Jephthah, Judge In Yisrael
(Shophtim 10). About 1100.

3rd Judge

After Gideon there appeared on the scene two rather insignificant Shophtim, Tola and Jair. They were probably…chiefs of clans who had fought on behalf of the Sovereign Ruler of Yisrael. We know almost nothing about them.

Following these two Shophtim came one who certainly did not lack firmness; on occasion he seemed almost to have too much of it. His name was Jephthah and he was Judge and then king of Gilead, an Yisraelite tribe of TransYardenia where Mosheh in his time had given them authorization to settle on the fine pastureland of the eastern bank of the Yarden.

Once again we encounter the same theological sequence with four stages: sin-punishment-remorse-forgiveness. As a result a new Judge, Jephthah, was sent to Gilead. Such was the theological background; the historical setting must now be examined.

Jephthah appears as an uncouth, naive figure, almost unacquainted with the true traditions of the Law, but a believer in YAHWEH. His mother was a prostitute of Mizpah in Gilead who had a child by a married man. On his father's death his legitimate sons drove out Jephthah: 'You are to have no share in our father's inheritance,' they said. Jephthah left the house and settled in the north of Gilead where he formed a band of brigands, good-for-nothings and outlaws who existed on brigandage and holding people to ransom. In this way Jephthah became a potential military leader.

At this time the southern part of Gilead was regularly invaded and laid waste by the Ammonites, the 'Sons of the East' again, who were inveterate plunderers. Mounted on their fast-moving camels they were able to carry out swift raids. The elders of Gilead were very anxious to find a remedy for this situation; they held a meeting at Mizpah to endeavor to find someone who would lead them into battle against the Ammonites and be ruler of Gilead.

Their thoughts turned to Jephthah, a native of the country whose exploits were on everyone's lips. A delegation of elders was sent to him, but he received them coldly: 'Was it not you who hated me and drove me out of my father's house?' he demanded bitterly. 'Why come to me when you are in trouble?' One of the elders acknowledged humbly the wrongs done to Jephthah; let him return generously to help his tribe, and after the victory there would be little doubt of his being made chief of Gilead.

Agreement was reached. But Jephthah distrusted these subtle jurists. He required all their promises to be ratified by the solemn oath of both parties to the agreement, and this was done in a fine ceremony, held at Mizpah itself 'in the presence of YAHWEH'. If he returned alive from his expedition Jephthah was to be king of the Yisraelite tribes of TransYardenia.

The monarchical idea, the idea of unity, was making progress.

An unfortunate vow to YAHWEH

Jephthah's first campaign was against the Ammonites or Moabites,6 whom he defeated at Aroer (in the territory of Reuben to the east of the Dead Sea), then turned back on Minnith ('twenty towns') and pursued the enemy, who were in total disorder, as far as Abelkeramim. During one of these battles Jephthah made an unfortunate vow to YAHWEH: 'If you deliver the Ammonites into my hands, then the first person to meet me from the door of my house when I return in triumph from fighting the Ammonites shall belong to YAHWEH, and I will offer him up as a holocaust.' Obviously, Jephthah on returning to his native city had no scruple in putting to death one of his compatriots who had formerly sent him into exile. A vow of this kind was an authentic Canaanite practice; in these idolatrous circles human sacrifices still held an important place, and not only new-born babies were offered to the deity but also adults, as is shown by Jephthah's vow. It is hardly necessary to point out in passing that such a vow was directly contrary both to the letter and to the spirit of the Mosaic law, 'You shall not murder'.

Jephthah, a rough unlettered soldier although a follower of YAHWEH, had little knowledge of the spiritual belief whose moral laws had been promulgated on Sinai. The local Levites seemed no better informed. In addition, of course, like all his contemporaries, he believed that he was formally bound by a vow which was irrevocable.

The rest of the story is well known. On his triumphal return to Mizpah Jephthah made his way to his own house. At that moment his daughter came through the door at the head of a troop, dancing to the sound of timbrels; this was the customary procession of the virgins who, among the Yisraelites, thus welcomed the warrior returning victorious to his native village. Her father's sorrow was intense, but such a vow could not be commuted. Jephthah's daughter was sacrificed, and, the very height of horror and impiety, she was sacrificed to YAHWEH himself.

Jephthah's first campaign had been against the common enemy of the Yisraelite tribes in TransYardenia, the Ammonites, the brigands settled on the tablelands near by. The second campaign was against the tribe of Ephraim. We have already observed the authoritarian, boastful and proud character of the Ephraimites. They had picked a quarrel with Gideon but the astute peasant of Ophrah had managed to extricate himself. And now, directly after Jephthah's brilliant victory over the Ammonites these same Ephraimites came to threaten him and seek a further quarrel. 'Why did you go to fight the Ammonites,' they inquired angrily, 'without asking us to go with you? We shall burn you and your house.' Jephthah, a former brigand leader himself, was not of the same stuff as Gideon, the small farmer who threshed his wheat with his own hands. In the first place he put matters in their true light; Ephraim had indeed been summoned to fight against the Ammonites, but had not moved. He explained that he had been obliged to go to war alone and now, he concluded, 'you come to demand an explanation from me!' Without more ado Ephraim invaded from the other side of the Yarden. The army was concentrated at Zaphon, to the north of the Jabbok. Jephthah accepted the challenge, marched against the enemy, inflicted heavy losses and routed them completely. In utter disorder the Ephraimites who had escaped being killed endeavored to cross over to the right bank of the Yarden. But Jephthah's men were waiting for them at the fords, and there they were killed without mercy. The Yisraelites, killing each other in civil war, were now even further away from unity. Jephthah reigned for six years, but always on the other side of the Yarden. It was an attempt at monarchy which had no future.

 

JEPHTHAH'S CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE AMMONITES AND OTHER NOMADS

It should be noticed that this campaign took place to the east of the Yarden (TransYardenia).

Mizpah in Gilead: Jephthah's native city from which he was driven out by his compatriots; he sought asylum in the land of Tob. Jephthah was recalled to Mizpah by the elders of the city who came to ask the exile to deliver them from the continuing raids of the Ammonites.

Jephthah's campaign against the Ammonites (and probably also against other nomad brigands). His victories at Aroer, Minnith, Abelkeramim.

Return to Mizpah where he performs his vow (sacrifice of his daughter) At Zaphon Jephthah settled accounts with the Ephraimites who had sought a quarrel with him.

 

6 The text is not very clear as two traditions are combined in it; Jephthah seems sometimes to have been concerned with the Ammonites and sometimes with the Moabites.

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