Publication date
12/15/42
Volume
63
Number
24
Publication page
377
The WatchTower
Fighter for the New World (Part 5)
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1942/24/1942-24-9.html
DECE:>1I3ER 
1;), 
1942 
312e 
WATCHTOWER.. 
3ii 
MOt:RXIXG 
DISPOSED 
OF 
16 
Jephthah's 
VOW 
had 
specified 
no 
definite 
time 
concerning 
exactl~· 
when 
he 
must 
offer 
up 
his 
sym­ 
bolIcal 
"burnt 
offering". 
(J 
udg. 
11: 
30, 
31) 
An 
instantaneous 
offering 
thereof 
immediately 
after 
the 
victim's 
appearance 
at 
J 
ephthah's 
homecoming 
had 
not 
heen 
promised. 
Reasonably 
there 
must 
be 
a 
preparatory 
period 
for 
the 
human 
victim, 
as 
in 
the 
ease 
of 
the 
boy 
SamueL 
His 
mother 
Hannah 
yowed 
to 
devote 
her 
first 
man 
child 
to 
God 
if 
he 
granted 
her 
motherhood, 
but 
she 
did 
not 
turn 
her 
boy 
Samuel 
over 
to 
the 
tabernacle 
and 
its 
priests 
and 
Levites 
as 
soon 
aE, 
the 
babe 
was 
born. 
Properly 
she 
\\'aited 
"until 
she 
weaned 
him, 
And 
when 
she 
had 
\\'eaned 
him, 
she 
tool, 
him 
up 
with 
her"' 
and 
turned 
him 
over 
to 
the 
high 
priest, 
to 
keep 
her 
vow. 
(1 
Sam, 
1: 
11. 
19-28) 
Likewise 
in 
the 
case 
of 
J 
ephthah's 
marriageable 
daughter. 
"And 
she 
said 
unto 
her 
father, 
Let 
this 
thing 
be 
done 
for 
me: 
let 
me 
alone 
two 
months, 
that 
I 
may 
go 
up 
and 
down 
upon 
the 
mountallls, 
and 
bewail 
my 
viq:;inity, 
I 
and 
my 
fellows 
[my 
companions 
(Am. 
Ret'. 
T'er.)]." 
(Judg. 
11: 
37) 
That 
is, 
Do 
not 
vet 
for 
two 
months 
turn 
me 
over 
to 
the 
tabernacle 
at 
Shiloh. 
and 
God's 
future 
service 
for 
me 
there.-Judg. 
18: 
31. 
77 
The 
girl 
asked 
nothing 
contrary 
to 
her 
obliga­ 
tions 
to 
the 
Theocratic 
rule, 
nor 
to 
provide 
a 
loop­ 
hole 
to 
escape 
paying 
to 
Jehovah 
that 
which 
is 
due 
and 
owing 
to 
him. 
She 
designated 
two 
months' 
grace, 
evidently 
one 
month 
as 
for 
her 
father, 
hecause 
his 
name 
and 
the 
extension 
of 
his 
familY 
would 
be 
cut 
off 
in 
the 
sacrifice 
of 
her: 
and 
the 
~ther 
month 
as 
for 
herself, 
because 
she 
would 
he 
denied 
mother­ 
hood 
and 
would 
die 
childless 
with 
no 
one 
to 
carry 
forward 
a 
family 
from 
her. 
The 
request 
of 
such 
sta;' 
of 
time 
was 
reasonable, 
when 
tah-ing 
into 
considera­ 
tion 
her 
great-gr:lIldff'.ther's 
case, 
J 
acob's: 
"The 
E~yptians 
mourned 
for 
him 
threescore 
and 
ten 
[70] 
.bys," 
(Gen, 
50: 
3) 
In 
the 
case 
of 
~loses' 
brother 
.-\aron, 
'·they 
mourned 
for 
Aaron 
thirty 
days, 
even 
all 
the 
house 
of 
IsraeL" 
(Kum. 
