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...
Main Author: | |
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
Journals Online & Print: | |
Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
2022
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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
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IxTheo Classification: | HB Old Testament HD Early Judaism |
Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
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. |
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ISSN: | 1945-7596 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: Biblical theology bulletin
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1177/01461079211018763 |