Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-03-18
&eadiug fur the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED By
REV. ROBERT LATHAM,
iOriginal.]

REV. ROBERT LATHAM,
" tohginal.]
JEPHTHAH'S DAUGHTER.
Judges, 1lth chapter.
Jephthah was the illegitimate son of Gilead.
It is very probable that his mother was Ca
mantle, as she is called "strange woman,"
or woman of another race. 1t is also proba-
BILE that Gilead was living in state of concu-
binage with this strange woman, and that
Jephthah was horn when he married; but
was permitted to remain as member OF
the family, under the same roof, until his
legitimate sons grew up. The half brothers of
Jephthah, on account Of his tainted blood, de-
termined to drive him out of their fathers
house and deprive him of any share Of their
fathers estate. This resolution they execn-
ted Jephthah was forced to leave. His life
was in jeopardy, and he fled to the land of Tob.
We are unable to locate this place with any
degree of certainty. Since it is called the
Gland of Tob," it is probable that small and
unimportant district of country was thus
named. 1t is reasonable to suppose that Tob
was on the east side of the river Jordan, and
not in the territory claimed by the Israelites.
From the narrative contained in the elev-
enth chapter of Judges, it would seem that
the land of Tob was only short distance
from the region of country inhabited by the
Gileadites. -' '.,
1t is very manifest that Jephthah was one
of those daring spirits that is every way cal
culated to be leader. In the land of Tob, he
became the acknowledged chief Of band OF
freeb0oters. Vain men-rnen of profigate
manners gathered around him, and under
him as leader, they went out on those plum
dering excursions so common amongst barba-
rous people. The fame of Jephthah and his
band, spread over the whole region and reach
ed his native land .s..-.,,. .....,
After Jephthah had been several years in
the land of Tob, the Ammonites made war
against Israel In their distress, the elders Of
Gilead applied to Jephthah for assistance. AS
Ammon was southeast of Gilead, and Tob
probably northeast, Jephthah had in no way
been in league with the Ammonites, and was
free to entertain the proposition made by his
countrymen. In addition to this we may we'll
suppose that, although he had been driven
away by the consent of the elders Of Gilead
and disinherited by his half lf-brothers, he still
| loved his native land and was willing and anx-
ious to assist in relieving it in the time Of it's
distress. He was, however, shrewd enough
to consent, only on the condition that, in the
event he was successful, he would be their
chief This the elders of Gilead readily con-
sented to grant. The conditions being agreed
to, Jephthah returned home, and the Gilead-
ties focked to his standard. The two armies
met and the Ammonites were subdued.
Before going to the battle, Jephthah vowed
VOW unto the Lord, in which he promised
that if God would, without fail, deliver the
children of Ammon into his hand, "then, !"
said he, cit shall be that whosoever cometh
forth of the doors of my house to meet me,
when return in peace from the Children of
Ammon, shall surely be the Lords, and will
offer it up fora burnt-offering. Judges, II: 81.
It so turned out that when he returned, hav-
ing gained decided victory over the Ammon-
ties, that his daughter, his only child, met
him. As was natural, she was rejoicing on
account of the victory which her father had
gained. The heart of the conqueror was filed
with sorrow, and in burst of grief he ex-
claimed: 'Alas, my daughter thou hast
brought me low and thou art one of them that
trouble me: for have opened my mouth unto
the Lord and I cannot 60 back" The noble
girl urged her father to perform his vow, only
| requesting that two months be granted her to
| 20 up and down among the mountains and be-
| wall her virginity.'' This request was granted,
| and at the end of two months she returned
| unto her father who did unto her according to
| his VOW.
Now, the question is, what did Jephthah do
| to his daughter Perhapsthe general opinion
is that he offered her up a sacrifice unto the
Lord A moments reflection will convince
any Bible reader that this was impossible.
The Lord would not accept such sacrifice.
The very thought that Jephthah killed his
daughter and offered her on an altar as sac
rifce to the Lord, is revolving. God would not
have accepted such sacrifice, and such an act
would have shocked all Israel. Whoever will
carefully read the whole narrative, will discov-
er that it is not said that Jephthah put his
daughter to death. Not word is said about
the sacrifice; not word about her being
burned, or anything of the kind. The daugh-
ters of Israel lamented, annually, for four
days. the sad calamity which befell this young
girl but it is not said that her father put her
to death.
Heather nations were accustomed to offer
human sacrifices to their gods; but it is man.
ifest that when Jephthah made the VOW, he
was under the influence of the spirit of the
Lord. The language is as follows: 'The spir-
it of the Lord came upon Jephthah.' Now,
it must be manifest that no man, led by the
spirit of God, ever vowed to offer up his
daughter as a sacrifice to the Lord. God never
did require human beings to be sacrificed
to him. We have no idea that Jephthah's
daughter was put to death. 1t, no doubt, was
the opinion of the translators of our English
Bible that such was the case but the Hebrew
text admits of different rendering. The
thirty-irst verse may be rendered thus: s'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
either be the Lords, or will offer it burnt
Offering" The ''it'' in the last clause can, in
strict accordance with the Hebrew idiom, be
translated chin" According to the first rem
dering, the sense is that he would offer what
ever met him to the Lord as burnt sacrifice !;
or if it was not appropriate for burnt Offer