Judges 12:4-6
12:4 a It is unclear why the people of Ephraim were taunting the men of Gilead. Perhaps they resented or looked down on the Israelites who lived east of the Jordan River.12:5 b The Jordan River could only be forded at shallow crossings where tributaries had deposited silt, as was probably the case where the Jabbok flowed into the Jordan.
12:6 c The term Shibboleth has come to mean any password used to identify imposters. Such linguistic litmus tests have been used by armies throughout history.
• 42,000 Ephraimites: This number could possibly be translated as “42 troops” (see study note on Exod 12:37).
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