ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Tu’apulelulu Sune 29, 2023

שׁבלת Shibboleth

Si‘ipoleti

JUDGES 12:5-6

THE GILEADITES CAPTURED THE FORDS OF THE JORDAN AGAINST THE EPHRAIMITES. AND WHEN ANY OF THE FUGITIVES OF EPHRAIM SAID, "LET ME GO OVER," THE MEN OF GILEAD SAID TO HIM, "ARE YOU AN EPHRAIMITE? WHEN HE SAID, "NO," THEY SAID TO HIM, "THEN SAY SHIBBOLETH," AND HE SAID, "SIBBOLETH," FOR HE COULD NOT PRONOUNCE IT RIGHT. THEN THEY SEIZED HIM AND SLAUGHTERED HIM AT THE FORDS OF THE JORDAN.

FAKAMAAU 12:5-6

5 He na‘e hala tutu‘u ‘a Kiliati ki he kakai ‘Ifalemi, ‘o nau ma‘u ‘a e a‘a‘anga ‘o Soatani: pea ka faifai pea lea ange ‘e he kau ‘Ifalemi kuo hola, Ka u a‘a atu mu‘a; pea tali ange ‘e he kau Kiliati, Ko e ‘Ifalemi koe? Pea ka tali ‘e ia, ‘Ikai; pea te nau pehē ki ai, Lea mai ‘o pehē, Si‘ipoleti. 6 Ka te ne pehē Sipoleti: he na‘e ‘ikai te ne lava ke fai hangē ko ia pea te nau toki puke ia, ‘o fakapoongi ‘i he ngaahi a‘a‘anga ‘o Soatani; pea ko e kakai ‘Ifalemi na‘e tō ‘i he taimi ko ia ko e toko fā mano mo e toko ua afe.

Today a shibboleth is in-group speech that's purposefully exclusionary. It builds linguistic or ideological walls that declare, "You're in" or "You're out." The Hebrew word originally meant "ear of corn" or "flow of water" (scholars are divided on this), but the definition is peripheral. What mattered was whether your tongue was able to pronounce it with a Gileadite accent. What renders the bloodbath from Judges so depressing is that it was a war between brother Israelites. Not knowing the "password" meant not seeing another sunrise. Speech and slaughter have a long and ragged history in humanity.

On the night of Jesus' arrest, Peter was recognized by his Galilean accent (Matt. 26:73). This brother would thrice deny his brother, the student his rabbi. Thank God that though the body of Jesus was bruised and battered from head to toe, his tongue remained uninjured, that he might intercede for us with words his Father would hear, understand, and answer.

"O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear" (Ps. 10:17).