Strong’s H7641

שִׁבֹּל

Part of speech

Noun Feminine

Transliteration

shibbol

Pronunciation

shib-BO-leth

Definition

Ear of grain, stream, or flood; also used as a test or password.

Meaning

a stream, an ear of grain, a branch

Usage

The term "shibboleth" primarily refers to an ear of grain or a flowing stream. However, its most famous usage is as a linguistic test or password to distinguish between different groups of people, as seen in the biblical narrative of Judges 12:5-6. In this context, it was used to identify Ephraimites who could not pronounce the word correctly.

Bible references

Genesis 41:5;Genesis 41:6;Genesis 41:7;Genesis 41:7;Genesis 41:22;Genesis 41:23;Genesis 41:24;Genesis 41:24;Genesis 41:26;Genesis 41:27;Judges 12:6;Ruth 2:2;Job 24:24;Psalm 69:2;Psalm 69:15;Isaiah 17:5;Isaiah 17:5;Isaiah 27:12;Zechariah 4:12