The Vow; or, Jephthah's Daughter

Jephthah, the ninth judge of the Israelites, a natural son of Gilead, of the tribe of Manasseh, was expelled from his home by his brothers, at the death of his father, on account of his illegitimate birth. He withdrew to the land of Tob, where he became the chief of a band of brigands. Later on, when the Israelites resolved to oppose the Ammonites, they invited Jephthah to become their commander. He accepted the invitation on condition that he should remain their ruler if he defeated the Ammonites. When setting forth against the enemy, Jephthah, who perhaps feared that the Lord would not favor him on account of his past, made a solemn vow to the Lord that if he returned victorious he would offer up for a burnt offering whatsoever first "came forth from the doors of his house" to meet him. When Jephthah's daughter, and only child, heard of her father's victory and return she rushed to meet him and was the first person to "come forth from Jephthah's house."