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him at times in the camp of Dan between fend his people’s possession of the land,
Zorah and Eshtaol,” tends to confirm the a vow would have been unnecessary. That
idea that the Spirit empowered one with Jephthah feels the need to make the vow
discrete acts of supernatural courage or suggests that he was far less confident
strength. This is further confirmed in the than his words suggest. Few, if any, of us
case of Gideon, for it is just after the Spirit are much different to him. We all know
comes upon him that he begins to doubt what it is for our faith to falter when push
God’s promise and asks, “If thou wilt save comes to shove, but the point remains:
Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said” it is difficult to see Jephthah’s vow as an
(6:36). In addition, Samson’s life provides expression of confidence in God.
fairly clear evidence that even decisions The character of Jephthah’s vow is
or attitudes that are directly juxtaposed further called into question when it is
with the coming upon of the Spirit of the compared with the four other vows that
Lord are not necessarily praiseworthy. occur in Old Testament narrative. In
His failure to tell his parents about his each of the other vows recorded, there
encounter with the lion is, at best, morally is a close relationship between what is
neutral (14:6), and his anger at the solv- requested and what is promised. Jacob
ing of his riddle, while understandable, must be preserved if he is to serve God
hardly seems spiritual. All this being so, (Gen 28:20-22). It is only if God delivers
one cannot assume that the vow of 11:30 the Canaanites into the hand of Israel that
is a consequence of, or is sanctified by, the they can be utterly destroyed (Num 21:1-
arrival of the Spirit of the LORD in 11:29, 2). Hannah can only give her son to God
and Gideon’s example is a reminder (use- if He first gives a son to her (1Sa 1:11).
ful for us all) that moments of spiritual And, whatever the sincerity of Absalom’s
strength can be followed closely by mo- claim, he could only serve the Lord in He-
ments of spiritual weakness. bron if God brought him safely back from
As with Gideon, Jephthah’s actions in Geshur (2Sa 15:8). In each instance, the
the immediate aftermath of the Spirit of vower asked for something from God that
the LORD coming upon him seem to belie could be used to express greater devotion
an earlier confidence in God. Jephthah’s to God. Jephthah’s vow is different. He
speech to the king of Ammon contained is proposing a commercial transaction, a
a trenchant articulation of Israel’s right to quid pro quo. This is emphasised when we
the land and a declaration of confidence compare his vow to that of the Israelites
in God’s power: “Whomsoever the LORD in Numbers 21, its closest analogue. The
our God shall drive out from before us, text emphasises its similarity, for “the
them will we possess” (11:24). Jephthah’s protases [if-clause] are practically identi-
peroration brought his speech to an end cal.” The similarity of context, structure
2
with a ringing declaration of faith in and language means that we are led
God (and considerable rhetorical polish): to expect a similar promise. But rather
“The LORD the Judge be judge this day than promising to destroy the enemy ut-
between the children of Israel and the terly, or even to devote part of the spoil
children of Ammon” (v27). If Jephthah to God, Jephthah makes a completely
had really believed his own rhetoric, had
really been confident that the Lord would 2 David Marcus, Jephthah and His Vow (Lubbock,
be judge, and would, by His power, de- TX: Texas Tech Press,1986), 19.
Continued on p. 237
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