Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, March 6th, 2025
the Last Week after Epiphany
the Last Week after Epiphany
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Bible Dictionaries
Shibboleth
Smith's Bible Dictionary
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Shibboleth. (a stream). Judges 12:6. Shibboleth is the Hebrew word, which the Gileadites, under Jephthah, made use of at the passage of the Jordan, after a victory over the Ephraimites, to test the pronunciation of the sound, "sh", by those who wished to cross over the river. The Ephraimites, it would appear, in their dialect, substituted for "sh", the simple sound "s"; and the Gileadites, regarding every one who failed to pronounce "sh" as an Ephraimite, and therefore an enemy, put him to death accordingly. In this way, there fell 42,000 Ephraimites. There is no mystery in this particular word. Any word beginning with the sound "sh" would have answered equally well as a test.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
These files are public domain.
Bibliography Information
Smith, William, Dr. Entry for 'Shibboleth'. Smith's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/sbd/s/shibboleth.html. 1901.
Smith, William, Dr. Entry for 'Shibboleth'. Smith's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/sbd/s/shibboleth.html. 1901.
