The Skeptics Annotated Bible (238 page)

(11.24a) “Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess?”
9 How many gods are there?

(11.24b)
“Whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.”

25 And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them,

26 While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover them within that time?

27 Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the LORD the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.

28 Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him.

(11.29-33)
The Ammonite Slaughter
When “the spirit of the Lord” comes upon Jephthah, he makes a deal with God: If God will help him kill the Ammonites, then he (Jephthah) will offer to God as a burnt offering whatever comes out of his house to greet him. God keeps his end of the deal by providing Jephthah with “a very great slaughter.” God’s 50th Killing

29 Then
the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he
passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.

(11.29)
“The Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he … vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt … deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,”

30 And Jephthah
vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt
without fail
deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,

31
Then
it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.

(11.31)
“Then … whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return … shall surely be the LORD’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.”

32 So
Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands.

(11.32)
“Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands.”

33
And he smote them
from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith,
even twenty cities
, and unto the plain of the vineyards,
with a very great slaughter.
Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

(11.33)
“And he smote them … even twenty cities … with a very great slaughter.”
146 How should the Ammonites be treated?
(11.34-39)
Jephthah’s daughter
When Jephthah returns, his nameless daughter comes out to greet him (who’d he expect, his wife?). Well, a deal’s a deal, so he delivers her to God as a burnt offering—after letting her spend a couple of months going up and down on the mountains bewailing her virginity.
66 Does God approve of human sacrifice? God’s 51st Killing