Jepthah's Vow: Between the Hammmer and the Anvil

ServantofGod · #1 (**permalink**) 03-01-2008, 03:49 PM

May I inquire of Judges chapter 11? Jepthah's rash vow before God.

The Hammer:

“If you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it, for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin." -Deuteronomy 23:21

"You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips, for you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth." -Deuteronomy 23:23

"When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow." -Ecclesiastes 5:4

The Anvil:

"You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the Lord hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods." -Deuteronomy 12:31

"There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, [1] anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer." -Deuteronomy 18:10

"They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons; they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood." -Psalm 106:37,38

What should he have done? When we make vows like this, what are we to do?

greenbaggins · #2 (**permalink**) 03-01-2008, 04:11 PM

Jephthah's great mistake was in thinking that a vow would manipulate God. That was the great sin. God simply made him see the consequences of his actions. So he should never have made the vow in the first place.

Contra_Mundum · #3 (**permalink**) 03-02-2008, 12:56 AM

Its a sin to fulfill a sinful vow. End of Story. To fulfill a sinful vow is a compound sin.

WCF 22.7 No man may vow to do any thing forbidden in the Word of God, or what would hinder any duty therein commanded, or which is not in his power, and for the performance whereof he hath no promise of ability from God.

WLC Question 113: What are the sins forbidden in the third commandment?
Answer: The sins forbidden in the third commandment are, ... all sinful cursings, oaths, vows, and lots; violating of our oaths and vows, if lawful; and fulfilling them, if of things unlawful;...

Now all this is perfectly beside the point, if indeed Jephthah did not slay his daughter. It is a point of interpretation going back to Jewish midrash, probably predating the New Testament, that Jephthah presented his only child and heir to the Tabernacle service as a virgin. Hence, she goes off for a season with her maiden friends (who will soon marry, most of them) to "bewail her virginity."

This is my preferred interpretation. Hebrews 11:32 puts Jephthah in the "Hall of Faith." I know the "Hall" is full of sinners. But don't you think that "human sacrifice" would have excluded such a man from the list of heroes? I do.

ServantofGod · #4 (**permalink**) 03-02-2008, 08:09 AM

Quote:

It is hard to say what Jephthah did to his daughter in performance of his vow. [1.] Some think he only shut her up for a nun, and that it being unlawful, according to one part of his vow (for they make it disjunctive), to offer her up for a burnt-offering, he thus, according to the other part, engaged her to be the Lord's, that is, totally to sequester herself from all the affairs of this life, and consequently from marriage, and to employ herself wholly in the acts of devotion all her days. That which countenances this opinion is that she is said to bewail her virginity (v. 37, 38) and that she knew no man, v. 39. But, if he sacrificed her, it was proper enough for her to bewail, not her death, because that was intended to be for the honour of God, and she would undergo it cheerfully, but that unhappy circumstance of it which made it more grievous to her than any other, because she was her father's only child, in whom he hoped his name and family would be built up, that she was unmarried, and so left no issue to inherit her father's honour and estate; therefore it is particularly taken notice of (v. 34) that besides her he had neither son nor daughter. But that which makes me think Jephthah did not go about thus to satisfy his vow, or evade it rather, is that we do not find any law, usage, or custom, in all the Old Testament, which does in the least intimate that a single life was any branch or article of religion, or that any person, man or woman, was looked upon as the more holy, more the Lord's, or devoted to him, for living unmarried: it was no part of the law either of the priests or of the Nazarites. Deborah and Huldah, both prophetesses, are both of them particularly recorded to have been married women. Besides, had she only been confined to a single life, she needed not to have desired these two months to bewail it in: she had her whole life before her to do that, if she saw cause. Nor needed she to take such a sad leave of her companions; for those that are of that opinion understand what is said in v. 40 of their coming to talk with her, as our margin reads it, four days in a year. Therefore, [2.] It seems more probable that he offered her up for a sacrifice, according to the letter of his vow, misunderstanding that law which spoke of persons devoted by the curse of God as if it were to be applied to such as were devoted by men's vows (Lev. xxvii. 29, None devoted shall be redeemed, but shall surely be put to death), and wanting to be better informed of the power the law gave him in this case to redeem her. Abraham's attempt to offer up Isaac perhaps encouraged him, and made him think, if God would not accept this sacrifice which he had vowed, he would send an angel to stay his hand, as he did Abraham's. If she came out designedly to be made a sacrifice, as who knows but she might? perhaps he thought that would make the case the plainer. Volenti non sit injuria—No injury is done to a person by that to which he himself consents. He imagined, it may be, that where there was neither anger nor malice there was no murder, and that his good intention would sanctify this bad action; and, since he had made such a vow, he thought better to kill his daughter than break his vow, and let Providence bear the blame, that brought her forth to meet him.

