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Judges Chapter Twelve

 

Judges 12 Outlines

Jephthah’s Conflict with Ephraim (v.1~7)

Ibzan Elon and Abdon (v.8~15)

New King James Version (NKJV)

 

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 12

This chapter relates a quarrel between Jephthah and the Ephraimites which was fatal to the latter Judges 12:1 the time of Jephthah judging Israel his death and burial Judges 12:7 and it briefly makes mention of three more judges of Israel Ibzan Elon and Abdon Judges 11:8.

 

Judges 12:1  Then the men of Ephraim gathered together crossed over toward Zaphon and said to Jephthah “Why did you cross over to fight against the people of Ammon and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down on you with fire!”

   YLT  1And the men of Ephraim are called together and pass over northward and say to Jephthah `Wherefore has thou passed over to fight against the Bene-Ammon and on us hast not called to go with thee? thy house we burn over thee with fire.'

And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together .... Or "cried"F18יצעק εβοησεν Sept. "clamatus" i.e. "clamando convocatus" Piscator. "mnellius" Pimcator. ; got together by a cry or proclamation made: in the Hebrew text it is "a man of Ephraim"; not a single man but a body of men who met together and joined as one man. It is highly probable that there were no less than 50 000 of them; for 42 000 of them were slain Judges 12:6.

and went northward; or "went over northwardF19יעבר "transivit" Pagninus Montanus; "transiverunt" Junius et Tremellius Piscator. "; that is over the river Jordan which lay between Gilead and Ephraim; and when they had crossed the river they turned northward; for Mizpeh where Jephthah lived was in the north of the land near Hermon and Lebanon Joshua 11:3.

and said unto Jephthah wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon? not over Jordan but over that part of the land of Israel from the plain where Jephthah dwelt to the country of the children of Ammon:

and didst not call us to go with thee? they quarrel with him just in the same manner as they did with Gideon: these Ephraimites were a proud and turbulent people and especially were very jealous of the tribe of Manasseh of which both Gideon and Jephthah were; the one of the half tribe on this side Jordan and the other of the half that was on the other side; and they were jealous of both lest any honour and glory should accrue thereunto and they should get any superiority in any respect over them since Jacob their father had given the preference to Ephraim; and this seems to lie at the bottom of all their proceedings:

we will burn thine house upon thee with fire; that is burn him and his house burn his house and him in it; which shows that they were in great wrath and fury and argued not only the height of pride and envy but wretched ingratitude and a cruel disposition; who instead of congratulating him as Israel's deliverer and condoling him with respect to the case of his only child threaten him in this brutish manner.

 

Judges 12:2  2 And Jephthah said to them “My people and I were in a great struggle with the people of Ammon; and when I called you you did not deliver me out of their hands.

   YLT  2And Jephthah saith unto them `A man of great strife I have been (I and my people) with the Bene-Ammon and I call you and ye have not saved me out of their hand

And Jephthah said unto them I and my people were at a great strife with the children of Ammon .... As to the cause of the war or the reason of his going over to fight the children of Ammon it was a strife or contention between the Gileadites and them concerning their country; which the children of Ammon claimed as theirs and the Gileadites insisted on it they had a just right to it; by which it appeared that this was not a personal contention between Jephthah and them; and therefore the Ephraimites had no reason to fall so furiously upon him particularly; and it was a contention which chiefly concerned the two tribes and a half and not the rest; and so could not be blamed for defending themselves alone if they could without interesting others in the quarrel: but this is not all he has to say he adds:

and when I called you ye delivered me not out of their hands; it seems he had called them to assist in driving the enemy out of their boarders when there and they refused to help him; though it is not elsewhere said and it is not denied by them so that it was false what they alleged; or however since they declined giving him any assistance when the children of Ammon were in his country he could not expect they would join him in an expedition into theirs.

 

Judges 12:3  3 So when I saw that you would not deliver me I took my life in my hands and crossed over against the people of Ammon; and the Lord delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?”

