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Judges Chapter
Twelve
Judges 12
Outlines
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》