Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of St. Bernard (1090-1153). In 1830, Pope Pius VIII declared him a Doctor of the Church. At present, there are 33 such Doctors who are important writers of great learning and have led a saintly life. St. Bernard helped built many monasteries in the West and preached the Second Crusade.
We continue to read the sad story of Jephthah the Gileadite. At that time, the Israelites were oppressed by Ammonites.
Then the Ammonites were called to arms, and they encamped in Gilead; and the people of Israel came together, and they encamped at Mizpah.
And the people, the leaders of Gilead, said one to another, "Who is the man that will begin to fight against the Ammonites? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead." (Judges 10:17-18)
Jephthah came from a discriminated background, a bit similar to Abimelech. But he was able to tread a different path.
Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a harlot. Gilead was the father of Jephthah.
And Gilead's wife also bore him sons; and when his wife's sons grew up, they thrust Jephthah out, and said to him, "You shall not inherit in our father's house; for you are the son of another woman."
Then Jephthah fled from his brothers, and dwelt in the land of Tob; and worthless fellows collected round Jephthah, and went raiding with him (Judges 11:1-3).
Gilead was not Gideon and Jephthah was not Abimelech. Gideon was a tribal hero that delivered the Israelites from the Midianites. Jephthah was no more than a bandit because the Gileadites despised his background and rejected him. Now that the Ammonites came to oppress them, they turned to Jephthah and sought his help. History seems to repeat itself perpetually. The Israelites always turned against and rejected their saviours. Joseph was sold by his brothers. Moses fled in fear of being exposed by his fellow Hebrew countrymen. Here was Jephthah despised and rejected because his mother was a harlot. In the future, Jesus of Nazareth would be betrayed by his own disciple and the Jewish Council.
But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "Did you not hate me, and drive me out of my father's house? Why have you come to me now when you are in trouble?" (Judges 11:7)
Jephthah took up the mission to drive away the Ammonites. He was not a warmonger. His first option was diplomacy which would prevent the huge mortality of non-combatants. Messengers were sent to persuade the king of Ammonites to withdraw. The history of struggle between the Israelites and Ammonites was reviewed. In short, if Jephthah had to go to war, his action was fully justified (Judges 11:12-28).
I therefore have not sinned against you, and you do me wrong by making war on me; the LORD, the Judge, decide this day between the people of Israel and the people of Ammon (Judges 11:27).
Therefore, if the Ammonites refused to retreat, Jephthah was prepared to go to war with them, with Yahweh presiding over their case, passing judgment on who was right.
A strange event happened. The Spirit of God came upon Jephthah and before he started the battle with the Ammonites, he made a tragic vow.
Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and passed on to Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed on to the Ammonites.
And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD, and said, "If thou wilt give the Ammonites into my hand,
then whoever comes forth from the doors of my house to meet me, when I return victorious from the Ammonites, shall be the LORD's, and I will offer him up for a burnt offering." (Judges 11:29-31)
This vow was totally unnecessary. The promised burnt offering would not be instrumental for the delivery of the Israelites because Yahweh is not a God whom man can bribe. Why did Jephthah make such a stupid vow? Did the Spirit of the Lord induce Jephathah to make this vow?
Jephthah won the battle but
Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah; and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances; she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.
And when he saw her, he rent his clothes, and said, "Alas, my daughter! you have brought me very low, and you have become the cause of great trouble to me; for I have opened my mouth to the LORD, and I cannot take back my vow."
And she said to him, "My father, if you have opened your mouth to the LORD, do to me according to what has gone forth from your mouth, now that the LORD has avenged you on your enemies, on the Ammonites."
And she said to her father, "Let this thing be done for me; let me alone two months, that I may go and wander on the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions." (Judges 11:37).
Jephthah blamed his anonymous daughter for causing him great trouble but in great contrast, his daughter submitted herself, like the BVM, to the will of her father and to God. This story finishes very much like an etymology story. Therefore, we cannot take the historicity of this part of the story too literally.
And at the end of two months, she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had made. She had never known a man. And it became a custom in Israel
that the daughters of Israel went year by year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year (Judges 11:39-40).
Then the Ammonites were called to arms, and they encamped in Gilead; and the people of Israel came together, and they encamped at Mizpah.
And the people, the leaders of Gilead, said one to another, "Who is the man that will begin to fight against the Ammonites? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead." (Judges 10:17-18)
Jephthah came from a discriminated background, a bit similar to Abimelech. But he was able to tread a different path.
Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a harlot. Gilead was the father of Jephthah.
And Gilead's wife also bore him sons; and when his wife's sons grew up, they thrust Jephthah out, and said to him, "You shall not inherit in our father's house; for you are the son of another woman."
Then Jephthah fled from his brothers, and dwelt in the land of Tob; and worthless fellows collected round Jephthah, and went raiding with him (Judges 11:1-3).
