Jueces 12:2

2 Y Jefté les respondió: Yo y mi pueblo, teníamos una gran contienda con los hijos de Amón, y os llamé, y no me defendisteis de sus manos.

Jueces 12:2 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 12:2

And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at a great
strife with the children of Ammon
As to the cause of the war, or the reason of his going over to fight the children of Ammon, it was a strife or contention between the Gileadites and them, concerning their country; which the children of Ammon claimed as theirs, and the Gileadites insisted on it they had a just right to it; by which it appeared that this was not a personal contention between Jephthah and them; and therefore the Ephraimites had no reason to fall so furiously upon him particularly; and it was a contention which chiefly concerned the two tribes and a half, and not the rest; and so could not be blamed for defending themselves alone if they could, without interesting others in the quarrel: but this is not all he has to say, he adds,

and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands;
it seems he had called them to assist in driving the enemy out of their boarders when there, and they refused to help him; though it is not elsewhere said, and it is not denied by them, so that it was false what they alleged; or however, since they declined giving him any assistance, when the children of Ammon were in his country, he could not expect they would join him in an expedition into theirs.

Jueces 12:2 In-Context

1 Y juntándose los varones de Efraín, pasaron hacia el aquilón, y dijeron a Jefté: ¿Por qué fuiste a hacer guerra contra los hijos de Amón, y no nos llamaste para que fuéramos contigo? Nosotros quemaremos a fuego tu casa contigo.

2 Y Jefté les respondió: Yo y mi pueblo, teníamos una gran contienda con los hijos de Amón, y os llamé, y no me defendisteis de sus manos.

3 Viendo, pues, que tú no me defendíais, puse mi alma en mi palma, y pasé contra los hijos de Amón, y el SEÑOR los entregó en mi mano; ¿por qué pues habéis subido hoy contra mí para pelear conmigo?

4 Y juntando Jefté a todos los varones de Galaad, peleó contra Efraín; y los de Galaad hirieron a Efraín, porque habían dicho: Vosotros sois fugitivos de Efraín, vosotros sois galaaditas entre Efraín y Manasés.

5 Y los galaaditas tomaron los vados del Jordán a Efraín; y era que, cuando alguno de los de Efraín que había huido, decía, ¿pasaré? los de Galaad le preguntaban: ¿Eres tú efrateo? Si él respondía, no;