Home›Bible words›shibboleth
shibboleth a Hebrew word used as a test of pronunciation
Judges 12:6. The Ephraimites could not say the sh sound and were caught by it, which is how the word came to mean any marker that sorts insiders from outsiders.
Means: a Hebrew word used as a test of pronunciationIn the KJV: 1 timeLeft in Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek
The word behind it
Where it appears
All 1 verse.
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.
Common questions
What does "shibboleth" mean in the Bible?
In the King James Version shibboleth means a Hebrew word used as a test of pronunciation. Judges 12:6. The Ephraimites could not say the sh sound and were caught by it, which is how the word came to mean any marker that sorts insiders from outsiders.
How many times does "shibboleth" appear in the King James Version?
1 time.
What Hebrew word is behind "shibboleth"?
Most often שִׁבֹּל (shibbôl), Strong's H7641, meaning a stream (as flowing); also an ear of grain (as growing out); by analogy, a branch.
More like this
All 100 words → · Strong's concordance
Keep reading in TheWay Bible App
Read, study, memorize, journal, and pray — tap any word for its Greek or Hebrew definition, save verses to memorize, and keep a journal. Free on the web and iOS.