Bible Strands
Judges 12:1
Then the men of Ephraim assembled and crossed the Jordan to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, “Why have you crossed over to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? We will burn your house down with you inside!”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The men of Ephraim confront Jephthah after his campaign against the Ammonites, demanding to know why he crossed the Jordan to fight without summoning their tribe for support.
The words — מַדּוּעַ (ma.Du.a') literally means "why?" and structures their direct challenge, while יִצָּעֵק (yi.tza.'Ek) translates to "summoned" or "called out," marking the specific military procedure they claim was ignored.
The thread — This grievance over excluded tribal participation repeats in Judges 8:1, where Ephraim confronts Gideon for a similar omission, and aligns with James 3:16's note that jealousy and selfish ambition produce disorder.
Why it lands — The passage records how unmet expectations and perceived disrespect can immediately trigger threats of violence, requiring readers to observe how tribal pride overrides shared purpose and demands accountability for broken cooperation.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire.
Cross-references
- Judges 8:1 Then the men of Ephraim said to Gideon, “Why have you done this to us? Why did you fail to call us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they contended with him violently.
- John 10:32 But Jesus responded, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone Me?”
- James 3:16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice.
- Judges 14:15 So on the fourth day they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband to explain the riddle to us, or we will burn you and your father’s household to death. Did you invite us here to rob us?”
- James 4:1 What causes conflicts and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from the passions at war within you?
- Judges 15:6 “Who did this?” the Philistines demanded. “It was Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite,” they were told. “For his wife was given to his companion.” So the Philistines went up and burned her and her father to death.
- 2 Samuel 19:41 Soon all the men of Israel came to the king and asked, “Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, take you away secretly and bring the king and his household across the Jordan, together with all of David’s men?”
- Psalms 109:4 In return for my love they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer.
- Proverbs 27:3 A stone is heavy and sand is a burden, but aggravation from a fool outweighs them both.
- Ecclesiastes 4:4 I saw that all labor and success spring from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.