Page 23 - October 2025 - Truth & Tidings

Christological Significance The conversation between Jephthah and
Jephthah’s daughter yields her life by his daughter (“my daughter … my father”)
adopting a life of perpetual virginity. A echoes Abraham and Isaac’s conversation
while ascending the mount (“my father
childless existence and death are equated … my son,” Gen 22:6,8). The filial and
in the Bible (Gen 30:1). By forfeiting her paternal love between both pairs typifies
life for the deliverance of the nation, she the archetypical Father-Son relationship.
ultimately points forward to the cross, and
is a gospel message in picture. Israel, in her Just as Isaac submitted to the will of his
unfaithfulness, deserved judgement. And father, Jephthah’s daughter, in her radiant
yet a spotless, pure sacrifice is offered so that feminine submission, accepts the word
a rebellious people can go free. Here we see of her father: “Do to me according to that
the vow of a father and the work of the only which hath proceeded out of thy mouth”
begotten dealing with sin. In the gospel we (Jdg 11:36). She prefigures the supreme
see the Father and the Son working for the submission of the Son of God, when He
salvation of sinners. was obedient to the extent of death, even
The Judges author also weaves into the death on a cross.
account words and images from Genesis Isaac was laid on the altar, which was
22 with the offering of Isaac by Abraham. a death in type. Jephthah’s daughter dies
This further adds to the idea that Jephthah’s in type as well. She is left alone – “let me
daughter is a type of Christ. Just as Isaac alone two months” (v37). We can almost
was the only son of Abraham (Gen 22:2), hear the echo of her being “forsaken” (Mat
Jephthah’s daughter was his “only child” 27:46). Just as Isaac was on the mountains of
(Jdg 11:34). The word for “only” and Moriah, and skull hill was the mount where
1
“child” in these verses is the same. The Christ was left alone, Jephthah’s daughter
Judges author presses home the uniqueness weeps and sorrows on the mountains with
of Jephthah’s daughter by saying, “Beside her fellows. They were all involved in the
her he had neither son nor daughter” (v34). funeral procession. Grief, sorrow, seclusion
Isaac as well as Jephthah’s daughter are and anguish were the experience that
both painted as unique, beloved and only- marked the funeral train. This is the death
begotten, prefiguring the only-begotten in type of the daughter. She forfeits her life,
Son of God. is forsaken and judged for sins not her own.
Israel had been unfaithful, was defiled by
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the KJV idols and was obstinately rebellious. And
unless otherwise noted. yet, it was the faithful, pure, submissive

311
TruthandTidings.com I October 2025 311