Jephthah's Daughter
The Vow of the Gileadite
Only daughter of Jephthah the judge, the subject of his rash vow after victory over Ammon.
Judges 11 records the rash vow of Jephthah: if God gave him victory over Ammon, whatever came forth from his house to meet him would be the LORD's. His only daughter came out with timbrels and dances.
Her Story
Jephthah returned victorious, and his only child came to meet him. He rent his clothes in anguish. She answered with submission: 'My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth' (Judges 11:36). She asked only two months in the mountains to bewail her virginity with her companions. At the end of the time, 'her father did with her according to his vow which he had vowed.' It became a custom in Israel that the daughters went four days yearly to lament her.
What Scripture Teaches
- 1Only child of Jephthah the Gileadite (Judges 11:34)
- 2Object of Jephthah's rash vow (11:30-31)
- 3Received the news with quiet submission (11:36)
- 4Mourned yearly by the daughters of Israel (11:40)
Key KJV Scriptures
"And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child..."
"And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth..."
Why It Matters
Her quiet obedience contrasts with her father's reckless tongue. The narrative warns Israel — and us — that vows to God are not to be made lightly (Ecclesiastes 5:4-6).
Application for Today
Be slow with your mouth before the LORD. Let your yes be considered and your vows be paid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Jephthah's daughter killed or kept a perpetual virgin?
Faithful expositors are divided. The text's emphasis on her virginity and the yearly lament (not a death-memorial) leads many to hold she was dedicated as a perpetual virgin at the tabernacle. Either reading condemns the rashness of the vow.
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