Judges 12:5
in Judges 12The 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,”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the Gileadites took the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. And it was so, that, when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, Let me go over, the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay;
KJV
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;
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This verse in Judges 12
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Jephthah then gathered all the men of Gilead
on Judges 12:4-7
The war turns on the taunt that the Gileadites were “fugitives in Ephraim”, a point Adam Clarke says is lost. The test at the ford rests on one consonant, and Clarke argues the difference between “Shibboleth” and “Sibboleth” was plain to a Hebrew ear. The 42,000 Ephraimites killed are the heaviest loss of one tribe, and Jephthah's six years are the shortest term of any judge.
This site's exposition
captured the fords of the Jordan
Matthew Henry notices that the word fugitive, which Ephraim had thrown at Gilead in verse 4, now describes the Ephraimites fleeing to the river. The insult comes back on the men who spoke it. Holding the fords cut off the road home.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
) is used of the Ephraimites that escaped, or that fled, which they had used in scorn of the Gileadites, calling them fugitives. He that rolls the stone of reproach unjustly upon another, let him expect that it will justly return upon himself. Here is the end of Jephthah's government.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites,....
Here was, First, Cruelty enough in the destruction of them. Sufficient surely was the punishment which was inflicted by many; when they were routed in the field, there needed not this severity to cut off all that escaped.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
The Gilodites captured the Yardein crossings. They posted sentries at the crossing areas.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Since the contemptibles of Ephraim had said, "What are you,Gilod?" The lowliest in Ephraim would mock Gilod, saying, "Of what significance are you, Gilod, among Ephraim and among Menasheh?" This is Targum Yonasan's interpretation.
Say Shiboles please. May I cross this river flow? 1 Shiboles” is translated as “flow”.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּלְכֹּ֥ד | vaiyilkod | and it captured | H3920 → | 121 times |
| גִּלְעָ֛ד | gilad | Gilead | H1568 → | 134 times |
| אֶֽת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מַעְבְּר֥וֹת | ma'berot | [the] fords of | H4569 → | 11 times |
| הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ן | haiyarden | the Jordan | H3383 → | 182 times |
| לְאֶפְרָ֑יִם | leefrayim | to Ephraim | H669 → | 180 times |
| וְֽ֠הָיָה | vehayah | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יֹאמְר֞וּ | yomeru | they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| פְּלִיטֵ֤י | pelitei | [the] fugitives of | H6412 → | |
| אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ | ʾefrayim | Ephraim | H669 → | 180 times |
| אֶעֱבֹ֔רָה | ʾeevorah | let me pass over | H5674 → | 556 times |
| וַיֹּ֨אמְרוּ | vaiyomeru | and they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| ל֧וֹ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| אַנְשֵֽׁי־ | ʾanshei- | [the] men of | H582 → | 566 times |
| גִלְעָ֛ד | gilad | Gilead | H1568 → | 134 times |
| הַֽאֶפְרָתִ֥י | haefrati | ¿ an Ephrathite | H673 → | |
| אַ֖תָּה | ʾatah | [are] you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| וַיֹּ֥אמֶֽר׀ | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לֹֽא׃ | lo' | no | H3808 → | 5168 times |
וַיִּלְכֹּ֥דand it captured
vaiyilkodH3920 →121 times
גִּלְעָ֛דGilead
giladH1568 →134 times
אֶֽת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מַעְבְּר֥וֹת[the] fords of
ma'berotH4569 →11 times
הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ןthe Jordan
haiyardenH3383 →182 times
לְאֶפְרָ֑יִםto Ephraim
leefrayimH669 →180 times
וְֽ֠הָיָהand it was
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
כִּ֣יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
יֹאמְר֞וּthey said
yomeruH559 →5305 times
פְּלִיטֵ֤י[the] fugitives of
peliteiH6412 →
אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙Ephraim
ʾefrayimH669 →180 times
אֶעֱבֹ֔רָהlet me pass over
ʾeevorahH5674 →556 times
וַיֹּ֨אמְרוּand they said
vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times
ל֧וֹto <the> him
lo
אַנְשֵֽׁי־[the] men of
ʾanshei-H582 →566 times
גִלְעָ֛דGilead
giladH1568 →134 times
הַֽאֶפְרָתִ֥י¿ an Ephrathite
haefratiH673 →
אַ֖תָּה[are] you
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
וַיֹּ֥אמֶֽר׀and he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לֹֽא׃no
lo'H3808 →5168 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Judges 3:28“Follow me,” he told them, “for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they followed him down and seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did…
it leads to
- Joshua 2:7
So the king’s men set out in pursuit of the spies along the road to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as they had gone out, the gate was shut.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Judges 7:9
That night the LORD said to Gideon, “Get up and go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand.
- 1 Samuel 17:47
And all those assembled here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give all of you into our…
- Judges 7:15
When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Get up, for the LORD has delivered the camp of Midian into your…
- Judges 7:24
Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim to say, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth-barah.” So all the men…
- Joshua 2:7
Through
Joshua 22:11Then the Israelites received the report: “Behold, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar on the border of the land of Canaan, at Geliloth near the Jordan on…
it leads to
- John 1:28
All this happened at Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 13:12–14
If, regarding one of the cities the LORD your God is giving you to inhabit, you hear it said
- John 1:28
Through
Joshua 2:7So the king’s men set out in pursuit of the spies along the road to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as they had gone out, the gate was shut.
it leads to
- Judges 3:28
“Follow me,” he told them, “for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they followed him down and seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did…
- Judges 3:28
About Judges
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.