Judges 11:29-40
Summary for Judg 11:29-31: 11:29-31 a The Spirit of the Lord, a consistent sign of inspired authority, came upon Jephthah, and he journeyed through the tribal lands of Gilead and Manasseh, including his hometown of Mizpah in Gilead, gathering troops. During this time leading up to battle, he made his infamous vow.11:31 b Nowhere does the Lord demand such bargaining for his favor. Vows were made under a variety of circumstances and usually involved some gift (offering) dedicated to the Lord in response to his aid (cp. Gen 28:20-22 c). The more common preparation for battle was priestly sacrifice (1 Sam 13:8-12 d). Jephthah’s vow created the possibility that some person in his household would become a human sacrifice, an act strictly forbidden in Israelite law (Deut 18:10 e).
11:32 f No connection is drawn between the victory, which was the Lord’s gift, and Jephthah’s vow.
11:35 g Having made an impulsive vow, Jephthah now compounded his folly by blaming the result on his daughter and by failing to respond in light of Scripture. Vows taken were usually inviolable (Num 30:2 h), though the Old Testament recognizes a few circumstances under which an unwise vow could be set aside (Num 30:6-8 i). Since human sacrifice was forbidden in the law, a substitute could have been made (see Lev 27:1-8 j). Jephthah was apparently unaware of these principles in God’s law, perhaps because of his upbringing in an area far from Israel’s major centers.
11:39 k Jephthah kept the vow by sacrificing his daughter—there is no evidence that he merely kept her permanently celibate (cp. 11:37 l). Jephthah’s folly demonstrates just how far Israel’s society had descended into lawlessness and apostasy.
Copyright information for
TNotes