Shibboleth: Some men of Ephraim come to Jephthah and ask why he didn't invite them to fight the Ammonites with him. He says he offered, but when "he saw that they would not effect rescue" he did it himself. He calls in their enemies from Gilead and they explained that they took the ford and anyone who didn't pronounce "Shibboleth" right, would be killed, and so they killed 42,000 Ephraimites. That would definitely slow them down.
My notes: "Shibboleth means "an ear of grain." But this Hebrew word can also mean "flood water." Apparently the Gileadites engaged the Ephraimites in conversation about the "flood water" of the Jordan. Differences in enunciating the initial sibilant of the Hebrew word betrayed different tribal affinities."
After judging for 6 years, Jephthah dies.
After Jephthah, Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. He has 30 sons and 30 daughters who marry outside the family (outside Israel?). After judging for 7 years, he dies.
After Ibzan, Elon judges Israel for ten years, and he dies.
After Elon, Abdon judges Israel for 8 years (he has 40 sons who rose on 70 saddle-asses!), and he dies.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Judges 12
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It seems the issue is that the Ephraimites weren't interested in fighting when they thought that it was only Jephthah and his group in danger but when it turned out to be a huge victory for Israel due to the Lord's intervention they wanted to be included.
They now had a sort of civil war. Jephthah captured an area of the Jordan with a small pass. "Shibboleth" was the password to cross. If you didn't pronounce it correctly, you were killed.
My Bible uses the term "clan" to describe Ibzan's sons and daughters, so they married within Israel.
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