The Hebrew word shibboleth is a rather common word, meaning 'the ears or heads of grains.' It was chosen as a test of identity when the Ephraimites—feeling slighted that they were not consulted or invited by Jephthah to fight against the Ammonites—decided to cross over the Jordan into Gilead to make war on Jephthah. They, however, suffered badly at the hand of Jephthah's army and tried to make their escape back across the Jordan.
The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a survivor of Ephraim said, "Let me cross over," the men of Gilead asked him, "Are you an Ephraimite?"If he replied, "No," they said, "All right, say 'Shibboleth.'" If he said, "Sibboleth," because he could not pronounce the word correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand Ephraimites were killed at that time. (Judg 12:5-6)
The initial letter of the word is the Hebrew shin, which the Ephraimite apparently could not pronounce, vocalizing it as the sin instead. Why the inability is not explained though it is often speculated on.
The word shibboleth has since entered into the English language to mean a 'test' or 'slogan.'
©ALBERITH
111116lch