Judges
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Judges 12
Judges 12
1And the men of Ephraim were gathered together, and passed northward; and they said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thy house upon thee with fire.
1And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire.
Commentary · verse 1
2And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye saved me not out of their hand.
3And when I saw that ye saved me not, I put my life in my hand, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and Jehovah delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me?
2And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands.
3And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me?
Commentary · verses 2-3
Jephthah put his life in his own hands because the men of Ephraim did not help when he asked.
4Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim; and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye are fugitives of Ephraim, ye Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraim, and in the midst of Manasseh.
4Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.
Commentary · verse 4
Jephthah and the men of Gilead fought against the men of Ephraim. A civil war!
5And the Gileadites took the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. And it was so, that, when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, Let me go over, the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay; 6then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth; and he said Sibboleth; for he could not frame to pronounce it right: then they laid hold on him, and slew him at the fords of the Jordan. And there fell at that time of Ephraim forty and two thousand.
5And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay;
6Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.
Commentary · verses 5-6
The men of Ephraim who escaped were tested when they wanted to go over the Jordan River. If they said they were not from Ephraim, they would be asked to say "Shibboleth" and if they could not pronounce it right, they would be slain. The word "Shibboleth" meant either "flowing stream" or "ear of grain" depending on context. However, the meaning of this word was not what was important in this story. Apparently the Ephraimites had a hard time pronouncing one of the syllables in that word and it would give themselves away. There ended up being 42,000 Ephraimites slain.
7And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.
7And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.
Commentary · verse 7
Jephthah judged Israel for six years.
Commentary · verses 8-10
Verses 8-10: the tenth Judge - Ibzan.
8And after him Ibzan of Beth-lehem judged Israel.
9And he had thirty sons; and thirty daughters he sent abroad, and thirty daughters he brought in from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.
8And after him Ibzan of Beth–lehem judged Israel.
9And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.
Commentary · verse 9
Ibzan judged Israel for seven years.
10And Ibzan died, and was buried at Beth-lehem.
10Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Beth–lehem.
Commentary · verses 11-12
Verses 11-12: the eleventh Judge - Elon.
11And after him Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years.
11And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years.
Commentary · verse 11
Elon judged Israel for ten years.
12And Elon the Zebulunite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.
12And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun.
Commentary · verses 13-15
Verses 13-15: the twelfth Judge - Abdon.
13And after him Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel.
14And he had forty sons and thirty sons’ sons, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years.
13And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel.
14And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years.
Commentary · verse 14
Abdon judged Israel for eight years.
15And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill-country of the Amalekites.
15And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites.
Commentary · verse 15
These four Judges combined for thirty-one years of rest.
Judges 10-12 covered six more Judges: Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon. The majority of these chapters covered the story of Jephthah.
The men of Ephraim were upset, again. They planned to burn Jephthah's house.