Judges 12

King James Version

Full text for Judges Chapter 12

¹¶ 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.

²And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands.

³And 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?

⁴Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites [are] fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, [and] among the Manassites.

⁵And 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;

⁶Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce [it] right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.

⁷And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in [one of] the cities of Gilead.

⁸¶ And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.

⁹And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, [whom] he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.

¹⁰Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Bethlehem.

¹¹And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years.

¹²And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun.

¹³And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel.

¹⁴And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years.

¹⁵And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites.

AI Summaries

Short Summary

The men of Ephraim confronted Jephthah for not calling them to war against Ammon, threatening his house. Jephthah responded that he had called them, but they did not help, leading to a battle where Gilead defeated Ephraim. The Gileadites identified fleeing Ephraimites by the Shibboleth test, resulting in many deaths. After judging Israel for six years, Jephthah died, followed by the brief tenures of judges Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon.

Medium Summary

The tribe of Ephraim angrily challenged Jephthah for not including them in his war against the Ammonites, even threatening to burn his house. Jephthah countered that he had indeed called upon them, but they failed to provide assistance, forcing him to fight alone with the Lord's help. This dispute escalated into open conflict, with Jephthah gathering the men of Gilead to fight Ephraim. The Gileadites defeated Ephraim and secured the Jordan passages, using the pronunciation of "Shibboleth" as a linguistic test to identify and slay forty-two thousand fleeing Ephraimites. Jephthah then judged Israel for six years before his death. The chapter concludes by briefly introducing three subsequent minor judges: Ibzan of Bethlehem, Elon the Zebulonite, and Abdon the Pirathonite, each serving for a period before their deaths.

Long Summary

The chapter opens with the men of Ephraim gathering to confront Jephthah, expressing their indignation and threatening to burn his house because he did not summon them to fight against the children of Ammon. Jephthah defended his actions, explaining that he and his people were in great strife with Ammon, and despite his calls, Ephraim had failed to deliver them. He asserted that he then risked his life, and the LORD delivered Ammon into his hand, questioning Ephraim's present belligerence. This verbal exchange quickly escalated into a full-scale conflict, with Jephthah rallying the men of Gilead to fight against Ephraim. The Gileadites soundly defeated Ephraim, partly because Ephraim had disparaged them as fugitives. To prevent fleeing Ephraimites from escaping across the Jordan, the Gileadites seized the river passages. They implemented a linguistic test, asking those who wished to cross to pronounce "Shibboleth"; Ephraimites, unable to pronounce the "sh" sound correctly, would say "Sibboleth." This phonetic distinction led to the identification and slaying of forty-two thousand Ephraimites at the Jordan passages. Following this decisive victory, Jephthah judged Israel for a period of six years before his death and burial in Gilead. The narrative then shifts to introduce a succession of three minor judges. Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel for seven years, notable for his thirty sons and thirty daughters, whom he married off and brought in from abroad. After Ibzan's death and burial in Bethlehem, Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel for ten years, dying and being buried in Aijalon. Finally, Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel for eight years, distinguished by his forty sons and thirty nephews who rode on seventy ass colts, before his death and burial in Pirathon.

Core Concepts

Ephraimite Pride and GrievanceThe tribe of Ephraim, feeling slighted and asserting their prominence, confronted Jephthah for not involving them in the war against Ammon, threatening violence.
Gileadite RetaliationJephthah and the men of Gilead, having been insulted and previously unassisted by Ephraim, engaged them in battle and decisively defeated them.
The Shibboleth TestA unique linguistic test employed by the Gileadites at the Jordan passages to identify and execute fleeing Ephraimites, who could not correctly pronounce the "sh" sound.
Consequences of Inter-Tribal StrifeThe chapter vividly illustrates the tragic and deadly outcomes of internal conflict among the Israelite tribes, leading to a massive loss of life for Ephraim.
Succession of Minor JudgesFollowing Jephthah's death, the narrative briefly introduces three less prominent judges—Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon—who served Israel for relatively short periods.
Jephthah's Legacy and DeathJephthah, after his victory over Ammon and the subsequent conflict with Ephraim, judged Israel for six years before his death, marking the end of his tumultuous leadership.
Family and Wealth of JudgesJudges like Ibzan and Abdon are noted for their large families and, in Abdon's case, his significant number of ass colts, indicating their status and prosperity.