Bible Strands
Judges 12:5
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,”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The Gileadite forces hold the Jordan crossings against fleeing Ephraimites after their initial battle, intercepting fugitives who request passage.
The words — וַיִּלְכֹּד (wa-yil-kōd) translates to "and he captured," describing the Gileadites' seizure of the fords (מַעְבָּרוֹת, ma‘bārōt) leading to Ephraim.
The thread — The Jordan fords serve as tactical choke points in Judges 3:28 and Joshua 2:7, where crossing routes determine military and espionage outcomes.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that identity markers become tools of survival or judgment in moments of conflict.
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 Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay;
Cross-references
- Judges 3:28 “Follow me,” he told them, “for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they followed him down and seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and they did not allow anyone to cross over.
- Joshua 22:11 Then the Israelites received the report: “Behold, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar on the border of the land of Canaan, at Geliloth near the Jordan on the Israelite side.”
- Joshua 2:7 So the king’s men set out in pursuit of the spies along the road to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as they had gone out, the gate was shut.
- Judges 7:24 Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim to say, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth-barah.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they captured the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth-barah.