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George Haydock's Catholic Commentary

Judges 12:6

Letter. Protestants, "Say now Shibboleth, and he said Sibboleth, for he could not frame to pronounce it right." The interpretation of the first word is added by St. Jerome, (Haydock) and denotes also "a running water;" (Menochius) whereas the Ephraimites pronounced a word which signifies "a burden," not being able to utter properly sh, or schin, for which the substituted s, or samec, sobloth. (Haydock) --- In the same natioin, a variety of pronunciation frequently distinguishes the inhabitants of the different provinces. The Galileans were thus known from the rest of the Jews, Matthew xxvi. 23.

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See also Judges 12:6 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Judges 12:6. _SAY NOW SHIBBOLETH; AND HE SAID SIBBOLETH_] The original differs only in the first letter ס _samech_, instead of ש _sheen; _אמר נא שבלת ויאמר סבלת emar na Shibboleth, vaiyomer Sib...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    SHIBBOLETH; 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 int...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 12 THE STRIFE--JEPHTHAH'S DEATH--THE OTHER JUDGES _ 1. The strife and the slaying of the Ephraimites (Judges 12:1)_ 2. Jephthah's death (Judges 12:7) 3. Ibzan, Elon and Abdon (Judges 12:8)...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    XII. 1- 6. CIVIL WAR BETWEEN GILEAD AND EPHRAIM. The Ephraimites hankered after the primacy among the tribes. Their _amour propre_ was easily offended, their anger quickly enflamed. Instead of praisin...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    FRAME. take heed, give attention. FORTY AND TWO THOUSAND. 40. 2,000. 2,040. The _whole_ tribe numbered only 32,500 at previous census (Numbers 26:37. see note on Judges 7:3), and that was less than th...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Judges 12:1-7. _Jephthah's conflict with the men of Ephraim_ A sequel of the Ammonite war. Jephthah had returned to his house (Judges 11:34), two months at least had passed (Judges 11:39), the Gilead...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _Shibboleth … Sibboleth_ An interesting proof of the difference in dialect between the eastern and western tribes. By confusion of sounds _shibbôleth_(שׁבלת) would become _sibbôleth_(שׂבלת), and then...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    SAY, NOW, SHIBBOLETH— The word has two senses in the Hebrew; namely, _an ear of corn,_ and _floods of water,_ Psalms 69:2. It is used in the latter sense here; and the test which the Gileadites put th...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    _Ephraimites Slain by Jephthah Judges 12:1-6_ And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the childre...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND THE GILEADITES TOOK THE PASSAGES OF JORDAN BEFORE THE EPHRAIMITES: AND IT WAS SO, THAT WHEN THOSE EPHRAIMITES WHICH WERE ESCAPED SAID, LET ME GO OVER; THAT THE MEN OF GILEAD SAID UNTO HIM, ART TH...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE EPHRAIMITES QUARREL WITH JEPHTHAH. HIS DEATH 1-6. Jephthah and Ephraim. Once more the members of the leading tribe find themselves left out of the victory, and complain: cp. Judges 8:1; Jephthah...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    LIFE WITHOUT LAW JUDGES _PHILIP SMITH_ CHAPTER 12 V1 The men from Ephraim’s *tribe called out their army. And they went over the river to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, ‘You went to fight against...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    SAY NOW SHIBBOLETH. — The word means “ford;” (Psalms 69:2) “depth of waters;” (Judges 12:15) “water flood;” (Isaiah 27:12) “channel.” The LXX. render it (Cod. B) “an ear of corn” (Vulg., _quod interpr...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יֹּ֣אמְרוּ לֹו֩ אֱמָר ־נָ֨א שִׁבֹּ֜לֶת וַ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    SHIBBOLETHS Judges 12:1 WHILE Jephthah and his Gileadites were engaged in the struggle with Ammon jealous watch was kept over all their movements by the men of Ephraim. As the head tribe of the house...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    AT THE FORDS OF EPHRAIM Judges 12:1 In this second war, Jephthah showed the same conciliatory spirit as he had showed to Ammon. He parleyed sensibly and courteously before he went into the conflict....

