Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does Judges Chapter 12 mean?

Jephthah is judge over Israel (Judges 11:11). His life is marked by misery and violent success in battle. With the Lord’s help, Jephthah and the people of Gilead and Manasseh have thoroughly defeated the Ammonites who were oppressing them from the east (Judges 11:32–33). However, Jephthah foolishly bound himself to a vow to the Lord that required him to offer his daughter, his only child, as an offering (Judges 11:30–31; 34–35).

Now Jephthah and Gilead are confronted by a surprising enemy with unclear motives. The men of Ephraim, who live to the west of the Jordan River, cross over, armed for battle. They demand to know why they were not asked to be included in the fight against the Ammonites. Before even hearing a response, they threaten to burn Jephthah’s house down with him in it (Judges 12:1).

Jephthah’s response is simple: The Ammonites had oppressed the people of Gilead for years (Judges 10:7–8, 17–18; 11:4). Clearly, the Ephraimites weren’t eager to fight until now. Jephthah claims he had called on Ephraim, but this might be a reference to their earlier indifference. Left with no other options, Jephthah says he risked his own life, attacked the Ammonites with his own people, and the Lord gave victory (Judges 12:2–3).

Were the men of Ephraim truly angry they had not been given the chance to participate in the war? Were they expressing wounded pride and honor? Or were they using this as an excuse for aggression and expansion? Not only did they cross the Jordan armed for battle, and threaten to kill Gilead’s leader, but they also taunt the people of Gilead. Calling them “fugitives of Ephraim” implies the people have no right to this territory. In any case, Jephthah takes the threat seriously. He gathers his fighting forces and successfully attacks the invading Ephraimites army (Judges 12:4).

The survivors of Ephraim’s army scatter and attempt to run for home. Unfortunately, for them, the men of Gilead have captured the crossing points of the Jordan River (Judges 3:28). They capture soldiers of Ephraim, one by one, as they attempt to cross over. Those they can identify are immediately killed. Those who claim not to be from Ephraim are subjected to a language test. Gilead’s men force the fleeing soldiers to pronounce the Hebrew word “shibboleth.” Those from Ephraim are betrayed by their regional accent, and the Gilead soldiers slaughter them (Judges 12:5–6).

After Jephthah’s death, three more judges are established in Israel. Along with Shamgar (Judges 3:31), Tola (Judges 10:1), and Jair (Judges 10:3), these are sometimes called “minor” or “secondary” judges since so little is known about them. Ibzan judges for seven years, from Bethlehem, and has thirty sons and thirty daughters. He expands his influence and power by marrying all his children to spouses outside his own clan. The most obscure judge of the Bible is Elon the Zebulunite, who judges Israel for ten years before dying and being buried in Zebulun. Abdon, the son of Hillel is from the town of Pirathon in the Ephraim hills, also described as the hill country of the Amalekites for unknown reasons. Abdon’s wealth and far-reaching influence are signaled by the fact that he has forty sons and thirty grandsons, each with his own donkey. Abdon serves as judge for eight years (Judges 12:7–15).

Next, Israel will begin another cycle of sin, oppression, calls for mercy, and rescue (Judges 2:16–19).

The upcoming chapters contain the story of perhaps the most famous of all the judges: Samson.

Chapter Context
Judges 12 follows Jephthah’s terrible task of fulfilling his foolish vow, which costs him his only child. Now he faces an unexpected confrontation from the men of Ephraim. They cross over the Jordan from the west, threatening to kill Jephthah for not including them in the fight against the Ammonites and taunting the people of Gilead. Jephthah defeats the men of Ephraim, killing many in a civil war. Jephthah is followed as judge by Ibzan of Bethlehem, Elon the Zebulunite, and Abdon of Pirathon. This leads to the introduction of another infamous biblical figure: Samson.

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. The men of Ephraim were called to arms, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house over you with fire.”

