Jephthah sacrifices his daughter

Excerpt from the Lexham Bible Dictionary, the most advanced Bible dictionary.

Unnamed daughter of the judge Jephthah (Jdg 11:29–40). She was possibly sacrificed by her father as a result of a foolish vow that he had made to Yahweh (Jdg 11:30–31). For more information, see these articles: Jephthah’s Vow; Jephthah the Judge.

Lexham Bible Dictionary

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The Lexham Bible Dictionary

Jephthah’s Daughter

Jephthah’s Daughter Unnamed daughter of the judge Jephthah (Jdg 11:29–40). She was possibly sacrificed by her father as a result of a foolish vow that he had made to Yahweh (Jdg 11:30–31). For more information, see these articles: Jephthah’s Vow; Jephthah the Judge.

Jephthah’s Vow

Jephthah’s Vow Jephthah’s vow that, in the event of a victory over the Ammonites, he would sacrifice to Yahweh the first thing that came out of his door when he arrived home (Judges 11:30–31). When Jephthah succeeds against the Ammonites, he returns home and is met by his only child, his daughter. Consenting

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible

Jephthah’s Daughter

Jephthah’s DaughterA young girl sacrificed as a burnt offering in fulfillment of her father’s vow (Judg. 11:34–40). While leading Gileadite resistance against Ammonite oppression, Jephthah sought to secure victory by vowing to offer up to Yahweh whatever was the first to come out of his house upon his

Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible

Jephthah's Daughter

jephthah’s daughterI. The story of the unnamed daughter of Jephthah is told in Judges 11. Jephthah vows that, if →Yahweh will give him victory over the Ammonites, he will offer up to Yahweh the one who first comes out to meet him when he returns home (v 31). This turns out to be his unnamed daughter.

Easton’s Bible Dictionary

Jephthah's vow

Jephthah’s vow—(Judg. 11:30, 31). After a crushing defeat of the Ammonites, Jephthah returned to his own house, and the first to welcome him was his own daughter. This was a terrible blow to the victor, and in his despair he cried out, “Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low … I have opened

Bible Characters, Volume 2 (Gideon–Absalom)

Jephthah and His Daughter

XXVIIIJephthah and his Daughterit is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth‘PROSPERITY,’ says Bacon, ‘is the blessing of the Old Testament, but adversity is the blessing of the New.’ ‘How many saints,’ exclaims Law, ‘has adversity sent to heaven! And how many poor sinners has prosperity

A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs: A Reference Guide to More than 700 Topics Discussed by the Early Church Fathers

Jephthah’s Daughter

JEPHTHAH’S DAUGHTERJephthah offered his freshly slaughtered virgin daughter as a sacrifice to God, like a lamb. Methodius (c. 290, E), 6.352.

The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, Volumes 1–5

JEPHTHAH’S DAUGHTER

JEPHTHAH’S DAUGHTER [בַּת־יִפְתָּח‎ bath-yiftakh]. The anonymous only child of her father, Jephthah’s daughter is sacrificed when her father makes an ill-considered vow (Judg 11:29–40). Jephthah vows to sacrifice to God whomever comes out to him first from his tents, should he return victorious from battle

Key passages

Jdg 11:34–40

Jephthah came to Mizpah, to his house, and behold his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and dancing. She was his only child; he did not have a son or daughter except her. And the moment he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Ah! My daughter, you have caused me to bow down, …

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