The Gileadites took the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. It was so, that when [any of] the fugitives of Ephraim said, Let me go over, the men of Gilead said to him, Are you an Ephraimite? If he said, No;
Earlier we saw that Gideon’s failure had bad consequences for his nation (ch. 8) and for him personally (ch. 9). Likewise Jephthah’s failure had bad consequences for him personally (ch. 11) and for his nation (ch. 12). We shall see that Samson’s failure also had bad consequences for his nation and himself (ch. 16). The bad personal consequences Gideon experienced involved the premature death of his 70 sons. Jephthah’s personal tragedy involved the premature death of his only daughter. [Note: See Michael J. Smith, "The Failure of the Family in Judges, Part 1: Jephthah," Bibliotheca Sacra 162:647 (July-September 2005):279-98.] Samson himself died prematurely (cf. Romans 6:23).