◄ Judges 12:6 ►
Then said they to 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.
Treasury of Scripture

Say now.

Matthew 26:73 And after a while came to him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely you also are one of them; for your speech denudes you.

Mark 14:70 And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely you are one of them: for you are a Galilaean...

Shibboleth. which signifieth a stream, or flood

Psalm 69:2,15 I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me...

Isaiah 27:12 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall beat off from the channel of the river to the stream of Egypt...

Shibboleth. also means an ear of corn

Job 24:24 They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other...

and sibboleth signifies a burden.

Exodus 6:6 Why say to the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians...

and a heavy burden they were obliged to bear who could not pronounce this test letter. It is well known that several nations cannot pronounce certain letters. The sound of th cannot be pronounced by the Persians, no more than by some of our Continental neighbours; though it is a common sound among the Arabians. To this day, many of the German Jews cannot articulate th, for which they substitute ss; thus for baith, a house, they say baiss. there fell.

Proverbs 17:14 The beginning of strife is as when one lets out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.

Proverbs 18:19 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.

Ecclesiastes 10:12 The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.

Matthew 12:25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation...

Galatians 5:15 But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you be not consumed one of another.

forty. Arbaim ooshenayim Aleph. `forty and two thousand.' and many mean simple addition; and this number may denote

2040 and not

42,000. At the last census of the Israelites

Numbers 26:37 These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those that were numbered of them, thirty and two thousand and five hundred...

the whole tribe of Ephraim only amounted to

32,500 compared with which this last number appears far too great.



Context
Jephthah Defeats Ephraim

1And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said to Jephthah, Why passed you over to fight against the children of Ammon, and did not call us to go with you? we will burn your house on you with fire. 2And Jephthah said to them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, you delivered me not out of their hands. 3And when I saw that you delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand: why then are you come up to me this day, to fight against me? 4Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites. 5And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said to him, Are you an Ephraimite? If he said, No; 6Then said they to 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. 7And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.
Parallel Verses
American Standard Version
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.

Douay-Rheims Bible
They asked him: Say then, Scibboleth, which is interpreted, An ear of corn. But he answered, Sibboleth, not being able to express an ear of corn by the same letter. Then presently they took him and killed him in the very passage of the Jordan. And there fell at that time of Ephraim two and forty thousand.

Darby Bible Translation
they said to him, "Then say Shibboleth," and he said, "Sibboleth," for he could not pronounce it right; then they seized him and slew him at the fords of the Jordan. And there fell at that time forty-two thousand of the E'phraimites.

King James Bible
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.

Young's Literal Translation
that they say to him, 'Say, I pray thee, Shibboleth;' and he saith, 'Sibboleth,' and is not prepared to speak right -- and they seize him, and slaughter him at the passages of the Jordan, and there fall at that time, of Ephraim, forty and two chiefs.

Judges 12:5
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