Judges 11:34
Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah. And behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child; besides her he had neither son nor daughter.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The text emphasizes that she was his "only child" using a word that carries a profound sense of uniqueness and preciousness. This detail isn't just about her not having siblings; it highlights how all of Jephthah's hopes for posterity rested solely on her, intensifying the tragic weight of his vow.
Fresh off a victorious battle against the Ammonites, Jephthah returns home to Mizpah, his hometown. He is greeted not with somber reflection, but with the joyous celebration of women and maidens playing music and dancing, led by his beloved and only daughter. This scene, however, immediately precedes Jephthah's devastating revelation of a rash vow he made to God in the heat of war.
This passage directly parallels Jephthah's situation by mentioning Abraham being asked to sacrifice his 'only son,' Isaac, highlighting the profound personal cost and deep emotional anguish involved in such a potential sacrifice.
Exodus 15:20This reference shows a similar scene where women, led by Miriam, use timbrels and dances to celebrate a great victory, demonstrating that Jephthah's daughter's greeting was a culturally recognized expression of joy for a returning hero.
1 Samuel 18:6This passage describes women meeting Saul and David with timbrels and dances after a victory, reinforcing the cultural context of celebratory processions and highlighting how this tradition continued after Jephthah's time.
Jeremiah 6:26The prophet Jeremiah uses the imagery of a 'daughter of my people' being clad in sackcloth and rolling in ashes, mirroring the profound grief and lamentation seen in Jephthah's daughter's situation, especially when facing personal tragedy despite a public victory.
Luke 9:38A man pleads with Jesus to look upon his 'only son,' which echoes the deep parental love and desperation felt by Jephthah for his unique child, emphasizing the rarity and preciousness of an only child.
gillJudges 11:34: "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."
And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house,.... Where he had uttered his words before the Lord, which had passed between him and the elders of Gilead, and from whence he set out to fight the children of Ammon, and whither he returned after he had got the victory over them, Judges 11:11 an…
bensonJudges 11:34: "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."
Jdg 11:34-35 . Behold his daughter came out to meet him — In concert with other virgins, as the manner was. Alas, my daughter! thou art one of them that trouble me — Before this I was troubled by my brethren, and since by the Ammonites, and now most of all, though but occasionally, by the…
The text emphasizes that she was his "only child" using a word that carries a profound sense of uniqueness and preciousness. This detail isn't just about her not having siblings; it highlights how all of Jephthah's hopes for posterity rested solely on her, intensifying the tragic weight of his vow.
Fresh off a victorious battle against the Ammonites, Jephthah returns home to Mizpah, his hometown. He is greeted not with somber reflection, but with the joyous celebration of women and maidens playing music and dancing, led by his beloved and only daughter. This scene, however, immediately precedes Jephthah's devastating revelation of a rash vow he made to God in the heat of war.
Fresh off a victorious battle against the Ammonites, Jephthah returns home to Mizpah, his hometown. He is greeted not with somber reflection, but with the joyous celebration of women and maidens playing music and dancing, led by his beloved and only daughter. This scene, however, immediately precedes Jephthah's devastating revelation of a rash vow he made to God in the heat of war.
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"Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah. And behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child; besides her he had neither son nor daughter." — The text emphasizes that she was his "only child" using a word that carries a profound sense of uniqueness and preciousness. This detail isn't just about her not having siblings; it highlights how al…
