Study notes

Judges 12

Introducing JudgesWho wrote it, when, why, and what to look for as you read

10:1–12:15 Section

The judge Tola led in Ephraim. The judge Jair led in Gilead.

God wanted his people to live as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. But they weren’t doing that. The Israelites continued to worship the gods of the people groups around them. Because of this, the covenant curses came on them. The Philistines and the Ammonites treated them badly. God said he would no longer save the Israelites from their enemies. Yet he didn’t want Israel to keep suffering. So he forgave them when they stopped worshipping false gods.

God saved the tribes east of the River Jordan from the Ammonites. The story of Jephthah shows how this happened. It also shows how the Israelites used Canaanite worship practices to worship God. Jephthah made a promise to God that he shouldn’t have made. In Leviticus 5:4–6 and Leviticus 27:1–8 the Law of Moses explained how to stop such promises. But Jephthah kept his promise and killed his daughter.

Sacrificing children was one way that the Canaanites worshipped their false gods. Jepthah tried to use this evil practice to serve the true God. This story also shows the troubles between the tribes east and west of the River Jordan. There was war between the tribe of Ephraim and the tribes living in the Gilead area.

After Jephthah’s time there were other judges. Ibzan was a judge in Bethlehem. Elon was a judge in the Zebulun area. And the judge Abdon led the Israelites in the hill country of Ephraim.

12:1

Zaphon was just east of the Jordan River, opposite the area belonging to the tribe of Ephraim.

12:1–6

Ephraim felt neglected again (see Judges 8:1–3) and wanted revenge. Unlike Gideon's approach, Jephthah blamed Ephraim, leading to a civil war.

12:2

There is no record of Jephthah's earlier request.

12:4

The reason the people of Ephraim taunted the men of Gilead is unclear. They might have resented or looked down on the Israelites living east of the Jordan River.

12:5

You could only cross the Jordan River at shallow spots where tributaries left silt. This was likely true where the Jabbok joined the Jordan.

12:6

The term Shibboleth is now used to mean any password used to identify imposters. Armies have used such linguistic tests throughout history.
42,000 Ephraimites: This number might also mean "42 troops" (see study note on Exodus 12:37).

12:7

six years: Like all the judges after Gideon, Jephthah served for a specific and short time (see study note on Judges 8:28). Jephthah received an honorable burial, showing that despite his limitations, he was an inspired and successful warrior (Judges 11:29; contrast with Abimelech, study note on Judges 9:54–55).