Shibboleth

SHIBBOLETH, or Sibboleth, an HebrewשבלתShibboleth, Spica. Word which signifies an Ear of Corn, Spica. After Jephtha had beat the Ammonites, the Men of Ephraim were jealous of this Advantage obtain’d by the Tribes beyond Jordan,¹ and came in Arms into the Country, complaining heavily that they had not been call’d to have a Share in this Expedition. Jephtha answer’d them with much Moderation; which yet did not restrain the Ephraimites from using Words of Contempt towards the Men of Gilead, telling them, they were only Fugitives from Ephraim and Manasseh, a kind of Bastards that belong’d to neither of the two Tribes; in a Word, that they were only By -blows of Joseph. But this Reproach was very false, since Machir the Father of Gilead was Manasseh’s own Son, Numb. xxvi. 29. It may be doubted, whether these Invectives happen’d before or after the Combat, but to Blows they went, wherein the Men of Gilead had the Advantage, and kill’d a great Number of the Children of Ephraim. After which, they set Guards at all the Passes of Jordan; and when any Ephraimite that had escaped out of the Battle came to the Water-side, and desired to pass over, they asked him if he was not an Ephraimite? If he said, No; they bid him pronounce Shibboleth, which signifies an Ear of Corn. But he pronouncing it Sibboleth, according to the Pronunciation of the Ephraimites, and not well pronouncing the first Letter, they kill’d him upon the Spot: So that, on this Occasion, there were kill’d no less than forty-two thousand Ephraimites.

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