Judges 11:34-40
Mizpah <04709> [Mizpeh.]
daughter .......................... daughter <01323> [his daughter.]
son <01121> [beside her. or, he had not of his own either son or daughter. Heb. of himself. neither.]
ripped ... clothes <0899 07167> [rent his clothes.]
made an oath <06475> [have opened.]
cannot <03201> [I cannot.]
After <0310> [forasmuch.]
walk <03381 03212> [go up and down. Heb. go and go down. bewail.]
did ....... vowed <06213 05088> [did with.]
That Jephthah did not sacrifice his daughter, but consecrated her to the service of God in the tabernacle, in a state of celibacy, will we imagine be evident from the following consideration:--1. Human sacrifices were ever an abomination to Jehovah, of which Jephthah could not be ignorant; and consequently he would neither have made such a vow, nor carried it into execution. 2. We are expressly told (ver. 29) that Jephthah was under the influence of the Spirit of God, which would effectually prevent him from embruing his hands in the blood of his own child. 3. He had it in his power to redeem his daughter, (Le 27:4;) and surely his only child must have been of more value than thirty shekles. 4. Besides, who was to perform the horrid rite? Not Jephthah himself, who was no priest, and in whom it would have been most unnatural and inhuman; and the priests would certainly have dissuaded him from it. 5. The sacred historian informs us, that she bewailed her virginity, that she knew no man, and that the Israelitish women went yearly to comfort or lament with her.
vowed <05088> [to his vow.]
custom <02706> [custom. or, ordinance.]
Every year ............. days <03117> [yearly. Heb. from year to year. lament. or, to talk with.]
Every year ............ four days <0702 03117> [four days.]
