NOTE:
This post has been withdrawn. The post has been published in my book, Rereading the Biblical Text: Searching for Meaning and Understanding. The approach taken in the book is to compare how different translations have approached difficult texts in the Old Testament. The goal of the book is to invite readers to reread the biblical text in light of the new understanding of the intent of the original writer of the text. You can order the book from Amazon.
Rereading the Biblical Text
Visit my Amazon author’s page to purchase the book (click here).
Claude Mariottini
Emeritus Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
A Note About This Post:
Before “Judges 11:39: The Fate of Jephthah’s Daughter” was withdrawn for publication, “Judges 11:39: The Fate of Jephthah’s Daughter” was read by 1088 readers. “Judges 11:39: The Fate of Jephthah’s Daughter” was also shared 10 times by readers who enjoyed reading the post. You can read “Judges 11:39: The Fate of Jephthah’s Daughter” and other articles on problems in Bible translation by reading my book Rereading the Biblical Text: Searching for Meaning and Understanding. Below is the content of the book:
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments – Page xi
Abbreviations – Page xii
Introduction – Page xv
SECTION 1 — THE PENTATEUCH
Chapter 1. The Creation of Animals in Genesis 2:19 – Page 3
Chapter 2. The Serpent Was Right (Genesis 3) – Page 7
Chapter 3. The Seed of the Woman (Genesis 3:15) – Page 11
Chapter 4. Were They Really Giants? (Genesis 6:4) – Page 17
Chapter 5. “As Far as Dan” (Gen 14:14) – Page 20
Chapter 6. Abraham and the Promises of God – Page (Genesis 12:7) – Page 23
Chapter 7. The Sacrifice of Isaac (Genesis 22:8) – Page 26
Chapter 8. The Rape of Bilhah (Genesis 35:22) – Page 29
Chapter 9. Miriam, a Leader in Israel (Exodus 15:20) – Page 32
Chapter 10. Azazel (Leviticus 16:8-10) – Page 35
Chapter 11. Understanding Numbers 24:24 – Page 38
SECTION 2 — THE HISTORICAL BOOKS
Chapter 12. The Levite and His Concubine (Judges 19:1–30) – Page 43
Chapter 13. The Sacrifice of Jephthah’s Daughter (Judges 10:6–12:7) – Page 47
Chapter 14. The Fate of Jephthah’s Daughter (Judges 10:6–12:7) – Page 4750
Chapter 15. The Virginity of Jephthah’s Daughter (Judges 10:6–12:7) – Page 54
Chapter 16. Who Went Back to the City? (Ruth 3:15) – Page 59
Chapter 17. Was Ruth Barren? (Ruth 4:13) – Page 59
Chapter 18. King Saul: Little in His Own Eyes (1 Samuel 15:17) – Page 63
Chapter 19. How Old Was Saul? (1 Samuel 13:1) – Page 64
Chapter 20. David and Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4) – Page 67
Chapter 21. David’s Sons Were Priests ((2 Samuel 8:18) – Page 70
Chapter 22. “Him that Pisseth against the Wall” (1 Samuel 25:22) – Page 72
Chapter 23. Whose Cloak Did Ahijah Tear? (1Kinga 11:4–7) – Page 78
Chapter 24. The Challenges of Parenthood (2 Kinga 21:25–26) – Page 82
SECTION 3 — THE WISDOM AND POETICAL BOOKS
Chapter 25. Psalm 8:5: In Search of a Better Translation – Page 87
Chapter 26. Understanding Psalm 17:14 – Page 90
Chapter 27. Jezebel’s Wedding Song (Psalm 45:1–17) – Page 93
Chapter 28. Psalm 100:3: In Search of a Better Translation – Page 99
Chapter 29. Sons or Children? (Psalm 127:3-5) – Page 103
Chapter 30. Proverbs 29:18 – Page 106
Chapter 31. “Black and Beautiful” or “Black but Beautiful”? (Song of Songs 1:5) – Page 108
SECTION 4 — THE PROPHETICAL BOOKS
Chapter 32. The Use of Gender Inclusive Language (Isaiah 9:1) – Page 115
Chapter 33. “You Have Increased Their Joy” (Isaiah 9:3) – Page 118
Chapter 34. Who Will the Messiah Strike? (Isaiah 11:4) – Page 120
Chapter 35. The Way of the Lord (Isaiah 40:3) – Page 122
Chapter 36. “All Their Goodliness” (Isa 40:6) – Page 126
Chapter 37. The Proclaimer of Good News (Isaiah 40:9) – Page 129
Chapter 38. The Problem of Divorce in the Old Testament (Isaiah 50:1) – Page 132
Chapter 39. Beulah Land (Isaiah 62:4) – Page 135
Chapter 40. The Balm of Gilead (Jeremiah 8:22) – Page 138
Chapter 41. The Mother of Seven (Jeremiah 15:9) – Page 142
Chapter 42. The Coming of the Messiah (Daniel 9:25–27) – Page 144
Chapter 43. The Seventy Weeks of Daniel (Daniel 9:25–27) – Page 148
Chapter 44. The Knowledge of God (Hosea 4:1) – Page 152
Chapter 45. The Word “Hesed” in the Book of Hosea (Hosea 4:1) – Page 154
Chapter 46. The Word “Justice” in Amos (Amos 5:24) – Page 157
Chapter 47. “What the Lord Requires” (Micah 6:8) – Page 160
Bibliography – Page 165
Index of Subjects – Page 169
Index of Authors – Page 171
Index of Scriptures and Other Ancient Documents – Page 173
Claude Mariottini
Emeritus Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
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Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament 
>It is amazing what we will do with the text simply because it does not match with our modern sensibilities!
