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jephthah

Very Low
UK/ˈdʒɛfθə/US/ˈdʒɛfθə/

Formal, Literary, Religious

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Definition

Meaning

A male given name, most famously belonging to a judge of Israel in the Old Testament.

A biblical figure from the Book of Judges, known for his vow to sacrifice the first thing that came out of his house if victorious in battle, which tragically turned out to be his daughter.

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

This is a proper noun. Its usage is almost exclusively in reference to the Biblical character or in theological, historical, or literary discussions.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant differences in usage or spelling.

Connotations

Identical connotations as a biblical/historical name.

Frequency

Extremely low frequency in both dialects, limited to religious or academic contexts.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong
Judge Jephthahthe story of JephthahJephthah's vowJephthah's daughter
medium
Jephthah saidlike Jephthahtime of Jephthah
weak
remember Jephthahname of Jephthah

Grammar

Valency Patterns

Jephthah + verb (e.g., 'Jephthah prayed', 'Jephthah defeated')

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Strong

biblical judge

Neutral

the judgethe Gileadite

Weak

leadercommander

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

  • “A Jephthah's vow (a rash vow with tragic consequences).”

Usage

Context Usage

Business

Not used.

Academic

Used in theological studies, biblical scholarship, and literary analysis.

Everyday

Virtually never used in casual conversation.

Technical

Used in religious instruction and sermon preparation.

Examples

By Part of Speech

adjective

British English

  • a Jephthah-like vow

American English

  • a Jephthah-like promise

Examples

By CEFR Level

A2
  • We read a story about Jephthah in the Bible.
B1
  • Jephthah was a judge who made a very sad promise.
B2
  • The tragic story of Jephthah is often discussed in ethics classes.
C1
  • Scholars debate the theological implications of Jephthah's vow and its fulfilment.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think 'JEFF-thuh' – like 'Jeff' with a 'thuh' sound at the end.

Conceptual Metaphor

A tragic bargain; a promise that backfires disastrously.

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

  • Russian 'Иеффай' (Ieffay) is a direct transliteration; pronunciation differs. Do not translate the meaning.

Common Mistakes

  • Mispronouncing as /dʒɛpˈtɑː/ or /ˈdʒɛpθɑː/.
  • Misspelling as 'Jephtah' or 'Jepthah'.

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap
In the Book of Judges, made a vow that resulted in great personal tragedy.
Multiple Choice

Jephthah is best known for:

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

No, it is an extremely rare given name, used almost exclusively in historical or religious reference.

The name is of Hebrew origin, possibly meaning 'he opens' or 'he sets free', but its meaning is uncertain.

The standard pronunciation in both British and American English is /ˈdʒɛfθə/ (JEFF-thuh).

The story of Jephthah is told in chapters 11 and 12 of the Biblical Book of Judges.