El-Diablo wrote:Wrong. He did kill her: 39 After the two months, she returned to her father and he did to her as he had vowed.
I'm not sure where you got the convent part. I read over Judges 10-13 and find no mention of the word convent...
The following line " And it became a custom in Israel 40 that the daughters of Israel went year by year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year. " further points out that she was killed.
To most of us a burnt offering concerns burning
something with fire. But in Eastern custom a burnt
offering does not indicate the presence of fire. When
speaking of people as being a burnt offering, it did
not mean sacrifice by fire. A burnt offering was a
total, unreserved commitment of self to God. Let us
note carefully this truth so plainly taught in the
record in Judges 11 of Jephthah who gave his
daughter as a burnt offering.
Judges 11:30-40
30 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,
31 Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD'S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering [Carefully notice Jephthah's promise.].
32 So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them [the children of Ammon] into his hands.
33 And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
34 And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.
35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back.
36 And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.
37 And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.
38 And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.
39 And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel,
40 That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament [visit, King James has the marginal note "talk with." Young's Concordance says "to give praise."] the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.
Comment:
Eastern custom teaches us that an unmarried
maiden is a disgrace not only to the girl herself but
also to the family. An unwed daughter indicates that
a curse of God is on the family. Often such parents
give these maidens as servants to serve at the temples
for the rest of their lives. But before the young lady
is committed, the maiden vacations in the mountains
with relatives and a few close friends and together
they have consecration ceremonies for two months,
bewailing her virginity - that is, lamenting the fact
she did not marry and produce offspring. Then the
maiden bids farewell to all her relatives and friends.
Once the girl enters into the service of the temple,
she cannot be released to go back to her friends,
relatives nor parents.
Jephthah gave his daughter permission to go to the
mountains for two months. When she came back, her
father took her to the temple. There she followed the
ceremony all such girls go through. Her head was
shaved at the door of the temple and she put on a
long robe. She then remained in the temple the rest
of her life. During special times each year, people
would go and praise her, talk with her and compliment
her for obeying her father's will. This account,
of Jephthah's daughter shows that a burnt offering
means that she was living in the temple serving God.
Jephthah had promised God that whatever first
came out of the doors of his house to meet him when
he returned from battle he would give as a burnt
offering. Having no other son or daughter, this child
was the only hope of perpetuating Jephthah's family
line. The total commitment of his only daughter to
God's service was Jephthah's burnt offering. Jephthah
felt especially bad because his family line had come
to an end.
