Hello Sandy. I think you might be thinking of Jephthah, found in Judges chapter 11. I hope I'm correct in assuming that, since that account is very sad indeed. You know the story so I won't go over it, except to say that it was truly a very rash, ill-considered vow that Jephthah had made before the Lord.
As far as whether he fulfilled his vow by sacrificing his daughter, it would be inconclusive to say. In the normal reading of that Scripture, it appears that he did sacrifice her, as we see his demonstration of horror, anguish & tearing of clothes when she was the first to come through the doors to greet him. He might have been expecting an animal ("WHATSOEVER cometh forth of the doors of my house" verse 31), as some animals were often kept in the house, so this vow appears extremely rash & for which he would have to live with in grief for the rest of his life.
Yet, some suppose that Jephthah didn't sacrifice his daughter in the understanding as one would sacrifice an animal. One reason given, is that it would be an abomination before God & man, for a human sacrifice to take place, & such human sacrifices were only conducted by the heathen. Rather, Jephthah allowed her to go away to the mountains to "bewail her virginity" & then return to be forever set apart, without marriage & family, sacrificed for the Lord's Service.
So, one can't be too sure what actually took place, the Scripture isn't specific enough - my sense is that he fulfilled his vow by permitting her death which was then remembered & lamented over each year by "the daughters of Israel".
As far as whether he fulfilled his vow by sacrificing his daughter, it would be inconclusive to say. In the normal reading of that Scripture, it appears that he did sacrifice her, as we see his demonstration of horror, anguish & tearing of clothes when she was the first to come through the doors to greet him. He might have been expecting an animal ("WHATSOEVER cometh forth of the doors of my house" verse 31), as some animals were often kept in the house, so this vow appears extremely rash & for which he would have to live with in grief for the rest of his life.
Yet, some suppose that Jephthah didn't sacrifice his daughter in the understanding as one would sacrifice an animal. One reason given, is that it would be an abomination before God & man, for a human sacrifice to take place, & such human sacrifices were only conducted by the heathen. Rather, Jephthah allowed her to go away to the mountains to "bewail her virginity" & then return to be forever set apart, without marriage & family, sacrificed for the Lord's Service.
So, one can't be too sure what actually took place, the Scripture isn't specific enough - my sense is that he fulfilled his vow by permitting her death which was then remembered & lamented over each year by "the daughters of Israel".
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