Whenever I have heard this story taught or preached before, it has been taught that Jephthah made a vow to sacrifice whatever came out of his house first, that his daughter came out first, and that he did offer her as a burnt offering in keeping his vow to the LORD.
But J. Vernon McGee's "Thru the Bible" makes the case that Jephthah did not sacrifice his daughter to the LORD, but rather that he dedicated her to the LORD.
Here's the vow:
"And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh 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." Judges 11:30-31
The vow can be read as two parts:
(1) dedication to the LORD ("whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me... shall surely be the LORD's"), and
(2) burnt offering to the LORD ("I will offer it up for a burnt offering").
In verse 37, the daughter asks for two months to "bewail my virginity", which the father grants her. Upon her return home, he keeps his vow.
"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." Judges 11:39
The Bible does not say that Jephthah offered her as a burnt offering - it says he kept his vow, "and she knew no man".
In other words, she was not sacrificed to the Lord, but dedicated to the Lord. This would be consistent with God's commandments against human sacrifice, God's providing of a substitute for Isaac, and God's commandment "thou shalt not kill".
Her dedication to the LORD meant that she was to remain a virgin all her life (which is consistent with her request to "bewail my virginity"). She was not given in marriage, "and she knew no man". She was set apart for God.
But J. Vernon McGee's "Thru the Bible" makes the case that Jephthah did not sacrifice his daughter to the LORD, but rather that he dedicated her to the LORD.
Here's the vow:
"And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh 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." Judges 11:30-31
The vow can be read as two parts:
(1) dedication to the LORD ("whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me... shall surely be the LORD's"), and
(2) burnt offering to the LORD ("I will offer it up for a burnt offering").
In verse 37, the daughter asks for two months to "bewail my virginity", which the father grants her. Upon her return home, he keeps his vow.
"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." Judges 11:39
The Bible does not say that Jephthah offered her as a burnt offering - it says he kept his vow, "and she knew no man".
In other words, she was not sacrificed to the Lord, but dedicated to the Lord. This would be consistent with God's commandments against human sacrifice, God's providing of a substitute for Isaac, and God's commandment "thou shalt not kill".
Her dedication to the LORD meant that she was to remain a virgin all her life (which is consistent with her request to "bewail my virginity"). She was not given in marriage, "and she knew no man". She was set apart for God.
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