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Article JEPHTHAH'S VOW CONSIDERED. ← Page 4 of 5 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Jephthah's Vow Considered.
ignorant of God ' s law , as to vow to immolate his daughter , on His altar , or at least as a sacrifice to Him ? In Scott ' s valuable commentary , we also find Jephthah elevated in our opinion , and afterwards degraded . In his Notes on the 3 rd verse ofthe text , he says , "In this course of life , they learned hardiness , boldness , and military skill ; and thus Jephthah acquired that reputationwhich made for his advancement commander in the
, way , as war against Amnion . It is not improbable , that he also reformed his followers , and gave them some instruction in reli gion , as David , in similar circumstances , evidently did in respect of his adherents . " Further , in the Notes on verses 9 and 11 , " Jephthah had no great reason to confide in the Elders of Gilead ; and as he supposed , that if the Lord gave him the victory over Amnion , this would entitle him to tlie authority of judover the tribes east of Jordanhe required the
ge , Elders to engage , by a solemn oath , that they would submit to him , before he accompanied them to Mizpeh . And , when he came thither , being about to enter on this important service , "he uttered all his words , " or laid all his transactions "before the Lord , " seeking his direction , assistance , and blessing very particularl y in fervent prayer , as one who would go forth in faith , and who expected all his success from God .
Again , —m the Notes to verses 12 to 23 , — " The whole of the messages to the Ammonites , shew that Jephthah had well studied the historical part of the Books of Moses . His arguments are likewise very clear , and his demands reasonable ; for he only required the Ammonites should cease to harass a people , who neither had injured them , nor intended to do so . "
But m the Notes to verses 30 and 31 , we read , " Not being so well acquainted with the preceptive part of the Books of Moses , as ivith the historical , he confounded the several laws of sacrifices and vows ; and he seems to have had some confined idea of the law and custom of devoting persons or things to utter destruction . This being especially intended of the enemies of God , and things abused to idolatry , he erroneously applied to innocent persons and Israelites , over whose lives he could have either in
no power , his public or private character ; and he supposed that the execution of his vow required , that the person devoted should be offered for a burnt-offering . His judgment was not only erroneous through ignorance of the Divine law , but it was also perverted by too great familiarity with the customs of the surrounding nations of idolaters , who , on such emergencies , frequently vowed , and offered human sacrifices supposing them acceptable to the Deityin
, , proportion to the pain which they occasioned to the offerers . Who , we would ask , could imagine that these two series of Notes referred to one and the same individual ? Is the last series at all characteristic of the man , who " gave his followers reli gious instruction "—or of him who " sought the direction , assistance , and blessing of Jehovah very particularly , in fervent prayer , as one who would go forth in faitli , and expect all his success from God ?"
We have thus endeavoured to rescue Jephthah from the various imputations against his character and conduct , and we trust that we have succeeded in establishing them upon a sound and consistent basis , strictly harmonizing with the accounts we have in the sacred volumes , and with the details of Oriental manners of that , and even of the present day .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Jephthah's Vow Considered.
ignorant of God ' s law , as to vow to immolate his daughter , on His altar , or at least as a sacrifice to Him ? In Scott ' s valuable commentary , we also find Jephthah elevated in our opinion , and afterwards degraded . In his Notes on the 3 rd verse ofthe text , he says , "In this course of life , they learned hardiness , boldness , and military skill ; and thus Jephthah acquired that reputationwhich made for his advancement commander in the
, way , as war against Amnion . It is not improbable , that he also reformed his followers , and gave them some instruction in reli gion , as David , in similar circumstances , evidently did in respect of his adherents . " Further , in the Notes on verses 9 and 11 , " Jephthah had no great reason to confide in the Elders of Gilead ; and as he supposed , that if the Lord gave him the victory over Amnion , this would entitle him to tlie authority of judover the tribes east of Jordanhe required the
ge , Elders to engage , by a solemn oath , that they would submit to him , before he accompanied them to Mizpeh . And , when he came thither , being about to enter on this important service , "he uttered all his words , " or laid all his transactions "before the Lord , " seeking his direction , assistance , and blessing very particularl y in fervent prayer , as one who would go forth in faith , and who expected all his success from God .
Again , —m the Notes to verses 12 to 23 , — " The whole of the messages to the Ammonites , shew that Jephthah had well studied the historical part of the Books of Moses . His arguments are likewise very clear , and his demands reasonable ; for he only required the Ammonites should cease to harass a people , who neither had injured them , nor intended to do so . "
But m the Notes to verses 30 and 31 , we read , " Not being so well acquainted with the preceptive part of the Books of Moses , as ivith the historical , he confounded the several laws of sacrifices and vows ; and he seems to have had some confined idea of the law and custom of devoting persons or things to utter destruction . This being especially intended of the enemies of God , and things abused to idolatry , he erroneously applied to innocent persons and Israelites , over whose lives he could have either in
no power , his public or private character ; and he supposed that the execution of his vow required , that the person devoted should be offered for a burnt-offering . His judgment was not only erroneous through ignorance of the Divine law , but it was also perverted by too great familiarity with the customs of the surrounding nations of idolaters , who , on such emergencies , frequently vowed , and offered human sacrifices supposing them acceptable to the Deityin
, , proportion to the pain which they occasioned to the offerers . Who , we would ask , could imagine that these two series of Notes referred to one and the same individual ? Is the last series at all characteristic of the man , who " gave his followers reli gious instruction "—or of him who " sought the direction , assistance , and blessing of Jehovah very particularly , in fervent prayer , as one who would go forth in faitli , and expect all his success from God ?"
We have thus endeavoured to rescue Jephthah from the various imputations against his character and conduct , and we trust that we have succeeded in establishing them upon a sound and consistent basis , strictly harmonizing with the accounts we have in the sacred volumes , and with the details of Oriental manners of that , and even of the present day .