שִׁבֹּ֫לֶת (shib.bol)
shib.bol
stream; ear; Euphrates; Shibboleth
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 14 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun shibboleth carries two distinct meanings that share a visual similarity: an ear of grain and a flowing stream. In agricultural contexts, it refers to the head or cluster of grain as it grows, capturing the image of something plump and full. This physical sense appears in passages like Isaiah 17:5, where the harvest is likened to ears of grain gathered by reapers.
Alternatively, the word denotes a running watercourse. It serves as an ancient name for the Euphrates River, highlighting its role as a major, life-giving artery in the landscape. This usage connects the river’s identity directly to the concept of a continuous flow, bridging the gap between natural geography and linguistic origin.
The most famous application of this word occurs in Judges 12:5–6, where it functions as a security password. The Gileadites used the pronunciation of the "sh" sound to identify fleeing Ephraimites. Because their dialect lacked that specific phoneme, they could not say shibboleth correctly, revealing their identity and leading to their capture. This incident preserves the word in history as a tool for distinguishing groups through speech.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
This Hebrew word carries a dual image: the full ear of grain and the flowing stream. In Genesis, Joseph sees dreams of abundant harvests, reminding us that God provides for our physical needs. The 'ears of grain' symbolize sustenance and the fruit of labor, showing that God cares about the daily bread on our tables.
Yet the word also points to the Euphrates, a great river that marks boundaries and brings life to dry lands. In Isaiah, this flowing water represents God’s gathering power, bringing His people home from distant places. Whether as food or as a path, this word shows God’s provision in both stillness and movement.
For your faith, this means trusting God with both the harvest of your efforts and the currents of change in your life. He sustains you in quiet seasons and guides you through turbulent times. You are never abandoned, whether you are gathering or flowing.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 14 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ ears of grain6×
- ears of grain6×
- grain1×
- from/ [the] flowing stream of1×
- among the/ ears of grain1×
- [the] clusters of1×
- Shibboleth1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- שִׁבֳּלִ֗ים2×
- שִׁבֳּלִ֔ים2×
- שִׁבֹּ֣לֶת1×
- שִׁבֹּ֜לֶת1×
- שִׁבֳּלִ֣ים1×
- שִׁבֳּלִ֖ים1×
- שִׁבֲּלֵ֣י1×
- מִ/שִּׁבֹּ֥לֶת1×
- הָ/שִׁבֳּלִ֣ים1×
- הַֽ/שִּׁבֳּלִים֙1×
- הַֽ/שִּׁבֳּלִ֔ים1×
- הַֽ/שִׁבֳּלִים֙1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 41:7
The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy and full ears. Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.
This verse uses the word to describe 'full ears' in Pharaoh's dream, illustrating God's ability to reveal future abundance and famine through symbolic imagery.
-
Judges 12:6
then they said to him, “Now say ‘Shibboleth;’” and he said “Sibboleth”; for he couldn’t manage to pronounce it correctly, then they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time, forty-two thousand of Ephraim fell.
Here the word becomes a linguistic test, where the inability to pronounce it correctly reveals tribal identity and leads to conflict at the Jordan fords.
-
Isaiah 27:12
It will happen in that day that Yahweh will thresh from the flowing stream of the Euphrates to the brook of Egypt; and you will be gathered one by one, children of Israel.
The term refers to the 'flowing stream' of the Euphrates, depicting God's power to gather His scattered people from the farthest reaches of the earth.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does shibboleth mean in Judges 12?
Why does this word mean both grain and a river?
How is this word used in Joseph's dream?
Every Occurrence (14 verses across 6 books)
Genesis 8 verses
He slept and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, healthy and good.
Genesis 41:6Behold, seven heads of grain, thin and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them.
Genesis 41:7The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy and full ears. Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.
Genesis 41:22I saw in my dream, and behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, full and good;
Genesis 41:23and behold, seven heads of grain, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them.
Genesis 41:24The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads of grain. I told it to the magicians, but there was no one…
Genesis 41:26The seven good cattle are seven years; and the seven good heads of grain are seven years. The dream is one.
Genesis 41:27The seven thin and ugly cattle that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty heads of grain blasted…