Judges 12:4 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 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. 11:1. 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 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: ... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 12:4

And fought with Ephraim - Some commentators suppose that there were two battles in which the Ephraimites were defeated: the first mentioned in the above clause; and the second occasioned by the taunting language mentioned in the conclusion of the verse, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim. Where the point of this reproach lies, or what is the reason of it, cannot be easily ascertained. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Judges 12:4

Because they said ... - This passage is extremely obscure. Render: - “The men of Gilead smote Ephraim, for they (the Gileadites) said, Ye are. the fugitives of Ephraim. (Gilead lies between Ephraim and Manasseh; and Gilead took the fords of Jordan before Ephraim, and it came to pass, when the fugitives of Ephraim said Let me pass over, and the Gileadites asked him, art thou an Ephraimite, and he answered No, Then (the Gileadites) said to him say Shibboleth, etc. So they (the Gileadites) killed... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Judges 12:4

Judges 12:4. The men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, &c. That which provoked the army of Jephthah to kill so many of them was their insulting language, added to their threats, whereby they reproached the men of Gilead, (who were the chief managers of the late war,) as if they were but the scum and dregs of the tribe of Ephraim. Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim A contemptuous expression, designed to provoke and kindle wrath. The word Ephraim is here taken largely,... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Judges 12:1-15

Jephthah and five other judges (10:1-12:15)Little is known of the political or military activities of the judges Tola and Jair. They both exercised power for lengthy periods, and Jair’s family certainly enjoyed considerable power and prestige among the East Jordan tribes (10:1-5).Again the Israelites turned away from Yahweh and worshipped false gods, and again they were punished. The Ammonites conquered the eastern tribes, crossed Jordan, and seized large portions of Israelite territory in... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Judges 12:4

and. This "and" is read in the text in some codices, with two early printed editions, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate. read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Judges 12:4

4-6. 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,... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Judges 12:1-7

Jephthah’s battle with the Ephraimites 12:1-7The writer’s emphasis now shifts from Jephthah’s foolishness to Ephraim’s arrogance. Like Gideon, Jephthah had to deal with disgruntled Ephraimites, but in Jephthah’s case the result was a costly civil war.The Ephraimites were the Gileadites’ neighbors to the west. They resented the fact that Jephthah had not requested their assistance in the war with the Ammonites. We noted earlier that the Ephraimites considered themselves superior to their... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 12:1-15

The Ephraimites Quarrel with Jephthah. His Death1-6. Jephthah and Ephraim. Once more the members of the leading tribe find themselves left out of the victory, and complain: cp. Judges 8:1; Jephthah deals with them differently from Gideon.1. Northward] RM ’to Zaphon,’ a town near Succoth: cp. Joshua 13:27. 2. When I called you] It would seem that Jephthah had done more than simply rouse Gilead: see on Judges 11:29. 4. Jephthah now makes use of the headship promised him in Judges 11:11. The... read more