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Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by Uptheante(m): 10:09pm On Jan 08, 2021
In the story about a great man of valour called Jephthah who made a vow to offer as burnt offering to God anybody that first comes out of his house if God gives himvictory against the Ammonites. We learnt that it was his only child (a daughter) that first came out to welcome him & he had no option than to fulfill his vow by sacrificing her after giving her 2months to mourn her virginity in the mountains with her friends.
Now, here are my questions:

1. By fulfilling his vow to God does it mean that he actually sacrificed her as burnt offering to God in the same way animals are sacrificed to God?

2. If the answer to the first question is yes, then does it mean that God accepts human sacrifice (as burnt offering) at that time?

Remember that God did not allow Abraham to sacrifice Isaac & there was no record of any human sacrifice to God before & after the incident with Jephthah

3. Could it also be possible that probably Jephthah actually meant sacrificing his daughter to the service of God & not actual sacrifice that entails burning her to death?

Pls I'm eagerly awaiting your replies

1 Like

Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by Organsmuggler(f): 10:15pm On Jan 08, 2021
undecided

2 Likes

Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by Ladylite: 10:55pm On Jan 08, 2021
Uptheante:
In the story about a great man of valour called Jephthah who made a vow to offer as burnt offering to God anybody that first comes out of his house if God gives himvictory against the Ammonites. We learnt that it was his only child (a daughter) that first came out to welcome him & he had no option than to fulfill his vow by sacrificing her after giving her 2months to mourn her virginity in the mountains with her friends.
Now, here are my questions:

1. By fulfilling his vow to God does it mean that he actually sacrificed her as burnt offering to God in the same way animals are sacrificed to God?

2. If the answer to the first question is yes, then does it mean that God accepts human sacrifice (as burnt offering) at that time?

Remember that God did not allow Abraham to sacrifice Isaac & there was no record of any human sacrifice to God before & after the incident with Jephthah

3. Could it also be possible that probably Jephthah actually meant sacrificing his daughter to the service of God & not actual sacrifice that entails burning her to death?

Pls I'm eagerly awaiting your replies

God = Father
Jesus = son

God didn't spare Jesus his only son, rather he had him killed on a cross.
And He accepted his sacrifice for all humanity

Remember it's the same God.


Hope you have your answers now.
Mtchew.

1 Like

Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by Nobody: 11:30pm On Jan 08, 2021
Uptheante:
In the story about a great man of valour called Jephthah who made a vow to offer as burnt offering to God anybody that first comes out of his house if God gives himvictory against the Ammonites. We learnt that it was his only child (a daughter) that first came out to welcome him & he had no option than to fulfill his vow by sacrificing her after giving her 2months to mourn her virginity in the mountains with her friends.
Now, here are my questions:

1. By fulfilling his vow to God does it mean that he actually sacrificed her as burnt offering to God in the same way animals are sacrificed to God?

2. If the answer to the first question is yes, then does it mean that God accepts human sacrifice (as burnt offering) at that time?

Remember that God did not allow Abraham to sacrifice Isaac & there was no record of any human sacrifice to God before & after the incident with Jephthah

3. Could it also be possible that probably Jephthah actually meant sacrificing his daughter to the service of God & not actual sacrifice that entails burning her to death?

Pls I'm eagerly awaiting your replies
Why not ask the God you still worship??
Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by jesusjnr2020(m): 11:41pm On Jan 08, 2021
1. Yes. He made a vow of a burnt offering so he must have fulfilled it.

2. No!

God didn't ask Jephthah for any sacrifice. God has never asked for a human sacrifice apart from the instance of Isaac as you said, but He didn't let it go through because God doesn't accept human sacrifice. In fact it was an abominable act in Israel. One of the reasons God chased away the former inhabitants of the land. I believe it was selfish and foolish of him thinking that it would be someone else's child, but perhaps God used it to teach him a strong lesson to love his neighbor as himself.

3. No.

It was a vow of a burnt offering he made. That was clear.

God bless.

3 Likes

Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by jamesid29(m): 3:24am On Jan 09, 2021
Firstly it is important to emphasize that Judaism has always viewed human sacrifices as an abomination and the Bible even during a period where human sacrifice was commonplace expressly denounced the practice (Lev 20:2-5; Deut 12:31; Jer 7:31etc) and made it a capital offence

To your question sir :The story of Japhet and his daughter is one of those seemingly ambiguous and hard passages in the scriptures. it's interpretation generally falls into one of two camps
1) Japhet did sacrifice his daughter (in the history of interpretation, this used to be the majority view especially amongst early commentators)
2) Japhet didn't sacrifice his daughter but consecrated her into a life of perpetual virginity( This used to be a minority view but has increasingly become more accepted by Hebrew scholars by looking at the language of the text)

Both views can be argued for coherently and below is a brief summary of both arguments ,so you can have a general idea and work through the text.

In support of the human sacrifice theory e.g Kaiser in Hard Sayings of the Bible says:

1) People, even servants of God, do horribly things. The era of the Judges(that is, the period between the relatively faithful generation of Joshua and the period of the unified monarchy) was on of the bloodiest and corrupt period in Israel's history and there is no reason to see Jephthah as substantially different than his contemporaries. This was the period where "everyone was doing whatever is right in their eyes".

2)The sacrifice of his daughter is the most natural way to interpret the text. Burnt offering" is and always elsewhere used to denote sacrifice wholly consumed on the altar by fire.

3) The history of interpretation from early commentators support the human sacrifice view. The idea of perpetual virginity is generally not found until the Middle Ages. So for alot of early Jewish interpretation from even the times of the apostles, the human sacrifice view was the dorminant one.

4)The grammar in verses 31 beginning( " the one coming out, who comes out from". Literal translation) allows for humans coming from the house as well as animals. It's possible that Japhet wasn't too concerned about doing human sacrifice but he was only devastated that it was his daughter that came out.


