Judges 11:37

When Jephthah’s daughter learns of his vow, Scripture tells us, *“And she said to her father, ‘Let this thing be done for me; let me alone two months, that I may go to the mountains and weep because of my virginity, I and my companions’”* (Judges 11:37 NASB-95). This poignant request occurs immediately after she discovers that she herself will become the subject of her father’s solemn oath before God. Jephthah, who ruled as a judge in Israel around the late 12th or early 11th century BC, had just returned victorious from a battle against the Ammonites and felt compelled to fulfill his vow of dedication, even though it meant great personal grief. The region in question is the mountainous territory of Gilead in northern Transjordan, a rugged landscape of steep hillsides and rocky outcroppings that provided a secluded place for his daughter to lament her fate.

The daughter’s words, *“that I may go to the mountains and weep because of my virginity, I and my companions,”* (v.37) highlight the depth of her sorrow. In ancient Israel, leaving no descendants was regarded as a tragic loss, because children carried on a family’s name and inheritance. By requesting two months apart to mourn, she is given the space to process the implications of never marrying and never having children, a heartbreaking reality in that cultural context. Nevertheless, her willingness to honor her father’s promise to the Lord underscores a sober understanding that once a vow to God had been made, it had to be fulfilled (Deuteronomy 23:21–23). Jephthah’s vow is singled out in Scripture as an extreme example of dealing with the consequences of speech and personal promises, reflecting a broader biblical principle that believers are called to keep the commitments they make to God. citeturn0file10

This scene also demonstrates the seriousness and weight of making a vow before the Lord. Earlier in the chapter, Jephthah asked God to deliver the sons of Ammon into his hand, promising that whatever came out of his house to greet him would be dedicated to the Lord (Judges 11:29–33). Once victory was granted, he found himself in a crisis of conscience, confronted by his daughter’s joyful arrival. In her request, *“let me alone two months”* (v.37), the daughter’s submission to the vow reminds us how devotion to God sometimes proves deeply costly and invites reflection on the importance of seeking divine wisdom before making weighty promises.

Her selfless act reveals heartfelt obedience and humility.