Judges 12:2 — Meaning and Application

Judges 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. {gathered...: Heb. were called}"

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?"

Judges 12:4

"Then 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."

Judges 12:5

"And 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;"

Judges 12:6

"Then 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."