Supporters of a non-death sacrifice(perpetual virginity) are Gleason Archer in A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, Keil & Delitzsch in Commentary on the Old Testament, etc and they make their arguments using

1)Human sacrifice was always understood from the days of Abraham onward to be a capital offense and an abomination. It had been denounced and forbidden in Lev 18:21; 20:2-5; Deut 12:31; 18:10 and there is no evidence of Israelites offering human sacrifice until the time of the kings

2)The passages places emphasis on virginity instead death. His daughter went for two months to the mountains to bewail her virginity, not the coming loss of life.
She said to her father: ‘Do this for me, release me for two months and I will go and ‘go down’ upon the mountains and weep for my virginity, I and my women companions. - Judges 11:37

It is stated in verse 39 after Jephthah had performed his "burnt offering" that "she knew not a man." Such wording would be strange and unusual if she had died but would be appropriate if she was devoted to service at the tabernacle. There are precedences for this in the Old testament (e.g Samuel) ,although there is non(atleast that I can think of) which entails perpetual virginity and celibacy.
In the instance of perpetual virginity, the tragedy of the vow would be:
a) The bloodline of Japhet is wiped out since she is his only child and daughter.
In the ancient world, continuity of bloodlines was very important. We get many glimpse of this also in the Bible (e.g: the lenght in which the other tribes went into making sure that the tribe of Benjamin were not wiped out in Judges 21).
Secondly as an outsider, Japhet bargains with the elders to not only to become commander but to also become chief of his tribe. Despite his victory, any dynastic intentions he might have had, is essentially caught off and his vow has robbed him of any future.
b) From his daughter's perspective, she has given up one of the most important thing for a woman in the ancient world. That is: The necessity of having children.
This is an extremely important part of being a woman in the ancient world and We can see how important this is even in stories in the Bible ,e.g the extreme length lot's daughters go to to get pregnant, Hannah's story, Rachel and Leah's story etc.
From an Ancient perspective, an only child consecrated to a life of perpetual virginity would have really been a tragedy.

Other arguments for non -human sacrifice
3)There is no explicit condemnation of Jephthah's act in the Bible. This would be a bit unusual for a crime of this magnitude (if it was actual human sacrifice).Jephthah continues to judge Israel for 6 more years without any condemnation within the narrative or by other Israelites after committing a capital offence is quite unusual.

4) Japhet knows Israel's history well enough to give the ammonites a rundown of how Israel came to posses the land (Judges 11:12 - 22) so it would be unsual(although not impossible) for him not to know the laws against human sacrifice in the Torah.

5) In verses 31, the Hebrew word "vav" can be translated as "or" instead of "and".
then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the Lord ’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.” - Judges 11:31
.. Basically the idea is that, if we translate "vav" as "or" , the verse changes to "shall be the Lord ’s, or I will offer it up for a burnt offering” , meaning whoever came out would be dedicated to God, and, only should it prove appropriate(e.g an animal), would be sacrificed.
This actually allow for some ambiguity but it might not be very convincing based on the Hebrew construct of this particular passage. As NET puts it:

Some translate “or,” suggesting that Jephthah makes a distinction between humans and animals. According to this view, if a human comes through the door, then Jephthah will commit him/her to the Lord’s service, but if an animal comes through the doors, he will offer it up as a sacrifice. However, it is far more likely that the Hebrew construction (vav [ו] + perfect) specifies how the subject will become the Lord’s, that is, by being offered up as a sacrifice. For similar constructions, where the apodosis of a conditional sentence has at least two perfects (each with vav) in sequence, see Gen 34:15–16; Exod 18:16.4


6) Japhet's daughter was considered a heroine and the women of Israel celebrated her. It is unlikely they would have done so had she volunteered for a pagan ceremony. However, most translations take lthannoth as "lament" or variations thereof. Archer says it can be taken along the lines of celebration. Brown, Driver, Briggs Lexicon points out that this is modern and older versions (including the Septuagint) take the 11:40 as mourn. They [BDB] also point out that the word is used positively in Judges 5:11, "let them recount the victories of YHWH." Jud 5:11 and 11:40 are the only two occurrences of the word in the Hebrew Bible.

As mentioned earlier, both views(human sacrifice and non human sacrifice) can be argued for coherently but it's also likely that we are missing something. The language in the passage and this type of vow is unusual and unique so it's possible that there was a practice in that time period we are missing that would shed more light on the passage.

Either way, the theological messaging doesn't change much. Don't be rash to make vows, let your Yes be simply Yes and let your No be simply No. The spirit of God already rested on Japhet, he didn't need to make any vows, just the same way we as Christians are already sons and daughters of God, so we need not any vows or great offerings to incur God's grace and favor. He would not give us stones when we ask for bread or snake when we ask for fish.

PS: A bulk of my summary of the two views comes from hermeneutics.stackexchange but expanded and edited by me. You can check on the resources above for a fuller understanding on the arguments of both views

Hope this helps

3 Likes

Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by MaxInDHouse(m): 5:37am On Jan 09, 2021
I am Maximus one of JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES, would you like if a participate in the ongoing discussion? smiley



Uptheante:
In the story about a great man of valour called Jephthah who made a vow to offer as burnt offering to God anybody that first comes out of his house if God gives himvictory against the Ammonites. We learnt that it was his only child (a daughter) that first came out to welcome him & he had no option than to fulfill his vow by sacrificing her after giving her 2months to mourn her virginity in the mountains with her friends.
Now, here are my questions:

1. By fulfilling his vow to God does it mean that he actually sacrificed her as burnt offering to God in the same way animals are sacrificed to God?

2. If the answer to the first question is yes, then does it mean that God accepts human sacrifice (as burnt offering) at that time?

Remember that God did not allow Abraham to sacrifice Isaac & there was no record of any human sacrifice to God before & after the incident with Jephthah

3. Could it also be possible that probably Jephthah actually meant sacrificing his daughter to the service of God & not actual sacrifice that entails burning her to death?

Pls I'm eagerly awaiting your replies
Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by shadeyinka(m): 5:38am On Jan 09, 2021
Uptheante:
In the story about a great man of valour called Jephthah who made a vow to offer as burnt offering to God anybody that first comes out of his house if God gives himvictory against the Ammonites. We learnt that it was his only child (a daughter) that first came out to welcome him & he had no option than to fulfill his vow by sacrificing her after giving her 2months to mourn her virginity in the mountains with her friends.
Now, here are my questions:

1. By fulfilling his vow to God does it mean that he actually sacrificed her as burnt offering to God in the same way animals are sacrificed to God?

