Judges 12:6

4 Jephthah then gathered all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, “You Gileadites are fugitives in Ephraim, living in the territories of Ephraim and Manasseh.”

5 The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a fugitive from Ephraim would say, “Let me cross over,” the Gileadites would ask him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he answered, “No,”

they told him, “Please say Shibboleth.” If he said, “Sibboleth,” because he could not pronounce it correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. So at that time 42,000 Ephraimites were killed.

7 Jephthah judged Israel six years, and when he died, he was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

8 After Jephthah, Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
they told him, “Please say Shibboleth.” If he said, “Sibboleth,” because he could not pronounce it correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. So at that time 42,000 Ephraimites were killed.
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.
WEB
then they said to him, “Now say ‘Shibboleth;’” and he said “Sibboleth”; for he couldn’t manage to pronounce it correctly, then they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time, forty-two thousand of Ephraim fell.
ASV
then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth; and he said Sibboleth; for he could not frame to pronounce it right: then they laid hold on him, and slew him at the fords of the Jordan. And there fell at that time of Ephraim forty and two thousand.
DARBY
Then they said to him, Say now Shibboleth! and he said, Sibboleth, and did not manage to pronounce [it] rightly. Then they took him, and slaughtered him at the fords of the Jordan. And there fell at that time of Ephraim forty-two thousand.
BLB
they would say to him, “Say, please, Shibboleth.” And he would say, “Sibboleth,” for he could not pronounce [it] correctly. And they would take him and kill him at the fords of the Jordan. And there fell at that time of Ephraim forty-two thousand.
ÅB
Da sa de til ham: Si sjibbolet! Men han sa sibbolet, for han kunne ikke uttale det riktig. Så grep de ham og slo ham ihjel ved Jordans vadesteder; og det falt dengang to og førti tusen av Efra'im.
OTB
sa de: «Vennligst si ‘Shibboleth.’» Hvis han sa «Sibboleth,» fordi han ikke kunne uttale det riktig, grep de ham og drepte ham ved vadestedene ved Jordan. På den tiden falt førtito tusen efraimitter.
B1930
Da sa de til ham: Si sjibbolet! Men han sa sibbolet, for han kunde ikke uttale det riktig. Så grep de ham og slo ham ihjel ved Jordans vadesteder; og det falt dengang to og firti tusen av Efra'im.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Ecclesiastes 10:12

    The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool consume him.

    Read in context
  • Matthew 12:25

    Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.

    Read in context
  • Isaiah 27:12

    In that day the LORD will thresh from the flowing Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt, and you, O Israelites, will be gathered one by one.

    Read in context
  • Psalms 69:2

    I have sunk into the miry depths, where there is no footing; I have drifted into deep waters, where the flood engulfs me.

    Read in context
  • Proverbs 17:14

    To start a quarrel is to release a flood; so abandon the dispute before it breaks out.

    Read in context
  • Proverbs 18:19

    An offended brother is harder to win than a fortified city, and disputes are like the bars of a castle.

    Read in context
  • Galatians 5:15

    But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.

    Read in context
  • Matthew 26:73

    After a little while, those standing nearby came up to Peter. “Surely you are one of them,” they said, “for your accent gives you away.”

    Read in context