XII. 1. Fierce and jealous conduct of the Ephraimites. Judges 12:2. Jephthah’s expostulation with them. Judges 12:4. Their defeat. Judges 12:5. The fugitives, tested by the word “Shibboleth,” are massacred. Judges 12:7. Death and burial of Jephthah. Judges 12:8. The judgeships of Ibzan, (Judges 12:... [ Continue Reading ]
GATHERED THEMSELVES TOGETHER. — Literally, _were called._ Hence the Vulg. renders it “a sedition arose in Ephraim.” No doubt the phrase arose from the circulation of some warlike summons — whether watchword or token — among the tribe (Judges 7:23; Judges 10:17). NORTHWARD. — Mizpeh in Gilead lay to... [ Continue Reading ]
I AND MY PEOPLE WERE AT GREAT STRIFE WITH THE CHILDREN OF AMMON. — Literally, _I was a man of strife, I and my people, and the children of Ammon exceedingly._ We have a similar phrase in Jeremiah 15:10. Jephthah adopts the tone of a recognised chief, as he had done to the Ammonites. AND WHEN I CALL... [ Continue Reading ]
I PUT MY LIFE IN MY HANDS. — Rather, _in the hollow of my hand_ (_caph_). (See for the phrase, Psalms 119:109; Job 13:14; 1 Samuel 20:5; 1 Samuel 28:21.) It expresses extreme peril. THE LORD DELIVERED THEM INTO MY HAND. — Here the word for “hand” is _yad._ Here, as he had done in arguing with the k... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THE MEN OF GILEAD. — This probably implies the Eastern tribes generally. AND THE MEN OF GILEAD SMOTE EPHRAIM BECAUSE THEY SAID... — The translation and the meaning are here highly uncertain. It seems to be implied that in spite of Jephthah’s perfectly reasonable answer the Ephraimites advanced... [ Continue Reading ]
TOOK THE PASSAGES OF JORDAN. — Only through these fords could the Ephraimites escape to their own tribe. (Comp. Judges 3:28; Judges 7:24.) But while it was excusable to cut off all escape from a dangerous foreign invader, it showed a terrible exasperation to leave no chance of flight to Israelites i... [ Continue Reading ]
SAY NOW SHIBBOLETH. — The word means “ford;” (Psalms 69:2) “depth of waters;” (Judges 12:15) “water flood;” (Isaiah 27:12) “channel.” The LXX. render it (Cod. B) “an ear of corn” (Vulg., _quod interpretatur spica_)_,_ and the word might have this meaning also (as it has in Genesis 41:5), because the... [ Continue Reading ]
JUDGED ISRAEL. — The word implies that he was one of the recognised _Shophetim,_ but there are no details to show in the case of any of the judges either what were the limits of their jurisdiction or what amount of authority it implied. IN ONE OF THE CITIES OF GILEAD. — The Hebrew only says, “in _c... [ Continue Reading ]
IBZAN. — Nothing more is known of Ibzan than is detailed in these three verses. The notion that Ibhtsam (אבצו) is the same as Boaz (בֹּ֫עַז) has nothing to support it. OF BETH-LEHEM. — Usually assumed, as by Josephus (_Antt. v._ 7, § 13), to be Bethlehem in Judah. There are, however, two reasons aga... [ Continue Reading ]
THIRTY SONS, AND THIRTY DAUGHTERS. — Implying polygamy, wealth, and state (Judges 8:30). WHOM HE SENT ABROAD — i.e., whom he gave in marriage “out of his house” (Vulg., _quas emittens foras maritis dedit_). The only reason for recording the marriage of his sons and daughters is to show that he was... [ Continue Reading ]
ELON. — The name means “a terebinth.” Orientals to this day are often named from trees. (One of the author’s muleteers in Palestine was named _Ab Zeitûn,_ “father of olives.”)... [ Continue Reading ]
WAS BURIED IN AIJALON. — There is a play of words between אלון (Elon) and איילון (Ayalon), which is precisely the same word, though with different vowelpoints. It means not “a terebinth,” but “gazelle.” Ajalon is not _Yalo,_ which is in the tribe of Dan (Joshua 10:12; 1 Samuel 14:31); and it is at l... [ Continue Reading ]
ABDON. — The name means “servant.” Some suppose that he is the unknown Bedan of 1 Samuel 12:11. HILLEL. — The first occurrence of a name (“praising”) afterwards destined to be so famous in the annals of Jewish theology. Hillel, the rival of Shammai, shortly before our Lord’s day, may be regarded, w... [ Continue Reading ]
THIRTY NEPHEWS. — The Hebrew has “sons of sons” (_benî bhanîm_)_,_ and the word _nephews_ in our version always means “grandsons” (_nepoles_)_, e.g.,_ in Job 18:19; Isaiah 14:22; 1 Timothy 5:4, as in old English generally; similarly _nieces_ means “granddaughters” in Wiclif’s Bible (Genesis 31:43, &... [ Continue Reading ]
IN PIRATHON. — The city of David’s hero, Benaiah (2 Samuel 23:30; 1Ma. 9:50; Jos. _Antt. xiii._ 1, § 3). It is now _Feratah,_ six miles west of Shechem. IN THE MOUNT OF THE AMALEKITES. — The phrase is explained in Judges 12:14. It points to an early settlement of Amalekites in Central Palestine.... [ Continue Reading ]