Judges 12

Judges 12:1

4. Jephthah Slays the Ephraimites (12:1-7)12:1-4 The men of Ephraim were jealous of Jephthah’s victory, complaining that they had not been allowed to share in it. Jephthah reminded them that he had appealed to them in vain for help. The Ephraimites mocked Jephthah’s people, the Gileadites, saying that they were nothing but fugitives from Ephraim. (The Ephraimites were troublemakers. They took issue with Gideon when he defeated the Midianites [chap. 8] and now they quarreled with Jephthah without just cause.) 12:5, 6 Jephthah and his men attacked the Ephraimites and cut off their way of escape at the fords of the Jordan. Before anyone was allowed to cross the Jordan, he was forced to say the password, “Shibboleth” (lit. a flowing stream). The Ephraimites could not pronounce this word correctly; they betrayed their identity by saying “Sibboleth.” Jephthah killed forty-two thousand men of Ephraim at . . . the Jordana frightful slaughter of his own countrymen. This type of infighting among the people of God is a distressing thing to see. The blood of the Ephraimites was now mingled with the blood of the Ammonites. Even the bright spots in Judges are smudged with calamity. Ridout makes a sad observation: Is it not a fact that . . . those who have met and overthrown heresy are those who have then crossed swords with their brethren, and fought over things that were not a vital question of truth? 12:7 Jephthah’s service as a judge lasted for six years; then he died and was buried in Gilead. Jephthah is cited in Heb_11:32 along with Gideon, Barak, and Samson. All these men had their faults, but they all, at one time or another, demonstrated great faith.

Judges 12:8

I. Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon (12:8-15)12:8-10 Ibzan . . . judged Israel for seven years. All we know of him is that he was a native of Bethlehem who had thirty sons, all of whom obtained wives from elsewhere (that is, outside his clan). 12:11, 12 Elon was of the tribe of Zebulun. His work as judge lasted for ten years. He was buried at Aijalon. 12:13-15 Abdon the son of Hillel came from the city of Pirathon . . . in the mountains of the Amalekites, in the land of Ephraim. He judged Israel for eight years. Special mention is made of his forty sons and thirty grandsons.