Joel M Bradshaw

1The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, If anyone makes a special vow to the LORD involving the valuation of persons… 5If the person is from five years old up to twenty years old, the valuation shall be for a male twenty shekels, and for a female ten shekels.–Leviticus 27

This text reminds me of the tragic vow of Jephthah. I added emphasis.

Then the Spirit of the LORD was upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh and passed on to Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed on to the Ammonites.And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD and said, “If you will give the Ammonites into my hand,then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the LORD’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.” So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the LORD gave them into his hand. And he struck them from Aroer to the neighborhood of Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim, with a great blow. So the Ammonites were subdued before the people of Israel.

Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah. And behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child; besides her he had neither son nor daughter. And as soon as he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you have become the cause of great trouble to me. For I have opened my mouth to the LORD, and I cannot take back my vow.” (Judges 11:29-35)

Had Jephthah cared to know God’s law, he could have redeemed his rash vow. Instead he did whatever was right in his own eyes and his daughter paid the price.–JMB