The final verse of the Jephthah narrative reports the daughter's return after two months and the fulfillment of Jephthah's vow, though the specific mechanics of the sacrifice remain unstated in the biblical text. The phrase "and he did to her as he had vowed" is deliberately vague, allowing readers to interpret whether the daughter was literally sacrificed as a burnt offering or whether she was permanently consecrated to Temple service in an unmarried state. Later Jewish and Christian interpreters have engaged in substantial debate about whether human sacrifice actually occurred or whether the daughter was instead dedicated to perpetual virginity and Temple service. The narrative's ambiguity may itself be intentional: the text records the vow and its general fulfillment but avoids graphic description of what actually transpired. The notation that she became a perpetual virgin may suggest dedication to Temple service rather than literal death, yet the vow's original phrasing as a "burnt offering" seems to point toward sacrificial death.

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