Judges 12:1-7

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.

The men of Ephraim did the same thing with Gideon.  They seemed to want to fight after the battle was over.  There were probably about 50,000 men who gathered themselves against Jephthah and those who were with him.  They had ventured northward over the Jordan River between Gilead and Ephraim.  Both Gideon and Jephthah were of the half tribe of Manasseh which was divided by the Jordan River.  They were really not concerned about going to fight but they craved the glory and honor that both of those men gained after their victories.  They were so angry with Jephthah that they wanted to actually burn his house down.  Instead of them congratulating him on his victory, instead they vilified him.

Judges 12:2

And 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.

The people of Gilead were in a tough situation because the king of Ammon had believed he had rights to their land when he didn’t.  They had tried the diplomatic approach but it failed and war commenced immediately.  However, he did ask them for help to drive out the Ammonites from their borders but they refused to help him.  It is obvious that what they were saying was false since they were asked for help but refused.

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?

Jephthah knowing that Ephraim had refused to come and fight with them knew that he had to face the Ammonites by himself or else they would take the land.  He then tells the men of Ephraim that it was the Lord who delivered Ammon into his hands and gave him the victory.  Then he poses the question to them that since you refused to help, now you come to fight against me?  They wouldn’t fight the Ammonites but now they muster the strength to fight against their own.

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.

Then the battle commenced and Jephthah and his men of Gilead now fought the men of Ephraim.  They had stated that the Gileadites were nothing more than fugitives to the men of both Ephraim and Manasseh.  They were basing this on Jephthah’s history as one who was sent from his own father’s house.  The result of this battle was that many of the Ephraimites were killed and many were then put to flight.

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;

The Gileadites had now taken the passages of Jordan which were the places where one could cross over the Jordan.  This would mean that there would be no way of escape for the Ephraimites.  When the Ephraimites came to the Jordan and wanted to pass over, they had to answer a simple question as to whether they were Ephraimites or not.  If the ones who wanted to cross claimed they were not Ephraimites, then a simple test was administered to them to see if they were lying.

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.

The test was simple.  It was a test of language.  They told them to say “Shibboleth” and if they could pronounce it then that would prove they were telling the truth.  If the man could not pronounce the “sh” and only said “sibboleth” then they knew he was an Ephraimite.  This test resulted in the death of 42,000 Ephraimites.  There was another who was given a language test and that was Peter who tried to hide his identity at the trial of Christ.  And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.  (Matthew 26:73, KJV)  The word “bewrayeth” means to “disclose, reveal, expose, or betray.”  The word dates back to Middle English which was between 1100-1500 A.D.  So their speech pattern had exposed the fact that they were Ephraimites.

Judges 12:7

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