2. If the answer to the first question is yes, then does it mean that God accepts human sacrifice (as burnt offering) at that time?

Remember that God did not allow Abraham to sacrifice Isaac & there was no record of any human sacrifice to God before & after the incident with Jephthah

3. Could it also be possible that probably Jephthah actually meant sacrificing his daughter to the service of God & not actual sacrifice that entails burning her to death?

Pls I'm eagerly awaiting your replies
Jamesid29 has done full justice to your questions without introducing his personal bias.

My only addition is that in the times of the Judges, everyone did as he thought best in his eyes
Judg 17:6:
"In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes."

1. Did Japheth make a vow?
YES!
2. Was his vows rational?
NO!
3. Was he instructed by God?
NO!
4. Did he fulfill his vows?
YES
5. Did Japheth kill his daughter?
No one is sure!

jamesid29:
Firstly it is important to emphasize that Judaism has always viewed human sacrifices as an abomination and the Bible even during a period where human sacrifice was common place expressly denounced the practice (Lev 20:2-5; Deut 12:31; Jer 7:31etc) and explicitly makes it a capital punishment

To your question sir :The story of Japhet and his daughter is one of those seemingly ambiguous and hard passages in the scriptures. it's interpretation generally falls into one of two camps
1) Japhet did sacrifice his daughter (in the history of interpretation, this used to be the majority view especially amongst early commentators)
2) Japhet didn't sacrifice his daughter but consecrated her into a life of perpetual virginity( This used to be a minority view but has increasingly become more accepted by Hebrew scholars by looking at the language of the text)

Both views can be argued for coherently and below is a brief summary of both arguments go so you can have a general idea and work through the text.

In support of the human sacrifice theory e.g Kaiser in Hard Sayings of the Bible says:

1) People, even servants of God, do horribly things. The era of the Judges(that is, the period between the relatively faithful generation of Joshua and the period of the unified monarchy) was on of the bloodiest and corrupt period in Israel's history and there is no reason to see Jephthah as substantially different than his contemporaries. This was the period where the "everyone was doing whatever is right in their eyes".

2)The sacrifice of his daughter is the most natural way to interpret the text. Burnt offering" is and always elsewhere used to denote sacrifice wholly consumed on the altar by fire.

3) The history of interpretation from early commentators support the human sacrifice view. The idea of perpetual virginity is generally not found until the Middle Ages. So alot of early Jewish interpretation from even the time s of the apostles the human sacrifice view was the dormant one.

4)The grammar in verses 31 beginning( " the one coming out, who comes out from". Literal translation) allows for humans coming from the house and not only animals. It's possible that Japhet wasn't too concerned about doing human sacrifice but he was only devastated that it was his daughter that came out.


Supporters of a non-death sacrifice(perpetual virginity) are Gleason Archer in A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, Keil & Delitzsch in Commentary on the Old Testament(etc) make their arguments using

1)Human sacrifice was always understood from the days of Abraham onward to be a capital offense and an abomination. It had been denounced and forbidden in Lev 18:21; 20:2-5; Deut 12:31; 18:10 and there is no evidence of Israelites offering human sacrifice until the time of the kings

2)The passages places emphasis on virginity instead death. His daughter went for two months to the mountains to bewail her virginity, not the coming loss of life.
She said to her father: ‘Do this for me, release me for two months and I will go and ‘go down’ upon the mountains and weep for my virginity, I and my women companions. - Judges 11:37

It is stated in verse 39 after Jephthah had performed his "burnt offering" that "she knew not a man." Such wording would be strange and unusual if she had died but would be appropriate if she was devoted to service at the tabernacle. There are precedences for this in the Old testament (e.g Samuel) ,although there is non(atleast that I can think of) which entails perpetual virginity and celibacy.
In the instance of perpetual virginity, the tragedy of the vow would be:
a) The bloodline of Japhet is wiped out since she is his only child and daughter.
In the ancient world, continuity of bloodlines was very important. We get many glimpse of this also in the Bible (e.g: the lenght in which the other tribes went into making sure that the tribe of Benjamin were not wiped out in Judges 21). Secondly as an outsider, Japhet bargains with the elders to not only become commander but to also become chief of his tribe. Despite his victory, any dynastic intentions has been caught off and his vow has robbed him of any future.
b) From his daughter's perspective, she has given up one of the most important thing for a woman in the ancient world. That is: The necessity of having children.
This is an extremely important part of being a woman in the ancient world and We can see how important this is even in stories in the Bible ,like the extreme length lot's daughters go to to get pregnant, Hannah's story, Rachel and Leah's story etc.
From an Ancient perspective, an only child consecrated to a life of perpetual virginity would have really been a tragedy.

Other arguments for non -human sacrifice
3)There is no explicit condemnation of Jephthah's act in the Bible. This would be a bit unusual for a crime of this magnitude (if it was actual human sacrifice).Jephthah continues to judge Israel for 6 more years without any condemnation within the narrative or by other Israelites after committing a capital offence is unusual.

4) Japhet knows Israel's history well enough to give the ammonites a rundown of how Israel came to posses the land (Judges 11:12 - 22) so it would be unsual(although not impossible) for him not to know the laws against human sacrifice in the Torah.

5) In verses 31, the Hebrew word "vav" can be translated as "or" instead of "and".
then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the Lord ’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.” - Judges 11:31
.. Basically the idea is that, if we translate "vav" as "or" , the verse changes to "shall be the Lord ’s, or I will offer it up for a burnt offering” , meaning whoever came out would be dedicated to God, and, only should it prove appropriate(e.g an animal), would be sacrificed.
This actually allow for some ambiguity but it might not be very convincing based on the Hebrew construct of this particular passage. As NET puts it:

Some translate “or,” suggesting that Jephthah makes a distinction between humans and animals. According to this view, if a human comes through the door, then Jephthah will commit him/her to the Lord’s service, but if an animal comes through the doors, he will offer it up as a sacrifice. However, it is far more likely that the Hebrew construction (vav [ו] + perfect) specifies how the subject will become the Lord’s, that is, by being offered up as a sacrifice. For similar constructions, where the apodosis of a conditional sentence has at least two perfects (each with vav) in sequence, see Gen 34:15–16; Exod 18:16.4


6) Japhet's daughter was considered a heroine and the women of Israel celebrated her. It is unlikely they would have done so had she volunteered for a pagan ceremony. However, most translations take lthannoth as "lament" or variations thereof. Archer says it can be taken along the lines of celebration. Brown, Driver, Briggs Lexicon points out that this is modern and older versions (including the Septuagint) take the 11:40 as mourn. They [BDB] also point out that the word is used positively in Judges 5:11, "let them recount the victories of YHWH." Jud 5:11 and 11:40 are the only two occurrences of the word in the Hebrew Bible.

