Shibboleth vs. Sibboleth

Judges 12 - Before King Saul became the king of Israel, judges led Israel. Jephthah is one among the notable judges. He was a Gileadite and a mighty warrior with valor and known for his mission against the Ammonites. He devastated the Ammonite lands and subdued them. After this victory, the men of Ephraim provoked Jephthah for not involving them in the battle against the Ammonites. He tried to explain how he had called them for the battle but they refused to join. Unconvinced, they still persisted in provoking him. His anger flared against them that he called together his men and fought against Ephraim.

The Gileadites struck the Ephraimites and captured the city of Ephraim. Jephthah was determined to completely route the Ephraimites. So he decided to kill every Ephraimite entering or leaving the city. Since it was very difficult to figure out one’s origin from mere looks, the Gileadites framed an interesting strategy. Whenever a man would pass through the gate, the Gileadites asked if he was an Ephraimite. Obviously he said he wasn’t, fearing death. They would then ask him to repeat the word “Shibboleth”. The Ephraimites could not pronounce the sound “sh”. If he said “Sibboleth”, because he could not pronounce the word correctly, they seized him and killed him. A whooping forty four thousand Ephraimites were killed because they could not pronounce the word correctly.

Isn’t it strange? No wonder it says in Proverbs 18:21, “Life and death are in the power of the tongue”. James 3 talks about the power of the tongue. It is compared to the small rudder that determines the direction of huge ships. Yes, though it is a small part in the body it can prove to be a threat if misused. It is also said that no man can tame his tongue because it is a restless evil full of deadly poison. We need watch our words and speak wisdom because what we speak is what we are.

Our ministry depends on two prime factors: Words and Action. What we say is what we do and that is what people around see in us. That is why Proverbs 13:3 teaches us to think before we talk. Unless our words are gracious (Proverbs 22:11), comforting (Job 4:4) and beneficial (Proverbs 20:15) we aren’t making the best use of the tongue. As the tongue could determine life and death, isn’t it easy to choose life as the option?

But today’s children of God are so caught up in the conspiracy of the devil and he has rightly struck the precise organ to propagate his ministry; the tongue. That is why there is so much of gossips, offensive remarks, words of hatred, enmity and strife even among believers. It’s high time we understand the power of the words we speak and use it for the glory of the Lord. Just like how the Ephraimites lost their lives because of a word, we may lose our lives because of our words! The only difference between the words 'Shibboleth' and 'Sibboleth' is the letter “h” and one minister of God referred to it as “Holiness in Words”. If there is no holiness in your words, it may take the very life out of you!

Here are a few questions to evaluate yourself.

Do’s:

1. Am I using wisdom in words? (Proverbs 10: 31,32)


2. Do I impress the wisdom of God’s word to others around (Deuteronomy 6:6, 7)?


3. Are my words comforting to people? (Job 2:11, 4:4)


4. Do I speak on behalf of the innocent? (Proverbs 31:8,9)

Don’ts:

1. Do I gossip knowingly or unknowingly? (Proverbs 20:19)


2. Do I talk too much? (Proverbs 10:19)


3. Do I offend people by my words? (Proverbs 15:1)

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you reminding the power of my words. Please help me to use it to bring life for your glory. Amen