Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 12:5
And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was [so], that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, [Art] thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay;
5. took the fords ] Cf. Jdg 3:28, Jdg 7:24. Render against (dat. incommodi) rather than toward (marg.) in these passages.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Those Ephraimites which were escaped, Heb. the fugitives of Ephraim, as before; for the Hebrew words are the same; which may make the latter exposition of the foregoing words more probable, to wit, that it is not the Gileadites, but the Ephraimites, who are there as well as here so called, because they are smitten before Jephthah, and fled from him.
If he said, Nay; to avoid the present danger.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites,…. Being either swifter of foot, or going a nearer and shorter way, being better acquainted with their own country:
and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, let me go over; the fugitives of Ephraim, as before called, who ran away from the battle, made their escape, and the best of their way to the passages of Jordan, to get over there to their own country:
that the men of Gilead said unto him; to everyone of them, as they came up,
art thou an Ephraimite? or an Ephrathite; for so it seems those of the tribe of Ephraim were called, as Jeroboam, 1Ki 11:26
if he said, nay; that he was not an Ephraimite;
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
When the Gileadites had beaten the Ephraimites, they took the fords of the Jordan before the Ephraimites (or towards Ephraim: see Jdg 3:28; Jdg 7:24), to cut off their retreat and prevent their return to their homes. And “ when fugitives of Ephraim wanted to cross, the men of Gilead asked them, Art thou Ephrathi, ” i.e., an Ephraimite? And if he said no, they made him pronounce the word Shibboleth (a stream or flood, as in Psa 69:3, Psa 69:16; not an ear of corn, which is quite unsuitable here); “ and if he said, Sibboleth, not taking care to pronounce it correctly, they laid hold of him and put him to death at the fords of the Jordan. ” In this manner there fell at that time, i.e., during the whole war, 42,000 Ephraimites. The “ fugitives of Ephraim ” were the Ephraimites who had escaped from the battle and wished to return home. The expression is used here in its ordinary sense, and not with the contemptuous sense in which the Ephraimites had used it in Jdg 12:4. From this history we learn quite casually that the Ephraimites generally pronounced sh (shin) like s (samech). is used elliptically for , to direct his heart to anything, pay heed (compare 1Sa 23:22; 1Ch 28:2, with 2Ch 12:14; 2Ch 30:19).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(5) Took the passages of Jordan.Only through these fords could the Ephraimites escape to their own tribe. (Comp. Jdg. 3:28; Jdg. 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 in a civil war.
Before the Ephraimites.Literally, to Ephraim, which perhaps means towards, or in the direction of, Ephraim (per qu Ephraim, reversurus erat, Vulg.).
When those Ephraimites which were escaped.The fact that the Hebrew phrase is exactly the same as in Jdg. 12:4, fugitives of Ephraim, adds. great additional force to the view which we have adopted. If the rendering of the English Version be adopted in Jdg. 12:4, we can only suppose that there is a bitter retribution implied in the words. The Ephraimites had taunted the Eastern Manassites with being fugitives of Ephraim, and in the next verse they themselves appear to be in another, but fatal, sense fugitives of Ephraim.
Art thou an Ephraimite?There must have been considerable traffic across the Jordan fords, and the object was to distinguish between Ephraimite fugitives and harmless travellers and merchants.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
5. Took the passages of Jordan Compare marginal reference.
Before the Ephraimites Or, towards Ephraim, that is, towards the territory of that tribe. Across these fords would the defeated and retreating Ephraimites seek to make their escape from the land of Gilead.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jdg 12:5 a
‘And the Gileadites took the fords of Jordan against the Ephraimites.’
Having defeated Ephraim Jephthah moved swiftly and set strong guards at the fords that led back over the Jordan, to prevent the Ephraimites escaping. Jephthah was a great general, but he was not as merciful or tactful as Gideon. He was determined to destroy Ephraim’s whole army, and did not consider the future. This inter-tribal fighting, though forced on Jephthah, would weaken the whole tribal confederation, and more so when he dealt with his enemy with such severity. But he had been deeply insulted and was a hard man.
Jdg 12:5 b
‘And it was so, that when the fugitives of Ephraim said, “Let me go over”, the men of Gilead said to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?”
