New King James Version
Judges 12:1
1Then 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!”
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 Living Translation (NLT)Then the people of Ephraim mobilized an army and crossed over the Jordan River to Zaphon. They sent this message to Jephthah: “Why didn’t you call for us to help you fight against the Ammonites? We are going to burn down your house with you in it!”
Context of Judges 12:1
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!” 2And Jephthah said to them, “My people and I were in a great struggle with the people of Ammon; and when I called you, you did not deliver me out of their hands. 3So when I saw that you would not deliver me, I took my life in my hands and crossed over against the people of Ammon; and the Lord delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?”
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
People and places in Judges 12:1
Cross-references for Judges 12:1
- Judges 8:1Now the men of Ephraim said to him, “Why have you done this to us by not calling us when you went to fight with the Midianites?” And they reprimanded him sharply.
- 2 Samuel 19:41Just then all the men of Israel came to the king, and said to the king, “Why have our brethren, the men of Judah, stolen you away and brought the king, his household, and all David’s men with him across the Jordan?”
- Psalms 109:4In return for my love they are my accusers, But I give myself to prayer.
- Ecclesiastes 4:4Again, I saw that for all toil and every skillful work a man is envied by his neighbor. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.
- John 10:32Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”
- Judges 14:15But it came to pass on the seventh day that they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, that he may explain the riddle to us, or else we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us in order to take what is ours? Is that not so?”
- Judges 15:6Then the Philistines said, “Who has done this?” And they answered, “Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he has taken his wife and given her to his companion.” So the Philistines came up and burned her and her father with fire.
- Proverbs 27:3A stone is heavy and sand is weighty, But a fool’s wrath is heavier than both of them.
- James 3:16For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.
- James 4:1Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries