Joe: Alright folks, so we have our Bible expert with us in the studio to discuss Judges 12. What’s the story in this chapter?

Bible Expert: Well, Judges 12 is about a war between the tribes of Ephraim and Gilead. The Ephraimites were defeated and so in order to prevent them from crossing the Jordan River, the men of Gilead asked the Ephraimites to pronounce the word “Shibboleth” and the Ephraimites couldn’t because of their dialect.

Joe: Whoa, so they literally couldn’t say the word so they were killed?!

Bible Expert: Yes, 42,000 Ephraimites were killed and the tribe of Gilead was victorious.

Joe: Wow, that’s intense. So what happened next?

Bible Expert: After the war, the men of Gilead asked Jephthah, a man who was born of a harlot, to be their judge. Jephthah accepted the offer and led the tribe of Gilead to victory in a war with the Ammonites.

Joe: That’s awesome! So Jephthah was a hero?

Bible Expert: Yes, Jephthah was a great leader and warrior who was able to save his people from the Ammonites.

Joe: Wow, that’s a great story. So what happens in the rest of Judges 12?

Bible Expert: Well, after Jephthah’s victory, the men of Ephraim were jealous of him and tried to attack him but Jephthah was able to defeat them again. The chapter ends with Jephthah dying and being buried in his hometown.