Judges 12:3

Judges 12:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the Lord delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me?
• New International Version (NIV)When I saw that you wouldn’t help, I took my life in my hands and crossed over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave me the victory over them. Now why have you come up today to fight me?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And when I saw that you would not save me, I took my life in my hand and crossed over against the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)So 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?”

Context of Judges 12:3

1Then the men of Ephraim were summoned and crossed over to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the children of Ammon without calling us to go with you? We will burn your house over you with fire.” 2So Jephthah responded to them, “I and my people were in a bitter conflict with the children of Ammon, yet when I called you, you didn’t deliver me from their hand. So when I saw that you weren’t going to deliver, I put my life in my hand and crossed over against the children of Ammon, and Adonai gave them into my hand. So why have you come up to me today, to fight me?” 4Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought Ephraim. The men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because they said, “You Gileadites are just fugitives of Ephraim in the midst of Ephraim and in the midst of Manasseh.” 5The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan opposite Ephraim. So when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead would ask him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No,”

Judges 12:3 word by word

וָֽאֶרְאֶ֞ה כִּֽי־אֵינְךָ֣ מוֹשִׁ֗יע וָאָשִׂ֨ימָה נַפְשִׁ֤י בְכַפִּי֙ וָֽאֶעְבְּרָה֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן וַיִּתְּנֵ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה בְּיָדִ֑י וְלָמָ֞ה עֲלִיתֶ֥ם אֵלַ֛י הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּ֖ה לְהִלָּ֥חֶם בִּֽי׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And when I sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• that ye deliveredיָשַׁעyâsha‛ · to saveH3467
• not, I putשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: takeH7760
• my lifeנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
• in my handsכַּףkaph · palmH3709
• and passed overעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
• against the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Ammonעַמּוֹן‛ammôn · AmmonH5983
• and the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• deliveredנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• them into my handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• wherefore then are ye come upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
• unto me this dayיוֹםyôm · day: todayH3117
• to fightלָחַםlâcham · to fightH3898

Cross-references for Judges 12:3

• Judges 9:17for my father fought for you, and risked his life and delivered you from the hand of Midian,
• 1 Samuel 19:5For he put his life in his hand and killed the Philistine, and Adonai won a great victory for all Israel—you saw it and rejoiced. So why would you sin against innocent blood by killing David without a cause?”
• 1 Samuel 28:21Then the woman came to Saul and saw that he was so agitated, so she told him, “Behold, your maidservant obeyed you; I put my life in my hand by listening to your words, which you spoke to me.
• Job 13:14Why should I take my flesh in my teeth and take my life in my hands?
• Psalms 119:109My soul is continually in danger, yet I have not forgotten Your Torah.
• Romans 16:4who risked their own necks for my life. Not only I give them thanks, but also all of Messiah’s communities among the Gentiles.
• Revelation 12:11They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives even in the face of death.
• Judges 11:27So I myself have not transgressed against you, yet you are doing me harm by waging war against me. May Adonai, the Judge, judge today between Bnei-Yisrael and the children of Ammon.’”
• 2 Chronicles 13:12So look, God is with us at our head, and His kohanim with the signal trumpets to sound an alarm against you. O men of Israel, do not fight against Adonai, the God of your fathers—for you will not succeed!”

Commentaries on Judges 12:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3I put my life in my hands - I exposed myself to the greatest difficulties and dangers. But whence did this form of speech arise? Probably from a man's laying hold of his sword, spear, or bow. "This is the defender of my life; on this, and my proper use of it, my life depends." When a man draws his sword against his foe, his enemy will naturally aim at his life; and his sword in his hand is his sole defense. It is then, Fight and conquer, or die. Thus…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3I put my life in my hands - Compare 1 Samuel 19:5; 1 Samuel 28:21. The phrase expresses the utmost possible risk, knowingly incurred.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-6Ephraim felt neglected again (see Judges 8:1–3) and wanted revenge. Unlike Gideon's approach, Jephthah blamed Ephraim, leading to a civil war.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands--A common form of speech in the East for undertaking a duty of imminent peril. This Jephthah had done, having encountered and routed the Ammonites with the aid of his Gileadite volunteers alone; and since the Lord had enabled him to conquer without requiring assistance from any other tribe, why should the Ephraimites take offense? They ought rather to have been delighted and thankful that…Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 12:3

• Ammonites
• Citizens
• Israel
• Judge
• Strife
• Treason
• War

In the dictionaries

• Ammon
• Shibboleth
• Strife
• Abdon (1)
• Israel, History of
• Jephthah
• Judges, Book of
• Judges, Period 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