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>Matt,You are right. The problem is that, at times, we allow our feelings and our views to affect the way we look at the Bible. The same thing applies to the use of PC language in translating the Bible.I hope you will read my third post on Jephthah’s daughter next week.Thank you for visiting my blog.Claude Mariottini
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>I was always bothered by what seemed mental gymnastics to explain away how he carried out his vow. I am distressed by the knowledge that in this hoorible deed Jephthah becomes more honorable than I–as I know I have broken vows before in my own life. Perhaps this is whay God recorded this event. To wake us up to being keepers of our word–especially to the Almighty. Thanks for your insights.
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>Larry,Thank you for your comment. The fact is that Jephthah is never condemned in the Bible for what he did. This is one of the reasons people refuse to believe he sacrificed his daughter. No one can agree with what Jephthah did, but one thing we have to say about him: he was true to his word.Claude Mariottini
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>What are the crucial articles on this passage?
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>Dear Friend,There are many good articles on this topic. You should begin by reading Phyllis Trible’s Text of Terror. There is an excellent article there. Trible also has another good article, “A Meditation in Morning: The Sacrifice of the Daughter of Jephthah” Union Seminary Quarterly Review 36 (1981), 59-68. Claude Mariottini
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>Dear Claude, I am new to your site, but I must write and voice a dissenting opinion, with all due respects. Yes, the text is a bit ambiguous and tends to lead us to the conclusion that Jephthah sacrificed his daughter… but again, I beg to differ. It seems that many people, including myself at the beginning, have not thought this through completely. As you know, Jephthah himself was not qualified to offer sacrifices to God according to the law – only Levite priests. Not even a king could offer sacrifices himself (as we know from the story of Saul). So would you suggest that the priests murdered a girl and ate portions of the girl’s body (as was also required by the law?) Would they leave her corpse burning on the altar overnight (as was also required for burnt offerings?) And would God accept an offering that He was clearly opposed to throughout ALL of Scripture? Not only that, would Jephthah and the priests violate the commandments of sacrificial law (including the only acceptable elements for a burnt offering, being male animals)? None of this makes sense. I am not trying to start an argument… but I am not convinced. I am not objecting because of “modern sensibilities” as someone suggested above… since the 11th century it has been assumed (by some camps) that his daughter was given to God as a nun, to a life of celibacy, since no human would be offered by priests, much less accepted by God as an acceptable sacrifice. The text also makes much of the fact that she was mourning her virginity (not her death). I just want to give some of the agree-ers above, and yourself, something to think about.
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>p.s. – Remember that a Levite priest could not touch a human corpse, either, so this poses more “mental gymnastics” than the nun theory to figure out how such a hypothetical sacrifice would have been carried out! I am not saying I know the correct answer… only Jephthah and the Lord do, I suppose. But there is much more to consider than what it seems at first glance, and the more I study, the more I am less convinced of a physical sacrifice.
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>I hesitate to accept the interpretation that Jephthah was a hero of faith because of his following through on a rash vow to honor God with a forbidden act. In the long history of Jewish and Christian grappling with this text, there's no trace of that take on things — on the contrary, it looks like the general view is that Jephthah's rah vow was dishonorable and his carrying it out (however he did so) very much to be regretted. The fact that Jephthah is listed among the "heroes of faith" in Hebrews 11 cannot be taken to mean that Jephthah's carrying out a rash, invalid vow was an act of faith. Heb. 11:32-34 says, "What more shall I say? I have not time to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, did what was righteous, obtained the promises; they closed the mouths of lions, put out raging fires, escaped the devouring sword; out of weakness they were made powerful, became strong in battle, and turned back foreign invaders." Nothing there about "fulfilled vows," but "out of weakness they were made powerful, became strong in battle, and turned back foreign invaders" would certainly apply to Jephthah. His heroism and determination in battle with the Ammonites is what is to be attributed to his faith, not his foolish and ignorant vow.
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