Judges 12

Judges · Chapter 12

Judges 12:6

1And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire.2And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands.3And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me?4Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.5And 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 thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay;6Then 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.7And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.8And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.9And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.10Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Bethlehem.11And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years.12And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun.13And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel.14And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years.15And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
6Then 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.they told him, “Please say Shibboleth.” If he said, “Sibboleth,” because he could not pronounce it correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. So at that time 42,000 Ephraimites were killed.then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth; and he said Sibboleth; for he could not frame to pronounce it right: then they laid hold on him, and slew him at the fords of the Jordan. And there fell at that time of Ephraim forty and two thousand.

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Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and they saidוַיֹּ֣אמְרוּvai-YO-me-ruH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

sayאֱמָר־'e-mor-H0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

pleaseנָ֨אna'H4994
please

נָא (na) 1) I (we) pray, now, please 1a) used in entreaty or exhortation

Shibbolethשִׁבֹּ֜לֶתshi-BO-letH7641H
Shibboleth

שִׁבֹּ֫לֶת (shib.bol) means: growing ear (of grain), flowing stream used as a password

and he saidוַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai-YO-merH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Sibbolethסִבֹּ֗לֶתsi-BO-letH5451
stream

סִבֹּלֶת (sib.bo.let) stream (as pronounced by Ephraimites) § 1) an ear of grain or wheat

and notוְלֹ֤אve-LO'H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

he gave attentionיָכִין֙ya-KHINH3559KNo entry
to speakלְדַבֵּ֣רle-da-BERH1696G
to speak: speak

דָבַר (da.var) : speak/tell/command 1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing 1a) (Qal) to speak 1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to speak 1c2) to promise 1d) (Pual) to be spoken 1e) (Hithpael) to speak 1f) (Hiphil) to lead away, put to flight

rightכֵּ֔ןKenH3651A
right

כֵּן (ken) adv adj 1) right, just, honest, true, veritable 1a) right, just, honest 1b) correct 1c) true, veritable

and they seizedוַיֹּאחֲז֣וּvai-yo-cha-ZUH0270
to grasp

אָחַז (a.chaz) 1) grasp, take hold, seize, take possession 1a) (Qal) to grasp, take hold of 1b) (Niphal) to be caught, grasped, be settled 1c) (Piel) to enclose, overlay 1d) (Hophal) fastened

and they slaughtered himוַיִּשְׁחָט֖וּהוּvai-yish-cha-TU-huH7819A
to slaughter

שָׁחַט (sha.chat) v 1) to kill, slaughter, beat 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to slaughter 1a1a) beast for food 1a1b) sacrifice 1a1c) person in human sacrifice 1a1d) beaten, hammered (of shekels) 1b) (Niphal) to be slaughtered, be slain (of food or sacrifice) Also means: sha.chat (שָׁחוּט "beaten" H7820)

toאֶל־'el-H0413
to(wards)

אֶל (el) 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

[the] fords ofמַעְבְּר֣וֹתma'-be-ROTH4569B
ford

מַעֲבָר (ma.a.var) 1) ford, pass, passing 1a) ford 1b) pass 1c) passing, sweep

the Jordanהַיַּרְדֵּ֑ןhai-yar-DENH3383
Jordan

יַרְדֵּן (yar.den) Jordan = "descender" the river of Palestine running from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the Dead Sea a distance of approx 200 miles (320 km) Also named: Iordanēs (Ἰορδάνης "Jordan" G2446)

and it fellוַיִּפֹּ֞לvai-yi-POLH5307J
to fall: fall

נָפַל (na.phal) : fall/drop/fail 1) to fall, lie, be cast down, fail 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to fall 1a2) to fall (of violent death) 1a3) to fall prostrate, prostrate oneself before 1a4) to fall upon, attack, desert, fall away to, go away to, fall into the hand of 1a5) to fall short, fail, fall out, turn out, result 1a6) to settle, waste away, be offered, be inferior to 1a7) to lie, lie prostrate 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to cause to fall, fell, throw down, knock out, lay prostrate 1b2) to overthrow 1b3) to make the lot fall, assign by lot, apportion by lot 1b4) to let drop, cause to fail (fig.) 1b5) to cause to fall …

at the timeבָּעֵ֤תba-'ETH6256
time

עֵת (et) 1) time 1a) time (of an event) 1b) time (usual) 1c) experiences, fortunes 1d) occurrence, occasion

the thatהַהִיא֙ha-HI'H1931
he/she/it

הוּא (hu) pron 3p s 1) he, she, it 1a) himself (with emphasis) 1b) resuming subj with emphasis 1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate) 1d) (anticipating subj) 1e) (emphasising predicate) 1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron 2) that (with article)

of Ephraimמֵֽאֶפְרַ֔יִםme-'ef-RA-yimH0669G
Ephraim

אֶפְרַ֫יִם (eph.ra.yim) A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.41.52; son of: Joseph (H3130) and Asenath (H0621); brother of: Manasseh (H4519); father of: Shuthelah (H7803), Becher (H1071H), Tahan (H8465), Ezer (H5827), Elead (H0496) and Beriah (H1283H); also called Ephrathite (NIV: Ephraimite) at 1Sa.1.1; Ephron (Qere, KJV: Ephrain) at 2Ch.13.19; § Ephraim = "double ash-heap: I shall be doubly fruitful" 1) second son of Joseph, blessed by him and given preference over first son, Manasseh 2) the tribe, Ephraim 3) the mountain country of Ephraim …

fortyאַרְבָּעִ֥ים'ar-ba-'IMH0705
forty

אַרְבָּעִים (ar.ba.im) forty

and twoוּשְׁנַ֖יִםu-she-NA-yimH8147
two

שְׁנַ֫יִם (she.na.yim) 1) two 1a) two (the cardinal number) 1a1) two, both, double, twice 1b) second (the ordinal number) 1c) in combination with other numbers 1d) both (a dual number)

thousandאָֽלֶף׃'A-lefH0505G
thousand

אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) : thousand 1) a thousand 1a) as numeral 2) a thousand, company 2a) as a company of men under one leader, troops

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.