As mentioned earlier, both views(human sacrifice and non human sacrifice) can be argued for coherently but it's also likely that we are missing something. The language in the passage and this type of vow is unusual and unique so it's possible that there was a practice in that time period we are missing that would shed more light on the passage.

Either way, the theological messaging doesn't change much. Don't be rash to make vows, let your Yes be simply Yes and let your No be simply No. The spirit of God already rested on Japhet, he didn't need to make any vows, just the same way we as Christians are already sons and daughters of God, so we need not any vows or great offerings to incur God's grace and favor. He would not give us stones when we ask for bread or snake when we ask for fish.

PS: A bulk of my summary of the two views comes from hermeneutics.stackexchange but expanded and edited by me. You can check on the resources above for a fuller understanding on the arguments of both views

Hope this helps

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Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by MuttleyLaff: 5:58am On Jan 09, 2021
Uptheante:
In the story about a great man of valour called Jephthah who made a vow to offer as burnt offering to God anybody that first comes out of his house if God gives himvictory against the Ammonites. We learnt that it was his only child (a daughter) that first came out to welcome him & he had no option than to fulfill his vow by sacrificing her after giving her 2months to mourn her virginity in the mountains with her friends.
Now, here are my questions:

1. By fulfilling his vow to God does it mean that he actually sacrificed her as burnt offering to God in the same way animals are sacrificed to God?

2. If the answer to the first question is yes, then does it mean that God accepts human sacrifice (as burnt offering) at that time?

Remember that God did not allow Abraham to sacrifice Isaac & there was no record of any human sacrifice to God before & after the incident with Jephthah

3. Could it also be possible that probably Jephthah actually meant sacrificing his daughter to the service of God & not actual sacrifice that entails burning her to death?

Pls I'm eagerly awaiting your replies



MuttleyLaff:
What Jephthah did in Judges 11:31 was to combine two vows, making this appear to an untrained or unsuspecting eye to be one vow.

Judges 11:31, as a matter of fact and truth, is a coded verse, wrapping up or encompassing two vows

Judges 11:31
"Then it shall be, that whatsoever comes 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
"

Vow #1:
"whatsoever comes 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"

Vow #2:
"and I will offer it up for a burnt offering."

Judges 11:31, in relation to the vows, is explained like this:

Referring to Vow #1:
Whatsoever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me shall surely be the LORD'S (i.e. will be given over to God devoted to service)

Referring to Vow #2:
Better still, if it happens to be an "IT" (i.e. an animal AND NOT a human being) then I will offer "IT", the animal, up for a burnt offering. This will be and serve as a bonus.

Judges 11:34-37
"34When Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, his daughter came out to meet him, playing on a tambourine and dancing for joy.
She was his one and only child; he had no other sons or daughters.
35When he saw her, he tore his clothes in anguish.
“Oh, my daughter!” he cried out. “You have completely destroyed me! You’ve brought disaster on me!
For I have made a vow to the Lord, and I cannot take it back.”
36And she said, “Father, if you have made a vow to the Lord,
you must do to me what you have vowed, for the Lord has given you a great victory over your enemies, the Ammonites.
37But first let me do this one thing: Let me go up and roam in the hills and weep with my friends for two months, because I will die a virgin
"

We can see from the above Judges 11:34-37 verses that when Jephthah's daughter came out to meet him, father and daughter instantly knew the fate of the daughter is now a lifetime of celibacy (i.e. she now never will marry & she'll be sexually abstinent) and dedication to God (i.e. as per vow #1)

People like johnydon22 will go back to posts, and edit them after falling flat on face, when caught slipping, not only misunderstanding "gender-specific pronouns" but also found wanting, trying to correctly use "third person singular pronouns" lmso.

He tried to pass "it" (i.e. a "gender-neutral pronoun'') for a human being instead of correctly using "him" or "her" (i.e. "gender-specific pronouns'') lmso.

What he doesnt know is that, gender-neutral pronouns like "it" is used usually for babies or kids, and in some circumstances, where for instance the sex is unknown or indefinite
Example: When the new baby arrives, "it" is going to sleep in mummy's room.

Moving forward, it needs to be recognised and understood that the "it" in Judges 11:31, is referring to an animal and not a human being or Jephthah's daughter because instead of a gender-specific pronoun insertion, it is a gender-neutral pronoun, that is in the verse

Judges 11:37-40
"37And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.
38 And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.
39 And it came to pass at the end of two months,
that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man.
And it was a custom in Israel,
40 That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.
"

Lastly, there, up above is the concrete and scriptural evidence in Judges 11:39, that though there was a bit of delay in paying vow #1, it eventually got paid when Jephthah's daughter after two months, gave herself up to her fate of a lifetime "seminary work" in God's presence or temple

Vow #2 however was a DOA, as God is not interested and doesnt accept human burnt offerings anyways.
No animal, acceptable as a burnt offering to God, came out to meet Jephthah so nothing to offer as burning offering here
Vow #2 is not binding, as no animal, so no contest with vow #2



MuttleyLaff:
No, Jephthah did not offer his daughter up for human burning sacrifice

Jephthah NEVER DID NOT use his daughter as a burnt offering anyway, this is because human burnt offering is an anathema to God and Jephthah knew this and so never did he nurse any plan nor had any intention of offering God a human burnt offering.