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The men of Ephraim took the same action in the case of Jephthah as they had done in the case of Gideon. After his victory they complained that they had not been called to help. It would seem as though...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    Ruth 12:1-15 once again reveals the tragedy pride can lead us into (compare Joshua 17:14-18 and Ruth 8:1-3). The tribe of Ephraim approached Jephthah with threats because he had not called them to bat...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    Then said they unto him, Say now (e) 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 th...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Shibboleth means a river. The only difference between this and Sibboleth, arose from spelling the former with the Hebrew letter Shin, and the latter with Samech. But what is the spiritual illustration...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    My object being no more than a sketch, as most of you know, I desire to say but a few words on such of the Chapter s as bear a similar character to that which has been already pointed out in the early...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 9, 10, 11, AND 12. After Gideon's death we see the results of this distance from God in the internal struggles which took place between the children of Israel...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    THEN SAID THEY UNTO HIM, SAY NOW "SHIBBOLETH",.... Which signifies a stream or course of water, at which they now were; and so it was as if they had bid them say, "may I, or let me, pass over the str...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    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 t...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _If he said, Nay_ To avoid the present danger. _Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth_ To find out the truth, they put him to this test; whether his pronunciation of some words was like that of...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 The Ephraimites quarrelling with Iephthah, and discerned by Shibboleth, are slaine by the Gileadites. 7 Iephthah dieth. 8 Ibzan, who had thirtie sonnes and thirtie daughters, 11 and Elon, 13 and...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    then said they unto him, Say now shibboleth (stream, flood); AND HE SAID SIBBOLETH; FOR HE COULD NOT FRAME (was not able) TO PRONOUNCE IT RIGHT. It was a difference in dialect, and the Ephraimites sim...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE DEFEAT OF THE EPHRAIMITES...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    AN UNNECESSARY CONFRONTATION (vv. 1-7) The men of Ephraim assumed the same proud attitude toward Jephthah as they had before done toward Gideon (tie.8:1-2).When Jephthah had gained the victory over...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-7 The Ephraimites had the same quarrel with Jephthah as with Gideon. Pride was at the bottom of the quarrel; only by that comes contention. It is ill to fasten names of reproach upon persons or cou...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    SHIBBOLETH signifies _a stream or river_, which they desired to pass over; so it was a word proper for the occasion, and gave them no cause to suspect the design, because they were required only to ex...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Judges 12:6 say H559 (H8799) say H559 (H8798) Shibboleth H7641 say H559 (H8799) Sibboleth H5451 pronounce...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    Judges 12:5 a ‘And the Gileadites took the fords of Jordan against the Ephraimites.' Having defeated Ephraim Jephthah moved swiftly and set strong guards at the fords that led back over the Jordan, t...

  • Scofield's Bible Commentary

    SHIBBOLETH Signifying a stream or flood....

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Second jealousy of Ephriam. CHARACTERS: God, Jeptha, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon. CONCLUSION: Proud men think all the honors wasted that they themselves did not win. Envy brings serious contentions...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Judges 12:3. _I put my life in my hands;_ a Hebraism of forcible import. David twice uses the same phrase. Now, to take the life of a man who had thus devoted himself, and whom God had honoured, was t...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: _ TRIFLES INDICATE CHARACTER It is often just such a slight peculiarity which identifies men as belonging to a certain district or family. You know whose...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JUDGES—NOTE ON JUDGES 12:1 This episode recalls Ephraim’s earlier challenge to Gideon (Judges 8:1). While Gideon was able to pacify Ephraim, Jephthah was not, and a civil war erupted. The Ephraimites...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JUDGES—NOTE ON JUDGES 12:6 SHIBBOLETH... SIBBOLETH. The Gileadites devised a test to catch the Ephraimites using a word that was difficult for outsiders to pronounce correctly. Modern English uses the...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _THE ARROGANT EPHRAIMITES AND JEPHTHAH—THE JUDGES WITHOUT FAME_ (Judges 12:1.) CRITICAL NOTES.— JUDGES 12:1. GATHERED THEMSELVES TOGETHER.] Not in a disorderly or tumultuous manner as some would take...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION JUDGES 12:1 NORTHWARD, or, otherwise rendered, to _Zaphon_,_ _a city of the Gadites mentioned in Joshua 13:27 together with Succoth, and thought to be _the modern_,_ Amateh _on the Wady Ra...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now, remember the men of Ephraim when Gideon came back having, you know, gotten the victory and they said, "Why didn't you call us?" Well here they are again, chapter twelve. AND the men of Ephraim ga...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Ecclesiastes 10:12; Exodus 6:6; Galatians 5:15; Isaiah 27:12; Job 24:

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Shibboleth — Which signifies a stream or river, which they desired to pass over: so it was a word proper for the occasion, and gave them no cause to suspect the design, because they were required only...

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