Matthew Henry Commentaries

py3ak · #5 (**permalink**) 03-02-2008, 07:38 PM

One point to keep in mind is that Jephthah left the choice of sacrificial item to God: and God chose His daughter. Are we to believe that God chose a girl for human sacrifice?

Rev. Todd Ruddell · #6 (**permalink**) 03-02-2008, 10:54 PM

As much as I recommend Matthew Henry, I must disagree with the good teacher here. I believe there was a class of ministering women who attended, in some way, the tabernacle and its service. There are not many details in Scripture as to their responsibilities, but they are spoken of in Exodus 38.8; and 1 Samuel 1.22. We might also infer that this is what Anna the prophetess did after the death of her husband (Luke 2.36-7) This is the view held by no less an OT conservative scholar than Dr. Gleason Archer, and fits better, as was said above, with the inclusion of Jephtha in the faithful record of Hebrews 11.

ServantofGod · #7 (**permalink**) 04-01-2008, 05:40 PM

Quote:

I know the "Hall" is full of sinners. But don't you think that "human sacrifice" would have excluded such a man from the list of heroes? I do.

Though I would prefer your interpretation/understanding of the Judges passage to be correct, I find the above logic not a great defense of your opinion.

Samson was, to put it nicely, a male whore, and the last person you would want your son to desire to mirror.

Barak would not go to battle for the Lord, unless a woman went with him.

Gideon doubted in the beginning, and went apostate at the end.

These are certainly not what we would define as great examples. And yet here they stand, immortalized in the Hall of the Faithful. In the light of those mens failures, I doubt that human sacrifice, as horrible and wretched a thing it is, would disqualify someone from being placed along side the faithful.

Contra_Mundum · #8 (**permalink**) 04-01-2008, 08:15 PM

That's why I put it down after my exegetical argument. It's rhetorical. Like icing on the cake, it appeals to your "sense of propriety" rather than to strict logic. I think that Hebrews' treatment of Jephthah obligates us to read his actions (rec.in Judges) in a certain positive light, preferential to the opposite view.

But to take it a little farther, certain sins God abominates, and sacrificing children is one of them. So, what we're talking about is (supposedly) an act of almost indescribable evil, shocking in its horror, done in Jehovah's name and over his objections, yet Jephthah is to be admired? That is... hard for me to accept. Especially when there is no Word from the Lord that is interposed (in the Judges account), nor any indication of repentance from such a sin. So, it is hard for me to accept that he did such a deed in the first place.

I think, in the last analysis, we have to interpret the Bible according to its own witness. If, for example, Peter calls Lot a righteous man, then we should be reading the incident of Sodom with that fact in mind; and not according to the appearance--which to my superficial reading might cause me to suspect he was a man without a conscience.

The examples you adduce of wickedness in others (in the Heb 11 list) don't seem good parallels to me. Samson we know cried to the Lord in his last hour, and was heard by God. Barak was weak in faith... OK, I don't see how weak faith = sin; in fact, it seems that the point is weak faith is still effective because the Object of faith is strong, not the believer. And I would dispute the notion that Gideon turned into an apostate. Again, that would mean he never had genuine faith to begin with--how could he be in the hall of faith then? All of them were sinners. But they were saved because faith in God was theirs.

ServantofGod · #9 (**permalink**) 04-01-2008, 08:38 PM

Thank you for observing my question again. Note that I am not trying to prove my idea over yours, but I want to observe this passage to it's fullest.

Quote:

But to take it a little farther, certain sins God abominates, and sacrificing children is one of them. So, what we're talking about is (supposedly) an act of almost indescribable evil, shocking in its horror, done in Jehovah's name and over his objections, yet Jephthah is to be admired?

I would say this in response:

Solomon- For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 1 Kings 11:5

Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. 1 Kings 11:7

And yet Solomon is greatly praised for what he had done in his early reign.

And also:

16 There are six things that the Lord hates,
seven that are an abomination to him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked plans,
feet that make haste to run to evil,
19 a false witness who breathes out lies,
and one who sows discord among brothers.

Proverbs 6:16-19

Would not this put lying and pride on the same level as human sacrifice? David, a man after God's own heart, devised evil plans in the case of Bathsheba and Uriah.

Once again, I am not trying to assert my wisdom above you, I only seek to test all avenues.

Robert Truelove · #10 (**permalink**) 04-01-2008, 09:23 PM

My take on this is not of the usual sort. I preached a message on it that you can listen to here...

Christ Reformed Church - Audio Messages -

Summary

1. Jephthah's vow was unlawful and intended human sacrifice.

2. Jephthah made his vow due to the inundation of the pagan culture in which he was surrounded and in which he was brought up.

