How do the Galaadites identify a fleeing Ephraimite who denies being one?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

They ask him to say Scibboleth, meaning an ear of corn. He says Sibboleth because he cannot express it with the same letter; they seize and kill him at the Jordan passage. The chapter says forty-two thousand of Ephraim fall at that time.

Chapter breakdown

Sedition arises in Ephraim. Passing northward, its men ask Jephte why he did not call them to join the fight against Ammon and threaten to burn his house. He replies that he and his people were in great strife with Ammon and called them for help, but they would not give it. Seeing this, he put his life in his own hands and crossed against Ammon, whom the Lord delivered into his hands. He asks what he has done to deserve their rising to fight him.

Jephte calls all Galaad’s men and fights Ephraim. Galaad defeats Ephraim; the account gives the reason that Ephraim had called Galaad a fugitive of Ephraim dwelling amid Ephraim and Manasses. The Galaadites secure the Jordan fords by which Ephraim must return. When a fleeing Ephraimite asks to pass, they ask if he is an Ephraimite. If he denies it, they tell him to say Scibboleth, meaning an ear of corn. He says Sibboleth, unable to express the word with the same letter. They immediately seize and kill him at the Jordan passage. Forty-two thousand of Ephraim fall at that time.

Jephte the Galaadite judges Israel six years, dies and is buried in his city of Galaad. Abesan of Bethlehem judges after him. He has thirty sons and thirty daughters, sends the daughters abroad to husbands and brings the same number of wives for his sons into his house. He judges seven years, dies and is buried in Bethlehem.

Ahialon, a Zabulonite, succeeds Abesan, judges Israel ten years, dies and is buried in Zabulon. Abdon son of Illel, a Pharathonite, judges after him. His forty sons and thirty grandsons ride seventy ass colts. He judges eight years, dies and is buried in Pharathon, in Ephraim’s land, in the mount of Amalech.

The story inside

Ephraim’s complaint and threat receive Jephte’s account of calling for help, being refused and risking his life in the fight. He gathers Galaad’s men, and the battle is followed by their seizure of the Jordan fords. The denial of Ephraimite identity leads to the pronunciation demand and immediate killing at the passage; the chapter records forty-two thousand of Ephraim falling at that time. Jephte’s six-year rule, death and burial are followed by the records of Abesan, Ahialon and Abdon, with each ruler’s years, family details where given and burial place. The source does not describe those later years as an uninterrupted period of peace.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The complaint and reply make different claims about a summons. Ephraim says Jephte did not call them, while he says he called and they refused. Preserving both speakers’ words avoids adding an unrecorded motive for either.
2
The ford scene has a conditional sequence. A fleeing man asks to pass, is questioned about identity and denies it; only then comes the demand for Scibboleth. His Sibboleth answer precedes seizure and death, while the forty-two-thousand figure describes those falling at that time.
3
The succession record keeps each judge distinct. Abesan’s thirty sons and daughters and their marriages differ from Abdon’s forty sons, thirty grandsons and seventy mounts. The years and burial places are named for each without an added story of civic prosperity.

Test your recall

How does a denial of Ephraimite identity lead to the pronunciation demand at the Jordan, and what consequence follows the Sibboleth answer?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 26590–26607
Judges Chapter 12 The Ephraimites quarrel with Jephte: forty-two thousand of them are slain: Abeson, Ahialon, and Abdon, are judges. 12:1. But behold there arose a sedition in Ephraim. And passing towards the north, they said to Jephte: When thou wentest to fight against the children of Ammon, why wouldst thou not call us, that we might go with thee? Therefore we will burn thy house. 12:2. And he answered them: I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon: and I called you to assist me, and you would not do it. 12:3. And when I saw this, I put my life in my own hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon and the Lord delivered them into my hands. What have I deserved, that you should rise up to fight against me?
Lines 26609–26624
12:4. Then calling to him all the men of Galaad, he fought against Ephraim: and the men of Galaad defeated Ephraim, because he had said: Galaad is a fugitive of Ephraim, and dwelleth in the midst of Ephraim and Manasses. 12:5. And the Galaadites secured the fords of the Jordan, by which Ephraim was to return. And when any one of the number of Ephraim came thither in the flight, and said: I beseech you let me pass: the Galaadites said to him: Art thou not an Ephraimite? If he said: I am not: 12:6. They asked him: Say then, Scibboleth, which is interpreted, An ear of corn. But he answered, Sibboleth, not being able to express an ear of corn by the same letter. Then presently they took him and killed him in the very passage of the Jordan. And there fell at that time of Ephraim, two and forty thousand.
Lines 26626–26635
12:7. And Jephte, the Galaadite, judged Israel six years: and he died, and was buried in his city of Galaad. 12:8. After him Abesan of Bethlehem judged Israel: 12:9. He had thirty sons, and as many daughters, whom he sent abroad, and gave to husbands, and took wives for his sons, of the same number, bringing them into his house. And he judged Israel seven years: 12:10. And he died, and was buried in Bethlehem.
Lines 26637–26651
12:11. To him succeeded Ahialon, a Zabulonite: and he judged Israel ten years: 12:12. And he died, and was buried in Zabulon. 12:13. After him, Abdon, the son of Illel, a Pharathonite, judged Israel: 12:14. And he had forty sons, and of them thirty grandsons, mounted upon seventy ass colts, and he judged Israel eight years: 12:15. And he died, and was buried in Pharathon, in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of Amalech.