Judges 12 2

Judges 12:2 kjv

And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands.

Judges 12:2 nkjv

And Jephthah said to them, "My people and I were in a great struggle with the people of Ammon; and when I called you, you did not deliver me out of their hands.

Judges 12:2 niv

Jephthah answered, "I and my people were engaged in a great struggle with the Ammonites, and although I called, you didn't save me out of their hands.

Judges 12:2 esv

And Jephthah said to them, "I and my people had a great dispute with the Ammonites, and when I called you, you did not save me from their hand.

Judges 12:2 nlt

Jephthah replied, "I summoned you at the beginning of the dispute, but you refused to come! You failed to help us in our struggle against Ammon.

Judges 12 verses

Judges 12 2 Meaning

Jephthah explained to the Ephraimites that he and his people in Gilead endured a fierce war with the Ammonites and, despite his urgent call for help, the Ephraimites failed to come to their aid, leaving them exposed and undelivered from their enemies' power.

Judges 12 2 Context

Judges 12:2 is Jephthah's heated rejoinder to the Ephraimites who, having previously been absent from the crucial war against the Ammonites, now confront him arrogantly demanding why they were not called to assist. This verse sets the immediate scene for the tragic internal conflict and bloodshed between Gilead and Ephraim (the "Shibboleth" incident). The period of the Judges (characterized by "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" - Judg 17:6, 21:25) was marked by decentralized governance, tribal autonomy, and frequent internal strife alongside external oppression. The Ephraimites, holding a prominent status and historical claims of preeminence within Israel, often displayed pride and challenged leaders, as seen earlier with Gideon (Judg 8:1-3). Jephthah’s defensive yet direct words expose the deep-seated disunity and neglect of shared national responsibility that plagued the Israelite tribes, leading to tragic outcomes for God's chosen people.

Judges 12 2 Word analysis

• "And he said unto them,": Identifies Jephthah as the speaker, addressing the men of Ephraim. This marks his immediate and direct rebuttal to their aggressive questioning (Judg 12:1), initiating his defense.
• "I and my people": Hebrew: אֲנִי וְעַמִּי ('ani v'ammi). Jephthah emphasizes that this struggle was not solely his personal affair but involved his entire collective group, primarily the people of Gilead, highlighting shared hardship and responsibility.
• "were at great strife": Hebrew: הָיָה לִי רִיב גָּדוֹל (hayah li riv gadol).
  • riv (רִיב): Signifies a serious contention, a legal dispute, or an actual military conflict—more than a minor disagreement, indicating a severe struggle.
  • gadol (גָּדוֹל): "Great" or "mighty," intensifying the direness and significant scale of the conflict, asserting it was a national crisis.
• "with the children of Ammon": Specifically names the enemy. The Ammonites were notorious oppressors of Israel, distinct from internal Israelite disputes. This validates the existential threat Jephthah and his people faced.
• "and when I called you,": Jephthah states unequivocally that he initiated contact and formally requested military aid from Ephraim. This directly challenges Ephraim's assertion of having been overlooked, implying their dereliction of duty. It points to a common tribal expectation for mutual defense.
• "ye delivered me not": Hebrew: וְלֹא הוֹשַׁעְתֶּם (v'lo hosha'tem).
  • lo (לֹא): A definitive negation, highlighting the complete absence of their help.
  • hosha'tem (הוֹשַׁעְתֶּם): From the root יָשַׁע (yasha), "to save," "to help," or "to rescue." This emphasizes Ephraim’s failure to act as a deliverer, in sharp contrast to God’s own attribute of being Israel's deliverer.
• "out of their hands": A common idiom meaning freedom or rescue from the power, control, or grasp of an enemy. Jephthah implies they were under significant threat or subjugation from which Ephraim refused to release them.

Judges 12 2 Bonus section

This exchange provides a crucial contrast to Gideon’s handling of a similar Ephraimite complaint in Judges 8. While Gideon pacified them with a humble and flattering response, Jephthah, perhaps less diplomatically or driven by the extremity of his people's peril and Ephraim's utter failure, directly accused them. This difference highlights the deepening tribal fragmentation and distrust during the period, where reconciliation became increasingly difficult. Ephraim’s consistent pride and sense of superiority (due to their past prominence, sacred sites, and large numbers) often made them critical of "lesser" tribes and their leaders, fostering a climate ripe for conflict rather than cooperation. The tragedy of Judges 12:2 is not just Ephraim's inaction but Jephthah's compelled defensive stance and the ensuing bloody schism, illustrating a complete breakdown of what should have been a unified body of God's people.

Judges 12 2 Commentary

Judges 12:2 serves as Jephthah's poignant justification for his actions, exposing Ephraim's arrogant hypocrisy and underlying negligence. It reveals the severe and often tragic consequences of inter-tribal division and the failure of shared responsibility during the period of the Judges. Jephthah clearly articulates that Gilead faced an existential threat from the Ammonites and had genuinely sought Ephraim's help, which was decisively withheld. This verse doesn't just chronicle a factual statement; it encapsulates Jephthah's wounded honor and the profound disappointment in his fellow Israelites, leading directly to the brutal civil war. It underscores how unresolved tribal pride and a lack of cooperative spirit could weaken God's people, leaving them vulnerable and tragically divided.