Judges 12:4

Judges 12:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.
• New International Version (NIV)Jephthah then called together the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. The Gileadites struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, “You Gileadites are renegades from Ephraim and Manasseh.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim. And the men of Gilead struck Ephraim, because they said, "You are fugitives of Ephraim, you Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraim and Manasseh."
• New King James Version (NKJV)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.”

Context of Judges 12:4

2Jephthah said to them, “I and my people were at great strife with the sons of Ammon; when I called you, you did not deliver me from their hand. 3When I saw that you would not deliver me, I took my life in my hands and crossed over against the sons of Ammon, and the Lord gave them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?” Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought Ephraim; and the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because they said, “You are fugitives of Ephraim, O Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraim and in the midst of Manasseh.” 5The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan opposite Ephraim. And it happened when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead would say to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No,” 6then they would say to him, “Say now, ‘Shibboleth.’” But he said, “Sibboleth,” for he could not pronounce it correctly. Then they seized him and slew him at the fords of the Jordan. Thus there fell at that time 42,000 of Ephraim.

Judges 12:4 word by word

וַיִּקְבֹּ֤ץ יִפְתָּח֙ אֶת־כָּל־אַנְשֵׁ֣י גִלְעָ֔ד וַיִּלָּ֖חֶם אֶת־אֶפְרָ֑יִם וַיַּכּוּ֩ אַנְשֵׁ֨י גִלְעָ֜ד אֶת־אֶפְרַ֗יִם כִּ֤י אָמְרוּ֙ פְּלִיטֵ֤י אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ אַתֶּ֔ם גִּלְעָ֕ד בְּת֥וֹךְ אֶפְרַ֖יִם בְּת֥וֹךְ מְנַשֶּֽׁה׃Read the interlinear

• Then Jephthahיִפְתָּחyiphtâch · JephthahH3316
• gatheredקָבַץqâbats · to gatherH6908
• allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• the menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• of Gileadגִּלְעָדgil‛âd · GileadH1568
• and foughtלָחַםlâcham · to fightH3898
• Ephraimאֶפְרַ֫יִם'ephrayim · EphraimH669
• defeatedנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• becauseכִּיkîy · forH3588
• they saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• You are fugitivesפָּלִיטpâlîyţ pâlêyţ pâlêţ · survivorH6412
• in the midstתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
• of Manassehמְנַשֶּׁהmenashsheh · ManassehH4519

Cross-references for Judges 12:4

• Judges 11:10The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The Lord is witness between us; surely we will do as you have said.”
• Numbers 32:39The sons of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it.
• Deuteronomy 3:12“So we took possession of this land at that time. From Aroer, which is by the valley of Arnon, and half the hill country of Gilead and its cities I gave to the Reubenites and to the Gadites.
• 1 Samuel 25:10But Nabal answered David’s servants and said, “Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants today who are each breaking away from his master.
• Nehemiah 4:4Hear, O our God, how we are despised! Return their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity.
• Psalms 78:9The sons of Ephraim were archers equipped with bows, Yet they turned back in the day of battle.
• Proverbs 12:13An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, But the righteous will escape from trouble.
• Proverbs 15:1A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.

Commentaries on Judges 12:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4And fought with Ephraim - Some commentators suppose that there were two battles in which the Ephraimites were defeated: the first mentioned in the above clause; and the second occasioned by the taunting language mentioned in the conclusion of the verse, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim. Where the point of this reproach lies, or what is the reason of it, cannot be easily ascertained.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Because they said … - This passage is extremely obscure. Render: - “The men of Gilead smote Ephraim, for they (the Gileadites) said, Ye are. the fugitives of Ephraim. (Gilead lies between Ephraim and Manasseh; and Gilead took the fords of Jordan before Ephraim, and it came to pass, when the fugitives of Ephraim said Let me pass over, and the Gileadites asked him, art thou an Ephraimite, and he answered No, Then (the Gileadites) said to him say Shibboleth…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4The reason the people of Ephraim taunted the men of Gilead is unclear. They might have resented or looked down on the Israelites living east of the Jordan River.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-154-6. 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…Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 12:4

• Citizens
• Ephraim
• Israel
• Jephthah
• Judge
• Strife
• Treason
• War

In the dictionaries

• Ephraim
• Gilead
• Jephthah
• Bethbarah
• Fugitive
• Shibboleth
• Strife
• Abdon (1)
• Israel, History of
• Judges, Book of

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