George Leo Haydock, on Judg 11:34

“And when Jephte returned into Maspha to his house, his only daughter met him with timbrels and with dances: for he had no other children.”

“Daughter. It seems the vow had been kept secret, as no precautions were taken to prevent the affliction of the general; (Calmet) and indeed to have done so, would have been injurious to God’s providence, and childish in Jephte, as he meant to offer whatever should come to meet him. It would have been very mean, and contrary to the meaning of the vow, for him to procure something for which he had no great value, to present itself. (Haydock) — Dances, as it was customary on such occasions, 1 Kings xviii. 6.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.