The tribe of Ephraim is ready to fight about not being invited to join the conflict with the Ammonites. A similar confrontation happened with Gideon after the route of the Midianites. The fighting men of Ephraim were called at the last minute to cut off fleeing enemy soldiers (Judges 7:24; 8:1–3). Here, again, the tribe appears more motivated to bicker with their own people than they are to seek out their true enemy.

The war with the Ammonites is over (Judges 11:32–33). Yet the men of Ephraim cross the Jordan River into the territory of Gilead armed and ready for battle. Scholars believe Zaphon was located just east of the Jordan, about halfway between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. There they found and confronted Jephthah.

It’s unclear why the men of Ephraim are so upset about being left out of Israel’s victory. It may be that their land was also attacked by the Ammonites at one point (Judges 10:8–9), though it was not occupied. It may be that missing the war meant missing the opportunity to partake in the spoils of battle. Or this might simply be another thin excuse (Judges 11:13) from a group eager for conquest. Rather than celebrating the end of Ammonite oppression, Ephraim threatens to burn Jephthah’s house down with him in it.

Context Summary
Judges 12:1–7 introduces a new and unexpected conflict in Gilead. The men of the tribe of Ephraim cross the Jordan River armed for war. They demand to know why they were not included in the fight against the Ammonites. They threaten to kill Jephthah and insult the people of Gilead as “fugitives from Ephraim.” Their approach implies they have come to defeat the Gileadites and take their land. Jephthah and his army strike and defeat the invaders. They cut off their escape at the fords of the Jordan, a civil war resulting in much bloodshed. Jephthah’s tenure as judge ends after a relatively short six years.

Verse 2. And Jephthah said to them, “I and my people had a great dispute with the Ammonites, and when I called you, you did not save me from their hand.

The men of Ephraim have arrived on the east side of the Jordan River, in the territory of Gilead. They are armed and ready for battle—but the fight with the Ammonites is over (Judges 11:32–33). Jephthah has led the people of Gilead and greater Manasseh to victory, pushing the Ammonites out of Israel’s territory. The men of Ephraim claim to be furious they were not invited to the war. They are so angry, in fact, they threatened to burn Jephthah inside his own house (Judges 12:1). This resembles a similar incident where Gideon had to deal with angry Ephraimites during his war against Midian (Judges 7:24; 8:1–3).

Jephthah’s response is simple enough, though the text does not explicitly indicate whether it’s true. He claims Gilead did call on the Ephraimites for help while the Ammonites were oppressing them. The men of Ephraim did not come and save them, either before (Judges 10:17–18; 11:4) or during the decisive battle.

The greater point being made here is that Gilead—not Ephraim—was under the worst threat. The Ammonites were on the verge of driving them from their own territory east of the Jordan. If Ephraim wanted to help Gilead, they could have responded to the call for help at any time. Rather than taking this well, the Ephraimites will escalate through insults and spark a minor civil war (Judges 12:4–6).

Verse 3. And when I saw that you would not save me, I took my life in my hand and crossed over against the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?”

Jephthah continues to defend his actions to the men of Ephraim. He rejects their claim that they were not asked to come and fight with Gilead against the Ammonites (Judges 12:1–2). Jephthah insists that Gilead did call for help from Ephraim while Gilead was being oppressed (Judges 10:17–18; 11:4). The Ephraimites did not cross over the Jordan to save Gilead. Only now, after the battle, are they arriving to complain about not being involved in the fight.

When he realized Ephraim was not coming to save him, Jephthah risked his own life and acted alone. Then the Lord subjected the Ammonites to defeat. Here, again, Jephthah describes everything happening to Gilead in personal terms (Judges 11:12, 27). He speaks as the one under attack, the one who struck back, and the one who gained the victory. Commentators take this in one of several ways. One option is that Jephthah is completely self-focused; he really thinks everything happening is all about him. The other option is that he so thoroughly identifies with his people that he sees their suffering and victory as his own. Another possibility is that Jephthah is speaking as a head-of-state, rather than as an individual.

