a6 I called you d, ye delivered me not out of their and.
d Hence it appears, that he craved their a hi denied; though that be not elſewhere bead ON OI 3 And when I ſaw that ye delivered »e not, I put my life in my hand e, and paſſed over againit the chil- dren of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day to fight againſt me f? el 7.6.) T expoſed my ſelf to utmoſt danger ; as a man that car- ries a brittle and precious thing in his hand, which may eaſily either fall ro the ground, or be ſnatched from him. The fame Phraſe is uſed 1 Same 19. 5. and 28. 21. Job 15. 14. Pſal. 119+ 109. f Why do you thus requite my kindneis in running into ſuch hazard to preſerve you and yours ?
4 Then Jephthah gathered together all the men cf Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead ſmote Ephraim, becauſe they ſaid, Ye Gilea- dites are fugitives of Ephraim, among the Ephraimites, and among the Manaſlites g. |
g According to this Tranſlation, theſe words are a ſcoffing »nd contemptuous expreſſion of the Ephraimites concerning the G:l:a- aites, whom they call Fugitives of Ephraim ; the word Ephraim be- ing here taken largely, as it is elſewhere, as 1ſa. 7: 2. 5, fo as it comprehends the other Neighbouring Tribes, of which Ephraim was 1n ſome ſort the head or chief ; and eſpeciaily their Brethr-nof Manaſſtch, who lived next to them, and were delcended from the ſame Father, Joſzph ; by reaſon whereof, both theſe Tribes are ſometimes reckoned for one, and called by the name of che Tribe of Joſeph. And this large ſignification of Ephraim may ſeem probable from the following words, where, inftead of Ephraim is put the Ee proraimites, and the Manaſſites. By Gileadites here they ſeem princi- pally to mean the Monaſſites beyond Jordan, who dwelt in Gilead, as appears from Deuts 3: 13+ Joſh. 17: 1, 5,6. And although other Gileaaites were joyned with them, yet they vent their paſſicn againſt theſe ; principally, becauſe they envied them moſt ; partly, be. cauſe, they ſeemed to have had a chief hand in the V ictory TJudg. 11. 29. And partly, becauſe they were mere nearly related to them and therefore more obliged to deſire their Conjun&ion with them in the War. Theſe they here opprobriouſly call Fugitives, 7. e. ſuch as had deſerted their Brethren of Ephraim and Manaſſeh and for ſome worldly advantage planted themſelves beyond Jordan, at a diſtance from their Brethren. and were alienated in Affe&ion from them and carried on a diſtin& and ſeparate Intereſt ef their own; as a s pears by their Monopolizing the glory of this Sncceſs to thomlotves and excluding their Brethren from it. According to the Hebrew, the words lie, and may be rendred thus, Therefore ( fo Chi is oft rendred ) they ſaid, Fugitives of Ephraim are ye; (i, &« ) Ye Ephraimites are meer run-aways: for the words next foregoing are, The Men of Gilead {mote Ephraim. And having told you what they ſzid, becauſe the Pronoun they was ambiguous, he adds by way of Explication ) who ſaidit, even the Gileadites ( and they ſaid it when they had got the advantage over them, and got between them and heme, as the next verſe ſhews ) being berween Ephraim and Manafſeh ; ( 6) Havin taken the paſſages of J:rdan, as it foliows, which lay between Fo phraim and that part of Manaſſeh which was beyond Jordan. Or theſe latter words may be rendred thus, Ard tte Gileadites were berween Ephraim and Manaſſch. So there is only an Elipſes of two ſmall words which are oft defeCtive, and tobe underſtoad in Scripture. Or thus. And the Gli/eadites were in the midſt of the Eiboaimerer and in the midſt of rhe Manaſizes, to wity thole Manaſſites who ordinarily lived within Jordan,who poſſibly were confederate with the Ephraimites in this quarrel. And fo tie meaning is, they followed cloſe afte rs, _ — them and fell upon the midſt of them od
mote them ; and they ſent a party to i 2 : ſages of Jorden, as it hos Sk amg OT IT nn "ie he po 5 Andthe Gileadites took the paſſages of Jordan be- fore the Ephraimites: and it was ſo, rhat when thoſe Ephraimites which were eſcaped h, ſaid, Let me £0 over, that the men of Gilead ſaid unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite ? Ifhe ſaid, Nay eb. The fugitives of Ephraim, as before ; for the are the ſame: Which may make the latter | Har Ons going words more probabley to wity that it is not the Gileadites, bur the Ephraimites who are thereas well as here ſo called, becauſe they _ rey eng Jephthah, and fled from him. i Ts avoid the 6 Then faid they unto him, Say now Shibb n fa SP1bboleth & ; and he faid Sibboleth 7: for he could not frame to ie, nounce zt right ws. Then they took him, and flew him at the paſſages of Jordan: and there fell at that time » of the Ephraimites forty and two thouſand.
& Which fignifies a Stream or River, which they defired to naſg over: ſo it was a word proper for the occaſion, aud gave ws cauſe to ſuſpe& the Deſign, becauſe they were required only to ug preſs their Defire, to go over the. Shibboleth or River. 1 I is wm known, that notonly divers Narions, but divers Provinces, or = of the ſame Nation who uſe the ſame Language, differ mea ln left and manner of pronounciation. m Or rather he did not "Sug or dire& himſelf to ſpezk ſo, or, to ſpeak right; £71 e. ) Go 2s bh was Required to doit. The Hebrew Text doth not fav that h could not do it, bur that he did it not, becauſe he ſuf, pettin _ the Deſign of it, uttered it ſpeedily according to his or of wu 2 op” . Not in that place, at the paſſuges of Jordzr, but in * ru ition, being ſlaincither in the Batce] 2 Or inthe Purſuit,or
J 7 _ Fagan Judged Iſrael ſix years: then died ephthan the Gileadite, and was buried in 0 Cities o of Gilead, : - Air 0 Heb. In the Cities, The Plural Number put for the Sinou!: Gen. 19; 29. where Lo? is ſaid to dwellin the Cirier, (i. . Nome ofthe ; Cities ;
Chap. X1t: (a
f He Saw ſc * Ch: 5- 10 and 1
—— ee es ns
' +feb added t commit * Cha
' $Teb. #1 nge!
7 Num 66 2 J
* Nun 6. Ts I Sam. UG Ih
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