Does the scripture freak anybody else out?
(Judges 11)
32 Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the LORD gave them into his hands. 33 He devastated twenty towns from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel Keramim. Thus Israel subdued Ammon.
34 When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of tambourines! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, "Oh! My daughter! You have made me miserable and wretched, because I have made a vow to the LORD that I cannot break."
36 "My father," she replied, "you have given your word to the LORD. Do to me just as you promised, now that the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites. 37 But grant me this one request," she said. "Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry."
38 "You may go," he said. And he let her go for two months. She and the girls went into the hills and wept because she would never marry. 39 After the two months, she returned to her father and he did to her as he had vowed.
Or am I just spiritually immature?
Saturday, April 12, 2008
One More Way The Bible Freaks Me Out...
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6 comments:
You should have put 29 - 40, so people would know what the heck was going on.
The question is who did this guy think was gonna run out the door to meet him in the first place...
Relax: there's some sound exegesis that what Jephthah vowed was to commit her to a kind of deaconess office, sort of like a nun. "Burnt offering" in that passage is also translated as "offering up" or "ascension." I don't necessarily buy it, but it's pretty solid.
What book of the bible is this from? I am thinking in Deuteronomy. If so what chapter?
Forrest, I don't think it would help. This passage is weird anyway you slice it.
Johnny, I came across some of that, too.
Shelly, it's from Judges 11.
being offered up to some position or office (like Johnny mentioned) would definitely account for the repeated references to her virginity, but two months of lamenting?
I think, as Forrest mentioned, reading back to v29 does help a bit. Why did he make this vow? It sounds almost like one of those "I swear on my mother's grave" kinda things. When I read this it also reminds me of Herod and his big mouth promising anything (up to half his kingdom) to his daughter which results in John's beheading.
I think he literally offered her up as a burnt offering -- maybe a bit of allusion to Christ? Only child, without blemish (virgin).
What do you think?
maybe he didn't like his wife and was hoping it would be her?? Just kidding
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