After pointing out that Ephraim had opportunities to fight, if they really wanted to, Jephthah asks for the real reason behind their aggression. It’s a good question, but it gets no clear answer. Based on the taunts of the Ephraimites in the following verse (Judges 12:4), some commentators speculate Ephraim wanted to claim Gilead as their own. Whatever their true motives, the men of Ephraim have come ready for battle, and don’t seem interested in being pacified.

Verse 4. Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim. And the men of Gilead struck Ephraim, because they said, “You are fugitives of Ephraim, you Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraim and Manasseh.”

The men of Ephraim have shown up in Gilead ready to do battle (Judges 12:1), after the fight against the Ammonites was already won (Judges 11:32–33). They claim to be furious that Jephthah and the people of Gilead did not include them in their successful war (Judges 12:2–3). Jephthah has responded that Ephraim had many opportunities to help, but never came (Judges 10:17–18; 11:4).

Rather than being satisfied with this explanation, the men of Ephraim seem even more angry. They taunt the people of Gilead, calling them “fugitives of Ephraim.” They imply the clan of Gilead is living in territory which should belong to Ephraim and Manasseh. This might also be a jab at Jephthah’s history as an exile (Judges 11:1–3). Another possible meaning is that Gilead, which is technically part of the tribe of Manasseh, is so intermingled with the people of Ephraim that they have lost identity with either tribe and so the land is open for dispute.

For his part, Jephthah takes the threats of Ephraim seriously. This makes sense, as the tribe arrived armed and ready for battle, effectively invading Gilead and then making threats. Jephthah gathers up the fighters of Gilead once more and attacks the men of Ephraim, striking them hard, as the following verses report (Judges 12:5–7).

Verse 5. And the Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. And when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, “Let me go over,” the men of Gilead said to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” When he said, “No,”

The exact reasons for this conflict between the men of Ephraim and the people of Gilead are hard to understand. Jephthah led Gilead to defeat the Ammonites (Judges 11:32–33). After the battle, armed Ephraimites marched into Gilead territory and began making threats and accusations (Judges 12:1–4). They might have been angry they were not called sooner to the war—though they had ample time to help (Judges 10:17–18; 11:4)—but are more likely looking to capture territory. Regardless of motives, it quickly becomes clear that Ephraim greatly miscalculated their chances of winning.

Jephthah takes the threat from Ephraim seriously enough to gather his Gilead fighters and attack the invading forces. Gilead strikes Ephraim hard and completely subdues them. Then Gilead’s fighters take control of the fords of the Jordan River (Judges 3:28) over which the men of Ephraim could have escaped back into their own territory. As the scattered Ephraimite soldiers arrive at the fords to retreat, the men of Gilead kill the trespasser one-by-one rather than letting them go. They even devise a test to know if a man is from Ephraim or from Gilead (Judges 12:6).

Verse 6. they said to him, “Then say Shibboleth,” and he said, “Sibboleth,” for he could not pronounce it right. Then they seized him and slaughtered him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time 42,000 of the Ephraimites fell.

The men of Ephraim badly miscalculated their chances of defeating the fighters of Gilead in battle. The tribe sent armed men across the Jordan River, armed and ready for battle, claiming anger over not being called to fight against Ammon (Judges 12:1–4). After being countered, and escalating the situation with insults, the Ephraimites are quickly and thoroughly defeated by Jephthah and the Gileadites (Judges 12:5).

The survivors of the battle scatter and attempt to head for crossing points at the Jordan River. Their intent is to escape back home. Unfortunately for them, Gilead soldiers have taken control of the fords, and proceed to kill off Ephraim invaders one-by-one as they try to cross over.

One might expect a fleeing soldier to lie and claim he is not one of Ephraim’s warriors. How, then would the Gileadite soldiers know who to believe? Their solution is a pronunciation test: demanding the man say a specific word. The word they choose is transliterated—meaning spelled out in another alphabet but not translated—into English as “shibboleth.” This word is normally translated in passages such as Genesis 41 to refer to heads of grain (Genesis 41:5–7). Apparently, the people of Gilead and the people of Ephraim pronounced this word very differently. The key syllable seems to be the opening sound: either pronounced with a “sh” sound, or a “th,” compared to a hard “s” sound. In any case, those who could not say it correctly were quickly killed on the spot.

