Daniel P. Barron

Judges 12

Friday, March 19, 2021 

1 And men of Ephraim gathered together and crossed over to North. i And they said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to wage war against sons of Ammon, and you did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house over you in the fire.” 2 And Jephthah said to them, “A man of great strife I have been, my people and I, and sons of Ammon. And I cried out to you, and you did not save me from their hand. 3 And I saw that you did not save. ii So, I put my soul in my palm and crossed over to sons of Ammon, and Yehvah gave them in my hand. So, why do you come up to me this day to wage war against me?”


4 And Jephthah gathered together all men of Gilead and he waged war with Ephraim. And men of Gilead struck Ephraim, because they said, “You of Gilead are fugitives of Ephraim in the midst of Ephraim, in the midst of Manasseh.” 5 And Gilead captured the fords of the Jordan to Ephraim. And it was, when fugitives of Ephraim said, “Let me cross over.” And men of Gilead said to him, “The Ephraimite you are.” And he said, “No.” 6 And they said to him, “Please say, 'Shibboleth.' iii And he said, “Sibboleth.” And he was not prepared to speak thus. And they would seize him and slaughter him at the fords of the Jordan. And there fell at that time from Ephraim 42,000. 7 And Jephthah judged Israel for six years. And Jephthah the Gileadite died, and he was buried among cities of Gilead.


8 And after him, Ibzan iv from House of Bread judged Israel. 9 And he had thirty sons. And thirty daughters he sent to the outside. And thirty daughters he brought in for his sons from the outside. v And he judged Israel seven years. 10 And Ibzan died and was buried in House of Bread.


11 And after him Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel, and he judged Israel ten years. 12 And Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried in Aijalon in land of Zebulun.


13 And after him Abdon son of Hillel vi the Pirathonite vii judged Israel. 14 And he had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode upon seventy donkeys. And he judged Israel eight years. 15 And Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried in Pirathon viii in land of Ephraim on the mountain of the Amalekite.


Judges 11 - Judges 13


Translated by Darwin Fish. See original pdf.

  1. הה נָהפו צ) tsâphon) “to North” - Green “northward”; NKJV “toward Zaphon” - see footnote for Joshua 13:27. ^
  2. ע מושי) moshiy`a) “savior”; YLT “saviour”; “would deliver” NKJV, NAS ^
  3. ת בללת שי) shibbolet) “Shibboleth” = either “grain” (e.g. Job 24:24) or “channel” (NKJV) of water or “flowing stream” NAS (e.g. Isaiah 27:12). ^
  4. ן צצָאיב') ivtsân) “Ibzan” - found also in Judges 12:10^
  5. ץ חו ה) hachuts) “the outside”; NAS, ESV “outside”; KJV “abroad”; NKJV “elsewhere” ^
  6. ל( היל) hillêl) “Hillel” = “he boasts” (e.g. Psalm 10:3) or praises (as in Judges 16:24). ^
  7. י ניָתו ה ע צָר פי) pir`âtoniy) “Pirathonite” - found also in Judges 12:15; 2 Samuel 23:30; 1 Chronicles 11:31; 27:14. ^
  8. פי רָצ ע ה תון (pir`âton) "Pirathon" - only here. ^

One Response

  1. And David, son of this Ephraimite man from House of Bread, Judah, and his name was Jesse, and he had eight sons. And the man in the days of Saul was old coming in among men. -- י תי רה פי אס') ephrâtiy) “Ephraimite” CEB; “Ephrathite” YLT, NKJV, KJV, NAS, etc. - “Ephrathite” = “Ephraimite” see Judges 12:5 (and footnote) where this same word is translated “Ephraimite” by YLT, NKJV, KJV, NAS, etc..

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