Helpful Things to Know about Yiftach's Daughter
- Pronunciation: In Hebrew, “Bat” (“daughter”) as in “bat mitzvah,” “Yeef-tach”, with “ch” as in “challah”. In English, “Jeff-thuh.”
- Yiftach is portrayed in the previous chapter as a sort of loser or outsider figure, who also happens to be very strong, and finds himself appointed to lead the charge against the enemy Ammonites.
- There is a tradition among Ancient Near Eastern cultures that women and girls would come out with cymbals, drums, and dances to greet victorious warriors as they returned from battle. So Yiftach should have had some inkling that this might happen.
- The book of Judges, in which we read the story of Yiftach and his daughter, is largely a series of battles between warring nations; this story is told in a context of general violence.
