his wholehearted desire for Jehovah’s direction and attributing any success he would have to Jehovah. (Judg. 11:30, 31; Gen. 28:20-22) Jehovah heard his vow with favor, and the Ammonites were subdued.—Judg. 11:32, 33.

Some critics and scholars have condemned Jephthah for his vow, having the view that Jephthah followed the practice of other nations, offering up his daughter by fire as a human burnt offering. But this is not the case. It would be an insult to Jehovah, disgusting thing in violation of his law, to make literal human sacrifice. He strictly commanded Israel: “You must not learn to do according to the detestable things of those nations. There should not be found in you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, . . . For everybody doing these things is something detestable to Jehovah, and on account of these detestable things Jehovah your God is driving them away from before you.” (Deut. 18:9-12) Jehovah would curse, not bless, such a person. The very ones Jephthah was fighting, the Ammonites, practiced human sacrifice to their god Molech.—Compare 2 Kings 17:17; 21:6; 23:10; Jeremiah 7:31, 32; 19:5, 6.

When Jephthah said: “It must also occur that the one coming out, who comes out of the doors of my house to meet me . . . must also become Jehovah’s,” he had reference to a person and not an animal, since animals suitable for sacrifice were not likely kept in Israelite homes, to have free run there. Besides, the offering of an animal would not show extraordinary devotion to God. Jephthah knew that it might well be his daughter who would come out to meet him. It must be borne in mind that Jehovah’s spirit was on Jephthah at the time; this would prevent any rash vow on Jephthah’s part. How, then, would the person coming out to meet Jephthah to congratulate him on his victory “become Jehovah’s” and be offered up “as a burnt offering”?—Judg. 11:31.

Persons could be devoted to Jehovah’s exclusive service in connection with the sanctuary. It was a right that parents could exercise. Samuel was one such person, promised to tabernacle service by a vow of his mother Hannah before his birth. This vow was approved by her husband Elkanah. As soon as Samuel was weaned, Hannah offered him at the sanctuary. Along with him, Hannah brought an animal sacrifice. (1 Sam. 1:11, 22-28; 2:11) Samson was another child specially devoted to God’s service as a Nazirite.—Judg. 13:2-5, 11-14; compare the father’s authority over a daughter as outlined in Numbers 30:3-5, 16.

So when Jephthah brought his daughter to the sanctuary, which was in Shiloh at that time, he undoubtedly accompanied his presentation of her with an animal burnt offering. According to the Law, a burnt offering was slaughtered, skinned and cut up, the intestines and shanks washed; and its body, head and all, was burned on the altar. (Lev. 1:3-9) The wholeness of such offering represented full, unqualified, wholehearted dedication to Jehovah, and, when it accompanied another offering (as, for example, when the burnt offering followed the sin offering on the Day of Atonement), it constituted an appeal to Jehovah to accept that other offering.—Lev. 16:3, 5, 6, 11, 15, 24.

It was a real sacrifice on the part of both Jephthah and his daughter, for he had no other child. (Judg. 11:34) Therefore no descendant of his would carry on his name and his inheritance in Israel. Jephthah’s daughter was his only hope for this. She wept, not over her death, but over her “virginity,” for it was the desire of every Israelite man and woman to have children and to keep the family name and inheritance alive. (Judg. 11:37, 38) Barrenness was a calamity. But Jephthah’s daughter “never had relations with a man.” Had these words applied only to the time prior to the carrying out of the vow, they would have been superfluous, for she is specifically said to be a virgin. That the statement has reference to the fulfilling of the vow is shown in that it follows the expression, “He carried out his vow that he had made toward her.” Actually, the record is pointing out that also after the vow was carried out she maintained her virginity.—Judg. 11:39; compare renderings in AV; Dy; Yg; NW.

Moreover, Jephthah’s daughter was visited “from year to year” by her companions to ‘give her commendation.’ (Judg. 11:40) (The Hebrew word ta·nahʹ, used here, also occurs at Judges 5:11, and in that text is variously rendered “recount” [NW], “rehearse” [AV], “recounted” [AT], “repeat” [RS]. The word is defined in Davies’ Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon as “to repeat, to rehearse.” At Judges 11:40 the Authorized Version renders the term “lament,” but the margin reads “talk with.”) As she served at the sanctuary, doubtless like other Nethinim (“given ones” devoted to sanctuary service), there was much she could do. These persons served in gathering wood, drawing water, doing repair work and doubtless many other tasks as assistants to the priests and Levites there.—Josh. 9:21, 23, 27; Ezra 7:24; 8:20; Neh. 3:26.

EPHRAIMITES RESIST JEPHTHAH

The Ephraimites, who considered themselves the dominant tribe of northern Israel (including Gilead), proudly refused to acknowledge Jephthah and sought to justify themselves. So they worked up a false charge as an excuse for taking offense against him. A like attitude had been shown by them years before, in Judge Gideon’s time. (Judg. 8:1) They claimed that Jephthah failed to call them to the fight against Ammon, and threatened to burn Jephthah’s house over him.—Judg. 12:1.

Jephthah replied that he had called them but they had refused to respond. He argued: “Jehovah gave them [Ammon] into my hand. So why have you come up against me this day to fight against me?” (Judg. 12:2, 3) The Ephraimites contended about Jephthah’s forces: “Men escaped from Ephraim is what you are, O Gilead, inside of Ephraim, inside of Manasseh.” (Judg. 12:4) By this they may have been slurring Jephthah by reference to his formerly being driven out and having associated with him “idle men,” unemployed, as ‘fugitives.’

In the fight that ensued, Ephraim was beaten and routed. Jephthah’s men stopped them at the fords of the Jordan. When the fleeing Ephraimites tried to conceal their identity, their pronunciation gave them away. When tested by being asked to say the word “Shibboleth,” they were unable to pronounce the harsh “sh” but could only form a soft “Sibboleth.” For taking rebellious action against one whom Jehovah had appointed for their salvation, forty-two thousand Ephraimites lost their lives.—Judg. 12:5, 6.

APPROVED BY GOD

At 1 Samuel 12:11 Jephthah is named as being sent by Jehovah as a deliverer, and at Hebrews 11:32 he is listed among the faithful “cloud of witnesses.”—Heb. 12:1.

JEPHUNNEH

(Je·phunʹneh) [perhaps, may Jah turn].

1. Father of the Judean spy Caleb and, likely, the father of Kenaz. (Num. 13:2, 3, 6; 1 Chron. 4:15; Judg. 1:13; see OTHNIEL.) Jephunneh was a Kenizzite associated with the tribe of Judah.—Josh. 14:6, 14.

2. A prominent member of the tribe of Asher.—1 Chron. 7:38, 40.

JERAH

(Jeʹrah) [month].

A “son” of Joktan whose descendants may have settled somewhere in S Arabia.—Gen. 10:26-29; 1 Chron. 1:20; see JOKTAN.

JERAHMEEL

(Je·rahʹme·el) [may God have compassion].

1. The firstborn of Judah’s grandson Hezron. The royal and Messianic lineage passed through Jerahmeel’s