Jephthah’s Vow and His Daughter

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Feb 27, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 17.

Jephthah’s Vow and His Daughter

"The vow contains two parts: (1) That person who met him on his return should be Jehovah's, and be dedicated forever to his service, as Hannah devoted Samuel before he was born. 1 Sam. 1:11. (2) That Jephthah himself would offer a burnt offering to Jehovah. Human sacrifices were prohibited by the law (Deut. 12:30); and the priests would not offer them. Such a vow would have been impious, and could not have been performed. It may be safely concluded that Jephthah's daughter was devoted to perpetual virginity; and with this idea agree the statements that 'she went to bewail her virginity;' that the women went four times in every year to mourn or talk with (not for) her; that Jephthah 'did with her according to his vow, and she knew no man.'"—Appendix to Emphatic Diaglott.