   YLT  3and I see that thou art not a saviour and I put my life in my hand and pass over unto the Bene-Ammon and Jehovah giveth them into my hand -- and why have ye come up unto me this day to fight against me?'

And when I saw that ye delivered me not .... Gave him no assistance against their common enemy did not attempt to save him and his people out of their hands but left them to defend themselves:

I put my life in my hands; ready to deliver it up in the defence of his country; the meaning is that he exposed himself to the utmost danger hazarded his life in going with a few troops into an enemy's country to fight him and so liable to lose his life; which was in as much danger as some observe as any brittle thing contained in the hand is in danger of falling or of being snatched out of it:

and passed over against the children of Ammon: took a long and fatiguing march over the land of Gilead into that of the children of Ammon to fight with them:

and the Lord delivered them into my hand; gave him victory over them which showed that his cause was just and his call to engage in it clear:

wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day to fight against me? who rather should have come with thanks to him for the service he had done not only for the Gileadites but for all Israel; for had he not fought against the children of Ammon and conquered them they would have soon not only overrun and oppressed Gilead but would have come over Jordan and dispossessed the other tribes and particularly Ephraim as they had done already Judges 10:9 so that it was base ingratitude in these people to come to fight against Jephthah who had fought for them and wrought salvation for them.

 

Judges 12:4  4 Now Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim because they said “You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites.”

   YLT  4And Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fighteth with Ephraim and the men of Gilead smite Ephraim because they said `Fugitives of Ephraim [are] ye Gileadites in the midst of Ephraim -- in the midst of Manasseh.'

Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim .... The Ephraimites not being pacified with the account Jephthah gave of the war between him and the children of Ammon but continuing in their tumultuous outrage; he being a man of spirit and courage got as many of the Gileadites together as he could and gave them battle:

and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim; had the advantage of them worsted them killed many of them and put the rest to flight:

because they said ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites; what provoked them to fall upon them with the greater fury and use them the more severely when they had the better of them was their reproachful language to them insulting the Gileadites who perhaps were chiefly if not all of the half tribe of Manasseh beyond Jordan of which Jephthah was that they were the scum of the house of Joseph that they had run away from their brethren and dwelt in a corner of the land by themselves; and were of no account at all among Ephraim and Manasseh and disclaimed by them both and not esteemed by either. The Targum is "the fugitives of Ephraim said what are ye Gileadites accounted of among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites?'on which Kimchi remarks that those Ephraimites that came in this tumultuous manner and insulted Jephthah were a most abject company of men the refuse of the tribe of Ephraim shepherds who through necessity were obliged to come over Jordan with their flocks and herds for pasture: but the words may be rendered "for they said fugitives of Ephraim are ye even the Gileadites who were or being between the Ephraimites and the Manassites"; that is the Gileadites called the Ephraimites so when they fled before them and when they got at the fords of Jordan which lay between Ephraim and the half tribe of Manasseh on the other side Jordan; and they are in the next verse expressly so called.

 

Judges 12:5  5 The Gileadites seized the fords of the Jordan before the Ephraimites arrived. And when any Ephraimite who escaped said “Let me cross over ” the men of Gilead would say to him “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said “No ”

   YLT  5And Gilead captureth the passages of the Jordan to Ephraim and it hath been when [any of] the fugitives of Ephraim say `Let me pass over ' and the men of Gilead say to him `An Ephramite thou?' and he saith `No;'

And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites .... Being either swifter of foot or going a nearer and shorter way being better acquainted with their own country:

and it was so that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said let me go over; the fugitives of Ephraim as before called who ran away from the battle made their escape and the best of their way to the passages of Jordan to get over there to their own country:

that the men of Gilead said unto him; to everyone of them as they came up:

art thou an Ephraimite? or an Ephrathite; for so it seems those of the tribe of Ephraim were called as Jeroboam 1 Kings 11:26.

if he said nay; that he was not an Ephraimite;

 

Judges 12:6  6 then they would say to him “Then say ‘Shibboleth’!” And he would say “Sibboleth ” for he could not pronounce it right. Then they would take him and kill him at the fords of the Jordan. There fell at that time forty-two thousand Ephraimites.

