Judges 11

[KeilanS]

Well I read Judges 11 today, in it, a man named Jephthah sacrifices his daughter to the Lord after winning a battle. Isn't human sacrifice against God's law?

[JB Horn]

Well I read Judges 11 today, in it, a man named Jephthah sacrifices his daughter to the Lord after winning a battle. Isn't human sacrifice against God's law?

I believe you will find that she was given in a Nazirite vow not a blood sacrifice. (Numbers 6:21) No priest could accept her as a blood sacrifice because as you said it was against the law. But a life time Nazirite vow was acceptable.

Most likely there was also a burnt offering of some kind to seal the vow.

My opinion for what is is worth.

IHS

JB

[Leonard]

JB Horn's suggestion is the one most Bible scholars accept, for he lets his daughter go into the hills with her friends to 'bewail her virginity.' It is unlikely she would be 'bewailing her virginity' rather than her impending death, if she was to be killed! Further, after her period of 'bewailing', seemingly she then returns of her own free will, which these scholars think rather unlikely if mortal danger awaited her.

I tend to think that Jephthah may actually have had her killed, or killed her himself. It was a period of great confusion in Israel ("Every man did what was right in his own eyes."), with few copies of the Scriptures, and very little reliable teaching about YHWH's laws by the Levites and Priests. It is entirely possible, as Keilan S suggests (and in my mind the passage seems to support), that Jephthah did indeed offer her as a whole burnt offering, although YHWH had commanded that human sacrifice was unacceptable in His sight.

I hope I am cogent; I have a cold and have taken NYQUIL!

[KeilanS]

Thank you JB Horn and Leonard (your post made perfect sense, even with the Nyquil )

I like the idea of her making a vow of chastity rather than being sacrificed, although I do feel as if the scripture does not support it (although that certainly does not mean it isn't the truth), but I also understand your explanation Leonard. The chapter does not tell us if the Lord approved of this sacrifice and I think we can safely reason that He did not. I remember reading the verse saying that everyone did what was right in their own eyes, I had just forgotten that it applied to this period in time, thanks for the reminder!

[JB Horn]

Thank you JB Horn and Leonard (your post made perfect sense, even with the Nyquil )

I like the idea of her making a vow of chastity rather than being sacrificed, although I do feel as if the scripture does not support it (although that certainly does not mean it isn't the truth), but I also understand your explanation Leonard. The chapter does not tell us if the Lord approved of this sacrifice and I think we can safely reason that He did not. I remember reading the verse saying that everyone did what was right in their own eyes, I had just forgotten that it applied to this period in time, thanks for the reminder!

You're welcome KeilanS,

Remember that Judges is believed to have been penned by Samuel who was also given by his mother in a Nazirite vow with a burnt offering. So there would be nothing strange to him for this to be done with the girl. But a sacrifice that would have been an abomination to God I think he would have mentioned it.

We don't know but if you get to heaven before me just drop me a note and let me know what really happen.

JB