Focused Passage

Judges 12:4-6

Jephthah's Aftermath: Tribal Bloodshed and Minor Judges

After Jephthah's victory over Ammon, Ephraim's grievance erupts into civil war, Gilead slaughters Ephraimites at the Jordan fords through the shibboleth test, and the chapter closes with brief minor-judge notices that show continuity without covenant renewal.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

4Jephthah then gathered all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, “You Gileadites are fugitives in Ephraim, living in the territories of Ephraim and Manasseh.”

5The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a fugitive from Ephraim would say, “Let me cross over,” the Gileadites would ask him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he answered, “No,”

6they told him, “Please say Shibboleth.” If he said, “Sibboleth,” because he could not pronounce it correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. So at that time 42,000 Ephraimites were killed.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 4

Original words

Jephthah thenיִפְתָּח֙H3316Noun - proper - masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markergatheredוַיִּקְבֹּ֤ץH6908Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularallכָּל־H3605Noun - masculine singular constructthe menאַנְשֵׁ֣יH582Noun - masculine plural constructof Gileadגִלְעָ֔דH1568Noun - proper - feminine singularand foughtוַיִּלָּ֖חֶםH3898Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularagainstאֶת־H854PrepositionEphraimאֶפְרָ֑יִםH669Noun - proper - masculine singularAnd the menאַנְשֵׁ֨יH582Noun - masculine plural constructof Gileadגִלְעָ֜דH1568Noun - proper - feminine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markerstruck them downוַיַּכּוּ֩H5221Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralbecauseכִּ֤יH3588Conjunctionthe Ephraimitesאֶפְרַ֗יִםH669Noun - proper - masculine singularhad saidאָמְרוּ֙H559Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralYouאַתֶּ֔םH859Pronoun - second person masculine pluralGileaditesגִּלְעָ֕דH1568Noun - proper - feminine singularare fugitivesפְּלִיטֵ֤יH6412Noun - masculine plural constructin Ephraimאֶפְרַ֙יִם֙H669Noun - proper - masculine singularliving in the territoriesבְּת֥וֹךְH8432Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructof Ephraimאֶפְרַ֖יִםH669Noun - proper - masculine singular. . .בְּת֥וֹךְH8432Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructand Manassehמְנַשֶּֽׁה׃H4519Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 5

Original words

The Gileaditesגִּלְעָ֛דH1568Noun - proper - feminine singular-אֶֽת־H853Direct object markercapturedוַיִּלְכֹּ֥דH3920Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularthe fordsמַעְבְּר֥וֹתH4569Noun - feminine plural constructof the Jordanהַיַּרְדֵּ֖ןH3383Article | Noun - proper - feminine singularleading to Ephraimלְאֶפְרָ֑יִםH669Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singularandוְֽ֠הָיָהH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularwheneverכִּ֣יH3588Conjunctiona fugitiveפְּלִיטֵ֤יH6412Noun - masculine plural constructfrom Ephraimאֶפְרַ֙יִם֙H669Noun - proper - masculine singularwould sayיֹאמְר֞וּH559Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralLet me cross overאֶעֱבֹ֔רָהH5674Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singularthe Gileaditesגִלְעָ֛דH1568Noun - proper - feminine singularwould askוַיֹּ֨אמְרוּH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralhimל֧וֹPreposition | third person masculine singular. . .אַנְשֵֽׁי־H582Noun - masculine plural constructAre youאַ֖תָּהH859Pronoun - second person masculine singularan Ephraimiteהַֽאֶפְרָתִ֥יH673Article | Noun - proper - masculine singularIf he answeredוַיֹּ֥אמֶֽר׀H559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularNoלֹֽא׃H3808Adverb - Negative particle
Verse 6

Original words

they toldוַיֹּ֣אמְרוּH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralhimלוֹ֩Preposition | third person masculine singularPleaseנָ֨אH4994Interjectionsayאֱמָר־H559Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singularShibbolethשִׁבֹּ֜לֶתH7641Noun - feminine singularIf he saidוַיֹּ֣אמֶרH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularSibbolethסִבֹּ֗לֶתH5451Noun - feminine singularbecause he couldיָכִין֙H3559Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singularnotוְלֹ֤אH3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particlepronounceלְדַבֵּ֣רH1696Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive constructit correctlyכֵּ֔ןH3651Adjective - masculine singularthey seizedוַיֹּאחֲז֣וּH270Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralhimאוֹת֔וֹH853Direct object marker | third person masculine singularand killed himוַיִּשְׁחָט֖וּהוּH7819Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine singularatאֶל־H413Prepositionthe fordsמַעְבְּר֣וֹתH4569Noun - feminine plural constructof the Jordanהַיַּרְדֵּ֑ןH3383Article | Noun - proper - feminine singularSo at thatהַהִיא֙H1931Article | Pronoun - third person feminine singulartimeבָּעֵ֤תH6256Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular42,000 {}אַרְבָּעִ֥יםH705Number - common plural. . .וּשְׁנַ֖יִםH8147Conjunctive waw | Number - md. . .אָֽלֶף׃H505Number - masculine singularEphraimitesמֵֽאֶפְרַ֔יִםH669Preposition-m | Noun - proper - masculine singularwere killedוַיִּפֹּ֞לH5307Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular

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