Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Dave Washburn" <dwashbur AT nyx.net>]

> Where in the T"NK does it suggest human sacrifice?  I do not see human
> sacrifice here.  I see Yiftakh as offering his daughter as service to
> YHWH.
> 
> She is not the only person in the T"NK that has been dedicated to YHWH's
> service.  The n'zirim were offered to YHWH at birth, to his service that
> is.

But they were not mourned, nor were any of them commemorated 
by a national day of mourning as Jephthah's daughter is reported to 
have been.

> Yirme'yahu 19:5 They have built altars to Ba'al, to put their children to
> the fire as burnt offerings to Ba'al -- which I never commanded, never
> decreed, and which never came to My mind.
> 
> Therefore, unless we see here an event that YHWH detests, having never
> come to His mind.  But if YHWH detested such an event, as having human
> sacrifice, then why would YHWH deliver the enemies unto Jepthah's hand?
 
You have the sequence of events backwards.  The battle came first, 
then the problem with his daughter.  In addition, Jephthah did not 
specifically say he would sacrifice his daughter, he said "whatever 
comes out of the house first."  Only when his child came out first did 
he realize how rash his vow was.  IMNSHO he was a fool to keep it, 
but I think the text strongly suggests that he did.

Dave Washburn
http://www.nyx.net/~dwashbur
"Don't let your mind wander.  
It's too little to be left alone."