The Ephraimites’ complaint to Jephthah about not being called to the battle against the Ammonites recalls what they did to Gideon in the explosive situation in chapter 8. After Gideon and his three hundred men defeated the Midianites, the Ephraimites said to him, “What is this that you have done to us, not to call us when you went to fight against Midian?” (Judges 8:1). Now, Gideon had called up Ephraim, but not at the start of the battle, which is what they would have preferred; he instead called them up at the end of the battle, to help with the mop-up operation against Midian. But with Jephthah, Ephraim is not called up at all. And so Ephraim’s reaction is now much more extreme. With Gideon, the Ephraimites “accused him fiercely” (Judges 8:1); now with Jephthah, they say, “We will burn your house over you with fire.” This is how upset they are.
1 The men of Ephraim were called to arms, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house over you with fire.”