Lessons From Jephthah's Vow

2

A judge in Israel
Tribe of Manasseh
A Gileadite
Father – Gilead
Mother a prostitute
Rejected & cast out
(Judges 11:1-3).

3

A mighty man of valor – vss. 1,6
Called by the elders of Gilead to be their
commander – vss. 5-11
Acknowledged God’s power to deliver &
rule – vss. 9,11
Offered treaty to Ammon according to
the Law – vss. 12-14; cf. Deut 20:10-12
Very familiar with God delivering Israel
from Egypt and bringing them into the
land of promise – vss. 15-28
A man acknowledged by God to deliver
Israel, zealous for God and Israel – vs. 29

4

Judges 11:30-31 (NKJV)
30 And Jephthah made a vow to the

LORD, and said, "If You will indeed
deliver the people of Ammon into
my hands, 31 then it will be that
whatever comes out of the doors of
my house to meet me, when I return
in peace from the people of Ammon,
shall surely be the LORD'S, and I
will offer it up as a burnt offering."

5

Was not as rash as many think –
expresses his dependence upon God for
the victory as well as his earnest desire for
the deliverance of his people – vss. 29-32
Man or animal? - Jephthah expected a
person to meet him, - “out of the doors
of my house” – vs. 31
Possible interpretations –
 “or I have offered up for it--a burnt-
offering” – [YLT]
 “I will offer it up as a burnt offering”
[NKJV] – i.e. “like a burnt offering”

6

“The word ‫ עֹו ָה‬does not involve the idea of burning,
‫ל‬
like our word burnt-offering, but simply that of going
up upon the altar, or of complete surrender to the Lord.
‫ עֹו ָה‬is a whole offering, as distinguished from the other
‫ל‬
sacrifices, of which only a part was given up to the Lord.
When a virgin, therefore, was set apart as a spiritual
‫ ,עֹו ָה‬it followed, as a matter of course, that henceforth
‫ל‬
she belonged entirely to the Lord: that is to say, was to
remain a virgin for the remainder of her days.”
Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament -
Johann (C.F.) Keil (1807-1888) & Franz Delitzsch (1813-1890)

7

God granted His petition – vss. 32,33
Jephthah’s only child is the first to greet
him – (emphasized in the text) – vs. 34
Jephthah grieves – (He expresses great
sorrow & faithfulness to his vow) – vs. 35
 Many suggest that he was grieving
because he knew he had to kill her.
 Others suggest that he grieved due to
his posterity being cut off, and her
hope of motherhood was dashed in
that she was wholly given to the Lord
which required perpetual virginity.

8

His daughter’s reaction – she too
expresses faith and devotion to God –
(the victory was from God & encourages
her father to keep his vow in view of what
God had done in respect to it) - vss. 36,37
His daughter’s request – (to bewail her
virginity in private) – vs. 38
Jephthah keeps his vow – He did what he
promised - (she knew no man) – vs. 39
She was praised by the daughters of
Israel – (expressing a perpetual honor by
the nation upon her) – vs. 40

9

He knew the law – God forbade human
sacrifice – (Lev 18:21; Deut. 12:31; 20:2-5)
Human sacrifice was an abomination in
the sight of God – (Jer. 7:31) -
 Jehoshaphat & Jehoram withdrew from
war when the king of the Moabites
sacrificed his son as a burnt-offering
upon the wall (2Ki 3:26-27)
He depended upon God’s help –
 Called upon the Lord as a witness - (10)
 Spirit of the Lord was upon him – (29)
 Continued as judge – (12:1-7)

10

There is no condemnation or negative
assertion made of Jepthah’s vow –
The nation remembered this act as
noble – (11:40)
Jephthah stands as a name of honor in
the scriptures – (1 Sam. 12:11; Heb. 11:32)
Jephthah fulfilled his vow by giving his
daughter to perpetual service in the
Temple – (11:36-40)
 Bewail my virginity with friends - (37)
 Bewailed her virginity on mtns – (38)
 She knew no man – (39)

11

(“Auberlen's remarks upon this subject are very good.
“The history of Jephthah's daughter, . . . “would hardly have
been thought worth preserving in the Scriptures if the maiden
had been really offered in sacrifice; for, in that case, the event
would have been reduced, at the best, into a mere family
history, without any theocratic significance, though in truth it
would rather have been an anti-theocratic abomination,
according to Deu_12:31 (cf. Jdg_18:9; Lev_18:21; Lev_20:1-5).
Jephthah's action would in that case have stood upon the same
platform as the incest of Lot (Gen_19:30.), and would owe its
adoption into the canon simply to genealogical considerations,
or others of a similar kind.

12

“But the very opposite is the case here; and if, from
the conclusion of the whole narrative in Jdg_11:39-40,
the object of it is supposed to be simply to explain the
origin of the feast that was held in honour of
Jephthah's daughter, even this would tell against the
ordinary view. In the eye of the law the whole thing
would still remain an abomination, and the canonical
Scriptures would not stoop to relate and beautify an
institution so directly opposed to the law.”)
From: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament -
Johann (C.F.) Keil (1807-1888) & Franz Delitzsch (1813-1890)

13

God can use anyone who will trust
in Him – (11:1-11; Exo. 3:11; Judges;
Acts 4:13; 1 Cor. 1:26)
We need to learn to trust and
depend upon God – (11:12-33; Mat.
6:19-34; Rom. 8:28-39)
We must take our commitments
to the Lord seriously – We must
count the cost – (11:30-39; Luke
14:25-33; Eccl. 5:2-5; Mat. 5:33,37)
Our commitment to the Lord
requires sacrifice and faithfulness
– (11:30-39; Rom. 12:1-3; Phil. 2:1-5)

14

Faithfulness to the Lord must
come before family – (11:35; Mark
12:28,29; Mat. 10:34-39)
Children - put the Lord first and
submit to your parents, and
encourage them to be faithful –
(11:36-39; Eph. 6:1-3; Col. 3:20)
We need to weep with those who
weep – (11:38; Rom. 12:15)
We need to remember those who
have sacrificed so much for us –
(11:39,40; 1 Cor. 11:24,25; Heb 12:1)

15

How great is your
commitment to the
Lord?
Discipleship in Christ
begins and ends with
sacrifice.
Vow today to
consecrate your life to
God, commit yourself to
His commandments

17

Charts by Don McClain
Prepared December 21-24, 2010
Preached December 26, 2010
West 65th Street church of Christ
P.O. Box 190062
Little Rock AR 72219
501-568-1062
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Email – donmcclain@sbcglobal.net
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Lessons From Jephthah's Vow

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