God’s Word Translation
Judges 12:1
1The men of Ephraim were summoned to fight. They crossed ⌞the Jordan River⌟ to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, “Why did you fight against Ammon without inviting us to go with you? Now we’re going to burn your house down with you in it.”
Judges 12:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire.
- New International Version (NIV)The Ephraimite forces were called out, and they crossed over to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, “Why did you go to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? We’re going to burn down your house over your head.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)The men of Ephraim were called to arms, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, "Why did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house over you with fire."
- New King James Version (NKJV)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!”
Context of Judges 12:1
The men of Ephraim were summoned to fight. They crossed ⌞the Jordan River⌟ to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, “Why did you fight against Ammon without inviting us to go with you? Now we’re going to burn your house down with you in it.” 2Jephthah answered, “My people and I were involved in a legal dispute with Ammon. I asked you for help, but you didn’t rescue me from them. 3When I saw that you would not rescue me, I risked my life and went to fight the people of Ammon. The Lord handed them over to me. So why did you come to fight against me today?”
Read all of Judges 12Judges 12:1 word by word
וַיִּצָּעֵק֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֶפְרַ֔יִם וַֽיַּעֲבֹ֖ר צָפ֑וֹנָה וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ לְיִפְתָּ֜ח מַדּ֣וּעַ׀ עָבַ֣רְתָּ׀ לְהִלָּחֵ֣ם בִּבְנֵי־עַמּ֗וֹן וְלָ֙נוּ֙ לֹ֤א קָרָ֙אתָ֙ לָלֶ֣כֶת עִמָּ֔ךְ בֵּיתְךָ֕ נִשְׂרֹ֥ף עָלֶ֖יךָ בָּאֵֽשׁ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- of Ephraimאֶפְרַ֫יִם'ephrayim · EphraimH669
- gathered themselves togetherצָעַקtsâ‛aq · to cryH6817
- and wentעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- northwardצָפוֹןtsâphôn tsâphôn · ZaphonH6828
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto Jephthahיִפְתָּחyiphtâch · JephthahH3316
- to fightלָחַםlâcham · to fightH3898
- against the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Ammonעַמּוֹן‛ammôn · AmmonH5983
- and didst not callקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
- us to goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- with thee? we will burnשָׂרַףώâraph · to burnH8313
- thine houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
- upon thee with fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
Cross-references for Judges 12:1
- Judges 8:1The men from Ephraim strongly protested Gideon’s actions. They said, “Why did you do this to us? You didn’t invite us to go fight Midian with you.”
- 2 Samuel 19:41Then all the people of Israel kept coming to the king. They asked, “Why did our cousins, the people of Judah, kidnap you and bring Your Majesty and your family and men across the Jordan River?”
- Psalms 109:4In return for my love, they accuse me, but I pray for them.
- Ecclesiastes 4:4Then I saw that all hard work and skillful effort come from rivalry. Even this is pointless. ⌞It’s like⌟ trying to catch the wind.
- John 10:32Jesus replied to them, “I’ve shown you many good things that come from the Father. For which of these good things do you want to stone me to death?”
- Judges 14:15On the fourth day they said to Samson’s wife, “Trick your husband into solving the riddle for us. If you don’t, we’ll burn you and your family to death. Did the two of you invite us ⌞just to make us poor⌟?”
- Judges 15:6Some Philistines asked, “Who did this?” They were told, “Samson! He’s the son-in-law of the man at Timnah. Samson did it because the man at Timnah took Samson’s wife and gave her to his best man.” So the Philistines burned Samson’s wife and her father to death.
- Proverbs 27:3A stone is heavy, and sand weighs a lot, but annoyance caused by a stubborn fool is heavier than both.
- James 3:16Wherever there is jealousy and rivalry, there is disorder and every kind of evil.
- James 4:1What causes fights and quarrels among you? Aren’t they caused by the selfish desires that fight to control you?
Commentaries on Judges 12:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1The men of Ephraim gathered themselves together - ויצעק vaiyitstsaek, they called each other to arms; summoning all their tribe and friends to arm themselves to destroy Jephthah and the Gileadites, being jealous lest they should acquire too much power.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Compare the similar complaint of the Ephraimites to Gideon Judges 8:1, when a civil war was only avoided by Gideon‘s wise and patriotic moderation. The overhearing pride of Ephraim comes out in both occurrences (see also Joshua 17:14-18). We will burn thine house upon thee with fire - Compare the fierce threat of the Philistines to Samson‘s wife Judges 14:15, and the yet fiercer execution Judges 15:6. Burning appears as a mode of capital punishment…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Ephraimites quarrel with Jephthah. (1-7) Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon judge Israel. (8-15) Verses 1-7 The Ephraimites had the same quarrel with Jephthah as with Gideon. Pride was at the bottom of the quarrel; only by that comes contention. It is ill to fasten names of reproach upon persons or countries, as is common, especially upon those under outward disadvantages. It often occasions quarrels that prove of ill consequence, as it did here. No contentions are…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1Zaphon was just east of the Jordan River, opposite the area belonging to the tribe of Ephraim.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-31. 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…Read the comment
Topics related to Judges 12:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Judges 12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- Darby Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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