Original Word: שִׁבֹּל
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: shibbol
Pronunciation: shib-BO-leth
Phonetic Spelling: (shib-bole)
KJV: branch, channel, ear (of corn), ((water-))flood, Shibboleth
NASB: ears, ears of grain, branches, grain
Word Origin: [from the same as H7640 (שׁוֹבֶל - skirt)]

1. a stream (as flowing)
2. also an ear of grain (as growing out)
3. by analogy, a branch

branch, channel, ear of corn, water, flood, Shibboleth

Or (feminine) shibboleth {shib-bo'-leth}; from the same as shebel; a stream (as flowing); also an ear of grain (as growing out); by analogy, a branch -- branch, channel, ear (of corn), ((water-))flood, Shibboleth. Compare cibboleth.

see HEBREW shebel

see HEBREW cibboleth

Word Origin
from the same as shobel
Definition
ear (of grain)
NASB Translation
branches (1), ears (10), ears of grain (3), grain (1).

I. שִׁבֹּ֫לֶת noun feminine flowing stream; — ׳שׁ absolute Psalm 69:3, as test of dialect Judges 12:6 (compare סִבֹּלֶת and GFM); construct מַיִם ׳שׁ Psalm 69:16, הַנָּהָר ׳שׁ Isaiah 27:12.

II. שִׁבֹּ֫לֶת noun feminine ear of grain; — ׳שׁ absolute Job 24:21 +; plural שִׁבֳּלִים Genesis 41:5 +, construct שִׁבֳּלֵי Zechariah 4:12; — ear, Genesis 41:5,6,7: Genesis 41:7; Genesis 41:22; Genesis 41:23; Genesis 41:24 (twice in verse); Genesis 41:26,27; Isaiah 17:5 (twice in verse); Ruth 2:2; Job 24:24; transf. spike (Pusey), end of olive bough Zechariah 4:12.

Shibboleth (שִׁבֹּל)

Range of Meaning and Imagery

Appearing nineteen times, the word moves between two pictures: the ripened head of grain and the rush of a stream. Both evoke themes of provision and peril, blessing and judgment, and together they form a rich biblical tapestry that spans narrative, poetry, and prophecy.

Agricultural Significance: Heads of Grain

• Plenty and Purpose. In Pharaoh’s dream Joseph sees “seven heads of grain, healthy and good” (Genesis 41:5). The full shibboleth displays God’s power to give abundance and to reveal future events.
• Scarcity and Stewardship. The seven scorched heads (Genesis 41:6-7) warn of famine and remind hearers to manage God-given resources wisely.
• Gleaning and Grace. Ruth’s request, “Please let me go into the field and glean heads of grain” (Ruth 2:2), joins the word to covenant kindness that reaches a Moabite and secures the lineage of David and Messiah.
• Brevity of the Proud. The wicked “are cut off like heads of grain” (Job 24:24), a vivid reminder that human pride withers before divine harvest.
• Remnant Imagery. Isaiah foretells a gleaning so sparse “as when one gleans heads of grain” (Isaiah 17:5), yet God still gathers His remnant one by one (Isaiah 27:12).

Water Imagery: Torrents and Outpouring

• Distress. “I have come into deep waters, and the flood overwhelms me” (Psalm 69:2). Shibboleth here depicts engulfing chaos, a metaphor for affliction and judgment.
• Deliverance. Psalm 69:15 pleads that the “deep waters” not sweep the sufferer away, foreshadowing Messiah’s triumph over overwhelming judgment.
• Supply. Zechariah sees olive branches “from which the golden oil pours” (Zechariah 4:12), a gentle shibboleth of continuous Spirit-empowered provision.

Test of Allegiance: Judges 12:6

The Jordan fords become a linguistic battleground: “Say Shibboleth.” Those who spoke “Sibboleth” fell. The incident underscores the power of words to expose true identity, anticipating New Testament teaching that “by your words you will be justified” (Matthew 12:37).

Theological and Christological Themes

• Bread of Life. The healthy heads of grain prefigure Jesus Christ, the true Bread (John 6:35).
• Winnowing Judgment. Harvest imagery anticipates Christ’s separation of wheat and chaff (Matthew 3:12).
• Atoning Flood. The waters that overwhelmed the Psalmist find ultimate fulfilment in Christ, who bore the flood of judgment so His people might stand secure.
• Spirit’s Flow. Zechariah’s flowing oil parallels Pentecost’s outpouring, assuring the Church of unfailing spiritual supply.

Pastoral and Practical Applications

1. Encourage stewardship in times of plenty, following Joseph’s pattern.
2. Promote compassionate gleaning: providing for the poor, the foreigner, and the widow.
3. Call for self-examination of speech; words disclose the heart.
4. Offer Psalm 69 as comfort to the afflicted, showing that floods do not nullify God’s care.
5. Preach Isaiah 27:12 to affirm that every believer will be gathered, none forgotten.

Selected Passages for Reflection

Genesis 41:5-7; Judges 12:6; Ruth 2:2; Job 24:24; Psalm 69:2, 15; Isaiah 17:5; Isaiah 27:12; Zechariah 4:12

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