Judges 12:6
in Judges 12they told him, “Please say Shibboleth.” If he said, “Sibboleth,” because he could not pronounce it correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. So at that time 42,000 Ephraimites were killed.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.
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This verse in Judges 12
Commentary
9 notes on this verseSay now Shibboleth; and he said Sibboleth - The original differs only in the first letter ס samech, instead of ש sheen; אמר נא שבלת ויאמר סבלת emar na Shibboleth, vaiyomer Sibboleth. The difference between ש seen, without a point, which when pointed is pronounced sheen, and ס samech, is supposed by many to be imperceptible. But there can be no doubt there was, to the ears of a Hebrew, a most sensible distinction.
This site's exposition
Jephthah then gathered all the men of Gilead
on Judges 12:4-7
The war turns on the taunt that the Gileadites were “fugitives in Ephraim”, a point Adam Clarke says is lost. The test at the ford rests on one consonant, and Clarke argues the difference between “Shibboleth” and “Sibboleth” was plain to a Hebrew ear.
This site's exposition
Please say Shibboleth
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown give the meaning of Shibboleth as a stream, a word the fords of the Jordan put in the Gileadites' mouths. Albert Barnes takes the 42,000 Ephraimites to include those killed in the battle and those killed at the fords. Matthew Henry calls it cruelty.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Could not frame - Or rather, he did not frame to speak right; so as he was required to do it. The Hebrew text doth not say, that he could not do it, but that he did it not, because suspecting not the design he uttered it speedily according to his manner of expression.
Then said they unto him, say now "Shibboleth",....
Thus another mutiny of that angry tribe was prevented. Now let us observe the righteousness of God in the punishment of these proud and passionate Ephraimites, which in several instances answered to their sin.
Here was, First, Cruelty enough in the destruction of them. Sufficient surely was the punishment which was inflicted by many; when they were routed in the field, there needed not this severity to cut off all that escaped.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Then rushing to the fords of the Jordan, they intercepted and slew every fugitive. The method adopted for discovering an Ephraimite was by the pronunciation of a word naturally suggested by the place where they stood. Shibboleth, means "a stream";
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Shibboleth; and he said Sibboleth - This is a curious instance of dialectic difference of pronunciation between the East and West Jordanic tribes. It is an evidence of the sound “sh” having passed into the Hebrew from the East of Jordan, possibly from the Arabians, with whom the sound is common. Forty-two thousand - The number includes the slain in battle and those killed at the fords.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Say Shiboles please. May I cross this river flow? 1 Shiboles” is translated as “flow”.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
The Gilodites captured the Yardein crossings. They posted sentries at the crossing areas.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
24 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ | vaiyomeru | and they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לוֹ֩ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| אֱמָר־ | ʾemor- | say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| נָ֨א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| שִׁבֹּ֜לֶת | shibolet | Shibboleth | H7641 → | |
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| סִבֹּ֗לֶת | sibolet | Sibboleth | H5451 → | |
| וְלֹ֤א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָכִין֙ | yakhin | he gave attention | H3559 → | 217 times |
| לְדַבֵּ֣ר | ledaber | to speak | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| כֵּ֔ן | ken | right | H3651 → | 771 times |
| וַיֹּאחֲז֣וּ | vaiyochazu | and they seized | H270 → | 67 times |
| אוֹת֔וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וַיִּשְׁחָט֖וּהוּ | vaiyishchatuhu | and they slaughtered him | H7819 → | |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| מַעְבְּר֣וֹת | ma'berot | [the] fords of | H4569 → | 11 times |
| הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן | haiyarden | the Jordan | H3383 → | 182 times |
| וַיִּפֹּ֞ל | vaiyipol | and it fell | H5307 → | 435 times |
| בָּעֵ֤ת | baet | at the time | H6256 → | 296 times |
| הַהִיא֙ | hahi' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| מֵֽאֶפְרַ֔יִם | meefrayim | of Ephraim | H669 → | 180 times |
| אַרְבָּעִ֥ים | ʾarbaim | forty | H705 → | 136 times |
| וּשְׁנַ֖יִם | ushenayim | and two | H8147 → | 768 times |
| אָֽלֶף׃ | ʾalef | thousand | H505 → | 505 times |
וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּand they said
vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times
לוֹ֩to <the> him
lo
אֱמָר־say
ʾemor-H559 →5305 times
נָ֨אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
שִׁבֹּ֜לֶתShibboleth
shiboletH7641 →
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
סִבֹּ֗לֶתSibboleth
siboletH5451 →
וְלֹ֤אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יָכִין֙he gave attention
yakhinH3559 →217 times
לְדַבֵּ֣רto speak
ledaberH1696 →1141 times
כֵּ֔ןright
kenH3651 →771 times
וַיֹּאחֲז֣וּand they seized
vaiyochazuH270 →67 times
אוֹת֔וֹ<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
וַיִּשְׁחָט֖וּהוּand they slaughtered him
vaiyishchatuhuH7819 →
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
מַעְבְּר֣וֹת[the] fords of
ma'berotH4569 →11 times
הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ןthe Jordan
haiyardenH3383 →182 times
וַיִּפֹּ֞לand it fell
vaiyipolH5307 →435 times
בָּעֵ֤תat the time
baetH6256 →296 times
הַהִיא֙<the> that
hahi'H1931 →1879 times
מֵֽאֶפְרַ֔יִםof Ephraim
meefrayimH669 →180 times
אַרְבָּעִ֥יםforty
ʾarbaimH705 →136 times
וּשְׁנַ֖יִםand two
ushenayimH8147 →768 times
אָֽלֶף׃thousand
ʾalefH505 →505 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ecclesiastes 10:12The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool consume him.
it leads to
- Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
- Colossians 4:6
Through
Galatians 5:15But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 3:3
for you are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and dissension among you, are you not worldly? Are you not walking in the way of man?
- James 3:14
But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth.
- Galatians 5:26
Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying one another.
- 1 Corinthians 3:3
Through
Matthew 12:25Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.
it leads to
- Galatians 5:15
But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.
- Jeremiah 17:10
I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.
- Matthew 9:4
But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, “Why do you harbor evil in your hearts?
- Galatians 5:15
Through
Psalms 69:2I have sunk into the miry depths, where there is no footing; I have drifted into deep waters, where the flood engulfs me.
it leads to
- Psalms 40:2
He lifted me up from the pit of despair, out of the miry clay; He set my feet upon a rock, and made my footsteps firm.
- Psalms 40:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
On this verse
On this chapter
About Judges
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.