The writer’s sympathy was clearly with Gilead. Notice how he throws back in the face of Ephraim their jibe ‘the fugitives of Ephraim’ (verse 4). Now it was Ephraim who were ‘the fugitives of Ephraim’, fleeing for their lives. But when they came to the fords of Jordan to escape they were met by strong guards of Gileadites who questioned all who sought to cross as to whether they were Ephraimites (literally ‘Ephrathites’ , another name for Ephraimites, also occurring in 1Sa 1:1; 1Ki 11:26).
Jdg 12:5-6 a. (Jdg 12:5 c-6 a)
‘If he said, “No”, then they said to him, “Now say “Shibboleth”. And he said ‘Sibboleth’. For he could not so frame his words as to pronounce it correctly. Then they laid hold of him and slew him at the fords of the Jordan.’
The Gileadites were merciless. They had a simple test for whether a man was an Ephraimite. The Ephraimites pronounced their ‘sh’ like an ‘s’. So when they were asked to say ‘shibboleth’, they said ‘sibboleth’ and few could disguise it. And when they did that they killed them. This demonstrates how Ephraim kept themselves to themselves, so much so that over time they had developed different pronunciations and ways of speaking which they were unable to immediately adjust, and that only happens over a long time. The confederacy was not in a good state.
Shibboleth means ‘a stream in flood’. It was probably considered a good joke by the Gileadites. When the Ephraimites could not pronounce it they were ‘swept away by a flood’ rather than being able to cross the ford.
Jdg 12:6 b
‘And there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty two military units.’
The total slain by the battle and its aftermath was forty two military units. We do not know how many escaped. It may be that ‘forty two’ had a significance that we do not now know. They had jeered Gilead and now died. Compare how there were ‘forty two’ young louts who were killed for jeering Elisha (2Ki 2:24). The number six sometimes indicates a falling short (of the perfection of seven), compare the number 666 (a threefold falling short). Perhaps forty two indicated a sevenfold falling short (seven times six).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Shibboleth means a river. The only difference between this and Sibboleth, arose from spelling the former with the Hebrew letter Shin, and the latter with Samech. But what is the spiritual illustration of the passage to mark the Shibboleth from the Sibboleth? Is it not, according to what our adored Redeemer taught when he said, ‘by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.’ Mat 12:37 . The language of the lips will correspond to the feelings of the heart. If Jesus be in the heart, depend upon it, his sweet name will be as honeycomb dropping from the lips. But if Christ be not formed in the heart the hope of glory, the Sibboleth of the conversation will betray the man, as Peter was discovered in the high priest’s palace. Mat 26:73 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jdg 12:5 And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was [so], that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, [Art] thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay;
Ver. 5. Before the Ephraimites. ] Who were now become a woeful example of that rule, “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Pro 16:18
If he said, Nay.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
passages = fords.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Jdg 3:28, Jdg 7:24, Jos 2:7, Jos 22:11
Reciprocal: 1Sa 1:1 – Ephrathite
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jdg 12:5-6. If he said, Nay To avoid the present danger. Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth To find out the truth, they put him to this test; whether his pronunciation of some words was like that of the Gileadites; for people of the same nation, who speak the same language, generally differ very much in the pronunciation of it, according as they live in different parts of the country. As the word signifies a stream or river, and they desired to pass over one, it was a word proper for the occasion, and gave them no cause to suspect the design, because they were only desired to say, Let me go over the Shibboleth or river. And he said, Sibboleth If he was an Ephraimite, he presently discovered himself, for he could not pronounce the Hebrew letter , shin; which probably proceeded from the long habit of that people, to express themselves in a different manner; so that they could not readily frame the organs of speech to pronounce as the Gileadites did. The Hebrew text, however, does not say that he could not, but that he did not frame to pronounce it right; because, not suspecting the design, he uttered hastily, according to his usual manner of expression. There fell forty and two thousand Not in that place, but in that expedition, being slain either in the battle, or in the pursuit, or at Jordan. See the justice of God! They had gloried that they were Ephraimites; but how soon are they afraid to own their country! They had called the Gileadites fugitives; and now they are in good earnest become fugitives themselves. It is the same word (Jdg 12:5) used of the Ephraimites that fled, which they had used in scorn of the Gileadites. He that rolls the stone of reproach unjustly on another, it may justly return upon himself.