EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Judges 12:6
6Then they would tell him, ‘Say, “Shibboleth!” ’ People from Ephraim could not say that word properly. So if the man said, ‘Sibboleth,’ they would take hold of him and kill him. That day, they killed 42,000 soldiers of Ephraim at those places on the Jordan River.
Judges 12:6 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (NIV)they said, “All right, say ‘Shibboleth.’ ” If he said, “Sibboleth,” because he could not pronounce the word correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand Ephraimites were killed at that time.
- English Standard Version (ESV)they said to him, "Then say Shibboleth," and he said, "Sibboleth," for he could not pronounce it right. Then they seized him and slaughtered him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time 42,000 of the Ephraimites fell.
- New King James Version (NKJV)then they would say to him, “Then say, ‘Shibboleth’!” And he would say, “Sibboleth,” for he could not pronounce it right. Then they would take him and kill him at the fords of the Jordan. There fell at that time forty-two thousand Ephraimites.
Context of Judges 12:6
4Jephthah brought together all the men of Gilead. They fought against the men of Ephraim's tribe. The men of Gilead won the fight. They were angry because the men of Ephraim had insulted them. They had said, ‘You people of Gilead have run away to live on the land of Ephraim and Manasseh.’ 5After that, Gilead's army put guards at the places where people could go across the Jordan River. They wanted to stop people from Ephraim going across the river. If one of Ephraim's soldiers was trying to escape, they would ask him, ‘Do you belong to Ephraim's tribe?’ The man would say, ‘No, I do not!’ Then they would tell him, ‘Say, “Shibboleth!” ’ People from Ephraim could not say that word properly. So if the man said, ‘Sibboleth,’ they would take hold of him and kill him. That day, they killed 42,000 soldiers of Ephraim at those places on the Jordan River. 7Jephthah led Israel for six years. Then he died and they buried him in his own town in Gilead. 8After Jephthah died, Ibzan of Bethlehem led Israel.
Read all of Judges 12Judges 12:6 word by word
וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ לוֹ֩ אֱמָר־נָ֨א שִׁבֹּ֜לֶת וַיֹּ֣אמֶר סִבֹּ֗לֶת וְלֹ֤א יָכִין֙ לְדַבֵּ֣ר כֵּ֔ן וַיֹּאחֲז֣וּ אוֹת֔וֹ וַיִּשְׁחָט֖וּהוּ אֶל־מַעְבְּר֣וֹת הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן וַיִּפֹּ֞ל בָּעֵ֤ת הַהִיא֙ מֵֽאֶפְרַ֔יִם אַרְבָּעִ֥ים וּשְׁנַ֖יִם אָֽלֶף׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- now Shibbolethשִׁבֹּ֫לֶתshibbôl shibbôleth · ShibbolethH7641
- Sibbolethסִבֹּלֶתsibbôleth · streamH5451
- for he could not frameכּוּןkûn · to establish: prepareH3559
- to pronounceדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- Then they tookאָחַז'âchaz · to graspH270
- him, and slewשָׁחַטshâchaţ · to slaughterH7819
- him at the passagesמַעֲבָרָהma‛ăbâr ma‛ăbârâh · fordH4569
- of Jordanיַרְדֵּןyardên · JordanH3383
- and there fellנָפַלnâphal · to fall: killH5307
- at that timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
- of the Ephraimitesאֶפְרַ֫יִם'ephrayim · EphraimH669
- fortyאַרְבָּעִים'arbâ‛îym · fortyH705
- and twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
- thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
Cross-references for Judges 12:6
- Matthew 26:73After a little time, other people who were standing at the gate spoke to Peter. They said, ‘We are sure that you too are one of that man's friends. We know this because you speak like people who live in Galilee.’
- Mark 14:70But Peter again said that it was not true. After a little time, the other people who were standing there said to Peter, ‘We know you are from Galilee. So we are sure that you are one of those men.’
- Psalms 69:2I will soon sink into deep mud. There is no safe place to put my feet. I am now in deep water, and the floods pour over me.
- Isaiah 27:12At that time, the Lord will shake the tree! He will do that to his people everywhere from the River Euphrates to the Stream of Egypt. Then he will bring together all of you, one by one, you Israelite people.
- Job 24:24Wicked people may have success for a short time, but suddenly they disappear! Like everyone else, they fall to the ground. They become like crops that people cut down at harvest time.”
- Exodus 6:6So you must say this to the Israelites: “I am the Lord. I will remove you from the power of the Egyptians. You will not have to do hard work to serve them as their slaves any more. I will use my strength to save you and I will punish the Egyptians.
- Proverbs 17:14It is difficult to stop a quarrel once it has started. It is like water that pours out of a broken pot. Stop it quickly!
- Proverbs 18:19If you insult a relative, it will be difficult to become friends with him again. Arguments keep people apart, like the walls of a strong city.
- Ecclesiastes 10:12People respect a wise person, because of the things that he says. But the words of a fool will destroy him.
- Matthew 12:25Jesus knew what the Pharisees were thinking. So he said to them, ‘If armies in a country fight each other, then they will destroy their own country. If people in one city or in one family fight each other, then they will destroy their own city or family.
- Galatians 5:15So you must not live like wild animals. Wild animals fight and they eat each other. If you live like that, be very careful! You may destroy one another completely.
- Numbers 26:37There were 32,500 men in the clans of the tribe of Ephraim. The clans of the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim were all descendants of Joseph.
Commentaries on Judges 12:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Say now Shibboleth; and he said Sibboleth - The original differs only in the first letter ס samech, instead of ש sheen ; סבלת ויאמר שבלת נא אמר emar na Shibboleth, vaiyomer Sibboleth . The difference between ש seen, without a point, which when pointed is pronounced sheen, and ס samech, is supposed by many to be imperceptible. But there can be no doubt there was, to the ears of a Hebrew, a most sensible distinction. Most Europeans, and, indeed, most who…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6Shibboleth; and he said Sibboleth - This is a curious instance of dialectic difference of pronunciation between the East and West Jordanic tribes. It is an evidence of the sound “sh” having passed into the Hebrew from the East of Jordan, possibly from the Arabians, with whom the sound is common. Forty-two thousand - The number includes the slain in battle and those killed at the fords.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6The term Shibboleth is now used to mean any password used to identify imposters. Armies have used such linguistic tests throughout history. 42,000 Ephraimites: This number might also mean "42 troops" (see study note on Exodus 12:37).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-154-6. the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim--The remonstrances of Jephthah, though reasonable and temperate, were not only ineffectual, but followed by insulting sneers that the Gileadites were reckoned both by the western Manassites and Ephraimites as outcasts--the scum and refuse of their common stock. This was addressed to a peculiarly sensitive people. A feud immediately ensued. The Gileadites…Read the comment
Topics related to Judges 12:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Judges 12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- Darby Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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