Judges 12:5 Meaning and Explanation
“And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay;”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Gilead seizes the fords of the Jordan and questions each fleeing man: are you an Ephraimite?
What Does Judges 12:5 Mean?
The defeated Ephraimites try to escape homeward across the Jordan, but Gilead has already captured the fords, the river crossings. Every man who comes seeking to go over is stopped and interrogated with a single question: Are you an Ephraimite? Those caught deny it, hoping to slip through.
The river crossing becomes a place of judgment, where a man's true origin cannot finally be hidden. The fugitives lie about who they are to save their lives, but concealment will fail at the test of the next verse. There is a sober echo here of a greater reckoning, when every word and every loyalty is brought to light, and no false answer can disguise what a person truly is.
Judges 12:5 in the Original Language
ma'berot (מַעְבְּרוֹת), 'fords' -- the shallow crossing-places where the Jordan could be waded.
Frequently Asked Questions About Judges 12:5
What does Judges 12:5 mean?
Gilead seizes the fords of the Jordan and questions each fleeing man: are you an Ephraimite?