Judges 12:4

2 But Jephthah replied, “My people and I had a serious conflict with the Ammonites, and when I called, you did not save me out of their hands.

3 When I saw that you would not save me, I risked my life and crossed over to the Ammonites, and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come today to fight against me?”

Jephthah then gathered all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, “You Gileadites are fugitives in Ephraim, living in the territories of Ephraim and Manasseh.”

5 The 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,”

6 they told him, “Please say Shibboleth.” If he said, “Sibboleth,” because he could not pronounce it correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. So at that time 42,000 Ephraimites were killed.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
Jephthah then gathered all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, “You Gileadites are fugitives in Ephraim, living in the territories of Ephraim and Manasseh.”
KJV
Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.
WEB
Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim. The men of Gilead struck Ephraim, because they said, “You are fugitives of Ephraim, you Gileadites, in the middle of Ephraim, and in the middle of Manasseh.”
ASV
Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim; and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye are fugitives of Ephraim, ye Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraim, [and] in the midst of Manasseh.
DARBY
And Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim; and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye, Gilead, ye are fugitives of Ephraim in the midst of Ephraim, [and] in the midst of Manasseh.
BLB
And Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because they said, “You⁺ Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim in the midst of Ephraim, in the midst of Manasseh.”
ÅB
Deretter samlet Jefta alle Gileads menn og stred imot Efra'im, og Gileads menn slo Efra'im; for de[^1] hadde sagt: Rømlinger fra Efra'im er dere gileaditter midt i Efra'im og midt i Manasse.
OTB
Jefta samlet da mennene fra Gilead og kjempet mot Efraim. Gileadittene beseiret Efraim fordi de hadde sagt: «Dere gileaditter er flyktninger midt i Efraim og Manasse.»
B1930
Derefter samlet Jefta alle Gileads menn og stred imot Efra'im, og Gileads menn slo Efra'im; for de hadde sagt: Rømlinger fra Efra'im er I gileaditter midt i Efra'im og midt i Manasse. / < efra'imittene.>

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

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