Judges 11

This chapter saddens my heart. It starts off well enough - a man is found to lead the Israelites efforts against their oppressors, and he appears to respect the Lord. However, before going to war he decides to make an oath that if he is given victory then the first creature to welcome him when he returns home would be offered as a burnt sacrifice to God. Of course he was successful in his campaign, but upon returning it is is only child, his daughter, who first comes out to greet him.

What a foolish thing to do! I can't imagine what would possess a man to make such an oath; I can understand offering any quantity of gold, goods, or animals - but to leave even the remotest chance that he would have to sacrifice a human... and a family member at that... it seems unconscionable.

There are apparently those who read this as the daughter being given to the Lord in a capacity of servitude instead: without the opportunity to marry and bear children, but not being literally given as a burnt offering. I don't know how they can read that from this text, but perhaps the original language doesn't translate well to English. I'd wish that were the case, but I can't see how it would have been as devastating a loss for the man (who truly seemed heart-broken over what had happened).