Judg. 12 The Ephraimites wage war against Jephthah; are smitten by the Gileadites; and being discerned by Shibboleth, are slain to the number of two and forty thousand, Judg. 12:1–6. Jephthah dies, Judg. 12:7. After him Ibzan, Judg. 12:8–10, Elon Judg. 11:11–12, Abdon, Judg.

Northward; over Jordan, so northward towards Mizpeh, where Jephthah was, Judg. 11:34, and which was in the northern part of the land beyond Jordan. Said unto Jephthah, through pride and envy, contending with him as they did before with Gideon, Judg. 8:1.

Hence it appears that he craved their assistance, which they denied, though that be not elsewhere expressed.

I put my life in my hands, i.e. I exposed myself to utmost danger; as a man that carries a brittle and precious thing in his hand, which may easily either fall to the ground, or be snatched from him. The same phrase is used 1 Sam. 19:5, 1 Sam. 28:21, Job 13:14, Ps. 119:109.

According to this translation, these words are a scoffing and contemptuous expression of the Ephraimites concerning the Gileadites, whom they call fugitives of Ephraim; the word Ephraim being here taken largely, as it is elsewhere as Isa. 7:2, Isa.

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…

Shibboleth signifies a stream or river, which they desired to pass over; so it was a word proper for the occasion, and gave them no cause to suspect the design, because they were required only to express their desire to go over the Shibboleth or river. He said Sibboleth.

In one of the cities, Heb. in the cities; the plural number put for the singular, as Gen. 19:29, where Lot is said to dwell in the cities, i.e. one of the cities; and 1 Sam. 18:21, the twain is put for one of the twain; and Judg.

Of Beth-lehem; either that in Judah, of which Matt. 2:6; or that in Zebulun, Josh. 19:15.

Took in thirty daughters, i.e. took them home for wives to his sons. See Gen. 24:67, Gen. 31:50, Deut. 21:12, 2 Sam. 11:27.

This is added to distinguish it from other Aijalons, of which see Judg. 1:35, 1 Chron. 6:69, 1 Chron. 8:13.

So called from some remarkable exploit done either by or upon the Amalekites in that place.