Judges 11:35It happened, when he saw her, that he tore his clothes, and said, "Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are one of those who trouble me; for I have opened my mouth to Yahweh, and I can't go back."
The setting
Mizpah, Israel, ~1100 BC. A victorious general sees his only child dancing toward him...
The emotion here: horrified devastation realizing what his vow means
The original word
qāra' (קָרַע) — violent tearing of clothes in extreme grief
Why it matters
Jephthah was a rejected son who became a war hero, now facing his greatest defeat
Read with care
What most readers miss in Judges 11:35
She was his ONLY child - this ended his entire bloodline forever
Common misconceptionMany think this proves God wanted child sacrifice. Actually, it shows the tragedy of rash vows - God never commanded this and Jephthah's vow violated His law.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Judges 11:35
Bible Genome reading
Judges 11:35 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Judges 11:35 comes from the book of Judges, written during the judges period. These words are attributed to Jephthah. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the dialogue genre of biblical literature. Key themes include grief, consequences, vows. Notable phrases: tore his clothes; brought me very low.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does Judges 11:35 mean to you, today?
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