See Judges xi.

JEPHTHAH, an unnatural son of Gilead, having been cast out and deprived of his inheritance by the other sons of his father, went to the land of Tob, lying eastward towards the deserts, and there gathered about him a band of outlaws, or vain men," and "was a mighty man of valor "-so that his fame went back to- his native land. Accordingly when the Ammonites rose against Israel, the Elders of Gilead besought Jephthah to become their Captain, which he consented to do on condition that if he were victorious over the Ammonites, he should remain their Head. "And the Elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The Lord be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words. Then Jephthah went with the Elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them; and Jephthah, uttered all his words before the Lord in Mizpeh. * * * And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's, and I will offer It up for a burnt offering. So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the Lord delivered them into his hands. And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel. And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances; and she was his only child: beside her he had neither son nor daughter. And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me:' for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back. And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.”. In the picture we see the lovely maiden tripping joyously- forth with her companions to meet the victor chief, proud of his success, and little dreaming that by this touching act of filial pride and love she is to become the unhappy victim of her father's rash vow.