Sibboleth

In Bible versions:

Sibboleth: NET AVS NASB TEV
Shibboleth: NET AVS NIV NRSV NASB TEV

a test word to identify a man's true origin (IBD)
the incorrect answer to the test word Shibboleth

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ear of corn; stream or flood ( --> same as Sibboleth)
ear of corn; stream or flood ( --> same as Shibboleth)

Hebrew

Strongs #07641: lbv shibbol or (fem.) tlbv shibboleth

1) flowing stream
2) ear (of grain), head of grain
2a) as growing
2b) cluster

7641 shibbol shib-bole

or (feminine) shibboleth {shib-bo'-leth}; from the same as
7640; a stream (as flowing); also an ear of grain (as growing
out); by analogy, a branch:-branch, channel, ear (of corn),
((water-))flood, Shibboleth. Compare 5451.
see HEBREW for 07640
see HEBREW for 05451

Strongs #05451: tlbo cibboleth

1) an ear of grain or wheat

5451 cibboleth sib-bo'-leth

for 7641; an ear of grain:-Sibboleth.
see HEBREW for 07641

Shibboleth [EBD]

river, or an ear of corn. The tribes living on the east of Jordan, separated from their brethren on the west by the deep ravines and the rapid river, gradually came to adopt peculiar customs, and from mixing largely with the Moabites, Ishmaelites, and Ammonites to pronounce certain letters in such a manner as to distinguish them from the other tribes. Thus when the Ephraimites from the west invaded Gilead, and were defeated by the Gileadites under the leadership of Jephthah, and tried to escape by the "passages of the Jordan," the Gileadites seized the fords and would allow none to pass who could not pronounce "shibboleth" with a strong aspirate. This the fugitives were unable to do. They said "sibboleth," as the word was pronounced by the tribes on the west, and thus they were detected (Judg. 12:1-6). Forty-two thousand were thus detected, and

"Without reprieve, adjudged to death, For want of well-pronouncing shibboleth."

Shibboleth [NAVE]

SHIBBOLETH,
Judg. 12:6.

Sibboleth [NAVE]

SIBBOLETH
See: Shibboleth.

SHIBBOLETH [SMITH]

(a stream), (Judges 12:6) is the Hebrew word which the Gileadites under Jephthah made use of at the passage of the Jordan, after a victory over the Ephraimites, to test the pronunciation of the sound sh by those who wished to cross over the river. The Ephraimites, it would appear, in their dialect substituted for sh the simple sound s ; and the Gileadites, regarding every one who failed to pronounce sh as an Ephraimite and therefore an enemy, put him to death accordingly. In this way there fell 42,000 Ephraimites. There is no mystery in this particular word. Any word beginning with the sound sh would have answered equally well as a test.

SIBBOLETH [SMITH]

the Ephraimite pronunciation of the word Shibboleth. (Judges 12:6) [SHIBBOLETH]

SHIBBOLETH [ISBE]

SHIBBOLETH - shib'-o-leth (shibboleth): A test of speech applied by the men of Gilead to the Ephraimites, who wished to cross the Jordan, after defeat. If they pronounced the word cibboleth, their dialectic variety of speech betrayed them. (Jdg 12:6). The word probably has the sense of stream or "flood" (compare Ps 69:2).

SIBBOLETH [ISBE]

SIBBOLETH - sib'o-leth (cibboleth).

See SHIBBOLETH.