Judges 12:6

6 they asked him, Say thou therefore Shibboleth, which is interpreted, an ear of corn. Which answered, Sibboleth, and he might not bring forth (the word for) an ear of corn by the same letter. And anon they took and strangled him in that passing (over) of (the) Jordan; and two and forty thousand men of Ephraim felled down in that time. (they said to him, Then say thou Shibboleth, which is translated, an ear of corn. And he answered, Sibboleth, and he could not bring forth the word for an ear of corn. And at once they took and strangled him at that crossing of the Jordan River; and forty-two thousand men of Ephraim were killed at that time.)

Judges 12:6 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 12:6

Then said they unto him, say now "Shibboleth"
Which signifies a stream or course of water, at which they now were; and so it was as if they had bid them say,

``may I, or let me, pass over the stream of this river;''

so Jarchi; and this being the case, though it was done to try them, and by their pronunciation learn whether they were Ephraimites or not, they were not upon their guard, but in an hurry, and at once expressed the word as they commonly did:

and he said, sibboleth;
pronouncing the letter "shin" as if it was "sin", or a "samech"; just as the French, as Kimchi observes, pronounce "s" like a "t"; and though the Gileadites and Ephraimites were of the same nation of Israel, and spoke the same language, yet their pronunciation differed, as did that of the Galilean Jews from others in the times of Christ, ( Matthew 26:73 ) , and so in all nations, among the Greeks, Romans, and among ourselves, people in different counties pronounce in a different manner; which Kimchi thinks was in the Ephraimites owing to the air or climate, as the French, he observes, pronounce "s" as a "t", with a soft and gentle sound:

for he could not frame to pronounce it right;
or "thus" ^F20, as he was bid to do; being used to pronounce otherwise, he could not frame the organs of speech, or so dispose and order them as to say "shibboleth"; or he did not frame, order, and dispose ^F21; he was not careful to do it, though with some care he could, being not aware of the design of the Gileadites in it:

then they took him and slew him at the passages of Jordan;
everyone as they came thither, who could not say "shibboleth"; these they suffered not to pass over, but slew them:

and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand;
not at the passages of Jordan only; but what fell there, with those at the battle, and in the pursuit, amounted to this number; so that the Ephraimites paid dearly for their pride and insolence.

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 (Nk) "sic", Pagninus, Montanus.
F21 (Nwkn al) "non dirigebat", Montanus.

Judges 12:6 In-Context

4 Therefore when all the men of Gilead were called to Jephthah, he fought against Ephraim; and [the] men of Gilead smote Ephraim; for he said (for they said), Gilead is fugitive, either exiled, from Ephraim, and in the midst of Ephraim, and of Manasseh.

5 And the men of Gilead occupied the fords of (the) Jordan, by which Ephraim should turn again. And when a man, fleeing of the number of Ephraim, had come to the fords, and had said, I beseech, that ye suffer me pass; men of Gilead said to him, Whether thou art a man of Ephraim? And when he had said, I am not (And when a man, fleeing from the Ephraimites, had come to the crossing, and had said, I beseech thee, that ye allow me to cross over; the men of Gilead said to him, Art thou a man of Ephraim? And when he had said, I am not),

6 they asked him, Say thou therefore Shibboleth, which is interpreted, an ear of corn. Which answered, Sibboleth, and he might not bring forth (the word for) an ear of corn by the same letter. And anon they took and strangled him in that passing (over) of (the) Jordan; and two and forty thousand men of Ephraim felled down in that time. (they said to him, Then say thou Shibboleth, which is translated, an ear of corn. And he answered, Sibboleth, and he could not bring forth the word for an ear of corn. And at once they took and strangled him at that crossing of the Jordan River; and forty-two thousand men of Ephraim were killed at that time.)

7 And so Jephthah, a man of Gilead, deemed Israel six years; and (then) he died, and was buried in his city (of) Gilead.

8 Ibzan of Bethlehem, that had thirty sons, and so many daughters, deemed Israel after Jephthah; (And Ibzan of Bethlehem, who had thirty sons, and as many daughters, judged, or ruled, Israel after Jephthah;)