The Handmaid's Tale: Chapter Analysis

The chapter begins by describing a man named Jephthah. He was the son of Gilead by a harlot (v. 1). His brothers threw him out of their house because he was a harlot’s son (v. 2). Jephthah fled from them and dwelt in the land of Tob, along with worthless men who assisted him (v. 3). During this time, the Ammonites arrived to fight against Israel (v. 4). The elders of Gilead went to find Jephthah and make him their captain to defend them against the Ammonites (v. 5-6). He reminded them that they had previously sent him away, and now they want him to deliver them (v. 7). The elders urged him to come with them, but he required that they make him their ruler in return (v. 8-9). The elders agreed to his terms, and he went with them (v. 10-11). Once he arrived in Gilead, Jephthah sent messengers to find out why the Ammonites were fighting them (v. 12). They replied by saying that Israel stole their land when they left Egypt, and they advised him to return their land to them peaceably (v. 13). Jephthah again sent messengers and briefly rehearsed Israel’s history with them to the Ammonites (v. 14-22). He told them that God had dispossessed them and that

He vowed that if God would deliver the Ammonites into his hand, he would sacrifice whatever came out of his house when he returned (v. 29-31). God gave Jephthah victory over the Ammonites and he slew them with a great slaughter, subduing them before Israel (v. 32-33). When Jephthah returned home, his only daughter exited his house to meet him with timbrels and dance (v. 34). He tore his clothes when he noticed this because he could not go back on his vow (v. 35). His daughter encouraged him to stay true to his vow, but to allow her to mourn her virginity (v. 36-37). He allowed her to go, and two months later she returned and Jephthah fulfilled his vow (v. 38-39). It then became a custom in Israel for their daughters to yearly mourn Jephthah’s daughter for four days (v.