Judges 12:6 (KJV)

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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

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Cross-references

Say now. Mt 26:73 Mr 14:70

Shibboleth. which signifieth a stream, or flood. Ps 69:2 Ps 69:15 Isa 27:12

there fell. Pr 17:14 Pr 18:19 Ec 10:12 Mt 12:25 Ga 5:15

{Shibboleth} also means an ear of corn, (Job 24:24,) and {sibboleth} signifies a burden, (Ex 6:6;) and a heavy burden they were obliged to bear who could not pronounce this test letter. It is well known that several nations cannot pronounce certain letters. The sound of th cannot be pronounced by the Persians, no more than by some of our Continental neighbours; though it is a common sound among the Arabians. To this day, many of the German Jews cannot articulate [t] th, for which they substitute ss; thus for {baith,} a house, they say {baiss.} forty.{Arbäim ooshenayim aleph,} "forty and two thousand." Here the [w,] and, may mean simple addition; and this number may denote 2,040 and not 42,000. At the last census of the Israelites (Nu 26:37) the whole tribe of Ephraim only amounted to 32,500, compared with which this last number appears far too great.

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