Judges 12: Ephraim and the Shibboleth test, then Ibzan, Elon and Abdon

In plain English: The men of Ephraim were called to arms (this Bible: gathered together) and crossed over to Zaphon (or: crossed northward). They said to Jephthah, "Why did you cross over to fight the Ammonites and not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down over you with fire!"

The Hebrew word: "Northward" is tsaphon, which the dictionary gives as "properly, hidden, i.e. dark; used only of the north". Zaphon is also the name of a town in the Jordan valley, east of the Jordan (Joshua 13:27). So the men of Ephraim may have crossed northward, or crossed over to Zaphon.

Good to know: The men of Ephraim had made a like complaint to Gideon in 8:1: "Why have you treated us this way, that you didn't call us when you went to fight with Midian?"

In plain English: Jephthah said to them, "I and my people were in a great struggle (this Bible: at great strife) with the Ammonites. I called you, and you did not save me from their hand.

In plain English: When I saw that you would not save me, I took my life in my hands (literally: put my life in my palm) and crossed over against the Ammonites, and Yahweh gave them into my hand. So why have you come up against me today to fight me?"

In plain English: Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought Ephraim. The men of Gilead struck Ephraim down, because they had said, "You Gileadites are runaways (this Bible: fugitives) of Ephraim, in the middle of Ephraim and in the middle of Manasseh."

The Hebrew word: The words in this verse are hard to follow, and the text does not explain them. "Fugitives" is palit, which the dictionary gives as "a refugee". The words may be a taunt that the Gileadites were only runaways from Ephraim. Verse 5 then uses the same word for the men of Ephraim who ran from the battle.

In plain English: The Gileadites took the crossing places (this Bible: fords) of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. Whenever a runaway of Ephraim said, "Let me cross over," the men of Gilead said to him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he said, "No,"

In plain English: they said to him, "Then say 'Shibboleth.'" He would say "Sibboleth," because he could not say it right. Then they seized him and killed him at the crossings of the Jordan. At that time forty-two thousand of Ephraim fell.

The Hebrew words: "Shibboleth" is shibbol, which the dictionary gives as "a stream (as flowing); also an ear of grain (as growing out)". "Sibboleth" is sibboleth, "an ear of grain". The two words differ only in the first sound, "sh" or "s". The text says the Ephraimite "couldn't manage to pronounce it correctly", so the way he said it showed where he came from.

In plain English: Jephthah judged Israel for six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in the cities of Gilead (or: in his city, Gilead).

Good to know: The Hebrew has "in the cities of Gilead", and does not name one city. The old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton) has "in his city Galaad", that is, Gilead.

In plain English: After him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.

Good to know: The text does not say which Bethlehem this is: the town of Judah, or the Bethlehem named among the towns of Zebulun in Joshua 19:15.

In plain English: He had thirty sons. He sent his thirty daughters away outside his clan, and he brought in thirty daughters from outside for his sons. He judged Israel for seven years.

In plain English: Ibzan died and was buried at Bethlehem.

In plain English: After him Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel. He judged Israel for ten years.

In plain English: Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried at Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.

The Hebrew word: In Hebrew, Elon and Aijalon (Elon and Ayyalon) are written with nearly the same letters: in verse 11 the judge's name has the very same letters as the town, and in verse 12 one letter fewer. Only the vowel sounds differ, so the judge's name sounds like the name of the town where he was buried.

In plain English: After him Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel.

In plain English: He had forty sons and thirty grandsons (literally: sons' sons), who rode on seventy young donkeys. He judged Israel for eight years.

In plain English: Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried at Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.