20: 
29) 
In 
the 
case 
of 
~loses, 
"the 
children 
of 
Israel 
wept 
for 
)'loses 
in 
tile 
plains 
of 
~loab 
thirty 
days: 
so 
the 
days 
of 
weep­ 
ing 
and 
mourning 
for 
~loses 
were 
ended." 
(Deut. 
3-i: 
S) 
In 
view 
of 
the 
dying 
out 
of 
her 
father's 
hoase 
and 
lineage 
by 
reason 
of 
fulfilling 
his 
vow 
upon 
her, 
.J 
l'phthah's 
daughter 
asked 
for 
just 
two 
moons. 
or 
about 
59 
days, 
to 
do 
what 
was 
fitting. 
Compare 
this 
\\·ith 
how 
the 
Israelites 
wept 
at 
the 
seeming 
danger 
tllat 
one 
of 
the 
t,velve 
tribes, 
Benjamin, 
might 
possibly 
be 
cut 
off 
by 
childlessness 
and 
die 
out: 
"And 
the 
people 
came 
to 
the 
house 
of 
God, 
and 
abode 
there 
till 
even 
before 
God, 
and 
lifted 
up 
their 
voices, 
and 
~G 
Was 
an 
Immediate 
olferlOg 
up 
of 
Jepbtbab's 
daul:bter 
00 
tbe 
Fpot 
required 
or 
spedfied, 
aod 
10 
,"lew 
tbereof 
wbat 
request 
did 
sbe 
mnke 
of 
blm? 
~; 
Wby 
dId 
Jepbthab'. 
daUl!bter 
uk 
tbat 
tbe 
months 
of 
mourolog 
be 
two 
anel 
,\yb\ 
wa" 
tln~ 
reasonable. 
10 
",lew 
of 
the 
mourning 
over 
Jacob 
and 
Aaroo 
aod 
~10.es 
aod 
tbe 
tribe 
of 
Beojamln' 
wept 
sore; 
and 
said, 
0 
LORD 
God 
of 
Israel, 
why 
is 
this 
come 
to 
pass 
in 
Israel, 
that 
there 
shouhl 
llE' 
to 
day 
one 
tribe 
lacking 
in 
Israel!" 
"And 
they 
said, 
There 
must 
be 
an 
inheritance 
for 
them 
that 
be 
escaped 
of 
Benjamin, 
that 
a 
tribe 
be 
not 
destroyed 
out 
of 
Israel."-Judg. 
21: 
2,3.li. 
.. 
In 
J 
ephthah's 
daughter 
the 
Roman 
C'atllolic 
"buck 
nuns" 
and 
female 
nuns 
find 
no 
example 
or 
precedent 
for 
their 
parading 
around 
in 
puhlic 
in 
gloomy 
blacl, 
to 
arouse 
sympathy 
and 
superstitIOus 
awe 
in 
beholders. 
She 
lIad 
the 
spirit 
of 
Jesus. 
\\ 
ho 
said: 
"~loreoYer, 
'\'hen 
ye 
fast. 
be 
not, 
as 
the 
hypo­ 
crites, 
of 
a 
sad 
countenance: 
for 
they 
disfigure 
tlleir 
faces, 
that 
they 
may 
appear 
unto 
men 
to 
fast, 
Yerily 
I 
say 
unto 
you, 
They 
have 
their 
reward, 
But 
thou, 
when 
thou 
fastest. 
anoint 
thine 
head. 
and 
wash 
thY 
face; 
that 
thou 
appear 
not 
unto 
men 
to 
fast. 
bu't 
unto 
thy 
Father 
which 
is 
in 
secret: 
and 
thy 
Fatller, 
which 
seeth 
in 
secret, 
shall 
reward 
thee 
openly." 
(~latt. 
6: 
16-18) 
Jephthah'sdaughter 
didnot 
propose 
to 
hang 
around 
the 
home 
and 
hewail 
and 
mourn 
there 
to 
be 
seen 
of 
men 
and 
to 
depress 
the 
liyes 
of 
others 
thereabout. 
