Did Jephthah sacrifice his daughter - the answer
Nothing is known of Jephthah’s daughter outside of the immediate narrative. Eagerly, apparently, she greets her father after his victory with celebratory dancing and music. She is evidently a young woman of marriageable age, hence, her lament concerning her virginity. She voluntarily submits to her father’s vow, yet does seek a brief respite to mourn the life that she will never know. She joins a larger cast in the wider Judges narrative of both women and daughters addressed by sometimes distressing narratives (Caleb’s daughter, Deborah, Jael, Abimelech’s killer, Manoah’s wife, Samson’s Timnite wife and Delilah, Micah’s mother, the Levite’s concubine, and the daughters of Shiloh). 11:35 Jephthah’s reaction in verse 35 indicates that he has not been expecting his daughter to be the first one to greet him. When Jephthah sees his daughter, he expresses his anguish in the typical Jewish fashion by tearing his clothing, acting like a man grieving the loss of his only child. Marcus, arg...