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.

JUDGES 12:6KJV
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Judges 12:6 (KJV)

What does Judges 12:6 mean?

Judges 12:6 describes how the Gileadites tested people at the Jordan River by asking them to say the word "Shibboleth." If someone pronounced it "Sibboleth," revealing they were from Ephraim, the Gileadites killed them; in this way, forty-two thousand Ephraimites died. The verse shows a tragic moment where language and pronunciation became a matter of life and death during a conflict between Israelite tribes.

The setting is a civil war between the Gileadites, led by Jephthah, and the tribe of Ephraim. The Gileadites controlled the river crossings and used a word—"Shibboleth"—that Ephraimites could not pronounce correctly, exposing their identity. This verse highlights how even small differences, like dialect, could have deadly consequences in ancient conflicts.

The Hebrew behind Judges 12:6

  • שִׁבֹּלֶת (Shibboleth, H7641): This word means "ear of grain" or "stream," but here it is used as a password. Its pronunciation was difficult for Ephraimites, making it a test of identity.
  • סִבֹּלֶת (Sibboleth, H5451): This is how the Ephraimites pronounced the word, lacking the "sh" sound. The difference is subtle but crucial in the story, showing how language can mark group boundaries.
  • יָכֹל לְהָכִין (yakhol le-hakhin, H3559): Translated as "frame" or "pronounce it right," this phrase means the Ephraimites could not manage to say the word correctly, underlining the importance of dialect in the passage.

Why Judges 12:6 matters

  • Judges 12:6 clears up that the conflict was not just military but also cultural, with language serving as a marker of tribal identity.
  • The verse emphasizes the seriousness of internal strife among the Israelites, showing how divisions could lead to large-scale violence.
  • This story connects to the wider passage by illustrating the tragic consequences of pride and misunderstanding between closely related groups.

Where else these words appear

“passages” Hebrew H4569 · used in 11 verses

  • Genesis 32:22 And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok.
  • Judges 12:5 And 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 unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay;
  • Isaiah 10:29 They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.

“Shibboleth” Hebrew H7641 · used in 16 verses

  • Genesis 41:5 And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.
  • Genesis 41:24 And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.
  • Psalms 69:2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.

“took” Hebrew H270 · used in 63 verses

  • Genesis 22:13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
  • 2 Samuel 4:10 When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings:
  • Psalms 48:6 Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail.

“slew” Hebrew H7819 · used in 70 verses

  • Genesis 22:10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
  • Leviticus 9:8 Aaron therefore went unto the altar, and slew the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself.
  • 2 Kings 10:14 And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing house, even two and forty men; neither left he any of them.