Study it in the app“Then they would say to him, “Say, please, ‘Shibboleth.’” And he would say, “Sibboleth,” for he could not say it that way. Then they would seize him and slaughter him at the fords of the Jordan. And there fell at that time, of Ephraim, forty-two thousand.”
Then they would sayוַיֹּאמְרוּto him,לוֹ“Say,אֱמָרplease,נָא‘Shibboleth.’”שִׁבֹּלֶתAnd he would say,וַיֹּאמֶר“Sibboleth,”סִבֹּלֶתforוְhe could notלֹא יָכִיןsay itלְדַבֵּרthat way.כֵּןThen they would seizeוַיֹּאחֲזוּhimאוֹתוֹand slaughter himוַיִּשְׁחָטוּהוּatאֶלthe fordsמַעְבְּרוֹתof the Jordan.הַיַּרְדֵּןAnd there fellוַיִּפֹּלat thatבָּ הַהִיאtime,עֵתof Ephraim,מֵאֶפְרַיִםforty-twoאַרְבָּעִים וּשְׁנַיִםthousand.אָלֶף
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “yomru” appearsear of grain
The head of wheat or barley where the kernels are.
Where else “shibolet” appearsSibboleth
Sibboleth: the way the men of Ephraim pronounced "Shibboleth" ("ear of grain" or "stream of water").
Where else “sibolet” appearsprepare
To get something set and done beforehand.
Where else “yachin” appearsspeak
To speak, say something; above all God to his people.
Where else “daber” appearsseize
To take something in the hand and not let go.
Where else “yochazu” appearskill
To kill people with violence, at times as a sacrifice or punishment.
Where else “yishchatu” appearsford
A shallow place to cross a river.
Where else “mabrot” appearsJordan
See it on the mapWhere else “yarden” appearsfall in battle
To die in battle, killed by the enemy.
Where else “yipol” appearstime
The moment at which something happens; also "at that time".
Where else “et” appearsEphraim
Ephraim, the second son of Joseph; also the tribe that came from him and its land, and later a name of the northern kingdom. The name sounds like "be fruitful".
Where else “efrayim” appearsforty
Forty.
Where else “arbaim” appearstwo
A pair, a quantity of two.
Where else “shenayim” appearsthousand
One thousand: a large, round number.
Where else “alef” appears“Shibboleth” means “ear of grain” or “stream of water.” The men of Ephraim pronounced the first letter differently, and that is how they were recognized.
Jordan
Today: Jordan River: Israel, West Bank, Jordan, Dead Sea
Israel's main river; it flows from Mount Hermon in the north, through the Sea of Galilee, to the Dead Sea.
Israel crossed it on dry ground to enter the promised land (Josh 3:17). Naaman was healed in it (2 Kgs 5:14), and Jesus was immersed in it (Matt 3:13).
5Gilead took the fords of the Jordan against Ephraim; and it would happen that when the fugitives of Ephraim said, “Let me cross,” the men of Gilead would say to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” And he would say, “No.”
6 · This verse (above)
7Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.
