Jephthah’s daughter is the victim of her father’s vow to sacrifice a person in return for victory in battle. Women are critical for the survival of the family; therefore, Jephthah’s willingness to lose his daughter indicates that the text is trying to display the disorder and depravity of Israel before the institution of monarchial rule.
The fate of biblical women in post-biblical times has been a reoccurring source of inspiration in world and Hebrew literature. With the rise of feminist criticism, there has been renewed vigor and excitement surrounding interpretation and retelling of biblical women’s stories.