   YLT  6that they say to him `Say I pray thee Shibboleth;' and he saith `Sibboleth ' and is not prepared to speak right -- and they seize him and slaughter him at the passages of the Jordan and there fall at that time of Ephraim forty and two chiefs.

Then said they unto him say now "Shibboleth" .... Which signifies a stream or course of water at which they now were; and so it was as if they had bid them say "may I or let me pass over the stream of this river;'so Jarchi; and this being the case though it was done to try them and by their pronunciation learn whether they were Ephraimites or not they were not upon their guard but in an hurry and at once expressed the word as they commonly did:

and he said sibboleth; pronouncing the letter "shin" as if it was "sin" or a "samech"; just as the French as Kimchi observes pronounce "s" like a "t"; and though the Gileadites and Ephraimites were of the same nation of Israel and spoke the same language yet their pronunciation differed as did that of the Galilean Jews from others in the times of Christ Matthew 26:73 and so in all nations among the Greeks Romans and among ourselves people in different counties pronounce in a different manner; which Kimchi thinks was in the Ephraimites owing to the air or climate as the French he observes pronounce "s" as a "t" with a soft and gentle sound:

for he could not frame to pronounce it right; or "thus"F20כן "sic" Pagninus Montanus. as he was bid to do; being used to pronounce otherwise he could not frame the organs of speech or so dispose and order them as to say "shibboleth"; or he did not frame order and disposeF21לא נכון "non dirigebat" Montanus. ; he was not careful to do it though with some care he could being not aware of the design of the Gileadites in it:

then they took him and slew him at the passages of Jordan; everyone as they came thither who could not say "shibboleth"; these they suffered not to pass over but slew them:

and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand; not at the passages of Jordan only; but what fell there with those at the battle and in the pursuit amounted to this number; so that the Ephraimites paid dearly for their pride and insolence.

 

Judges 12:7  7 And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in among the cities of Gilead.

   YLT  7And Jephthah judged Israel six years and Jephthah the Gileadite dieth and is buried in [one of] the cities of Gilead.

And Jephthah judged Israel six years .... After the affair of the Ephraimites he was acknowledged by all Israel as their judge and supreme governor but did not live long; being perhaps depressed and worn away with grief on account of his daughter and other troubles that attended him:

then died Jephthah the Gileadite and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead: it is not said in what city he was buried but very probably it was in his own city Mizpeh where he dwelt. JosephusF23Antiqu. l. 5. c. 7. sect. 12. says it was in his own country Sebee a city of Gilead.

 

Judges 12:8  8 After him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.

   YLT  8And after him Ibzan of Beth-Lehem judgeth Israel

And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. There were two Bethlehems one in the tribe of Zebulun Joshua 19:15 of which some think this man was; and another in the tribe of Judah the city of Jesse and David and of the Messiah; and Josephus saysF24Antiqu. l. 5. c. 7. sect. 13. Ibzan was of the tribe of Judah of the city of Bethlehem; and because Boaz was of the same place and lived in the times of the judges the Jewish RabbinsF25T. Bab. Bava Bathra fol. 91. 1. are of opinion that he is the same with Ibzan; so Jarchi and Ben Gersom.

 

Judges 12:9  9 He had thirty sons. And he gave away thirty daughters in marriage and brought in thirty daughters from elsewhere for his sons. He judged Israel seven years.

   YLT  9and he hath thirty sons and thirty daughters he hath sent without and thirty daughters hath brought in to his sons from without; and he judgeth Israel seven years.

