Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, Judges · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
Verſ. 1. ANd the men of Ephraim gathered themſelves together, and went north-ward.] That is, having paſſed over Jordan, they then turned north-ward into the land of Gilead.
Wherefore paſſedſt thou over to fight againſt the children of Ammon, and didſt not call us to go with thee, &c.] Upon the ſame ground they quarrelled before with Gideon, chap. 8. verſ. 1. Jephthah, as is evident by his anſwer, verſ. 2. had ſent unto them to deſire them to come and expell the Ammonites out of their coaſts, and could not perſwade them to undertake it; yet now himſelf had done it, they envy his victory, and quarrell with him, becauſe he did not call them to go with him, to wit, as pretending that though he called them to expell the Ammonites out of their coaſts, yet he did not make known to them his own reſolution to go againſt them, nor did deſire them to joyn with him, and ſo made this the ground of their quarrell: and withall gave the Gileadites many opprobrious and reviling ſpeeches, verſ. 4. And the men of Gilead ſmote Ephraim, becauſe they ſaid, ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim, &c.
Verſ. 3. And when I ſaw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and paſſed over againſt the children of Ammon, &c.] All expoſitours agree, that by this phraſe, I put my life in my hands, Jephthah meant, that he expoſed his life to manifeſt danger, to wit, becauſe he went againſt the children of Ammon, with forces no way anſwerable to theirs, and that thereby Jephthah intended to intimate to the men of Ephraim, that he would have been glad of their aſſiſtance, that he might not have gone out upon ſo much hazard of his life as he did. But whence was that phraſe, that when a man expoſed his life to manifeſt perill he was ſaid to put his life in his hands? I anſwer, the reaſon of this phraſe ſome conceive to be this, that when a man carries any precious thing that is brittle in his hands, it is in danger to fall, or to be ſnatched away ſuddenly from him. But I rather conceive the ground of it to be, becauſe when a man intends to lay down or deliver up any thing to another, he takes it into his hands, that he may deliver it up, and therefore he that expoſeth his life to manifeſt perill for any cauſe, is ſaid to take his life into his hands, becauſe for that cauſe he is ready to lay down his life, according to that, 1. John 3.16. Hereby perceive we the love of God, becauſe he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. And indeed it may well be, which a learned divine hath obſerved, that they were wont in former times to picture the Martyrs of the Primitive Church with their heads in their hands, onelyonly to expreſſe this by way of Hieroglyphick, that they laid down their lives for the cauſe of Chriſt, which the ignorant people not underſtanding in the ſucceeding dark times of Popery, they thence raiſed thoſe abſurd and ridiculous tales and legends of divers Martyrs, that when their heads were cut off, did notwithſtanding walk a certain way with their heads in their hands.
Wherefore then are ye come up unto we this day, to fight against me?] As if he ſhould ſay, Do you thus reward me for the good ſervice I have done to the whole land of Iſrael?
Verſ. 4, And the men of Gilead ſmote Ephraim, becauſe they ſaid, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim, among the Ephraimites, and among the Manaſſites.] Theſe were the reviling ſpeeches wherewith the Ephraimites had enraged the Gileadites, and provoked them to deal ſo rigourouſly with them: for the underſtanding whereof we muſt note that Jephthah and the Gileadites, with whom the Ephramites did now contend, were of that half of the tribe of Manaſſeh that were planted in the utmoſt coaſts northward of the land without Jordan. Now the Ephraimites and the other half of Manaſſeh which were ſeated within Jordan, and that next to the tribe of Ephraim, they lived lovingly together, and kept good correſpondence the one with the other, as being both deſcended of Joſeph, and having continually commerce together, by reaſon of their neighbourhood: but having no commerce with the other half tribe of Manaſſeh without Jordan, becauſe they dwelt ſo farre off from them, even their brethren the Manaſſites within Jordan began to grow ſtrange to them, and at laſt to deſpiſe and ſcorn them, as if they had been no better then fugitives that were runne away from them, the very ſcumme and refuſe of their tribe caſt out into the utmoſt bounds of that land without Jordan, as unworthy to live with the reſt of their brethren in the heart of the land of Canaan: and this is that which in their fury theſe Ephraimites do with ſcorn caſt into the teeth of the Gileadites: that both themſelves and their brethren of Manaſſeh, did eſteem the Gileadites no better then fugitives of Ephraim, &c.
Verſ. 6. Then ſaid they unto him, Say now Shibboleth, &c.] Which ſignifies the ſtream of a river; it ſeems they choſe this word to diſcover them by, upon their deſire to paſſe over the foards of the river Jordan.
And there fell at that time of the Ephraimites, fourty and two thouſand.] This was done in the land of the half tribe of Manaſſeh without Jordan, and becauſe we reade of a place in their countrey that was called the wood of Ephraim, 2. Sam. 18.6. we may well conceive that it was ſo called, becauſe of this notable ſlaughter of the Ephraimites there.
Verſ. 15. And was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mouth of the Amalekites.] So called as it ſeems, becauſe the Amalekites had formerly … that mountain.