And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands.
Jephthah said to them, 'My people and I were in a serious conflict with the Ammonites, and when I called on you for help, you didn't rescue me from their power.'
Jephthah is confronting the Ephraimites for refusing to help him when he desperately needed their support against enemy attacks.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs after Jephthah's victory over the Ammonites, when the tribe of Ephraim complained that they weren't invited to join the battle. The Ephraimites were angry about being excluded from the glory of victory, but Jephthah reminds them they had previously refused to help when he actually needed them. This reflects the ongoing tribal tensions in Israel during the chaotic period of the judges.
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