Judges 12, a short chapter, writes fleetingly of three outstanding individuals who rose through the ranks
to judge the Hebrews after Yiftach. We refer to Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon. Regarding them, Abravanel
infuses his comments here with unusual observations or curios, especially for those interested in
phonetics and sociology. However, the beginning of Judges 12 concludes a lengthy treatment of Yiftach.
Recall, in Judges 11, we read about his military prowess, fearlessly leading his troops to handily defeat
Ammon’s forces.
“And the men of Ephraim were gathered together, and passed to Zaphon; and
they said unto Yiftach: Wherefore did you pass over to fight against the children
of Ammon, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house upon you
with fire.”
Victory should have been cause for his brethren’s appreciation, if not admiration. It wasn’t. Ephraim
expressed only indignation at Yiftach, the Hebrew judge. “And the men of Ephraim were gathered
together, and passed to Zaphon; and they said unto Yiftach: Wherefore did you pass over to fight
against the children of Ammon, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house upon you
with fire.”
Measured criticism is one thing, Abravanel writes, threats to life and limb and property another. How
ungrateful! Yiftach laid his life on the line to stop the enemy and secure the land of Israel. In that, he
succeeded. What was Judge Yiftach’s answer to Ephraim’s contrived complaint?
“And Yiftach said unto them: I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and
when I called you, you saved me not out of their hand.” Yiftach and the Gileadites did not take kindly to
Ephraim’s dire threats. At all. “And the Gileadites took the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites.
And it was so, that when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said: Let me go over, the men of Gilead said
unto him: Are you an Ephraimite? If he said: Nay; then said they unto him: Say now ‘Shibboleth' and he
said “Sibboleth”; for he could not frame to pronounce it right; then they laid hold on him, and slew him
at the fords of the Jordan; and there fell at that time of Ephraim forty and two thousand.” Abravanel
teaches that Yiftach devised a phonetic test, to root out the evil men of Ephraim. Apparently, Abravanel
gathers, owing to geological and/or climatological influence, the people of Ephraim lacked the ability to
pronounce “Shibboleth”, and thus it came out as “Sibboleth.” Before moving on to the upcoming judge
of Israel, Ibzan, Abravanel shares a historical observation about the French people back in his day
(fifteenth century). That is, they too could not enunciate the “sh” sound. Instead, it came out as “s.”
That concludes the chapter’s verses on Yiftach.
“And after him Ibzan of Beth-lehem judged Israel. And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters he sent
abroad, and thirty daughters he brought in from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.”
Abravanel explains Ibzan’s conduct toward his sons and daughters when they reached a marriageable
age. Namely, he sought husbands for his daughters from “abroad” or outside the region. After
matrimony, Ibzan’s daughters remained with their husbands’ families. As for the judge’s sons, “and
thirty daughters he brought in from abroad for his sons.” Put differently, Ibzan “imported” wives for the
men.
This custom of sending out daughters and bringing in daughters-in-laws was extant in Abravanel’s time
as well. He cites the habit of the citizens of Genoa during the Renaissance period. (Abravanel died in
Venice in 1508.). But, sociology aside, Abravanel asks: What’s the significance of these scant verses
surrounding Ibzan, the tenth judge of Israel? The world, Abravanel waxes philosophical, is like a Ferris
Wheel. Consider. Yiftach fathered only one child, a daughter. She hadn’t merited marriage. On account
of Yiftach’s solemn vow, she separated herself from society; no man ever knew her. Ibzan’s family, on
the other hand, grew greatly. “And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters…” Through his merit, Ibzan
lived to see all of his children married.
In fantastic shorthand, Judges 12 concludes with nary a word about Elon and Abdon, respectively, the
eleventh and twelfth judges of Israel.