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.
The men of Ephraim gathered together and went north to confront Jephthah. They said to him, 'Why did you go to fight against the Ammonites without calling us to join you? We're going to burn down your house with you in it!'
The Ephraimites were furious with Jephthah for not including them in his victorious battle against the Ammonites and threatened to kill him.
📚 Historical Context
In the Book of Judges, Israel was in a cycle of sin, oppression, deliverance by judges, and peace, reflecting a turbulent period before the monarchy. Jephthah, a Gileadite leader, had just led a successful campaign against the Ammonites after making a rash vow, which heightened tensions among the tribes. The Ephraimites, a tribe from another region, felt insulted for not being included in the fight, leading to their angry confrontation with Jephthah.
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