This biblical incident gave rise to English using the term “shibboleth” as a figure of speech. In that use, it refers to a custom, practice, or view, which distinguishes a particular group of people. At other times in history, soldiers and guards have used difficult-to-pronounce words as tests attempting to distinguish native speakers of that language.

Judges reports a devastating Ephraimite death toll in this brief civil war. As in other parts of Scripture, the term ‘eleph is used, which can either mean “thousands,” or “divisions” or “clans” (Judges 6:15). Some of the largest armies of the ancient world numbered in the hundreds of thousands, so for a single tribe to lose more than 40,000 men would imply an enormous Israeli army. Whether it was forty-two divisions of soldiers, or a literal 42,000 men, this would have been a huge loss for the tribe of Ephraim.

Loss of life in this incident is especially tragic given that the conflict was so foolish. Jephthah’s utter victory would have established his reputation for power in the region, but the number of dead may also have revealed an utter lack of mercy.

Verse 7. Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in his city in Gilead.

Jephthah’s rule as a judge (Judges 2:16) ends after only six years. This is a brief stint when compared to most of the other judges (Judges 8:28; 10:2, 3). While Jephthah is labelled as a judge of Israel, it seems most of God’s rescuers acted in regions, rather than over the entire nation at once. Jephthah’s influence seems limited to Gilead and perhaps the nearby regions. When he dies, he is buried in his city in the territory of Gilead.

Jephthah, a complex figure, was nevertheless fully used by God to defeat Israel’s oppressors, the Ammonites (Judges 11:32–33). However, his life was also marked by questionable ethics (Judges 11:1–3), and recklessness which cost him his only child (Judges 11:30–31, 34–35). In addition, he engaged in a brief-but-brutal civil war with his own Israelite brothers, resulting in catastrophic deaths (Judges 12:1–6).

Despite those flaws, Jephthah’s words represented faith (Hebrews 11:32–34) and reliance on the Lord, rather than on false gods. That was a welcome change in Israel; it led to great victory over their enemies.

Verse 8. After him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.

The second half of Judges chapter 12 lists more of the so-called “minor judges.” This title is often used since so little is known about them. Shamgar (Judges 3:31), Tola (Judges 10:1), and Jair (Judges 10:3) have been noted already. Nothing is known about the three judges at the end of chapter 12 beyond what’s recorded in this passage.

After Jephthah died and was buried in Gilead, a man named Ibzan was appointed by God (Judges 2:16). Ibzan was from Bethlehem. Scholars are divided over whether this was the Bethlehem in Judea, where Jesus will later be born, or the Bethlehem in Galilee, north of the Valley of Jezreel, in the territory of Zebulun. Either is possible. While Jephthah lost his only child (Judges 11:30–31, 34–35), Ibzan has an enormous family (Judges 12:9).

Context Summary
Judges 12:8–15 briefly names three men who follow Jephthah as judges. These, along with men like Shamgar (Judges 3:31), Tola (Judges 10:1), and Jair (Judges 10:3) are sometimes called “minor” or “secondary” judges since so little is known about them. This passage mentions Ibzan of Bethlehem, Elon of Zebulun, and Abdon of Pirathon.

Verse 9. He had thirty sons, and thirty daughters he gave in marriage outside his clan, and thirty daughters he brought in from outside for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.

While little is known about Ibzan, he stands in stark contrast to Jephthah in at least one way. Jephthah had one single child, a daughter, lost to him because of his rash vow to the Lord (Judges 11:30–31, 34–35). In comparison, Ibzan has thirty sons and thirty daughters.

Ibzan also seems deeply committed to building alliances between his clan and others. This might include those inside and outside his own tribe. By strategically marrying each of his children to the children of other clans, Ibzan likely solidified and expanded his own political power. In addition, he would have increased the interconnectedness between the Israelites, giving them stronger unity against the outside nations around them.

