Why might have God allowed the burning of Jephtha’s daughter when he condemned child sacrifice as worship in Deuteronomy 12?

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Does the Bible actually say that Jephthah sacrificed his daughter as a burnt offering, that he copied the wicked religious sacrifices of the pagans to their gods to Baal and Molech by throwing live babies and children into the flames? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moloch

After all, the Israelites would first slaughter the sacrificial animal and drain the blood before burning it. Leviticus chapter 16 describes how Aaron would take the sin offering (a bull and a goat), slaughter the animals and sprinkle some of the shed blood in the Most Holy Place. Then the sacrificial animals would be burnt according to strict rules.

It is true that God expressly forbade the Israelites to sacrifice their children to pagan gods so it was not God’s desire for Jephthah to sacrifice his daughter:

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Say to the people of Israel, Any one of the people of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech shall surely be put to death.” (Leviticus 20:1-5)

and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, which I did not command or decree, nor did it come into my mind (Jeremiah 19:5)

You ask why God allowed Jephthah to carry out his vow which meant the death of his daughter – his only child. There is a solemn duty to keep any vow made to the Lord. Jesus said, quoting from Leviticus 19:12; 23:21 and Numbers 30:2:

You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’ (Matthew 5:33)

The account illustrates how foolish Jephthah’s vow was, but he could not break that vow:

If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the Lord your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty. Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the Lord your God with your own mouth (Deuteronomy 23:21-23).

Furthermore, Jephthah’s daughter understood why her father had to carry out his oath to the Lord and she consented:

Let this thing be done for me... (Judges 11:36-38)

As distasteful as this sacrifice was, the responsibility fell on Jephthah to carry it out. We know that God stayed Abraham’s hand before he sacrificed his own son and then God provided a ram, because it was part of His plan of salvation. Not so with Jephthah who spoke foolishly and irresponsibly.

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For those who believe in Mary the mother of Christ Jesus to be ever-virgin, it is odd this vow doesn't come up as a proof text of someone (father) making a vow for someone (daughter) to remain ever-virgin.

Jephthah was born from a concubine. He had one daughter. His wife is never mentioned. The Spirit of the LORD comes upon him (verse 29) and he makes a vow.

Now, do we really want to argue that God is instructing him to sacrifice his daughter? How about like with Abraham, but there is no support for Jephthah believing the same as he vows to slay the first thing that leaves his house upon his return from battle.

One solution is to understand that sentence construction may be "and", or it may be "or".

Judges 11:31. whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me shall surely be the Lord's; and [or] I will offer it up for a burnt offering--The adoption of the latter particle, which many interpreters suggest, introduces the important alternative, that if it were a person, the dedication would be made to the service of the sanctuary; if a proper animal or thing, it would be offered on the altar. JFB

Thus, his virgin daughter is dedicated to God's service all her life.

So, to answer the OP, God did not direct Jephthah to sacrifice his daughter, nor would God have accepted that type of sacrifice.

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