Jephthah: Faithful Fighter; Faithless Father Ancient and Contemporary Views

Jephthah (Judges 11–12) is the eighth of the twelve charismatic/military leaders in the book of Judges. Prior to a crucial battle he vows that if he is successful and returns safely “then the one who comes out of the doors of my house to meet me … shall be offered up by me as a burnt offering to yhw...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Zucker, David J. 1942- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: 2022
In: Biblical theology bulletin
Year: 2022, Volume: 52, Issue: 1, Pages: 37-47
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Jephthah / Learning / Rabbi / Thinking / Bible. Judge 11-12
IxTheo Classification:HB Old Testament
HD Early Judaism
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
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Summary:Jephthah (Judges 11–12) is the eighth of the twelve charismatic/military leaders in the book of Judges. Prior to a crucial battle he vows that if he is successful and returns safely “then the one who comes out of the doors of my house to meet me … shall be offered up by me as a burnt offering to yhwh” (Judg 11:31). It is difficult to know what Jephthah means by these words. The Hebrew verb used (ha-yotzey) in this context could mean equally “the one that comes out,” “whatever comes out,” or “whoever comes out.” In the event it is his only child, a daughter who greets him. Jephthah feels unable to revoke his vow and so appears actually to sacrifice her. This article considers how three sources address this narrative: ancient Rewritten Bibles; early as well as medieval and 18th/19th century Rabbinic commentary; and Contemporary scholarship.
ISSN:1945-7596
Contains:Enthalten in: Biblical theology bulletin
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/01461079211018763