Besides, the burnt offering(s) the Israelites practised, always had to do with animals anyways, and never had anything to do with human being sacrifices
Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by MuttleyLaff: 6:36am On Jan 09, 2021
shadeyinka:
Jamesid29 has done full justice to your questions without introducing his personal bias.
[img]https://media1./images/0231ce01bd7fce51b82d143924cb3cfd/tenor.gif[/img]

shadeyinka:
My only addition is that in the times of the Judges, everyone did as he thought best in his eyes
Judg 17:6:
"In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes."
Scripture never posited that the vow Jephthah made was not right in all shape and form

shadeyinka:
1. Did Japheth make a vow?
YES!
Is the Pope a christian?

shadeyinka:
2. Was his vows rational?
NO!
Oh yeah it was a rational vow. It absolutely was a perfectly rational vow albeit an overzealous and miscalculated outcome vow

shadeyinka:
3. Was he instructed by God?
NO!
"4When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, because He takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow.
5It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.
6Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, and do not tell the messengera that your vow was a mistake. Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands?
7For as many dreams bring futility, so do many words. Therefore, fear God.
"
- Ecclesiastes 5:4-7

"21When you make a vow to the LORD your God, be prompt in fulfilling whatever you promised him. For the LORD your God demands that you promptly fulfill all your vows, or you will be guilty of sin.
22However, it is not a sin to refrain from making a vow.
23But once you have voluntarily made a vow, be careful to fulfill your promise to the LORD your God.
"
- Deuteronomy 23:23

We dont need God's instruction or permission to make rational vows, even ones such as this one Jephthah made. We are not forced to make vows. We are not compelled to make vows. Making vows is personal

shadeyinka:
4. Did he fulfill his vows?
YES
Second one we agree on. Absolutely 100001% he did fulfil the vows and no human beings were killed in the process of fulfilling them, lmso.

shadeyinka:
5. Did Japheth kill his daughter?
No one is sure!
Why and/or what would Jephthah want to do something like for shocked shocked shocked

Fyi God would never had allowed Jephthah kill his daughter nor accept Jephthah killing his daughter, so what's this "Did Japheth kill his daughter? No one is sure!" all about, when scripture clearly states that Jephthah's daughter was devoted to a lifetime of God's service and not to have carnal knowledge of man
Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by Ihedinobi3: 8:35am On Jan 09, 2021
Uptheante:
In the story about a great man of valour called Jephthah who made a vow to offer as burnt offering to God anybody that first comes out of his house if God gives himvictory against the Ammonites. We learnt that it was his only child (a daughter) that first came out to welcome him & he had no option than to fulfill his vow by sacrificing her after giving her 2months to mourn her virginity in the mountains with her friends.
Now, here are my questions:

1. By fulfilling his vow to God does it mean that he actually sacrificed her as burnt offering to God in the same way animals are sacrificed to God?

2. If the answer to the first question is yes, then does it mean that God accepts human sacrifice (as burnt offering) at that time?

Remember that God did not allow Abraham to sacrifice Isaac & there was no record of any human sacrifice to God before & after the incident with Jephthah

3. Could it also be possible that probably Jephthah actually meant sacrificing his daughter to the service of God & not actual sacrifice that entails burning her to death?

Pls I'm eagerly awaiting your replies

Hi there.

These are excerpts from the passage in question:

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.”
Judges 11:30-31 (NKJV)

34 When Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, there was his daughter, coming out to meet him with timbrels and dancing; and she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low! You are among those who trouble me! For I have given my word to the LORD, and I cannot go back on it.”
36 So she said to him, “My father, if you have given your word to the LORD, do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, because the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the people of Ammon.” 37 Then she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me: let me alone for two months, that I may go and wander on the mountains and bewail my virginity, my friends and I.”
38 So he said, “Go.” And he sent her away for two months; and she went with her friends, and bewailed her virginity on the mountains. 39 And it was so at the end of two months that she returned to her father, and he carried out his vow with her which he had vowed.
Judges 11:34-39 (NKJV)

Straight to your questions then...

1. Judges 11:39 seems to say that he did. But we should also keep the provisions of the Law in mind.

2. I don't think that the fact that someone unilaterally decides to do something for or to someone else means that that person either wants or approves of what the one does. That is, I see no reason to think that because Jephthah made a rash vow, it means that God either wanted him to or approved of the vow. Additionally, it is clear from the Law that God hates human sacrifice (Deuteronomy 12:31; 18:10). So, Jephthah was acting unilaterally. God neither required the vow from him nor approved it.

3. As said in my response to your Question #1, Judges 11:31,39 suggests that Jephthah did indeed burn his daughter to death, but the Law did make provision for things dedicated to God. Since it was a human being who came out rather than an animal, it may be that the exceptions provided by the Law were made to apply in this case.

1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When a man consecrates by a vow certain persons to the LORD, according to your valuation, 3 if your valuation is of a male from twenty years old up to sixty years old, then your valuation shall be fifty shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. 4 If it is a female, then your valuation shall be thirty shekels; 5 and if from five years old up to twenty years old, then your valuation for a male shall be twenty shekels, and for a female ten shekels; 6 and if from a month old up to five years old, then your valuation for a male shall be five shekels of silver, and for a female your valuation shall be three shekels of silver; 7 and if from sixty years old and above, if it is a male, then your valuation shall be fifteen shekels, and for a female ten shekels.
Leviticus 27:1-7 (NKJV)

We are not to be confused by verse 29 later in this chapter from which we have just quoted. Those "under a ban" were citizens of cities that were meant to be completely destroyed, like the Amalekites, for a famous example. This does not apply to Jephthah's daughter who was a Hebrew and not an enemy of Israel.

Given that at this particular time in history, Israel was not especially given to following God closely, it is entirely possible that Jephthah did not know that he had the option of redeeming his daughter in the manner described above, so she may have spent the rest of her life in exclusive service to the Temple, like Samuel later did when Hannah offered him to God.

Since Jephthah's daughter went to mourn her virginity and we know that the Law taught that no one was to burn his children as any kind of offering to God, it seems to me that Jephthah never made a burnt offering, but rather gave his daughter into the service of the Temple. Compare Anna the prophetess millennia later in Luke 2:37.

