Judges 12

1 Then the men [gathered together, assembled] of Ephraim [doubly fruitful, a tribe of Israel] assembled and crossed [passed over, transitioned] the Jordan to Zaphon [north, a direction]. They said to Jephthah [a judge of Israel], “Why [for what reason, on what account] have you crossed over [passed over, transitioned] to fight [engage in battle, wage war] the Ammonites [sons of Ammon, a nation] without calling [summoning, inviting] us to go with you? We will burn [set on fire, kindle flames] your house [dwelling place, home] down with you inside [upon you, over you]!” word study 2 But Jephthah replied, “My people [and I, as their leader] and I had a serious [great, intense] conflict [strife, dispute] with the Ammonites [sons of Ammon, a neighboring nation], and when I called [cried out for help], you did not save [deliver, rescue] me out of their hands [power, control]. word study 3 When I saw [perceived, realized] that you would not [were unable to, did not] save [deliver, rescue] me, I risked [put in jeopardy, endangered] my life [soul, very being] and crossed over [passed over, transitioned] to the Ammonites [sons of Ammon, descendants of Lot], and the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] delivered [gave, handed over] them into my hand [power, control]. Why then [for what reason, on what account] have you come [ascended, risen] today [at this present time, in this day] to fight [engage in battle, wage war] against me [in opposition to me, against my person]?” word study 4 Jephthah [the Gilead leader] then gathered [assembled, collected] all the men of Gilead [a mountainous region east of the Jordan River] and fought [engaged in battle, clashed] against Ephraim [a tribe of Israel, doubly fruitful]. And the men of Gilead struck them down [smote, defeated] because the Ephraimites had said, “You Gileadites [inhabitants of Gilead] are fugitives [survivors, refugees] in Ephraim [among the Ephraimites], living [dwelling, residing] in the territories [midst, among] of Ephraim and Manasseh [a tribe of Israel, grandson of Jacob].” word study 5 The Gileadites [men of the rocky region] captured [seized control of, took by force] the fords [shallow crossing places] of the Jordan [the river that flows from Lebanon to the Dead Sea] leading to Ephraim [the tribe that descended from Joseph’s son], and whenever a fugitive [survivor, one who has escaped] from Ephraim would say, “Let me cross over [pass from one side to the other],” the Gileadites would ask him, “Are you an Ephraimite [a member of the tribe of Ephraim, a descendant of Joseph’s son]?” If he answered, “No [not at all, not in the least],” word study 6 they told him, “Please [if you will, I pray] say Shibboleth [a test word, an ear of grain].” If he said, “Sibboleth [mispronouncing it, a stream],” because he could not pronounce it correctly [speak it right, with the correct accent], they seized him and killed him at the fords [crossing places, passages] of the Jordan [a major river, a border]. So at that time [occasion, moment] 42,000 [a large number, a multitude] Ephraimites [people of Ephraim, a tribe of Israel] were killed. word study 7 Jephthah [the Gileadite, a leader from Gilead] judged [to govern, vindicate, or punish] Israel [the descendants of Jacob] six years, and when he died [to cease living, or pass away], he was buried [to lay to rest, or inter] in one of the cities [towns or settlements] of Gilead [a mountainous region east of the Jordan River]. word study 8 After [following, in the rear] Jephthah, Ibzan [a judge in Israel] of Bethlehem [house of bread, a place in Zebulun] judged [to govern, vindicate, or punish] Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, referring to his descendants]. word study 9 He had thirty [a multitude of] sons, as well as thirty [a numerous group of] daughters whom he gave in marriage [sent out to be wed] to men outside [beyond the boundaries of] his clan; and for his sons he brought back [brought in from elsewhere] thirty wives from elsewhere [from outside his family]. Ibzan [a leader, judge] judged [governed, vindicated] Israel [God’s chosen people] seven years. word study 10 Then Ibzan [a judge in Israel] died [to cease living, to pass away], and he was buried [laid to rest, interred] in Bethlehem [house of bread, a city in Judah]. word study 11 After [following, succeeding] Ibzan, Elon [the mighty, strong] the Zebulunite [a descendant of Zebulun, from the tribe of Zebulun] judged [governed, vindicated, punished] Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, referring to his descendants] ten [a decade, a period of ten years] years [a period of time, a cycle of seasons]. word study 12 Then Elon [the mighty or strong] the Zebulunite [a descendant of Zebulun, one of the twelve tribes of Israel] died [passed away, came to his end], and he was buried [laid to rest, interred] in Aijalon [the field of deer, a city in Palestine] in the land [the territory, the country] of Zebulun. word study 13 After [following, subsequent to] Elon, Abdon [a Pirathonite, from Pirathon] son [descendant, offspring] of Hillel [praising God], from Pirathon [a city in Ephraim], judged [governed, vindicated, to shaphat] Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, God’s chosen people]. word study 14 He had forty sons and thirty [a multiple of ten] grandsons, who rode on seventy [a number of spiritual perfection] donkeys [young asses, or colts]. And he judged [to govern, vindicate, or punish] Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] eight [a number of new beginnings] years. word study 15 Then Abdon [son of a praiseworthy father] son of Hillel, from Pirathon [a town in Ephraim], died [passed away, came to his end], and he was buried [laid to rest, interred] at Pirathon [in the hill country] in Ephraim [a tribe of Israel, doubly fruitful], in the hill country [mountainous region] of the Amalekites [descendants of Esau’s grandson]. word study