What is the meaning of Judges 11:38? “Go,” he said. - Jephthah’s immediate response shows a father honoring both his vow to the LORD (Judges 11:30-31) and his daughter’s request for time (v.37). - The simple command, “Go,” echoes moments in Scripture where God-given missions require costly obedience—think of Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22:2) or Jesus sending the disciples (Matthew 28:19). - Obedience here is swift; no attempt is made to renegotiate the vow. That underscores the seriousness with which God’s covenant people were to regard their words (Numbers 30:2; Ecclesiastes 5:4-5). And he sent her away for two months. - The two-month window respects her desire to prepare her heart for what lay ahead. Mourning periods in Israel sometimes lasted thirty days (Deuteronomy 34:8), so doubling that time hints at the depth of her upcoming loss. - Jephthah “sent her,” implying he retained authority yet gave space. Parents exercising godly leadership must balance firmness with compassion (Ephesians 6:4). - The set period also prevents indefinite delay, keeping the vow’s fulfillment certain (Psalm 15:4). So she left with her friends - She is not isolated. Covenant community support mirrors Ruth and Naomi’s companionship (Ruth 1:16-17) and the friends who carried the paralytic to Jesus (Mark 2:3-4). - True friends walk alongside us in obedience that hurts (Proverbs 17:17). Their presence testifies that faith is lived in fellowship, not in solitary heroics (Hebrews 10:24-25). and mourned her virginity upon the mountains. - What she laments is not death but the forfeiture of marriage and children—vital blessings in Israel (Psalm 127:3-5). Her line will end; her father’s legacy will not continue through her. - The mountains provide privacy and symbolic elevation toward God, recalling Moses on Sinai (Exodus 19:20) and Jesus praying alone (Luke 6:12). - Her mourning validates that following the LORD can involve real emotional pain (Psalm 34:18), yet her willingness shows faith greater than her grief (Hebrews 11:32-34). summary Judges 11:38 portrays a young woman who, with her father’s blessing and her friends’ support, takes two months to grieve the lifelong loss required by her father’s vow. The verse highlights swift obedience, respectful space for sorrow, the value of community, and the high cost that covenant faithfulness can demand. |
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