Jephthah

JEPHTHAH, Judge of Israel, and Successor to Jair in the government of the people; he was the son of Gilead and of Judg. xi. 1, 2, &c.one of his concubines; or to speak plainly, he was a native of Mizpah, the son of an harlot, and one Gilead, who having married a lawful wife, and had children by her, these children drove Jephthah from his father’s house, saying, that he could not Judg. xi. 7.be heir with them. Jephthah retired into the land of Tob, and there he became captain of a band of thieves, and such other people as he had picked up together. At that time the Israelites beyond Jordan, seeing themselves pressed by the Ammonites, came to desire assistance from Jephthah; and that he would take upon him the command of them. Jephthah at first reproached them with the injustice which they had done him, or at least which they had not prevented, when he was forced from his father’s house. But as these people were very earnest in their request, he told them that he would succour them, provided that at the end of the war they would acknowledge him for their Prince. This they consented to, and promised with an oath. This fell out in the year of the World 2817, before Jesus Christ 1183, before the Vulgar Æra 1187.

Jephthah having been acknowledged Prince of the Israelites in an assembly of the people, sent a deputation to the Ammonites, with directions to say to them, What hast thou to do with me? why art thou come to attack me and ravage my country? The King of the Ammonites answered, Because the Israelites when they came out of Egypt took my country: now therefore restore that to me, and let us live in peace. Jephthah sent other Ambassadors to the Ammonites, telling them, that the Israelites had taken nothing from them, but from the Amorites only; and that all which they possessed beyond Jordan they possessed by right of conquest. He added, if you think you have a right to enjoy all that Chemosh your God hath given you, why should not we enjoy what the Lord our God hath given us? Zippor, King of the Moabites, who lived in the time of Moses, was a witness to our conquering this country, which was then in the hands of the Amorites, yet he did not complain, nor did he desire the restitution of it; and here you come now after so long a time to demand it. If you continue your design of making an unjust war against me, let the Lord be judge, and arbitrator of this dispute between Israel and the children of Ammon.

The King of the Ammonites would not submit to these reasons, and Jephthah, who was fill’d with the Spirit of God, began to get his troops together; and to that end went over all the land which the Israelites possessed beyond Jordan. At that time he made a vow to the Lord, that if he were successful against the Ammonites, he would offer up for a Burnt-offering, whatsoever should first come out of his house to meet him. The battle being fought, Jephthah remained conqueror, and ravaged all the land of Ammon. But as he returned to his house, his only daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and dances. Hereupon Jephthah tore his clothes, and said, Ah, wretched man that I am! my child, thou hast deceived me, and art thyself deceived; for I have made a vow unto the Lord, and cannot fail in the performance of my promise. His daughter answered, My father, if thou hast made a vow unto the Lord, do with me as thou hast promised, grant me only the favour, which I now ask; Give me leave to go to the mountains for two months, that there I may bewail my virginity with my companions. Jephthah granted her this liberty for two months; after which he executed what he had promised; and his daughter died a virgin, being offered up as a burnt-sacrifice, according to the opinion of several Fathers¹ and Interpreters².

Judg. xii. 1, 2, &c.In the mean time they of the Tribe of Ephraim, jealous of the victory obtained by Jephthah over the Ammonites, passed the river Jordan in a tumultuous manner, came and complained to Jephthah, that he had not invited them to this war, and threatned to set fire to his house. Jephthah answered them, that he had sent to desire their assistance, but observing that they did not come, he put his life in his hands, and hazarded a battle. The Ephramites not being satisfied with these reasons, Jephthah assembled the people of Gilead, gave them battle, and defeated them. The conquerors not contenting themselves with putting them to flight, made themselves masters of the fords of Jordan, and when any one of Ephraim appeared upon the banks of the river, and desired to go over, the Gileadites asked, Art thou an Ephramite? If he replied, No; they said, pronounce then Schibbobeth, which signifies, an ear of corn; but if instead of Schibboleth, he said Sibboleth, without an aspiration, he was immediately taken, and killed upon the spot. So that there were two and forty thousand men of the Tribe of Ephraïm killed that day.

We know nothing more particularly He died in the year of the World 2823, before J. C. 1177, before the Vulgar Æra 1181. a Judg. xii. 7. b Heb. xi. 32.concerning the life and government of Jephthah, only that he judged Israel six years, and was buried in the City of Mizpah in Gilead a. St. Paul b places him among the Saints of the Old Testament, the merit of whose faith distinguished them. The fable of Iphigenia, the daughter of Agamemnon, seems to have been borrowed from the history of Jephthah. Agamemnon by mistake having killed Diana’s Hind, the Goddess in a rage produced such obstacles as retarded the departure of the Fleet. Chalchas the Soothsayer was consulted, who declared, that the Gods demanded a Victim of Agamemnon’s blood. Iphigenia was led to be sacrificed; but Diana, touched with compassion, placed an Hind in the room of her, which was sacrificed, and she made Priestess of Diana Orthia in Tauris, where human Victims were offered.

There is something so extraordinary in Jephthah’s Vow, that notwithstanding the Scripture speaks of it in very plain and clear terms, yet such difficulties occur concerning it, as perplex the Commentators.

The Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, Judg. xi. 29, 30, 31, &c.says the sacred writer, and he passed over Gilead and Manasseh; without doubt in order to gather troops, and form an army, which might repel the Ammonites, and deliver the Israelites for the time to come from their incursions. And he made a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into my hands, then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt-offering.

He declares very clearly, that he will offer up for a Burnt-offering the first Person of his house that shall come forth to meet him, at his return from the defeat of the Ammonites. Observe, that he does not say, the first thing, the first animal, but the first person. Besides, he does not say barely that he will vow, consecrate, or offer him to the Lord, who should first come forth to meet him; but adds affirmatively, that he will offer him up for a Burnt-offering: Eum holocaustum offeram Domino. This is the true meaning of the text, and the Fathers so explained it, as will be seen hereafter.