That 
would 
cause 
them 
to 
fix 
their 
minds 
and 
attention 
more 
on 
her 
and 
her 
case 
than 
on 
the 
vindication 
of 
God's 
name 
by 
hi~ 
wngE'­ 
ance 
expressed 
through 
her 
father 
upon 
tIle 
devil­ 
worshipers, 
She 
would 
not 
divert 
the 
attention 
of 
God'E, 
covenant 
people 
away 
from 
tIle 
Creator 
down 
to 
the 
creature, 
herself. 
It 
\\'as 
a 
time 
for 
Isrnel 
to 
rejoice, 
and 
neyer 
would 
she 
give 
it 
a 
sour 
nato 
hy 
her 
presenae 
and 
appearance 
of 
lllourlling.-COIl­ 
trast 
Zechariah 
7: 
3 
and 
S: 
19. 
" 
TIle 
request 
to 
"go 
up 
and 
do\\'n 
upon 
the 
moun­ 
tains" 
bewailing 
her 
virginity 
calls 
to 
attentIOn 
that 
her 
1I0meland, 
the 
territorY 
of 
Gilead. 
\\'as 
ycrY 
mountainous. 
Hence 
it 
was 
~s 
a 
wllole 
called 
"mouY{t 
Gilead". 
(Gen. 
31: 
21, 
23, 
25) 
The 
"lllgh 
VI 
aces" 
\\"('re 
accustomed 
places 
to 
WE'ep, 
in 
solitude, 
as 
l1otE'd. 
fl)l 
eX~ll1ple, 
in 
Isaiah 
1;): 
2: 
"H 
e 
is 
gone 
up 
to 
Ba.11 
t 
11, 
and 
to 
Dibon, 
the 
high 
places, 
to 
weep." 
In 
the 
ISO­ 
lated 
mountains 
J 
ehovall 
God, 
who 
sees 
in 
secret, 
could 
discern 
her 
self-effacing 
course. 
and 
hl' 
\\'ould 
reward 
her 
openly; 
which 
He 
did. 
She 
would 
hewail 
her 
case 
hefore. 
and 
not 
aftl'r. 
entering 
Into 
the 
Lord'E, 
exclusi\'e 
sen'ice 
at 
his 
tabernacle 
at 
Shiloll. 
Her 
mourning 
being 
then 
for 
ever 
accomplished 
by 
the 
two 
months 
of 
roaming 
on 
the 
mountain::- 
of 
Gilead, 
she 
would 
ever 
thereafter 
serve 
the 
Lord 
with 
gladness 
at 
his 
hal\' 
house. 
Is 
it 
not 
so 
todav? 
The 
Lord's 
"other 
sheep" 
do 
not 
intrude 
allY 
~ote 
Qf 
personal 
sorrowfulness 
upon 
the 
compan~ 
of 
J 
eho­ 
valt's 
witnesses 
to 
mar 
their 
rejoicing 
at 
His 
acts 
2S 
(a) 
How 
dld 
tbe 
request 
of 
Jephthah'. 
daul!hter 
cootrast 
"Itb 
tbe 
public 
sbo\~) 
maooer 
or 
relIgious 
ouns 
but 
harmonize 
"Itb 
Jesus' 
word. 
concernlD~ 
se!r·deoial? 
(bl 
\\ 
b) 
did 
bbe 
desire 
to 
mourn 
10 
isolation 
awa) 
from 
home 
') 
29 
\l'by 
"ere 
tbe 
mouotalDs 
a 
suitable 
place 
for 
mourolo~ 
before 
ber 
entr~ 
into 
Ser\'lce 
at 
tbe 
tabernacle. 
