Judges 12:3

_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?_ 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 offence? They ought rather to have been delighted, and thankful that the war had terminated without their incurring any labour and danger....

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 so bitter as those between brethren or rivals for honour. What need we have to watch and pray against evil tempers! May the Lord incline all his people to follow after things which make for peace!...

Verse Judges 12:3. _I 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 Jephthah took his life in his hand. This phrase occurs in some other places of Scripture; see 1 Samuel 19:5; 1 Samuel 28:21. And the words of the Conqueror, Isaiah 63:5,...

I PUT MY LIFE IN MY HANDS - Compare 1 Samuel 19:5; 1 Samuel 28:21. The phrase expresses the utmost possible risk, knowingly incurred....

EXPOSITION JUDGES 12:1 NORTHWARD, or, otherwise rendered, to _Zaphon_,_ _a city of the Gadites mentioned in Joshua 13:27 together with Succoth, and thought to be _the modern_,_ Amateh _on the Wady Rajlb (see Vanderveld's map). It is difficult to say with certainty which rendering is right, but on the whole the latter seems most probable. Although Gilead does lie north-east of Ephraim, it hardly seems a natural description of the Ephraimite movement to say they "went northwards;" whereas if they marched to Zaphon the phrase would be precise. The previous phrase, GATHERED THEMSELVES TOGETHER, means _mustered for battle_,_ _as in...

AND WHEN I SAW THAT YE DELIVERED ME NOT,.... Gave him no assistance against their common enemy, did not attempt to save him and his people out of their hands, but left them to defend themselves: I PUT MY LIFE IN MY HANDS; ready to deliver it up in the defence of his country; the meaning is, that he exposed himself to the utmost danger, hazarded his life in going with a few troops into an enemy's country to fight him, and so liable to lose his life; which was in as much danger, as some observe, as any brittle thing contained in the hand is in danger of falling, or of being snatched out of it: AND PASSED OVER AGAINST THE CHILDREN OF AMMON: took a long and fatiguing march over the land of Gilead into that of the children of Ammon, to fight with them: AND THE LORD DELIVERED THEM INTO MY HAND; gave him victory over them, which showed that his cause was just, and his call to engage in it cl...

CHAPTER 12 THE STRIFE--JEPHTHAH'S DEATH--THE OTHER JUDGES _ 1. The strife and the slaying of the Ephraimites (Judges 12:1)_ 2. Jephthah's death (Judges 12:7) 3. Ibzan, Elon and Abdon (Judges 12:8) The strife of Ephraim and their question reminds us of what happens under the judgeship of Gideon. There the soft answer turned away wrath. How different it is here. Jephthah in self exaltation shows a far different spirit. Notice the “I” in his answer. “I was at great strife”--”I and my people”--”I called you”--”I saw”--”I put my life in my hand.” A great strife follows. The Gileadites take the fords of Jordan and those who said “Sibboleth” were slain. Horrible record! Forty-two thousand Ephraimites were

XII. 1- 6. CIVIL WAR BETWEEN GILEAD AND EPHRAIM. The Ephraimites hankered after the primacy among the tribes. Their _amour propre_ was easily offended, their anger quickly enflamed. Instead of praising God for Jephthah's great victory, they were furious because he won it without their aid. They insulted him as they once insulted Gideon, and perhaps expected an equally meek and flattering answer. But Jephthah was a man of a different mould and temper. Hurling a few scathing words at heroes who were brave when the war was over, he presumed, judging from their insolence, that they now wished to fight _with him,_ and he was ready. The result deeply stirs the reader's imagination. Led by a general like Jephthah, Gilead was more than a match for Ephraim, and the western tribe was not only put to flight, but found the fords of Jordan guarded to bar their passage. Every man who wished to cross w...

MY LIFE. my soul. Hebrew. _nephesh._ App-13. THE LORD. Hebrew. _Jehovah._ App-4....

Judges 12:1-7. _Jephthah's conflict with the men of Ephraim_ A sequel of the Ammonite war. Jephthah had returned to his house (Judges 11:34), two months at least had passed (Judges 11:39), the Gileadite forces had dispersed (implied by Judges 12:4), when the arrogant and jealous temper of the Ephraimites broke out, as formerly after Gideon's victory (Judges 8:1-3), but this time without a shadow of pretext. The narrative Judges 11:1 has been regarded as a mere replica of...