Ibzan’s term as judge over Israel lasted seven years, until his death (Judges 12:10).

Verse 10. Then Ibzan died and was buried at Bethlehem.

Ibzan is the ninth judge described in the book of Judges. Everything known about him is contained in this and the prior two verses (Judges 12:8–9). His strength seems to have been found in his sixty sons and daughters, and the alliances achieved in marrying all of them to spouses from outside his own clan.

His role as judge over Israel lasted just seven years and then he was buried in his hometown of Bethlehem. It is unknown whether this Bethlehem is the one in Judea where Christ will later be born or the one in Galilee within the territory of Zebulun.

Verse 11. After him Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel, and he judged Israel ten years.

The three judges mentioned at the end of this chapter are sometimes referred to as “minor judges,” along with Shamgar (Judges 3:31) and the two judges mentioned at the beginning of chapter 10 (Judges 10:1–3). They were each legitimate judges, but truly little is known about them.

Perhaps the least-known judge of the entire Bible is introduced in this verse: Elon the Zebulunite. The writer provides no stories from his life. Nor are there descriptions of his offspring. All that is known is that he was from the tribe of Zebulun and served as judge over Israel for a decade. And then he died, and another man stepped in to take his place (Judges 12:12–13).

Verse 12. Then Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried at Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.

Elon of the tribe of Zebulun is the most obscure of all the judges of Israel during this period. He was the tenth judge and served for ten years, but nothing is told of his personality. Nor are we informed of the obstacles he faced or even of his children. The judge before him had thirty sons and thirty daughters, and the one who followed him had forty sons and thirty grandsons. No mention is made of Elon’s offspring.

Even the place of his burial is unknown to modern historians. It is listed here as part of the territory of Zebulun. A town and a valley located in the territory of Dan are known as Aijalon, but this Aijalon in Zebulun is apparently lost to time, as are the stories of Elon’s life.

Verse 13. After him Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel.

Nothing is known about the three judges over Israel named at the end of this chapter besides what is in the recent verses (Judges 12:8–12). They are the ninth, tenth, and eleventh judges described in the book of Judges, and they apparently served during a time of relative peace and even prosperity for Israel.

Abdon, the eleventh judge, is described as the son of a man named Hillel the Pirathonite. Pirathon was in the hills of Ephraim. Again, as with some of the other judges, Abdon’s fame will be tied to the number of his children and grandchildren, along with his wealth and power (Judges 12:14).

Verse 14. He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys, and he judged Israel eight years.

Abdon was the eleventh judge (Judges 2:16) mentioned in the book of Judges. He served from his home in the hill country of Ephraim. He seems to have ruled during a time of relative peace and prosperity, at least—or especially—for him and his family.

In contrast to men like Jephthah (Judges 11:30–31, 34–35) Abdon was blessed by the Lord with many sons. He is said to have had forty sons and thirty grandsons, each with his own donkey. This implies that Abdon was wealthy. To outfit every male for three generations with a donkey of his own would have been a costly enterprise. The second implication is that Abdon’s sons and grandsons may have been involved with him in serving as judge over Israel, as they traveled from place to place on their donkeys.

Verse 15. Then 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.

The life of the eleventh judge described in the book of Judges ends. Abdon, the son of a man named Hillel, came from a town in the Ephraim hills known as Pirathon. He judged Israel for just eight years before his death and burial at Pirathon.

In addition to being in the land of Ephraim, Pirathon is said to have been in the hill country of the Amalekites. No explanation is given for this description. Scholars speculate that maybe the Amalekites left some remnant of their people in this area during their former oppression of Israel. Or, perhaps, Israel had some trouble with the Amalekites again during the time of Abdon.

Abdon’s death will be followed by another return, by Israel, to betrayal of the Lord (Judges 2:17–19). This will once again result in their suffering under the hand of their enemies, and the Lord raising up another judge to save them.

End of Judges 12

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