6 Then said H559 they unto him, Say H559 now Shibboleth: H7641 and he said H559 Sibboleth: H5451 for he could not frame H3559 to pronounce H1696 it right. H3559 Then they took H270 him, and slew H7819 him at the passages H4569 of Jordan: H3383 and there fell H5307 at that time H6256 of the Ephraimites H669 forty H705 and two H8147 thousand. H505
I sink H2883 in deep H4688 mire, H3121 where there is no standing: H4613 I am come H935 into deep H4615 waters, H4325 where the floods H7641 overflow H7857 me.
A brother H251 offended H6586 is harder to be won than a strong H5797 city: H7151 and their contentions H4079 H4066 are like the bars H1280 of a castle. H759
The words H1697 of a wise man's H2450 mouth H6310 are gracious; H2580 but the lips H8193 of a fool H3684 will swallow up H1104 himself.
And G1161 Jesus G2424 knew G1492 their G846 thoughts, G1761 and said G2036 unto them, G846 Every G3956 kingdom G932 divided G3307 against G2596 itself G1438 is brought to desolation; G2049 and G2532 every G3956 city G4172 or G2228 house G3614 divided G3307 against G2596 itself G1438 shall G2476 not G3756 stand: G2476
And G1161 after G3326 a while G3397 came unto him they G4334 that stood by, G2476 and said G2036 to Peter, G4074 Surely G230 thou G4771 also G2532 art G1488 one of G1537 them; G846 for G1063 G2532 thy G4675 speech G2981 bewrayeth G1212 thee. G4571 G4160
And G1161 he denied it G720 again. G3825 And G2532 a little G3397 after, G3326 they that stood by G3936 said G3004 again G3825 to Peter, G4074 Surely G230 thou art G1488 one of G1537 them: G846 for G2532 G1063 thou art G1488 a Galilaean, G1057 and G2532 thy G4675 speech G2981 agreeth G3662 thereto.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Judges 12
Commentary on Judges 12 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 12
Jud 12:1-3. The Ephraimites Quarrelling with Jephthah.
1. the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together—Hebrew, "were summoned."
and went northward—After crossing the Jordan, their route from Ephraim was, strictly speaking, in a northeasterly direction, toward Mizpeh.
the men of Ephraim … said unto Jephthah, Wherefore … didst [thou] not call us?—This is a fresh development of the jealous, rash, and irritable temper of the Ephraimites. The ground of their offense now was their desire of enjoying the credit of patriotism although they had not shared in the glory of victory.
2. when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands—The straightforward answer of Jephthah shows that their charge was false; their complaint of not being treated as confederates and allies entirely without foundation; and their boast of a ready contribution of their services came with an ill grace from people who had purposely delayed appearing till the crisis was past.
3. when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands—A common form of speech in the East for undertaking a duty of imminent peril. This Jephthah had done, having encountered and routed the Ammonites with the aid of his Gileadite volunteers alone; and since the Lord had enabled him to conquer without requiring assistance from any other tribe, why should the Ephraimites take offense? They ought rather to have been delighted and thankful that the war had terminated without their incurring any labor and danger.
Jud 12:4-15. Discerned by the Word Sibboleth, Are Slain by the Gileadites.
4-6. the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim—The remonstrances of Jephthah, though reasonable and temperate, were not only ineffectual, but followed by insulting sneers that the Gileadites were reckoned both by the western Manassites and Ephraimites as outcasts—the scum and refuse of their common stock. This was addressed to a peculiarly sensitive people. A feud immediately ensued. The Gileadites, determined to chastise this public affront, gave them battle; and having defeated the Ephraimites, they chased their foul-mouthed but cowardly assailants out of the territory. Then rushing to the fords of the Jordan, they intercepted and slew every fugitive. The method adopted for discovering an Ephraimite was by the pronunciation of a word naturally suggested by the place where they stood. Shibboleth, means "a stream"; Sibboleth, "a burden." The Eastern tribe had, it seems, a dialectical provincialism in the sound of Shibboleth; and the Ephraimites could not bring their organs to pronounce it.
7. Jephthah died—After a government of six years, this mighty man of valor died; and however difficult it may be for us to understand some passages in his history, he has been ranked by apostolic authority among the worthies of the ancient church. He was followed by a succession of minor judges, of whom the only memorials preserved relate to the number of their families and their state [Jud 12:8-15].