The reference to Jephthah in "Hamlet" is by Hamlet to Polonius. In this scene hamlet is outwitting Polonius using many literary illusions, this one being biblical.
In the bible Jephthah prays for the help of god to win in battle, and in return, he offers the first person to walk through his door as a sacrifice. He believed that most likely it would be a servant... However, it turned out to be his virginal daughter. Jephthah's daughter sacrifices herself, telling her father that she will honour his promise to god, and dedicates her life to work in the temple.
Jephthah did not want to sacrifice something of actual value, like his daughter. Polonius is self seeking at best, wanting his daughter for what he can use her for. He was happy to have her engaged to Prince hamlet, but happier still to have her used to test whether or not he was mad.
Ophelia ends up making the sacrifice of her own love by testing Hamlet, in the "get thee to a nunnery" scene, causing her to go mad, and ultimately kill herself.
To call Polonius Jephthah is to insult his integrity, as well as foreshadowing his own lack of heirs, as Ophelia dies childless, and Laertes also in the final scene.
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