Jephthah’s Daughter A Human Sacrifice? -Judges 11

In the book of Judges, there is a troubling story about Jephthah’s Daughter, a rash vow, and a human sacrifice. Over the centuries, interpretations surrounding this passage have been controversial. Commentators across all denominations hold very different opinions about what the text says and how we should understand it. Others even go so far as to say that the story of Jephthah’s Daughter is a problematic passage and contradicts other parts of scripture.

Judges 11 Jephthah and His Daughter

Before Israel had kings, God chose individuals called Judges to lead the people during time of trouble. Often they were great leaders who saved Israel and brought the nation closer to God. However, they were still people and so they made mistakes.

In Judges 11, we are introduced to a man named Jephthah. The text’s initial description of Jephthah is striking, to say the least, “Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior. His father was Gilead; his mother was a prostitute.” His early life was filled with strife which drove him away from his father’s house and into a life of crime.

 “So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where a gang of scoundrels gathered around him and followed him.”

Judges 11:3

He made a name for himself as a great warrior, and when the Ammonites attached the nation, the elders asked for his help. He excepted, and the Lord gave him his spirit, yet right before the battle, he made this foolish vow.

And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord: “If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.”

Judges 11:30-31

After wining the battle he returned to his home in Mizpah where this happened.

When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of timbrels! She was an only child…. When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, “Oh no, my daughter! You have brought me down and I am devastated. I have made a vow to the Lord that I cannot break.” “My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the Lord. Do to me just as you promised, now that the Lord has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites. But grant me this one request,” she said. “Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry.”

Judges 11:34-37

Human Sacrifice In Ancient Times

As I sit here in my favorite coffee shop, sipping on a venti mocha lately (with extra frou-frou), typing my thoughts into a laptop to the rhythm of music floating around the air. I find it hard to imagine living in a world where sacrificing animals, let alone people, was normal. Yet, throughout history, human sacrifice has been a real and sometimes central aspect of community life.

It’s important to note that even though Jephthah’s vow was foolish, it was not culturally abnormal. Back in the day, it was not uncommon for extreme vows and human sacrifice to be offered up to a deity in moments of great need.

In 2 Kings 3:27, for example, the king of Moab sacrificed his son on the city wall once he realized that Israel was going to win the battle. Similarly, in 1 Samuel 14, Saul vowed to kill anyone who stopped to eat during an important battle. The story of Jephthah’s Daughter is a harsh look into the minds and cultural norms of the people of antiquity.

Was She Sacrificed?

Biblical scholarship and Christians alike are somewhat divided over the fate Jephthah’s Daughter faced. Some suggest that she was sacrificed as a burnt offering to God. Others argue that she was merely “set apart.” (The term “set apart” basically entails that she swore never to marry and served in a religious capacity.)

Proponents of the “set-apart” interpretation argue that if she were going to die, she would be morning the end of her life, not the fact that “she would never marry.” They also suggest that the text’s focus on her virginity indicates she sacrificed the possibility of marriage and children, not her life.

On the other hand, the “human sacrifice” perspective argues that she was killed and sacrificed as a burnt offering. This perspective comes from a more plain reading of the text. Proponents often point out that the term “burnt offering” is never used to describe someone being “set-apart” in scripture. Some also suggest that a human sacrifice better fits the book’s lawless tone.

Is The Story of Jephthah’s Daughter a Biblical Contradiction?

Although it is not a very popular opinion, some have suggested that the story of Jephthah’s Daughter is a Biblical contradiction. Proponents argue that possible human sacrifice in this story contradicts the Biblical mandate in Deuteronomy 12:31.

“You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.”

Deuteronomy 12:31

This argument suggests that the story is promoting Jephthah’s actions. However, there is nothing in the text that gives off this impression. If anything, the writer of Judges uses Jephthah as an example of what not to do. Consequently, Judges 11 does not contradict passages that condemn human sacrifice.

Final Thoughts

What ended up happening to Jephthah’s daughter is hard to say. Although there are quite a large number of people who believe that she was not sacrificed, the cultural context causes me to think Jephthah’s daughter was sacrificed.

However, at the same time, the writer of Judges 11 does not confirm her fate. They leave it open-ended, allowing the reader’s imagination to run wild. Part of me thinks this was done intently to make us contemplate God’s feelings about the situation and the morality of forcing someone else to suffer for your stupid mistake.

Thanks for being awesome!