Did Jephthah Actually Kill His Daughter?

For a comprehensive reading of traditional and modern views on the narrative see ‘Jephthah’s Daughter’ by Moshe Reiss in Jewish Bible Quarterly Vol 37, No 1, 2009 58-63, available on line at jbq.jewishbible.org/assets/Uploads/371/371_jephthahs.pdf. For a detailed textual analysis of the vow story, pointing to textual ambiguities, see David Marcus, Jephthah and his Vow (Texas Tech University Press, 1986).

 :^י:יח וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ הָעָ֜ם שָׂרֵ֤י גִלְעָד֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵ֔הוּ מִ֣י הָאִ֔ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יָחֵ֔ל לְהִלָּחֵ֖ם בִּבְנֵ֣י עַמּ֑וֹן יִֽהְיֶ֣ה לְרֹ֔אשׁ לְכֹ֖ל יֹשְׁבֵ֥י גִלְעָֽד

It is important to note here the contrast with Avimelech from Judges 9 who hires similarly ‘empty’ men, but they are additionally described as פחזים, unruly, and become Avimelech’s army when he starts his campaign of violence. The juxtaposition of chapters 9 and 11, and the similar but significantly different stories of Avimelech’s and Jephthah’s rise to power and fall seem to be deliberately contrasted in the Bible.

^יא:ו וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לְיִפְתָּ֔ח לְכָ֕ה וְהָיִ֥יתָה לָּ֖נוּ לְקָצִ֑ין וְנִֽלָּחֲמָ֖ה בִּבְנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן:

^יא:ז וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יִפְתָּח֙ לְזִקְנֵ֣י גִלְעָ֔ד הֲלֹ֤א אַתֶּם֙ שְׂנֵאתֶ֣ם אוֹתִ֔י וַתְּגָרְשׁ֖וּנִי מִבֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑י וּמַדּ֜וּעַ בָּאתֶ֤ם אֵלַי֙ עַ֔תָּה כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר צַ֥ר לָכֶֽם:

^יא:ח וַיֹּאמְרוּ֩ זִקְנֵ֨י גִלְעָ֜ד אֶל־יִפְתָּ֗ח לָכֵן֙ עַתָּה֙ שַׁ֣בְנוּ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְהָלַכְתָּ֣ עִמָּ֔נוּ וְנִלְחַמְתָּ֖ בִּבְנֵ֣י עַמּ֑וֹן וְהָיִ֤יתָ לָּ֙נוּ֙ לְרֹ֔אשׁ לְכֹ֖ל יֹשְׁבֵ֥י גִלְעָֽד:

^יא:ט וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יִפְתָּ֜ח אֶל־זִקְנֵ֣י גִלְעָ֗ד אִם־מְשִׁיבִ֨ים אַתֶּ֤ם אוֹתִי֙ לְהִלָּחֵם֙ בִּבְנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן וְנָתַ֧ן יְ-הֹוָ֛ה אוֹתָ֖ם לְפָנָ֑י אָנֹכִ֕י אֶהְיֶ֥ה לָכֶ֖ם לְרֹֽאשׁ:

^יא:י וַיֹּאמְר֥וּ זִקְנֵֽי־גִלְעָ֖ד אֶל־יִפְתָּ֑ח יְ-הֹוָ֗ה יִהְיֶ֤ה שֹׁמֵ֙עַ֙ בֵּֽינוֹתֵ֔ינוּ אִם־לֹ֥א כִדְבָרְךָ֖ כֵּ֥ן נַעֲשֶֽׂה:

See, for example, Genesis Rabbah, Chayei Sarah 60 (Theodor-Albeck ed.)

יפתח שאל שלא כהוגן והשיבו הקדוש ברוך הוא שלא כהוגן, שאל שלא כהוגן שנ’ וידר יפתח נדר לי”י ויאמר וגו’ והיה היוצא אשר יצא מדלתי ביתי וגו’ (שופטים יא ל לא), אמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא אילו יצא גמל אחד חמור אחד או כלב אחד הייתה מעלהו לי לעולה, מה עשה לו הקדוש ברוך הוא, והשיבו שלא כהוגן וזימן לו את בתו הה”ד ויבא יפתח המצפתה אל ביתו וגו’ (שם שם /שופטים י”א/ לד). ויהי כראותו אותה ויקרע את בגדיו (שם שם /שופטים י”א/ לה)

^יא:לז וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־אָבִ֔יהָ יֵעָ֥שֶׂה לִּ֖י הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה הַרְפֵּ֨ה מִמֶּ֜נִּי שְׁנַ֣יִם חֳדָשִׁ֗ים וְאֵֽלְכָה֙ וְיָרַדְתִּ֣י עַל־ הֶֽהָרִ֔ים וְאֶבְכֶּה֙ עַל־בְּתוּלַ֔י אָנֹכִ֖י וְרֵעוֹתָֽי (ורעיתי):

The word לתנות only appears once elsewhere, also in the Book of Judges (5:11), where it means to give voice to praises for God’s victories (שָׁם יְתַנּוּ צִדְקוֹת יְ-הֹוָה). In that case, “victories” is the direct object of the verb; here there is no direct object.

Further support for the idea that story does not actually claim she is killed can be found in the lack of any protest against Jephthah’s ‘sacrifice’, either from the people or from God. Moreover, Jephthah continued to function as a Judge for a further six years until his death (Judges 12:7). Contemporary scholarly opinion, however, notes that the Book of Judges is full of tales of violence and horror as preparation for the need to establish a monarchy. Thus, many argue, this narrative about her shocking death would be just one more such episode.

:וְרַק֙ הִ֣יא יְחִידָ֔ה אֵֽין־ל֥וֹ מִמֶּ֛נּוּ בֵּ֖ן אוֹ־בַֽת

The possibility of dynastic concerns is already a feature of the Book of Judges with the offer to Gideon to become king, which he refused, and the attempt of his son Avimelech to attain such a role by violence.

What is particularly puzzling is why Jephthah did not realize that his daughter might be the one who would come to greet him on his victory. After all, as a precedent for such joyful musical celebrations of victories, we have Miriam leading the women with timbrels and dance, after the safe crossing of the Sea of Reeds (Exodus 15:20). From a slightly later period we have the women coming from all the cities of Israel to celebrate Saul’s victory over the Philistines, also with timbrels and dance, chanting the words that angered Saul: ‘Saul has slain his thousands and David his tens of thousands’ (1 Samuel 18:6-7). Perhaps he did realize this. A psychological study of Jephthah might suggest that punishing himself was, if only unconsciously, the purpose of the vow. The man who was considered to be unworthy because of his birth, and maybe in his heart of hearts accepted this, made sure, through the vow, that there would be no continuity beyond his own lifetime. To put it another way, the stain of his illegitimate birth would end with his death. Perhaps that is why he does not take a second wife and try again.

See the suggestion of Abraham Ibn Ezra, later followed by Rabbi David Kimchi in the name of his father, that Jephthah provided her with a house outside the city and sustenance throughout her life.