the year of the world 2817, having been acknowledged prince of the Israelites in an assembly of the people, was filled with the spirit of God, and began to get his troops together; to that end, he went over all the land which the children of Israel possessed beyond Jordan. At the same time he made a vow to the Lord, that if he were successful against the Ammonites, he would offer up for a burnt-offering whatever should first come out of his house to meet him. The battle being fought, Jephthah remained conqueror, and ravaged all the land of Ammon. But as he returned to his house, his only daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances; whereupon Jephthah tore his clothes, and said, "Alas, my daughter, thou hast brought me very low: for I have made a vow unto the Lord, and cannot fail in the performance of it." His daughter answered, "My father, if thou hast made a vow unto the Lord, do with me as thou hast promised; grant me only the favour that I may be at liberty to go up to the mountains, and there for two months bewail my virginity with my companions." Jephthah granted her this liberty; and at the end of two months, he offered up his daughter, who died a virgin, a burnt-offering, agreeable to his vow, according to the opinion of most commentators.

In the mean time, the Ephraimites, jealous of the victory obtained by Jephthah over the Ammonites, passed the river Jordan in a tumultuous manner, came and complained to Jephthah that he had not invited them to this war, and threatened to set fire to his house. Jephthah answered them, that he had sent to desire their assistance; but observing that they did not come, he put his life in his hands and hazarded a battle. The Ephraimites not being satisfied with these reasons, Jephthah assembled the people of Gilead, gave them battle, and defeated them; so that there were two and forty thousand men of the tribe of Ephraim killed that day. We know nothing more in particular concerning the life of Jephthah, only that he judged Israel six years, and was buried in a city of Gilead.

St Paul (Heb. xi. 32.) places Jephthah among the saints of the Old Testament, the merit of whose faith distinguished them. But it must be observed, that there is something so extraordinary in Jephthah's vow, that notwithstanding the scripture speaks of it in very plain and clear terms, yet such difficulties arise concerning it as perplex the commentators. Some maintain, that this daughter of Jephthah was not sacrificed, as that would have been a violation of the law of Moses; and especially, when by the same law he might have redeemed his daughter for ten shekels of silver: therefore they contend, that it was something else Jephthah did to his daughter, such as devoting her to a state of celibacy, or dedicating her to the service of God.—On the other hand, those who maintain the affirmative, or that Jephthah's daughter was actually sacrificed, urge, that the times wherein Jephthah lived were sadly addicted to idolatry; also the manner wherein he lived before he was called to the assistance of his country; but above all, the clear, evident, and express meaning of the text. They observe, that vows of perpetual virginity are institutions of a modern date; and had there been no more in it, there would have been little occasion for rending his clothes, and bemoaning himself as he did; besides the bitter lamentations made by herself, and by all the daughters of Israel in succeeding times. But if she was sacrificed, we may safely and confidently aver with Josephus, who says that she was, that this sacrifice was neither lawful nor acceptable to God; but, on the contrary, an abominable crime, that might, notwithstanding, have proceeded from a mistaken principle of religion.