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.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
Jephthah	יִפְתָּח֙ yif.Tach	H3316	Jiphtach · proper noun, a man's name
together	וַיִּקְבֹּ֤ץ vai.yik.Botz	H6908	to grasp · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
men	אַנְשֵׁ֣י 'an.Shei	H582	a man in general (singly or collectively) · noun, common masculine plural construct
Gilead	גִלְעָ֔ד gil.'Ad	H1568	Gilad · proper noun, a place name
fought	וַיִּלָּ֖חֶם vai.yi.La.chem	H3898	to feed on · conjunction + verb, niphal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
Ephraim	אֶפְרָ֑יִם 'ef.Ra.yim	H669	Ephrajim · proper noun, a man's name
men	אַנְשֵׁ֨י 'an.Shei	H582	a man in general (singly or collectively) · noun, common masculine plural construct
Gilead	גִלְעָ֜ד gil.'Ad	H1568	Gilad · proper noun, a place name
smote	וַיַּכּוּ֩ vai.ya.Ku	H5221	to strike (lightly or severely · conjunction + verb, hiphil sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural
Ephraim	אֶפְרַ֗יִם 'ef.Ra.yim	H669	Ephrajim · proper noun, a man's name
said	אָמְרוּ֙ 'a.me.Ru	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person common plural
Gileadites	גִּלְעָ֕ד gil.'Ad	H1568	Gilad · proper noun, a place name
fugitives	פְּלִיטֵ֤י pe.li.Tei	H6412	a refugee · noun, common masculine plural construct
Ephraim	אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ 'ef.Ra.yim	H669	Ephrajim · proper noun, a man's name
among	בְּת֥וֹךְ be.Tokh	H8432	a bisection · preposition + noun, common masculine singular construct
Ephraimites	אֶפְרַ֖יִם 'ef.Ra.yim	H669	Ephrajim · proper noun, a man's name
among	בְּת֥וֹךְ be.Tokh	H8432	a bisection · preposition + noun, common masculine singular construct
Manassites	מְנַשֶּֽׁה me.na.Sheh	H4519	Menashsheh · proper noun, a man's name

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

1 Samuel 25:10 And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away…
Proverbs 12:13 The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips: but the just shall come out of trouble.
Numbers 32:39-40 And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorite which was in it.
Deuteronomy 3:12-17 And this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, and half mount Gilead, and the cities thereof, gave…
Judges 11:10 And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The LORD be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words.
Nehemiah 4:4 Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:
Psalms 78:9 The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.
Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Judges 12:1-7

Here Is, I. The unreasonable displeasure of the men of Ephraim against Jephthah, because he had not called them in to his assistance against the Ammonites, that they might share in the triumphs and spoils, Jdg 12:1. Pride was at the bottom of the quarrel. Only by that comes contention. Proud men think all the honours lost that go beside themselves, and then who can stand before envy? The Ephraimites had the same quarrel with Gideon (Jdg 8:1), who was of Manasseh on their side Jordan, as Jephthah was of Manasseh on the other side Jordan. Ephraim and Manasseh were hearer akin than any other of the tribes, being both the sons of Joseph, and yet they were more jealous one of another than any oth…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Judges 12:4

DISCERNED BY THE WORD SIBBOLETH, ARE SLAIN BY THE GILEADITES. (Jdg 12:4-15) the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim--The remonstrances of Jephthah, though reasonable and temperate, were not only ineffectual, but followed by insulting sneers that the Gileadites were reckoned both by the western Manassites and Ephraimites as outcasts--the scum and refuse of their common stock. This was addressed to a peculiarly sensitive people. A feud immediately ensued. The Gileadites, determined to chastise this public affront, gave them battle; and having defeated the Ephraimites, they chased their foul-mouthed but cowardly assailants out of the territory…

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John Gill on Judges 12:4

Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim,.... The Ephraimites not being pacified with the account Jephthah gave of the war between him and the children of Ammon, but continuing in their tumultuous outrage; he, being a man of spirit and courage, got as many of the Gileadites together as he could, and gave them battle: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim; had the advantage of them, worsted them, killed many of them, and put the rest to flight: because they said, ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites; what provoked them to fall upon them with the greater fury, and use them the more severely when, they had t…

Dictionary and topics

Beth-barah — House of crossing, a place south of the scene of Gideon’s victory (Judg. 7:24). It was probably the chief ford of the Jordan in that district, and may have been that by which Jacob crossed when he…
Fugitive — Gen. 4:12, 14, a rover or wanderer (Heb. n’a); Judg. 12:4, a refugee, one who has escaped (Heb. palit); 2 Kings 25:11, a deserter, one who has fallen away to the enemy (Heb. nophel); Ezek. 17:21, one…
Gileadites, The — (Numbers 26:29; Judges 10:3; 12:4,5), a branch of the tribe of Manasseh, descended from Gilead.
Manassites, The — that is, the members of the tribe of Manasseh. (4:43; Judges 12:4; 2 Kings 10:33)
Shibboleth — River, or an ear of corn. The tribes living on the east of Jordan, separated from their brethren on the west by the deep ravines and the rapid river, gradually came to adopt peculiar customs, and…
Anger · Grievous words stir up — Grievous words stir up
Citizens · .Ephraimites — .Ephraimites
Ephraim · . — .
Ephraim, Tribe Of · Quarrelled with Jephthah for not seeking their aid against Ammon — Quarrelled with Jephthah for not seeking their aid against Ammon
Jephthah · Leads the army of the Gileadites against the Ephraimites — Leads the army of the Gileadites against the Ephraimites
Jordan, The River · Remarkable events connected with: Slaughter of the Ephraimites — Remarkable events connected with: Slaughter of the Ephraimites
Strife

Judges 12:4

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Judges 12:1-7

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Judges 12:4

John Gill on Judges 12:4

Dictionary and topics

Judges 12:4

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Judges 12:1-7

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Judges 12:4

John Gill on Judges 12:4

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on Judges 12:4-6

Rashi on Judges 12:4