3. The warning to us is how we must take great care, even as Christians, in not taking culture for granted in the rearing of our children.

I'd be happy to debate my conclusions but only with those who take the time to listen to the whole message

Contra_Mundum · #11 (**permalink**) 04-01-2008, 11:42 PM

Servant,
I'm not put off at all by your queries or persistence. Fine with me.

You certainly don't have to agree with my conclusion.

I just don't think the objections you've raised to my points so far have been strong ones, and I've tried to answer them decisively.

Certainly, God detests all sin, and from heaven's vantage a "white lie" doesn't look that different from murder. But from the human standpoint, you and I can both attest to the revulsion we feel to particularly heinous sins. These are not "modern" sentiments:

2Ki 3:27 "Then he [king of Moab] took his oldest son who was to reign in his place and offered him for a burnt offering on the wall. And there came great wrath against Israel. And they withdrew from him and returned to their own land"

It was so appalling that Israel felt the wrath of God against themselves!

The fact that there are degrees of punishment prescribed by the Law for different offenses also indicates that God accommodates our sense. Not every sin gets the death penalty, even though every sin deserves hell. So, once again: I say willingness to sacrifice human involves a deep degree of abandonment to sin--yes, murder and pdofelia are also just... despicable. And I would not think that a man noted for murder in the Bible, who does not have also noteworthy repentance, would be a candidate for the hall of faith, and possibly not even a believer. He certainly doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt, imo.

Anyway, I'll let it go at that. Peace.

A5pointer · #12 (**permalink**) 04-02-2008, 09:31 AM

The Jepthah text was preached at my wedding to emphasize seriousness of a vow. I think some folks not familiar with the text were horrified when the text was read

LadyFlynt · #13 (**permalink**) 04-02-2008, 11:04 AM

It has been noted that her sacrifice may not have been a blood one, but rather one of her life service. She would never marry, possibly live in isolation, possibly live purely in service to the Lord. Thus no children...for a woman, this was a life sacrifice and one that would make a father exceedingly sad.

panta dokimazete · #14 (**permalink**) 04-02-2008, 11:16 AM

Quote:

...if Jephthah offered his daughter as a human sacrifice, no indication is given in the text that God actually approved of the action. The Bible records many illicit actions carried out by numerous individuals throughout history, without an accompanying word of condemnation by the inspired writer. We must not assume that silence is evidence of divine approval. Even the commendation of Jephthah’s faith in the New Testament does not offer a blanket endorsement to everything Jephthah did during his lifetime. It merely commended the faith that he demonstrated when he risked going to war. Similarly, the Bible commends the faith of Samson, and Rahab the prostitute, without implying that their behavior was always in harmony with God’s will. Abraham manifested an incredible level of faith on several occasions, and is commended for such (Romans 4:20-21). Yet he clearly sinned on more than one occasion (Genesis 12:13; 16:4; 20:2ff.).

from here

Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

panta dokimazete · #15 (**permalink**) 04-02-2008, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LadyFlynt

It has been noted that her sacrifice may not have been a blood one, but rather one of her life service. She would never marry, possibly live in isolation, possibly live purely in service to the Lord. Thus no children...for a woman, this was a life sacrifice and one that would make a father exceedingly sad.

Quote:

The Judaean writer Josephus actually believed that she was literally sacrificed, depicting the incident as follows:
“ But as he came back, he fell into a calamity no way correspondent to the great actions he had done; for it was his daughter that came to meet him; she was also an only child and a virgin: upon this Jephtha heavily lamented the greatness of his affliction, and blamed his daughter for being so forward in meeting him, for he had vowed to sacrifice her to God. However, this action that was to befall her was not ungrateful to her, since she should die upon occasion of her father's victory, and the liberty of her fellow citizens: she only desired her father to give her leave, for two months, to bewail her youth with her fellow citizens; and then she agreed, that at the forementioned time he might do with her according to his vow. Accordingly, when that time was over, he sacrificed his daughter as a burnt-offering, offering such an oblation as was neither conformable to the law nor acceptable to God, not weighing with himself what opinion the hearers would have of such a practice.

quote from here

VirginiaHuguenot · #16 (**permalink**) 08-09-2008, 11:50 AM

Two useful studies of this point are those by William Romaine (Jephthah's Vow Fulfilled) and Thomas Taylor (Jephthah's Vow). The former is online here:

The Whole Works of the Late Reverend ... - Google Book Search

TimV · #17 (**permalink**) 08-09-2008, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Its a sin to fulfill a sinful vow. End of Story. To fulfill a sinful vow is a compound sin.

Clean and simple. You can't sin that righteousness may abound.