What is the meaning of Judges 11:40? that each year Judges 11:40 opens with the regular cadence of remembrance: “that each year….” Scripture often sets memorials on an annual rhythm so that God’s people keep vital truths alive (Exodus 12:14; Joshua 4:7; Esther 9:28). Here the yearly observance anchors Jephthah’s vow and its outcome in Israel’s collective conscience, warning every generation not to speak lightly before the LORD (Ecclesiastes 5:4-6; Psalm 15:4). the young women of Israel The verse singles out “the young women,” spotlighting those who most closely identify with Jephthah’s daughter—unmarried, looking ahead to future hopes. Similar female choirs appear in other national moments (Exodus 15:20-21; Judges 5:1-2; Psalm 68:25). Their participation proclaims that faithfulness—even unto great personal cost—remains worthy of honor (Proverbs 31:30). go out They “go out,” leaving routine settings to mark sacred space (Judges 21:19-21; 1 Samuel 9:12-13). Stepping outside their villages underscores pilgrimage and intentionality: this is not casual grief but a deliberate act of covenant memory, echoing Israel’s festival journeys to Shiloh, then later to Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 16:16; Luke 2:41). for four days The Spirit records the length—“four days.” Scripture often notes time spans to stress completeness (Genesis 7:17; 1 Samuel 30:12-13). Four days allow sustained reflection: a day to travel, a day to gather, a day to mourn, a day to return. Nothing hurried; vows and their consequences must be weighed soberly (Numbers 30:2; James 5:12). to lament Their purpose is “to lament.” Biblical lament is more than sorrow; it is worshipful grieving before God (2 Samuel 1:17-27; Psalm 119:136). The young women mourn the life forfeited and perhaps their own vulnerability, yet they also magnify the LORD’s holiness that requires integrity in vows (Leviticus 5:4-6; Joshua 9:19). the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite Finally, the focus: “the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.” She remained nameless in the narrative, which keeps attention on her father’s vow and God’s honor (Judges 11:34-39). Whether understanding her fate as literal sacrifice (most straightforward reading, echoing Genesis 22) or lifelong consecration (Numbers 30:3-9), her obedience stands alongside other Hebrews 11 heroes who “did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death” (Hebrews 11:32-34; Revelation 12:11). Her story urges every believer to count the cost of discipleship (Luke 9:23). summary Judges 11:40 records an annual, four-day pilgrimage by Israel’s young women to mourn Jephthah’s daughter. The practice kept alive the memory of a vow kept at terrible cost, warned Israel to speak carefully before the LORD, and honored a young woman’s faithfulness. Through this simple line, God teaches that He is holy, vows are sacred, and the example of sacrificial obedience must never be forgotten. |
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