And he had thirty sons and thirty daughters .... Which was a very uncommon case for a man to have so many children and those as to their sex to be equal. Between the former judge and him there was a great difference in respect of this circumstance of children; he had but one daughter an only child; and she by reason of his vow not suffered to marry. Such a difference does God in his all wise Providence make even among good men: nor is this any certain characteristic of a good man. Danaus had fifty daughters and his brother Egyptus fifty sons who were married to each other; and the husbands were all slain by their wives but one on the wedding night and so far from being happy in them: but it was otherwise with this judge:

whom he sent abroad and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons; his daughters he sent abroad or married them to persons not of another nation nor of another tribe but of another family of the same tribe and these he dismissed from him to live with their husbands; and he took in daughters of families in the same tribe to be wives to his sons and who seem to have dwelt together; it being the custom then for sons though married to abide with their father and their wives with them; as Abarbinel says is the custom at Zenobia unto this day:

and he judged Israel seven years; and in his days the wars of Troy are saidF26Juchasin fol. 136. 1. to begin; but they began in the times of Jephthah his predecessor and ended in hisF1Gerard. Vossii Isagoge Chron. dissert. 1. p. 4. .

 

Judges 12:10  10 Then Ibzan died and was buried at Bethlehem.

   YLT  10And Ibzan dieth and is buried in Beth-Lehem.

Then died Ibzan and was buried in Bethlehem. He died at the end of his seven years of government and was buried in his native place; nothing memorable having happened during his being judge; this is all that is recorded of him.

 

Judges 12:11  11 After him Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel. He judged Israel ten years.

   YLT  11And after him Elon the Zebulunite judgeth Israel and he judgeth Israel ten years

And after him Elon a Zebulonite judged Israel .... One of the tribe of Zebulun:

and he judged Israel ten years; administered justice to them preserved them in the true religion and from idolatry; though it does not appear that any enemies arose in his time against them from whom he delivered them.

 

Judges 12:12  12 And Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried at Aijalon in the country of Zebulun.

   YLT  12and Elon the Zebulunite dieth and is buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.

And Elon the Zebulonite died .... At the end of his ten years of government:

and was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun; which is added to distinguish it from another Aijalon in the tribe of Dan Judges 1:35.

 

Judges 12:13  13 After him Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel.

   YLT  13And after him Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite judgeth Israel

And after him Abdon the son of Hillell a Pirathonite judged Israel. So called from Pirathon where he was born and which was in the tribe of Ephraim as appears from Judges 12:15.

 

Judges 12:14  14 He had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy young donkeys. He judged Israel eight years.

   YLT  14and he hath forty sons and thirty grandsons riding on seventy ass-colts and he judgeth Israel eight years.

And he had forty sons and thirty nephews .... Or sons' sons that is grandsons; so that he lived not only to see his sons married but his grandchildren grown up to men's estate; since it follows:

that rode on seventy ass colts; who were either employed by him to ride about on these animals which in those times were honourable; see Judges 5:10 to administer justice throughout the nation in their circuits; or rather not following any trade or being concerned in husbandry or feeding cattle but being men of estates rode about like gentlemen:

and he judged Israel eight years; in his time it is saidF2Juchasin ut supra. (fol. 136. 1.) the city of Troy was destroyed; so EusebiusF3Evangel. Praepar. l. 10. c. 11. p. 484. who calls this judge Labdon though he elsewhereF4Evangel. Praepar. l. 10. c. 11. p. 503. places it in the times of Eli; See Gill on Judges 12:9.

 

Judges 12:15  15 Then Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim in the mountains of the Amalekites.

   YLT  15And Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite dieth and is buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim in the hill-country of the Amalekite.

And Abdon the son of Hillell the Pirathonite died .... At the end of his eight years' government:

and was buried at Pirathon in the land of Ephraim in the mount of the Amalekites; in the place where he was born and from whence he had the name of a Pirathonite; and this was in the tribe of Ephraim and the particular spot was Mount Amalek; so called either from the name of the person to whom it belonged or because the Amalekites formerly dwelt in it; or rather because of some remarkable advantage got over them at this place: here Josephus saysF5Ut supra (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 7.) sect. 15. this judge had a magnificent funeral.

 

──John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible