Judges 12:7
New International Version
Jephthah led Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in a town in Gilead.

New Living Translation
Jephthah judged Israel for six years. When he died, he was buried in one of the towns of Gilead.

English Standard Version
Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in his city in Gilead.

Berean Standard Bible
Jephthah judged Israel six years, and when he died, he was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

King James Bible
And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

New King James Version
And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried among the cities of Gilead.

New American Standard Bible
Jephthah judged Israel for six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

NASB 1995
Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

NASB 1977
And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

Amplified Bible
Jephthah judged Israel for six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

Christian Standard Bible
Jephthah judged Israel six years, and when he died, he was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Jephthah judged Israel six years, and when he died, he was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

American Standard Version
And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

Contemporary English Version
Jephthah was a leader of Israel for six years, before he died and was buried in his hometown Mizpah in Gilead.

English Revised Version
And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Jephthah judged Israel for six years. Then Jephthah of Gilead died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

Good News Translation
Jephthah led Israel for six years. Then he died and was buried in his hometown in Gilead.

International Standard Version
Jephthah governed Israel for six years. Then Jephthah died and was buried somewhere in the cities of Gilead.

Majority Standard Bible
Jephthah judged Israel six years, and when he died, he was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

NET Bible
Jephthah led Israel for six years; then he died and was buried in his city in Gilead.

New Heart English Bible
Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died, and was buried in his city in Gilead.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Jephthah judged Israel six years: then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

World English Bible
Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died, and was buried in the cities of Gilead.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Jephthah judged Israel [for] six years, and Jephthah the Gileadite dies, and is buried in [one of] the cities of Gilead.

Young's Literal Translation
And Jephthah judged Israel six years, and Jephthah the Gileadite dieth, and is buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

Smith's Literal Translation
And Jephthah will judge Israel six years: and Jephthah the Gileadite will die, and will be buried in the city of Gilead.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Jephte the Galaadite judged Israel six years: and he died, and was buried in his city of Galaad.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And so Jephthah, the Gileadite, judged Israel for six years. And he died, and he was buried in his city in Gilead.

New American Bible
Jephthah judged Israel for six years, and Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in his city in Gilead.

New Revised Standard Version
Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died, and was buried in his town in Gilead.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in his city in Gilead.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Naphthakh judged Israel six years, and Naphthakh the Geladite died, and he was buried in the city of Gelad
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Jephthae judged Israel six years; and Jephthae the Galaadite died, and was buried in his city Galaad.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jephthah Defeats Ephraim
6they 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. 7Jephthah judged Israel six years, and when he died, he was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

Cross References
Judges 10:2-3
Tola judged Israel twenty-three years, and when he died, he was buried in Shamir. / Tola was followed by Jair the Gileadite, who judged Israel twenty-two years.

Judges 11:1-3
Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor; he was the son of a prostitute, and Gilead was his father. / And Gilead’s wife bore him sons who grew up, drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You shall have no inheritance in our father’s house, because you are the son of another woman.” / So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where worthless men gathered around him and traveled with him.

Judges 11:32-33
So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his hand. / With a great blow he devastated twenty cities from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel-keramim. So the Ammonites were subdued before the Israelites.

Judges 2:16-19
Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them from the hands of those who plundered them. / Israel, however, did not listen to their judges. Instead, they prostituted themselves with other gods and bowed down to them. They quickly turned from the way of their fathers, who had walked in obedience to the LORD’s commandments; they did not do as their fathers had done. / Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for the Israelites, He was with that judge and saved them from the hands of their enemies while the judge was still alive; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning under those who oppressed them and afflicted them. ...

Judges 3:9-11
But when the Israelites cried out to the LORD, He raised up Othniel son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz as a deliverer to save them. / The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge and went out to war. And the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into the hand of Othniel, who prevailed against him. / So the land had rest for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.

Judges 4:4-5
Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. / And she would sit under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, where the Israelites would go up to her for judgment.

Judges 6:11-12
Then the angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites. / And the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon and said, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.”

Judges 8:28
In this way Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. So the land had rest for forty years in the days of Gideon,

1 Samuel 12:11
So the LORD sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel, and He delivered you from the hands of your enemies on every side, and you dwelt securely.

2 Samuel 2:8-10
Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, took Saul’s son Ish-bosheth, moved him to Mahanaim, / and made him king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin—over all Israel. / Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned for two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David.

1 Kings 16:29-30
In the thirty-eighth year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria twenty-two years. / However, Ahab son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him.

2 Kings 15:8-10
In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah’s reign over Judah, Zechariah son of Jeroboam became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria six months. / And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done. He did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit. / Then Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah, struck him down and killed him in front of the people, and reigned in his place.

1 Chronicles 5:10
During the days of Saul they waged war against the Hagrites, who were defeated at their hands, and they occupied the dwellings of the Hagrites throughout the region east of Gilead.

Hebrews 11:32
And what more shall I say? Time will not allow me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets,

Acts 13:20
All this took about 450 years. After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet.


Treasury of Scripture

And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

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Body Buried Cities City Death Died Dieth Israel Jephthah Judge Judged Led Mizpeh Rest Six
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Judges 12
1. The Ephraimites, quarrelling with Jephthah, are slain by the Gileadites
7. Jephthah dies
8. Ibzan, who had thirty sons, and thirty daughters
11. and Elon
13. and Abdon, who had forty sons, and thirty nephews, judge Israel














Jephthah
Jephthah was a judge of Israel, known for his leadership and military prowess. His account is a testament to God's ability to use unlikely individuals for His purposes. Jephthah was the son of a harlot, which initially led to his rejection by his family and community (Judges 11:1-3). However, God raised him up to deliver Israel from the oppression of the Ammonites. His life illustrates the theme of redemption and the power of faith, despite personal and societal obstacles.

judged Israel
The role of a judge in Israel was not merely judicial but also military and spiritual. Judges were leaders raised by God to deliver Israel from oppression and to guide them back to covenant faithfulness. Jephthah's judgeship was marked by his decisive victory over the Ammonites, which brought peace to Israel. His leadership underscores the cyclical nature of Israel's history during the time of the judges, characterized by sin, oppression, repentance, and deliverance.

six years
The duration of Jephthah's judgeship was relatively short compared to some other judges. The six years of his leadership were a period of peace following the conflict with the Ammonites. This brief tenure highlights the transient nature of human leadership and the need for continual reliance on God. It also reflects the instability of the period, where peace was often short-lived due to Israel's recurring disobedience.

Then Jephthah the Gileadite
The designation "Gileadite" refers to Jephthah's origin from the region of Gilead, east of the Jordan River. This area was known for its rugged terrain and was part of the territory allotted to the tribes of Gad and Manasseh. Jephthah's identity as a Gileadite emphasizes his connection to a specific tribe and region, which played a role in his initial rejection and later acceptance as a leader. It also highlights the tribal dynamics and divisions within Israel during this period.

died
The death of Jephthah marks the end of his judgeship and the conclusion of his story. In the biblical narrative, the death of a judge often signifies a transition and the potential for Israel to fall back into sin. Jephthah's death serves as a reminder of the mortality of human leaders and the enduring need for divine guidance and intervention.

and was buried
Burial practices in ancient Israel were significant, reflecting honor and respect for the deceased. Jephthah's burial indicates that, despite his controversial vow and the resulting personal tragedy, he was respected as a leader who delivered Israel. His burial in his homeland also signifies a return to his roots and the restoration of his honor within his community.

in one of the cities of Gilead
The specific mention of Gilead as the place of Jephthah's burial reinforces his identity and legacy as a Gileadite. It also underscores the importance of land and heritage in Israelite culture. The cities of Gilead were part of the inheritance of the tribes east of the Jordan, and Jephthah's burial there signifies his rightful place within the community he once led. This detail highlights the connection between leadership, land, and legacy in the biblical narrative.

(7) Judged Israel.--The word implies that he was one of the recognised Shophetim, but there are no details to show in the case of any of the judges either what were the limits of their jurisdiction or what amount of authority it implied.

In one of the cities of Gilead.--The Hebrew only says, "in cities of Gilead." This may, no doubt. mean "one of the cities of Gilead," as in Genesis 19:29 "the cities in the which Lot dwelt" means "in one of which Lot dwelt." But the burial-place of so renowned a hero as Jephthah was not likely to be forgotten, and the reading adopted by the LXX. and Vulg., "in his city, Gilead" (i.e., Ramoth-Gilead or Mizpeh of Gilead), is furnished by a mere change of into The Sebee, in which Josephus says he was buried, may be a corruption of Mizpeh.

Verse 7. - Six years. Perhaps his sorrow for his daughter shortened his life. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite. Better, And Jephthah the Gileadite died. In one of the cities. His exact burial-place was perhaps unknown, and therefore the general phrase in the cities of Judah was used, as in Genesis 13:12. Lot is said to have dwelt in the cities of the plain, and in Nehemiah 6:2 San-ballat asked Nehemiah to meet him in the villages of the plain. Still the phrase is not what you would expect here, and it seems unlikely that Jephthah's burial-place should be unknown. The Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac, and Arabic versions read, "in his city Gilead," as if Gilead had been the name of Jephthah's paternal city. Another conjecture is that there might have been an Ar of Gilead as well as the well-known Ar of Moab, or there might have been a collection of towns called Arey- Gilead (the towns of Gilead), after the analogy of Havoth-jair (Judges 10:4), but there is no evidence in support of these conjectures.

CHAPTER 12:8-15

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Jephthah
יִפְתָּ֛ח (yip̄·tāḥ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3316: Jephthah -- 'He opens', a Gileadite, also a city of Judah

judged
וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֥ט (way·yiš·pōṭ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 8199: To judge, pronounce sentence, to vindicate, punish, to govern, to litigate

Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

six
שֵׁ֣שׁ (šêš)
Number - feminine singular
Strong's 8337: Six (a cardinal number)

years,
שָׁנִ֑ים (šā·nîm)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 8141: A year

and when he
יִפְתָּח֙ (yip̄·tāḥ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3316: Jephthah -- 'He opens', a Gileadite, also a city of Judah

died,
וַיָּ֗מָת (way·yā·māṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

he was buried
וַיִּקָּבֵ֖ר (way·yiq·qā·ḇêr)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6912: To inter

in one of the cities
בְּעָרֵ֥י (bə·‘ā·rê)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 5892: Excitement

of Gilead.
גִלְעָֽד׃ (ḡil·‘āḏ)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1568: Gilead -- a region in Palestine, also the name of several Israelites


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OT History: Judges 12:7 Jephthah judged Israel six years (Jd Judg. Jdg)
Judges 12:6
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