and 
bow 
19 
tbl'S 
plcture 
of 
mourolos 
fulnlled 
io 
tbe 
case 
of 
tbe 
"otber 
bneep" 
toda) 
, 
DecEMBER 15, 1942 MOURNING DISPOSED OF 6 Jephthah’s vow had specified no definite time concerning exactly when he must offer up his symbolical “burnt offering”. (Judg. 11:30,31) An instantaneous offering thereof immediately after the vietim’s appearance at Jephthah’s homecoming had not been promised. Reasonably there must be a preparatory period for the human victim, as in the ease of the boy Samuel. His mother Hannah vowed to devote her first man child to God if he granted her motherhood, but she did not turn her boy Samuel over to the tabernacle and its priests and Levites as soon as the babe was born. Properly she waited “until she weaned him. And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her” and turned him over to the high priest, to keep her vow. (1 Sam. 1:11,19-28) Likewise in the case of Jephthah’s inarriageable daughter. “And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, land my fellows [my companions (Am. Rev. Ver.)].” (Judg. 11:37) That is, Do not vet for two months turn me over to the tabernacle at Shiloh, and God's future service for me there.—Judg. 18: 31. 77 The girl asked nothing contrary to her obligations to the Theocratic rule, nor to provide a loophole to escape paying to Jehovah that which is due and owing to him. She designated two months’ grace, evidently one month as for her father, because his name and the extension of his family would be cut off in the sacrifice of her; and the other month as for herself, because she would be denied motherhood and would die childless with no one to carry forward a family from her. The request of such stay of time was reasonable, when taking into consideration her great-grandfather’s case, Jacob's: “The Lgyptians mourned for him threescore and ten [70] days.” (Gen. 50:3) In the case of Moses’ brother Aaron, “they inourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.” (Num. 20:29) In the case of Moses, “the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days: so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.” (Deut. 34:8) In view of the dying out of her father’s house and lineage by reason of fulfilling his vow upon her, Jephthah’s daughter asked for just two moons, or about 59 days, to do what was fitting. Compare this with how the Israelites wept at the seeming danger that one of the twelve tribes, Benjamin, might possibly be cut off by childlessness and die out: “And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and 26 Was an immediate offering up of Jepbthah’s daughter on the Rpot required {or specified, and in view thereof what request did she make of him? 27 Why did Jephthahb’s daughter ask that the months of mourning be two and why was this reasonable, in view of the mourning over Jacob and Aaron and Moses and the tribe of Benjamin? She WATCHTOWER ott wept sore; and said, O Lorp God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel?” “And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.”—Judg. 21: 2, 3,17. >In Jephthah’s daughter the Roman Catholic “buck nuns” and female nuns find no example or precedent for their parading around in public in gloomy black to arouse sympathy and superstitious awe in beholders. She had the spirit of Jesus, who said: “Moreover, when ye fast. be not, as the hwpocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.” (Matt. 6: 16-18) Jephthah’s daughter did not propose to hang around the home and bewail and mourn there to be seen of men and to depress the lives of others thereabout. That would cause them to fix their minds and attention more on her and her case than on the vindication of God's name by his vengeance expressed through her father upon the devilworshipers. She would not divert the attention of God's covenant people away from the Creator down to the creature, herself. It was a time for Israel to rejoice, and never would she give it a sour note by her presence and appearance of mourning.—Contrast Zechariah 7:3 and 8:19. * The request to “go up and down upon the mountains” bewailing her virginity calls to attention that her homeland, the territory of Gilead, was very mountainous. Hence it was as a whole called “mount Gilead”. (Gen. 31: 21, 23, 25) The “high places” were accustomed places to weep, in solitude, as noted. for example, in Isaiah 15:2: “He is gone up to Banth, and to Dibon, the high places, to weep.” In the 1s0lated mountains Jehovah God, who sees in secret, could discern her self-effacing course, and he would reward her openly; which He did. She would bewail her case before, and not after, entering into the Lord’s exclusive service at his tabernacle at Shiloh. Her mourning being then for ever accomplished by the two months of roaming on the mountains of Gilead, she would ever thereafter serve the Lord with gladness at his holy house. Is it not so today? The Lord's “other sheep” do not intrude any note of personal sorrowfulness upon the company of Jehovah’s witnesses to mar their rejoicing at His acts 2S (a) How did the request of Jephthah’s daughter contrast with the public showy manner of religious nuns but harmonize with Jesus’ words concerning self-denial? (b} Why did she desire to mourn in isolation away from home? 29 Why were the mountains a suitable place for mourning before ber entry) into service at the tabernacle, and how is this picture of mourning fulfilled in the case of the “other sheep” today «

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