- Shibboleth:
- which signifieth a stream, or flood, "I sinkª° in deepª mire,ª where [there is] no¹ standing:ª I am comeª° into deepª waters,ª where the floodsª overflowª° me." {Psa 69:2} + "Let not¹ the waterfloodªª overflowª° me, neither¹ let the deepª swallow me up,ª° and let not¹ the pitª shutª° her mouthª upon¹ me." {Psa 69:15} + "And it shall come to pass¹ in that¹ day,ª [that] the LORDª shall beat offª° from the channelª¹ of the riverª unto¹ the streamª of Egypt,ª and ye¹ shall be gatheredª° oneª by one,ª O ye childrenª of Israel.ª" {Isa 27:12} *Heb: Shibboleth also means an ear of corn ("They are exaltedª° for a little while,ª but are gone¹ and brought low;ª° they are taken out²° of the way²¹ as all¹ [other], and cut offª° as the topsª of the ears of corn.ª" {Job 24:24}), and sibboleth signifies a burden ("Whereforeª sayª° unto the childrenª of Israel,ª I¹ [am] the LORD,ª and I will bring²° you out¹¹ from under¹¹ the burdensª of the Egyptians,ª and I will ridª° you out of their bondage,ª¹ and I will redeemª° you with a stretched²° out¹ arm,ª and with greatª judgments:ª" {Exd 6:6}); and a heavy burden they were obliged to bear who could not pronounce this test letter. It is well known that several nations cannot pronounce certain letters. The sound of th cannot be pronounced by the Persians, no more than by some of our Continental neighbours; though it is a common sound among the Arabians. To this day, many of the German Jews cannot articulate ת th, for which they substitute ss; thus for baith, a house, they say baiss.
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