Who was Jephthah and what was his vow? (Part 4)

[Leonardo Von]

Who was Jephthah and what was his vow? (Part 4)

And why did Jephthah’s daughter desired to regret his virginity (Jdg 11:36)? 

At that time, it was a dishonor, a motive of curse doesn’t have child. See, for instance, what said Elizabeth:

•    Luk 1:24,25 -> “After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.””. 

Now, she never could be mother.

But, why to weep her virginity on the mountains for two months (Jdg 11:37,38)?

Although I don’t know what was her intention and why his father agreed with her, one thing is for sure: this caused a great impact on all the daughters of Israel:

•    Jdg 11:39,40 -> “She had never known a man, and it became a custom in Israel that the daughters of Israel went year by year to *lament* the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year.”.

And the detail is that, the word which is translated for “lament”, in Hebraic, can mean, also, “celebrate”. That is to say, during all the lifetime of the daughter of Jephthah, from year to year, the virgins of Israel went to get in touch with Jephthah’s daughter in order to comfort her for his virginity and, at the same time, to celebrate her fidelity and dedication to the Creator and his father. After all, at no moment she complained for the vow of his father, nor rebelled against him; instead, she honored his father and the Creator for His marvelous deliverance.

Besides, his father had two alternatives:

1 – he could redeem her if he desired:

•    Lev 27:1-5 -> “The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, If anyone makes a special vow to the LORD involving the valuation of persons, then the valuation of a male from twenty years old up to sixty years old shall be fifty shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. If the person is a female, the valuation shall be thirty shekels. If the person is from five years old up to twenty years old, the valuation shall be for a male twenty shekels, and for a female ten shekels.”.

2 – he could break the vote:

The vow he has made could be irrevocable to him. He, by himself, could come back. Nonetheless, there was a possibility to back down on his rash words and confess them as sin (Lev 5:4-5). Nonetheless, he should bring a trespass offering (Lev 5:6).

•    Lev 5:4-6 -> “or if anyone utters with his lips a rash oath to do evil or to do good, any sort of rash oath that people swear, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and he realizes his guilt in any of these; when he realizes his guilt in any of these and confesses the sin he has committed, he shall bring to the LORD as his compensation for the sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin.”.

So, if the vow was related to death, he could recant. But he didn’t cogitate this hypothesis, even knowing that human sacrifice wasn’t pleasant to the Creator (Lev 18.21; 20.2-5; Deut 12.31). Therefore, the vow was the virginity of his daughter.

Furthermore, it is good to recall that this vote was done immediately after the Holy Spirit comes on him (Judge 11:29).
 
Have a nice day in Jesus’ name.