Judges 11:35

"Jephthah came to Mizpah to his house; and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter."

Key Reflection

In Judges 11:35, Jephthah returns home to Mizpah after a successful military campaign, only to find his daughter eagerly coming out to meet him with tambourines and dances. This detail highlights the significance of their relationship; she is not just any child but his sole offspring, making her position within the household and community even more poignant. In ancient Hebrew culture, the absence of male heirs could lead to severe social consequences for a family, which underscores the gravity of Jephthah's vow and its subsequent fulfillment.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Jephthah was right in not being deterred from keeping his vow by the loss and sorrow to himself (compare the marginal references), just as Abraham was right in not withholding his son, his only son, from God, when commanded to offer him up as a burnt-offering. But Jephthah was wholly wrong in that conception of the character of God which led to his making the rash vow. And he would have done right not to slay his child, though the guilt of making and of breaking such a vow would have remained.

More from Judges 11

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