Surprised the Jephthah account was not rewritten

maninthemiddle

They had a chance to rewrite the bible and they leave the word "burnt offering" in there.

fulltimestudent

Why do you think the hebrew word olah should be translated differently?

I think he is referring to the fact that some people assert that "burnt offering" means that Jephthah was planning to, or did, sacrifice someone to God for his victory. The Society argues that he simply dedicated her to the temple.

maninthemiddle

Fulltime: I'm not saying that, simply suprised that they didn't choose to concidering the index to the book puts their spin on it.

11 Judge Jephthah expelled, later made
leader(1-11)
Jephthah reasonswithAmmon (12-28)
Jephthah’s vowand his daughter(29-40)
Daughter’s life of singleness (38-4

fulltimestudent

Cool! the hebrew word olah, has this meaning (according to Blue Bible site - http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H5930&t=KJV )

1. whole burnt offering (there is second meaning, "to ascend", perhaps referring to the smoke of the burnt meat ascending to Yahweh.)

So its hard to see how they can translate it any other way, without altering the sense of the text

You can also check Strong's comments on that site.

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But more interestingly, however any apologetic Christian may try to explain the incident, Jepthah's poor bloody daughter gets a raw deal. Whatever hopes she had for life are overwhelmed by Yahweh's greater needs.

Compare her (mythical) treatment to Isaacs (Abraham's son). While Abraham is willing to stick a knife in his son (in obedience to Yahweh's greater need ), and turn him into barbecue meat - an angel his sent to stop him, and a sacrificial lamb is provided for the BBQ.

Why the difference? One possibility is that Isaac had external sex organs and was therefore more important than Jepthah's daughter (whose sex organs are internal).

Its a wonderful religion that Yahweh gave us!!!!!

glenster

The usual choices aren't made over the translation "burnt offering." Mosaic law followers had practices not required by later Jews or in the NT (religion as law of the land with death penalty, even cherem, etc.) but the story of Jephthah has issues with other parts of Mosaic law regardless notably Mosaic law banning followers from sacrificing their childen (Ps.106:35-38; Is.57:5).

See the articles at the next links for a fuller explanation than I'll give here. http://www.jba.gr/Articles/jbadec06b.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jephthah#Sacrifice_controversy

The usual translation alternative is due to the fact that "...the connective particle ו (vau, our English v) is often used as a disjunctive, and means 'or', when there is a second proposition."

This creates an "alternative.... He would either dedicate it" (whatever came out of his door) "to Jehovah (according to Lev. 27), or, if unsuitable for this, he would offer it as a burnt offering."

Jephthah is given as having strong faith (Hebrews 11). The choice is that he was either out of accord with the usual understanding of Mosaic law banning followers from sacrificing their children--a personal rash exception with tragic consequences--or that he dedicated his daughter to virginal service to God. There would be something for the daughters of Israel to lament either way or rehearse with her if she lived (Judges 11:39,40).

zound

They've kept Judges 11:40 the same - "...the young women of Israel would go to give commendation to the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year."

Other translations say "to lament" or to "commemorate".

Does anyone have the interlinear to see what that says?

Apognophos

I think for Jephthah to be listed in Hebrews 11 indicates strongly that, at least by the time that letter was written, the Jews did not consider Jephthah as having sacrificed anyone. Perhaps it was redaction on their part, but I don't think the original account is indicating human sacrifice took place.

Even if one interprets the account as saying that Jepthah intended a burnt offering, and changed his plans when his daughter came out, why would a Jew ever make such a promise in the first place? What did he think was going to come through the door first, his pet goat? I think "olah" simply has to be interpreted as any sacrifice to God, in this account.

maninthemiddle

Midrash says otherwise.

Other biblical commentators5 disagree. Though Jephthah was one of the Israelite judges, he was chosen for the position because of his bravery and might, not because of his Torah scholarship—indeed, he was woefully ignorant.6 And though he was not bound whatsoever by the vow he made—as it clearly transgressed the rules of the Torah—he ignorantly went ahead and offered his daughter as a sacrifice.

Had he only consulted with Phinehas , the learned high priest of the time, he would have been informed of his error. But that didn’t happen. Jephthah was too arrogant to travel to Phinehas to receive guidance: “I am the general of the Israelite forces, and I should go to him?!” And Phinehas was too proud to unilaterally go to Jephthah to advise him: “He needs me; why should I make the trip?”

The hubris demonstrated by these two leaders cost an innocent girl her life. According to the Midrash 7 both were punished. Phinehas lost the divine spirit that had hitherto rested upon him. Jephthah became ill, and he lost many of his limbs. Because his limbs were buried in many locations, the Bible says that Jephthah was “buried in the cities of Gilead.”8

transhuman68

Jephthah was the son of a harlot; he hung out with worthless people, and he screwed up. His daughter was toast.

http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/185928/1/Jephthahs-Daughter

Surprised the Jephthah account was not rewritten

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