unfortunate and a lesson regarding making hasty vows.