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Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by MuttleyLaff: 8:42am On Jan 09, 2021
MaxInDHouse:
I am Maximus one of JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES, would you like if a participate in the ongoing discussion? smiley
Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by shadeyinka(m): 8:50am On Jan 09, 2021
MuttleyLaff:
[img]https://media1./images/0231ce01bd7fce51b82d143924cb3cfd/tenor.gif[/img]

Scripture never posited that the vow Jephthah made was not right in all shape and form

Is the Pope a christian?

Oh yeah it was a rational vow. It absolutely was a perfectly rational vow albeit an overzealous and miscalculated outcome vow

"4When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, because He takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow.
5It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.
6Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, and do not tell the messengera that your vow was a mistake. Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands?
7For as many dreams bring futility, so do many words. Therefore, fear God.
"
- Ecclesiastes 5:4-7

"21When you make a vow to the LORD your God, be prompt in fulfilling whatever you promised him. For the LORD your God demands that you promptly fulfill all your vows, or you will be guilty of sin.
22However, it is not a sin to refrain from making a vow.
23But once you have voluntarily made a vow, be careful to fulfill your promise to the LORD your God.
"
- Deuteronomy 23:23

We dont need God's instruction or permission to make rational vows, even ones such as this one Jephthah made. We are not forced to make vows. We are not compelled to make vows. Making vows is personal

Second one we agree on. Absolutely 100001% he did fulfil the vows and no human beings were killed in the process of fulfilling them, lmso.

Why and/or what would Jephthah want to do something like for shocked shocked shocked

Fyi God would never had allowed Jephthah kill his daughter nor accept Jephthah killing his daughter, so what's this "Did Japheth kill his daughter? No one is sure!" all about, when scripture clearly states that Jephthah's daughter was devoted to a lifetime of God's service and not to have carnal knowledge of man

Was Japheth's vow rational?

No!

Did he expect cats and goats to come out to welcome him from battlefield? An animal that may do that is a dog but Jews don't keep dogs and dogs could never even become a sacrificial animal

Judg 11:31:
"Then it shall be, that whatever comes 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 ."


What animal could have come out of the door of Japheth fit for a burnt offering?

1 Like

Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by MuttleyLaff: 9:05am On Jan 09, 2021
shadeyinka:
Was Japheth's vow rational?
What specifically was irrational in Jephthah's vow?

shadeyinka:
No!
Capital YES! It was a reasonable vow, considering his calculation what he knew usually and/or regularly comes out to meet him

shadeyinka:
[s]Did he expect cats and goats to come out to welcome him from battlefield? An animal that may do that is a dog but Jews don't keep dogs and dogs could never even become a sacrificial animal[/s]
Yeah, he could have expected cats and goats to welcome him from battlefield, the caveat with that, is only goat could qualify for sacrificial purposes

Where did you learn that the Israelites dont/didnt keep pet dogs. Smh

shadeyinka:
Judge 11:31:
"Then it shall be, that whatever comes 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 ."

What animal could have come out of the door of Japheth fit for a burnt offering?
"37along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed.
38Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering
"
- Numbers 29:37-38

"18Please do not depart from this place until I return to You. Let me bring my offering and set it before You.”
And the LORD said, “I will stay until you return.”
19So Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread and an ephah of flour.
He placed the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot and brought them out to present to Him under the oak.
"
- Judges 6:18-19

As, I have, in the above comment mentioned that cats won't qualify for sacrificial purposes, because only certain "clean" animals were allowed for sacrifice, so the answer to your truculent question is goat, will be the animal that could and/or would have come out of the door of Jephthah fit for a burnt offering?. Examples will be: oxen or cattle, sheep, goats et cetera. These animals have cloven or split hooves and chew the cud, but cat dont.

Now answer this, do you use it for human beings

By the way, you keep typing Japheth, when it correctly is, Jephthah, lmso

1 Like

Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by shadeyinka(m): 9:17am On Jan 09, 2021
MuttleyLaff:
What specifically was irrational in Jephthah's vow?

Capital YES! It was a reasonable, considering his calculation what he knew usually and/or regularly comes out to meet him

Yeah, he could have expected cats and goats to welcome him from battlefield, the caveat with that, is only goat could qualify for sacrificial purposes

Where did you learn that the Israelites dont/didnt keep pet dogs. Smh

"37along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed.
38Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering
"
- Numbers 29:37-38

As, I have, in the above comment mentioned that cats won't qualify for sacrificial purposes, because only certain "clean" animals were allowed for sacrifice, so the answer to your truculent question is goat, will be the animal that could and/or would have come out of the door of Jephthah fit for a burnt offering?. Examples will be: oxen or cattle, sheep, goats et cetera. These animals have cloven or split hooves and chew the cud, but cat dont.

Now answer this, do you use it for human beings

By the way, you keep typing Japheth, when it correctly is, Jephthah, lmso

Sorry for the typo it is Jephthah and not Japheth!

I honestly don't know of any animal that comes out to welcome its owner other than dogs. Even then, a dog will not pass as a sacrificial animal.

One wonders why Jephthah didn't insist that the it should be an animal. It was good that it wasn't one of the housemaids: it would have been an easier decision to make for Jephthah!
Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by MuttleyLaff: 9:25am On Jan 09, 2021
shadeyinka:
Sorry for the typo it is Jephthah and not Japheth!
No prob, once you are ware you've doing it

shadeyinka:
I honestly don't know of any animal that comes out to welcome its owner other than dogs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVwbJeegz5I

Only a city dweller will make a comment like this, saying "I honestly don't know of any animal that comes out to welcome its owner other than dogs", lmso

shadeyinka:
[s]Even then, a dog will not pass as a sacrificial animal.[/s]
Go back to re-read my post to see that dogs aren't clean animals, so dont fall in the category two qualify for burnt offering. Smh sigh.

shadeyinka:
[s]One wonders why Jephthah didn't insist that the it should be an animal. It was good that it wasn't one of the housemaids: it would have been an easier decision to make for Jephthah![/s]
Go back to re-read my post to see that "it" isnt used for human beings, or better still, answer my question asking you whether you use "it" for human beings
Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by shadeyinka(m): 9:47am On Jan 09, 2021
MuttleyLaff:
No prob, once you are ware you've doing it


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVwbJeegz5I

Only a city dweller will make a comment like this, saying "I honestly don't know of any animal that comes out to welcome its owner other than dogs", lmso

Go back to re-read my post to see that dogs aren't clean animals, so dont fall in the category two qualify for burnt offering. Smh sigh.