Yet notwithstanding the evidence of the Pagnin. Montan.Text, some modern Interpreters explain it in another manner, and translate the Hebrew thus: And the thing which shall go forth out of the doors of my house when I return in peace from making Vide Kimchi, Rab. alii, Munst. Vat. Clar. Druf. Grot. Lyr. Marian. &c. c Deut. xii. 31.war with the Ammonites, that shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up to him for a burnt-offering. Jephthah, say they, vows to God, whatever should come forth to meet him, whether man or beast, but not in the same manner: that is to say, if it be a man or woman, I will consecrate them to the Lord, they shall be the Lord’s; if it be an unclean animal, for example, a Dog, I will kill him or redeem him. Besides, how could Jephthah be ignorant, that the sacrifice of human Victims was odious in the sight of God? Ye shall not imitate, saith the Lord c, the abominations of the Canaanites, who offered their sons and their daughters to their Gods, by causing them to pass through the fire. Would not the principal Men of the Nation, and the Priests, have opposed the execution of such a Sacrifice? Lastly, supposing it to be granted, that Jephthah had devoted his daughter, was he unacquainted with the Law which allowed him to redeem her for a moderate sum of money? He who shall have made a vow, and Lev. xxvii. 2, 3, &c.have vowed his life unto the Lord, shall pay the price that shall be ordained; a man from twenty to sixty years of age shall pay fifty shekels according to the weight of the Sanctuary; a woman thirty; a male-child from five to twenty shall give twenty shekels, a female of the same age ten. This is the most plausible part of what is urged to persuade us, that Jephthah did not make a vow to sacrifice his daughter to the Lord.

To these Reasons it may be replied, 1. That they who alledge them would wrest prepousterously the meaning of the Text, which says expressly, That he who should come out to meet him should be the Lord’s, and should be offered up for a Burnt-sacrifice. He speaks of a person, not of a beast. 2. No one pretends to justify either the precipitate Vow of Jephthah, or his literal execution of it: it is allowed, that his Vow was not according to knowledge, and that God did not require such a victim to be offered. He had done much better if he had asked forgiveness for his imprudence, and imposed upon himself, with the advice of the High-Priest belonging to his Nation, some penalty proportioned to his fault.

Lev. xxvii. 28, 29.3. The redemption of things devoted which the Law permits, is not of things devoted by anathema, but of such only as are devoted simply, without this addition: in the former case they are not redeemable. No devoted thing that a man shall devote unto the Lord, of all that he hath, both of man and beast, and of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed… none devoted which shall be devoted of men shall be redeemed; but shall surely be put to death.

The Fathers and many learned Commentators have made no difficulty to own, that Jephthah did really offer up his daughter for a Burnt-sacrifice. Josephus³ expressly says he did. The Chaldee Paraphrast says, that He sacrificed her without consulting the High- Priest; and that if he had consulted him, he would have redeemed his daughter with a sum of money. St. Ambrose deplores the cruelty of Jephthah’s promise, and the rigorous execution Ambrof. l. 3. de Offic. c. 12. Aug. qu. 49. in Judic.of his vow. St. Austin disapproves the conduct of Jephthah, and says, that in this particular he did what was forbidden by the Law, and not commanded by any particular order. Fecit quod ex Lege vetabatur, & nullo speciali jubebatur imperio. He supposes consequently that he literally executed his vow. St. Jerom believes, that God permitted the performance of it, to punish this imprudent father for his temerity: Ut qui improspectè Hieron. l. 1. contra Jovinian.voverat, errorem votorum in filiæ morte sentiret.

Chrysost. Homil. 14. ad pop. Antioch.St. Chrysostom observes, that God by his all-wise Providence permitted this father really to put his daughter to death, with an intention to restrain those who might hereafter be too easily induced to make such promises. This was an example very proper to inspire men with circumspection, and keep them from rash vows and promises. St. Justin the Martyr, and Theodoret, looked upon this action in Justin. in Author. qu. ad Orthodox. q. 90. Theodor. qu. 20. in Judic. Author. qu. ad Orthodox. qu. 99.the same view. Others are not satisfied with supposing the sacrifice of Jephthah’s daughter to be a certain fact, but have approved and praised it. The Author of Questions to the Orthodox, printed in St. Justin’s name, does not doubt but that the Piety to God, which induced him to sacrifice his daughter, was the reason of the Apostle’s placing him among the righteous. St. Jerom expresses himself after the same manner: Jephte obtulit filiam virginem, & idcirco in enumeratione sanctorum ab Hieron. Ep. ad Julian.Apostolo ponitur. He says in another place, That if the Sacrifice be not laudable, at least the Spirit and Intention deserve approbation. Hieron. in c. vii. Jer.Non sacrificium placet, sed animus offerentis. St. Ambrose does not venture to accuse him for having executed his promise; but pities him for being under such an unhappy necessity, as to be able no way to fulfil his vow, but Ambrof. l. 3. Offic. c. 12.by an act of Parricide. Non possum accusare virum, qui necesse habuit implere quod voverat; sed tamen miserabilis necessitas, quæ solvitur parricidio. St. Thomas acknowledges, that the Faith and Devotion, which inclined him to make this Vow, proceeded from God, and that this was the Apostle’s motive for placing D. Thom. 2. 2. Art. 2. ad 2. q. 88. Heb. xi. 32, 33.him among the righteous; but that which quite spoil’d his action, was his suffering himself to follow his own particular motion, in executing what he had too rashly promised. See our Dissertation on this matter, that of Lewis Capellus, Father Alexander’s, and the Authors cited in our Bibliotheca Sacra.

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