Shibboleth: how something is said

Judges 12:6 Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. … [kjv]

… συνθημα … κατηυθυναν … [lxx]

… שבלת … סבלת … [he]

Originally, from the book of Joshua in the OT (Old Testament), a "shibboleth" was a sound that a particular group of people have trouble pronouncing and that was used as a form of audible password or authentication mechanism in battle of identifying "friend" or "foe".

Today, the meaning has been generalized to be any sound that distinguishes a group of people.

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; [kjv]

12:6 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. [kjv]

… συνθημα … κατηυθυναν … [lxx]

… שבלת … סבלת … [he]

The term "shibboleth" originated in Judges 12:5 during the conquest of the promised land by Joshua. Here are some details.

If the answer was "yes", the identity was obvious. But if he said "no", a code word was needed to distinguish friend from foe.

Judges 12:5

All

KJV: 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;

Hebrew: וילכד גלעד את מעברות הירדן לאפרים והיה כי יאמרו פליטי אפרים אעברה ויאמרו לו אנשי גלעד האפרתי אתה ויאמר לא׃

Greek: και προκατελαβοντο ανδρες γαλααδ τας διαβασεις του ιορδανου του εφραιμ και εγενηθη οτι ειπαν οι διασεσωσμενοι του εφραιμ διαβωμεν και ειπαν αυτοις οι ανδρες γαλααδ μη υμεις εκ του εφραιμ και ειπαν ουκ εσμεν

Latin: occupaveruntque Galaaditae vada Iordanis per quae Ephraim reversurus erat cumque venisset ad ea de Ephraim numero fugiens atque dixisset obsecro ut me transire permittas dicebant ei Galaaditae numquid Ephrateus es quo dicente non sum

Wycliffe: And the men of Galaad ocupieden the forthis of Jordan, bi whiche Effraym schulden turne ayen. And whanne a man fleynge of the noumbre of Effraym hadde come to tho forthis, and hadde seid, Y biseche, that thou suffre me passe; men of Galaad seiden to hym, Whether thou art a man of Effraym? And whanne he seide, Y am not,

Judges 12:6

All

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.

Hebrew: ויאמרו לו אמר נא שבלת ויאמר סבלת ולא יכין לדבר כן ויאחזו אותו וישחטוהו אל מעברות הירדן ויפל בעת ההיא מאפרים ארבעים ושנים אלף׃

Greek: και ειπαν αυτοις ειπατε δη συνθημα και ου κατηυθυναν του λαλησαι ουτως και επελαβοντο αυτων και εσφαξαν αυτους επι τας διαβασεις του ιορδανου και επεσαν εξ εφραιμ εν τω καιρω εκεινω δυο τεσσαρακοντα χιλιαδες

The Hebrew word "שבלת" (shibboleth) ≈ "shibboleth".

The Hebrew word "סבלת" (sibboleth) ≈ "sibboleth".

The word "shibboleth" literally means a stream, ear of grain, branch, etc. Note the difference between the "sh" sound in the Hebrew "ש" (shin) and the "s" sound in the Hebrew "ס" (samech).