Go back to re-read my post to see that "it" isnt used for human beings, or better still, answer my question asking you whether you use "it" for human beings
Jephthah meant "whatever" or "anything/anyone" capable of coming out of the house. Even though it is not used for human beings however the context is clear else Jephthah's daughter wouldn't have been subject to his vows!
Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by MuttleyLaff: 10:04am On Jan 09, 2021
shadeyinka:
Jephthah meant "whatever" or "anything/anyone" capable of coming out of the house. Even though it is not used for human beings however the context is clear else Jephthah's daughter wouldn't have been subject to his vows!
Definition of It
by Oxford Dictionary on Lexico.com also ...www.lexico.com
definition pronoun:
Referring to an animal or child of unspecified sex. 'she was holding the baby, cradling it and smiling into its face'

Smh sigh at your personal bias even in the face of glaring what is actually the case, lmso
Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by shadeyinka(m): 10:26am On Jan 09, 2021
MuttleyLaff:
Definition of It
by Oxford Dictionary on Lexico.com also ...www.lexico.com
definition pronoun:
Referring to an animal or child of unspecified sex. 'she was holding the baby, cradling it and smiling into its face'

[/highlight]Smh sigh at your personal bias even in the face of glaring what is actually the case, lmso
You didn't get my point. If Jephthah means strictly àn "it" by the proper definition, then his daughter could never qualify as that "it". But since his daughter qualified, it means that the "it" represent "any being" that comes out of his house! That's my point

1 Like

Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by brainhgeek(m): 12:58pm On Mar 31, 2021
Uptheante:
In the story about a great man of valour called Jephthah who made a vow to offer as burnt offering to God anybody that first comes out of his house if God gives himvictory against the Ammonites. We learnt that it was his only child (a daughter) that first came out to welcome him & he had no option than to fulfill his vow by sacrificing her after giving her 2months to mourn her virginity in the mountains with her friends.
Now, here are my questions:

1. By fulfilling his vow to God does it mean that he actually sacrificed her as burnt offering to God in the same way animals are sacrificed to God?

2. If the answer to the first question is yes, then does it mean that God accepts human sacrifice (as burnt offering) at that time?

Remember that God did not allow Abraham to sacrifice Isaac & there was no record of any human sacrifice to God before & after the incident with Jephthah

3. Could it also be possible that probably Jephthah actually meant sacrificing his daughter to the service of God & not actual sacrifice that entails burning her to death?

Pls I'm eagerly awaiting your replies

I hope this response is not coming too late and I also hope it answers the question
To the chapter, I think Jephthah was overzealous. He offered his daughter as a sacrifice assuming God accepted his bargain or vow.
God wanted to use Jephthah to deliver Israel. He didn't need any bribe to bring His plans to fruition. All through that chapter, God did not directly speak to Jephthah. He was overzealous and assumed God accepted his bargain of a human sacrifice. God cannot be tempted by evil

1 Like

Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by MightySparrow: 1:41pm On Mar 31, 2021
Uptheante:
In the story about a great man of valour called Jephthah who made a vow to offer as burnt offering to God anybody that first comes out of his house if God gives himvictory against the Ammonites. We learnt that it was his only child (a daughter) that first came out to welcome him & he had no option than to fulfill his vow by sacrificing her after giving her 2months to mourn her virginity in the mountains with her friends.
Now, here are my questions:

1. By fulfilling his vow to God does it mean that he actually sacrificed her as burnt offering to God in the same way animals are sacrificed to God?

2. If the answer to the first question is yes, then does it mean that God accepts human sacrifice (as burnt offering) at that time?

Remember that God did not allow Abraham to sacrifice Isaac & there was no record of any human sacrifice to God before & after the incident with Jephthah

3. Could it also be possible that probably Jephthah actually meant sacrificing his daughter to the service of God & not actual sacrifice that entails burning her to death?

Pls I'm eagerly awaiting your replies



The sacrifice of Jephthah's daughter followed the principle of vow making. Mind you, one principle does not erase the other. They work independently. However, Jephthah's didn't asked for forgiveness, if he wanted to God may forgive.


The law of vow says that whatever comes out of your mouth is irrevocable. That women, girls who could take decisions emotionally could make vows with the supervision of their fathers or husbands.

Numbers 30: 2 -16;

4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. 5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. 6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
Ecclesiastes 5: 4 - 6

1 Like

Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by MaxInDHouse(m): 1:51pm On Mar 31, 2021
smiley
MaxInDHouse:
I am Maximus one of JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES, would you like if a participate in the ongoing discussion? smiley



Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by Kobojunkie: 2:34pm On Mar 31, 2021
Uptheante:
In the story about a great man of valour called Jephthah who made a vow to offer as burnt offering to God anybody that first comes out of his house if God gives himvictory against the Ammonites. We learnt that it was his only child (a daughter) that first came out to welcome him & he had no option than to fulfill his vow by sacrificing her after giving her 2months to mourn her virginity in the mountains with her friends.
Now, here are my questions:

1. By fulfilling his vow to God does it mean that he actually sacrificed her as burnt offering to God in the same way animals are sacrificed to God?

2. If the answer to the first question is yes, then does it mean that God accepts human sacrifice (as burnt offering) at that time?

Remember that God did not allow Abraham to sacrifice Isaac & there was no record of any human sacrifice to God before & after the incident with Jephthah

3. Could it also be possible that probably Jephthah actually meant sacrificing his daughter to the service of God & not actual sacrifice that entails burning her to death?

