Judges 12.1-15 tells us about a fight between Jephthah and the Ephraimites about helping to fight the Ammonites. They did not want to fight when there was danger, but now they find fault; the time of Jephthah judging Israel, his death and burial; and a brief account of three more judges named Ibzan, Elon and Abdon.
v 1…Then the men of Ephraim were summoned, and they crossed (the Jordan going east) to Zaphon (north; between Gilead and Ephraim, turning north to Mizpeh where Jephthah lived, near Hermon and Lebanon) and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over (from the plain where he lived to the land of Ammonite) to fight against the sons of Ammon without calling us to go with you (they were jealous)? We will burn your house down (the same pride they had shown Gideon).”
v 2…And Jephthah said to them, “I and my people were at great strife with the sons of Ammon; when I called you, you did not deliver me from their hand (they were cowards or because Jephthah was chosen without their agreement).
v 3…And when I saw that you would not deliver me, I took my life in my own hands and crossed over against the sons of Ammon, and the Lord gave them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day, to fight against me?”
v 4…Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead (mustered for war) and fought Ephraim, and the men of GIlead defeated Ephraim because they said, “You are fugitives of Ephraim, O Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraim and in the midst of Manasseh (saying Jephthah’s army was a bunch of fugitives and defectors from Manasseh on the east side; very insulting).”
v 5…And the Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan opposite Ephraim. And it happened when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, “Let me cross over (to the west),” the men of Gilead would say to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No,”
v 6…they they would say to him, “Say now Shibboleth.” But he said, “Sibboleth,” for he could not pronounce it correctly (Jephthah knew they spoke the same language but they had trouble with the “sh” sound because of regional dialects; this alludes to something spiritual. The Jordan (the descender) is a type of death, and what answer will we give to the question, “Are you born again?” What about the “Shibbolets” of the Torah? Their speech about the Torah and its observance will give them away. Do they talk about how much they love bacon? Do they talk about how the Sabbath doesn’t apply anymore and they are set free from the Torah? Their speech will expose them). Then they seized him and slew him at the fords of the Jordan. Thus there fell at that time 42,000 of Ephraim (the forty-two alludes to the last three and a half years of the birth-pains when many will be slain for their pride).
v 7…And Jephthah judges Israel six years (the shortest of any judge). Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried on one of the cities of Gilead.
v 8…Now Izban (their whiteness) of Bethlehem (in Judah, not the one in Zebulon) judged Israel after him.
v 9…And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters whom he gave in marriage outside of the family (but of the same tribe), and he brought thirty daughters from outside for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.
v 10…Then Izbab died and was buried in Bethlehem.
v 11…Now Elon the Zebulonite judged Israel after him; and he judged Israel ten years.
v 12…Then Elon the Zebulonite died and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulon.
v 13…Now Abdon (servitude) the son of Hillel (to be praised) the Pirathonite (prince, summit; in Ephraim-12.15) judged Israel after him.
v 14…And he had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy donkeys (a sign of distinguished rank at that time because Israel had no horses; or possibly to help administer justice); and he judged Israel eight years.
v 15…Then Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites (who formerly lived there; the reign of these three judges was largely uneventful and prosperous).
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