CHAPTER 12. JEPHTHAH AND EPHRAIM FALL OUT. This chapter relates a quarrel between Jephthah and the Ephraimites, which was fatal to the latter; the period of Jephthah's judging of Israel; his death and burial, and then briefly makes reference to three more judges of Israel, Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon.... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER 12. JEPHTHAH AND EPHRAIM FALL OUT. This chapter relates a quarrel between Jephthah and the Ephraimites, which was fatal to the latter; the period of Jephthah's judging of Israel; his death and burial, and then briefly makes reference to three more judges of Israel, Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And Jephthah said to them, “I and my people were at a great strife with the children of Ammon, and when I called you, you did not save me out of their hands.” Jephthah had no thought of submitting. He merely pointed out the great trouble that Gilead, Gad and Reuben had been in and that Ephraim, w... [ Continue Reading ]
Judges 12:3 a “And when I saw that you did not save me, I put my life in my hand, and passed over against the children of Ammon and Yahweh delivered them into my hand.” Thus Gilead and he had done the only thing they could. Recognising that they would receive no assistance from the tribal confeder... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim, and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim because they said, “You Gileadites, you are fugitives of Ephraim in the midst of Ephraim, and in the midst of Manasseh.” ' The Epraimites made an insulting reply. They had already de... [ Continue Reading ]
Judges 12:5 a ‘And the Gileadites took the fords of Jordan against the Ephraimites.' Having defeated Ephraim Jephthah moved swiftly and set strong guards at the fords that led back over the Jordan, to prevent the Ephraimites escaping. Jephthah was a great general, but he was not as merciful or tac... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.' Jephthah ‘judged Israel' for six years. That is was responsible for acting as God's representative over a part of Israel for six years. All who judged a part of Israel were seen... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.' There were two Bethlehems, one in the tribe of Zebulun, (Joshua 9:15) and another in the tribe of Judah. We do not know which one it was although, as Bethlehem in Judah is called ‘Bethlehem-judah' elsewhere (Judges 17:7; Judges 19:1; Judges 19:18),... [ Continue Reading ]
Judges 12:9 a ‘And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons.' This was a sign of his prestige and wealth. It would appear that he was polygamous but encouraged his sons to be monogamous. His family gave him wide influence,... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And after him Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel, and he judged Israel ten years.' These judges remind us that judges were needed in times of peace as well as in war. They are mentioned to make up the twelve. It may well be that little was known of them but their names. ‘Ten years.' Possibly indic... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And Elon the Zebulunite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun.' Each was accorded honours in burial because of their faithful service. They had this in common, that they judged well and faithfully.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, the Pirathonite, judged Israel.' “THE PIRATHONITE.” So called from Pirathon, where he was born, and which was in the tribe of Ephraim, as appears from Judges 12:15. It was also later the home of Benaiah, David's captain (2 Samuel 23:30).... [ Continue Reading ]
Judges 12:14 a ‘And he had forty sons, and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy ass colts.' He had an abundant family, described in this way to bring to the number seventy, divine perfection intensified. Compare Gideon (Judges 8:30). The fact that they rode on ass colts demonstrates that they exe... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried at Pirathon, in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.' Here was another Pirathonite who lived and died in honour and was gathered to his fathers. The ‘hill country of the Amalekites' may have commemorated a gre... [ Continue Reading ]