Pls I'm eagerly awaiting your replies
According to the story written of in Judges 11, seems Jephthah did fulfill his vow to God at the end. undecided

What does it mean? Means what it says there that this man vowed to offer up the first thing that showed up when he returned and that first thing turned out to be his daughter. Not certain if God accepted it since we are not told God's side of the story here. undecided

According to the story, the vow specified a burnt offering of the first thing , and the first thing was his daughter. undecided

1 Like

Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by Ndukings92(m): 9:01pm On Mar 31, 2021
brainhgeek:


I hope this response is not coming too late and I also hope it answers the question
To the chapter, I think Jephthah was overzealous. He offered his daughter as a sacrifice assuming God accepted his bargain or vow.
God wanted to use Jephthah to deliver Israel. He didn't need any bribe to bring His plans to fruition. All through that chapter, God did not directly speak to Jephthah. He was overzealous and assumed God accepted his bargain of a human sacrifice. God cannot be tempted by evil
a na akogheri, u guys must have something to say. A lot of clergy have use that story to brag without carefully analyzing that story pertaining their so called beliefs and not. Had it been Jephthah did not fulfill his promise as vowed, the Bible would have tracked him to know if any bad befall him later so as to attach it to the fact that he won d war because of the promise he made but since he didn't fulfill his vow now evil has befallen him. It's always about d story that suits and favour what u have in mind at a particular time. Mtschweee
Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by Kobojunkie: 9:04pm On Mar 31, 2021
Ndukings92:
a na akogheri, u guys must have something to say. A lot of clergy have use that story to brag without carefully analyzing that story pertaining their so called beliefs and not. Had it been Jephthah did not fulfill his promise as vowed, the Bible would have tracked him to know if any bad befall him later so as to attach it to the fact that he won d war because of the promise he made but since he didn't fulfill his vow now evil has befallen him. It's always about d story that suits and favour what u have in mind at a particular time. Mtschweee
RIGHT ON! smiley
I had to resist the urge to post a response to that earlier myself cause I was not sure I would be able to hold myself back.. grin
Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by Nobody: 9:15pm On Mar 31, 2021
Even Though Many Bible Scholars Presumed Dat She Was Offered As Burnt Offering Unto God But It Wasn't So. Note:God Doesn't Accept Human Sacrifice. She Wasn't Killed Or Offered To God As A Burnt Offering Rather She Served The LORD In His House All D Days Of Her Life Without Knowing Any Man Or Getting Married To Any Man.
Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by truespeak: 9:44pm On Mar 31, 2021
Uptheante:
In the story about a great man of valour called Jephthah who made a vow to offer as burnt offering to God anybody that first comes out of his house if God gives himvictory against the Ammonites. We learnt that it was his only child (a daughter) that first came out to welcome him & he had no option than to fulfill his vow by sacrificing her after giving her 2months to mourn her virginity in the mountains with her friends.
Now, here are my questions:

1. By fulfilling his vow to God does it mean that he actually sacrificed her as burnt offering to God in the same way animals are sacrificed to God?

2. If the answer to the first question is yes, then does it mean that God accepts human sacrifice (as burnt offering) at that time?

Remember that God did not allow Abraham to sacrifice Isaac & there was no record of any human sacrifice to God before & after the incident with Jephthah

3. Could it also be possible that probably Jephthah actually meant sacrificing his daughter to the service of God & not actual sacrifice that entails burning her to death?

Pls I'm eagerly awaiting your replies

Love your neighbour as yourself is very instructive and for thy own good!

Eschew evil/wickedness and do good for the good you do returns to you as the evil you do does the same which put in another way is " Do unto others what you want done to you"

Jephthah wickedly vowed to offer a human being as a burnt sacrifice to God in contradiction to the Law of God which specifically and expressly stated animal sacrifice even down to the types of animals and no where did He demand or request a human!

So offence 1- going against the law of God on sacrifice!
Offence 2. - wickedness against his fellow human in choosing a human rather than choice animals for the sacrifice!

In all these, he did not imagine that his beloved daughter would be the one to fall into the wickedness he had prepared for another!

And thus the law of do unto others what you want done unto you, befell and caught him.

Now, would he not have readily taken another to the place of burning? So therefore was he bound to do that which he would have done to another!

Thus the fire he had prepared for another was the fire that burnt his daughter!

Exactly as is written in the Bible, "he that diggeth a pit for another, shall fall into the pit he diggeth"

1 Like

Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by sonmvayina(m): 10:46pm On Mar 31, 2021
This is always what you get when you try to rationalise mythologies.

The story is meant to warn you about the dangers of making a vow that will cost you , your happiness....

1 Like

Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by RandomGuy48: 12:03am On Apr 01, 2021
Well, this is an older topic that got bumped (meaning the question was asked months ago), but since it was bumped I might as well post what I think is a fairly good study on the issue:
https://www.tektonics.org/gk/jepthah.php
Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by Dtruthspeaker: 7:30am On Apr 01, 2021
Uptheante:

Now, here are my questions:

2. If the answer to the first question is yes, then does it mean that God accepts human sacrifice (as burnt offering) at that time?

No He does not and He Did Not!

Uptheante:


3. Could it also be possible that probably Jephthah actually meant sacrificing his daughter to the service of God & not actual sacrifice that entails burning her to death?

Pls I'm eagerly awaiting your replies

Nope, God read his True Intent (man keeps forgetting that God sees and hears ALL YOUR THOUGHTS in our minds and souls)

Jephthah thought and was ready to burn any other person apart from his personal loss, Which God Hates. In other words Jephthah thought it good for another person to be sacrificed but he did not think that that same thought would be good for his daughter.

In God's View, how is his daughter different?

Therefore, God Switched his plan and brought the evil (or good) he wanted to do to another upon his own head.

After all charity must begin at home!

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Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by Dtruthspeaker: 7:34am On Apr 01, 2021
MuttleyLaff:





[....h

MuttleyLaff in the house grin, welcome back! Hope all is well again?
Re: Pls Clear My Confusion If You Are Sound In Bible Knowledge by brainhgeek(m): 7:37am On Apr 01, 2021
Ndukings92:
a na akogheri, u guys must have something to say. A lot of clergy have use that story to brag without carefully analyzing that story pertaining their so called beliefs and not. Had it been Jephthah did not fulfill his promise as vowed, the Bible would have tracked him to know if any bad befall him later so as to attach it to the fact that he won d war because of the promise he made but since he didn't fulfill his vow now evil has befallen him. It's always about d story that suits and favour what u have in mind at a particular time. Mtschweee

I am so sure nothing would have happened if he didn't fulfill His vow. He ran into an error of assumption. He assumed God accepted his bargain.

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