Judges 12:5

Judges 12:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay;
• New International Version (NIV)The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a survivor of Ephraim said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead asked him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he replied, “No,”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. And when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, "Let me go over," the men of Gilead said to him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" When he said, "No,"
• New King James Version (NKJV)The Gileadites seized the fords of the Jordan before the Ephraimites arrived. And when any Ephraimite who escaped said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead would say to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No,”

Context of Judges 12:5

3So when I realized you weren’t coming, I risked my life and went to battle without you, and the Lord gave me victory over the Ammonites. So why have you now come to fight me?” 4The people of Ephraim responded, “You men of Gilead are nothing more than fugitives from Ephraim and Manasseh.” So Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and attacked the men of Ephraim and defeated them. Jephthah captured the shallow crossings of the Jordan River, and whenever a fugitive from Ephraim tried to go back across, the men of Gilead would challenge him. “Are you a member of the tribe of Ephraim?” they would ask. If the man said, “No, I’m not,” 6they would tell him to say “Shibboleth.” If he was from Ephraim, he would say “Sibboleth,” because people from Ephraim cannot pronounce the word correctly. Then they would take him and kill him at the shallow crossings of the Jordan. In all, 42,000 Ephraimites were killed at that time. 7Jephthah judged Israel for six years. When he died, he was buried in one of the towns of Gilead.

Judges 12:5 word by word

וַיִּלְכֹּ֥ד גִּלְעָ֛ד אֶֽת־מַעְבְּר֥וֹת הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ן לְאֶפְרָ֑יִם וְֽ֠הָיָה כִּ֣י יֹאמְר֞וּ פְּלִיטֵ֤י אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ אֶעֱבֹ֔רָה וַיֹּ֨אמְרוּ ל֧וֹ אַנְשֵֽׁי־גִלְעָ֛ד הַֽאֶפְרָתִ֥י אַ֖תָּה וַיֹּ֥אמֶֽר׀ לֹֽא׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the Gileaditesגִּלְעָדgil‛âd · GileadH1568
• tookלָכַדlâkad · to captureH3920
• the passagesמַעֲבָרָהma‛ăbâr ma‛ăbârâh · fordH4569
• of Jordanיַרְדֵּןyardên · JordanH3383
• before the Ephraimitesאֶפְרַ֫יִם'ephrayim · EphraimH669
• which were escapedפָּלִיטpâlîyţ pâlêyţ pâlêţ · survivorH6412
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Let me go overעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
• that the menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
• thou an Ephraimiteאֶפְרָתִי'ephrâthîy · EphraimiteH673

Cross-references for Judges 12:5

• Judges 3:28“Follow me,” he said, “for the Lord has given you victory over Moab your enemy.” So they followed him. And the Israelites took control of the shallow crossings of the Jordan River across from Moab, preventing anyone from crossing.
• Judges 7:24Gideon also sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down to attack the Midianites. Cut them off at the shallow crossings of the Jordan River at Beth-barah.” So all the men of Ephraim did as they were told.
• Joshua 2:7So the king’s men went looking for the spies along the road leading to the shallow crossings of the Jordan River. And as soon as the king’s men had left, the gate of Jericho was shut.
• Joshua 22:11The rest of Israel heard that the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had built an altar at Geliloth at the edge of the land of Canaan, on the west side of the Jordan River.

Commentaries on Judges 12:5

• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5You could only cross the Jordan River at shallow spots where tributaries left silt. This was likely true where the Jabbok joined the Jordan.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 12:5

• Ephraim
• Israel
• Jordan
• Judge
• Strife
• War

In the dictionaries

• Gilead
• Jordan
• Ephraimite
• Ford
• Passage
• Shibboleth
• Strife
• Abdon (1)
• Israel, History of
• Jephthah

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