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Jephthah

Biblical
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Israelite judge who, after vowing to sacrifice “whatever comes out of my house” upon victory, tragically offered his daughter.

Detailed Definition
An outcast Gileadite, Jephthah defeated Ammon but tragically fulfilled his rash vow. His story blends heroism and horror. In poetry, Jephthah embodies the cost of impulsive vows, the ambiguity of leadership from the margins, and the sorrow of unintended consequences in zeal.
Example
Example in poetry:
In John Milton’s "Paradise Lost," Jephthah’s vow (Judges 11) illustrates the cost of rash promises; In Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s "Aurora Leigh," Jephthah symbolizes the tragic hero bound by his word; In William Cowper’s hymns, Jephthah’s daughter’s lament warns against impulsive devotion; In George Herbert’s "The Church-porch," Jephthah’s victory and sorrow model the complexity of faith; In John Keble’s "Lyra Innocentium," Jephthah represents the judge whose zeal brings grief; In Christina Rossetti’s "Goblin Market," Jephthah’s daughter’s dance prefigures innocent sacrifice.
Additional Notes
Jephthah: Judge who defeated Ammon but vowed to sacrifice his daughter (Judges 11). In poetry, Jephthah embodies tragic vow-making, the cost of rash promises, and the tension between military success and personal loss. His daughter’s response (“do to me according to your vow”) is heart-wrenching—ideal for poems on sacrifice, gender, or the ethics of religious commitment.
Also Known As
Jephthah the Gileadite Jephthah the Judge
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