30 Questions
Jephthah fulfilled his vow by offering his daughter as a burnt offering.
False
The Book of Judges is part of the Old Testament canon.
True
The chronological scheme of the Book of Judges is straightforward and easy to understand.
False
The Church Fathers believed that Jephthah offered his daughter as a burnt offering.
False
The story of Jephthah's vow is not debated among biblical scholars and interpreters.
False
The Book of Samuel is part of the New Testament canon.
False
According to the 1971 translation, Jephthah's vow is to dedicate his daughter to the Lord or offer her as a burnt offering.
True
In narrative, the valve usually deals with consecutive events.
True
The New American update agrees with the 1971 translation in its rendering of Jephthah's vow.
False
Jephthah's daughter was not the first to come out of the doors of his house to meet him.
False
Jephthah's vow was to dedicate to the Lord whatever came out of the doors of his house to meet him.
True
The Lord did not give the Ammonites into Jephthah's hand.
False
Jephthah's vow is a well-understood and widely preached topic in the Bible.
False
The book of Judges is one of the most preached books in the Bible.
False
The Spirit of the Lord is not mentioned in the context of the book of Judges.
False
Biblical exegesis is a straightforward process that always yields a clear answer.
False
The book of Judges is primarily concerned with God's love and compassion.
False
The text of Judges 11 is easy to preach and interpret.
False
Jephthah's vow was to practice human sacrifice like the Canaanites.
False
The Spirit of God is shown to be involved in the lives of the Israelites through the judges like Jephthah.
True
The majority of contemporary commentators take the text at face value.
False
Samuel's ministry took place before Jephthah's time.
False
The narrative in Judges chapter 11 presents Jephthah as a paradigm of virtue.
False
The events in 1 Samuel chapter 14 took place before Samuel's ministry.
False
Jephthah's vow was made to the sons of Ammon.
False
The Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah to empower him for battle.
True
Jephthah's vow was part of a salvific or sanctifying ministry of the Spirit of God.
False
The Book of Judges is part of the New Testament canon.
False
The exegetical issue surrounding Jephthah's vow is a minor one.
False
The Spirit of the Lord empowered Jephthah to reject the Ammonites' diplomatic overtures.
False
Study Notes
Jephthah's Vow in Judges 11
- Jephthah, a judge of Israel, made a vow to Yahweh before battling the Ammonites, saying that whatever comes out of his house to meet him when he returns in peace will be dedicated to the Lord.
- The vow is a central issue in interpreting Judges 11, with two main positions: A) Jephthah's daughter was dedicated to the tabernacle as a perpetual virgin, and B) Jephthah fulfilled his vow by offering his daughter as a burnt offering.
The Significance of Jephthah's Vow
- The majority of traditional Christian interpretation, following the rabbinical tradition, holds position A, that God did not allow Jephthah to fulfill his vow by offering his daughter as a burnt offering.
- However, the passage is debated, and many contemporary commentators take position B, that Jephthah did fulfill his vow by sacrificing his daughter.
The Context of Jephthah's Story
- Jephthah's story is part of the book of Judges, which is not an easy book to preach due to its content, including God's discipline.
- The book of Judges is one of the least preached books of the Bible, and its interpretation is often influenced by contemporary cultural and evangelical values.
- The overall perspective of the book of Judges is important to understand, including its purpose, chronological scheme, and place in the Old Testament canon.
The Interpretation of Jephthah's Vow
- The Hebrew word for "or" in Jephthah's vow can be translated as "and," indicating a consecutive action, rather than a contrast.
- The update in the New American translation reverses the original translation, emphasizing the conjunction "and" over "or."
- The passage is narrative, describing what happened, rather than prescribing what should have happened.
The Role of the Spirit of God in Judges
- The Spirit of God came upon Jephthah, enabling him to fulfill his task, but this is not a salvific or sanctifying ministry of the Spirit.
- The Spirit's role is to empower individuals to fulfill God's will, particularly in the context of battle and leadership.
Test your understanding of 2 Samuel Chapter 1 with this quiz. Explore the translation and interpretation of the chapter, including the story of King David's return and his vow to the Lord. Evaluate your knowledge of biblical narrative and language.
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