Gilead was not Gideon and Jephthah was not Abimelech. Gideon was a tribal hero that delivered the Israelites from the Midianites. Jephthah was no more than a bandit because the Gileadites despised his background and rejected him. Now that the Ammonites came to oppress them, they turned to Jephthah and sought his help. History seems to repeat itself perpetually. The Israelites always turned against and rejected their saviours. Joseph was sold by his brothers. Moses fled in fear of being exposed by his fellow Hebrew countrymen. Here was Jephthah despised and rejected because his mother was a harlot. In the future, Jesus of Nazareth would be betrayed by his own disciple and the Jewish Council.
But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "Did you not hate me, and drive me out of my father's house? Why have you come to me now when you are in trouble?" (Judges 11:7)
Jephthah took up the mission to drive away the Ammonites. He was not a warmonger. His first option was diplomacy which would prevent the huge mortality of non-combatants. Messengers were sent to persuade the king of Ammonites to withdraw. The history of struggle between the Israelites and Ammonites was reviewed. In short, if Jephthah had to go to war, his action was fully justified (Judges 11:12-28).
I therefore have not sinned against you, and you do me wrong by making war on me; the LORD, the Judge, decide this day between the people of Israel and the people of Ammon (Judges 11:27).
Therefore, if the Ammonites refused to retreat, Jephthah was prepared to go to war with them, with Yahweh presiding over their case, passing judgment on who was right.
A strange event happened. The Spirit of God came upon Jephthah and before he started the battle with the Ammonites, he made a tragic vow.
Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and passed on to Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed on to the Ammonites.
And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD, and said, "If thou wilt give the Ammonites into my hand,
then whoever comes forth from the doors of my house to meet me, when I return victorious from the Ammonites, shall be the LORD's, and I will offer him up for a burnt offering." (Judges 11:29-31)
This vow was totally unnecessary. The promised burnt offering would not be instrumental for the delivery of the Israelites because Yahweh is not a God whom man can bribe. Why did Jephthah make such a stupid vow? Did the Spirit of the Lord induce Jephathah to make this vow?
Jephthah won the battle but
Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah; and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances; she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.
And when he saw her, he rent his clothes, and said, "Alas, my daughter! you have brought me very low, and you have become the cause of great trouble to me; for I have opened my mouth to the LORD, and I cannot take back my vow."
And she said to him, "My father, if you have opened your mouth to the LORD, do to me according to what has gone forth from your mouth, now that the LORD has avenged you on your enemies, on the Ammonites."
And she said to her father, "Let this thing be done for me; let me alone two months, that I may go and wander on the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions." (Judges 11:37).
Jephthah blamed his anonymous daughter for causing him great trouble but in great contrast, his daughter submitted herself, like the BVM, to the will of her father and to God. This story finishes very much like an etymology story. Therefore, we cannot take the historicity of this part of the story too literally.
And at the end of two months, she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had made. She had never known a man. And it became a custom in Israel
that the daughters of Israel went year by year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year (Judges 11:39-40).
When we come to this part of the book of Judges, we find that the story was full of tensions in reading. The whole book of Judges illustrates the gradual degrading of the tribal heroes in Israel before the rise of kingship. Throughout the book, the judges were able to unite less and less tribes and people. Jephthah would only called up the support of Manasseh (Judges 11:29). Later, he even punished Ephraim for they refused to offer support (Judges 12:1-6). Instead of delivering the Israelites, a judge even turned against them! The last judge Samson did everything himself. Such a development demonstrates the deterioration of spiritual life among the Israelites.
The fate of women also demonstrates such a deterioration. In the beginning, Achsah, the daughter of Caleb, was able to secure from her father, land and springs of water for her husband and herself. Later Deborah the prophetess was a tribal heroine and Jael killed the enemy commander. When it came to Japhthah, his daughter was nameless and she met a tragic end.
God's involvement also demonstrated a downward spiral. In the case of Japhthah, even if we do not blame the Spirit of God for inducing Japhthah to make such a stupid vow, we would blame God for not saving the innocent virgin, like He had stopped Abraham from sacrificing Isaac. Of course, God took the initiative to test Abraham, while Japhthah took the vow on his own and God had to respect his free will. We cannot blame God for not saving us from our own stupidity. (Dennis Olson, The Book of Judges, New Interpreter's Bible Commentary, pp. 829-836)
The fate of women also demonstrates such a deterioration. In the beginning, Achsah, the daughter of Caleb, was able to secure from her father, land and springs of water for her husband and herself. Later Deborah the prophetess was a tribal heroine and Jael killed the enemy commander. When it came to Japhthah, his daughter was nameless and she met a tragic end.
God's involvement also demonstrated a downward spiral. In the case of Japhthah, even if we do not blame the Spirit of God for inducing Japhthah to make such a stupid vow, we would blame God for not saving the innocent virgin, like He had stopped Abraham from sacrificing Isaac. Of course, God took the initiative to test Abraham, while Japhthah took the vow on his own and God had to respect his free will. We cannot blame God for not saving us from our own stupidity. (Dennis Olson, The Book of Judges, New Interpreter's Bible Commentary, pp. 829-836)
Dear Lord, You did not swear any stupid vow. Yet You sacrificed Your only Son to deliver us. We have made many stupid mistakes. Lord, deliver us from evil. Amen.
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