Ezer and Elead were killed by the native-born men of Gath, when they went down to seize their livestock. (1 Chroncles 7:21)Within this History of the World is inserted what amounts to little more than a parenthetical note regarding two sons of Ephraim. Though Ephraim was the second son of Joseph, Jacob (Ephraim's grandfather) gave him the best blessing, which would normally have gone to his older brother Manasseh.
Because of the limitations of ancient languages, and some particularly awkward sentence structure, it's difficult to say exactly why Ezer and Elead were caught in a conflict with the men of Gath. Some commentators say men from Gath raided the Israelites in Goshen and the brothers died defending their livestock. Others say it was Ezer and Elead who were the thieves and they died when they were caught stealing cattle from the herds of Gath.
Most translations leave the statement ambiguous. Then again the NLT places blame with Ezer and Elead, and the Amplified Bible says they were heroes. There's anecdotal evidence in support of both scenarios, but we just don't know.
Here's what we do know: Jacob's kind words over Ephraim did not guarantee him a life free from sadness. In spite of his grandfather's best blessing, this was a man who knew the heartache of burying his children.
How does it make you feel when believers suffer the same tragedies as (or even worse than) those who don't believe?
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