Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.
Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead together and fought against Ephraim. The men of Gilead defeated Ephraim because the Ephraimites had said, 'You Gileadites are just runaway fugitives living among the Ephraimites and Manassites.'
This verse shows how insulting words led to a civil war between two groups of Israelites, with Jephthah's army defeating those who had mocked them as outcasts.
📚 Historical Context
This conflict occurred during Israel's time of judges, when different tribes sometimes fought each other. The Ephraimites were angry that Jephthah hadn't called them to fight against the Ammonites, and they insulted the Gileadites by calling them 'fugitives' - essentially homeless outcasts with no real tribal identity. This insult was so offensive that it sparked a civil war between fellow Israelites.
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