This story of an ancient battle in the Middle East sheds light on a universal cultural reality; language influences whether people are insiders or outsiders of a social group.
After the Giliadites defeated the Ephraimites in battle, the surviving Ephraimites attempted to flee back across the Jordan River to Ephraim. However, the Giliadites had fortified the crossing and required all desiring to cross the river to identify themselves. Of course, the Ephraimites denied being Ephraimites because they didn’t want to be killed.
The Giliadites implemented a simple test: “Say the word shibboleth.” Because the Ephraimites did not have an “sh” sound in their language, they pronounced the word “sibboleth,” thus revealing themselves as Ephraimites. Here, we see the most extreme result of being an outsider: “Then they seized him and slaughtered him at the fords of the Jordan” (vs. 6).
Think back to your own life. Perhaps it was you who was made to feel like an outsider because of how you spoke. Perhaps it was the new kid in your class who had a different accent. Or the kid who was laughed at because he stuttered or had a lisp. Maybe it was the girl who was mocked because she didn’t read well when called on to read in class. If you didn’t suffer any of these indignities personally, you certainly witnessed others suffer the shame of being an outsider because of a language issue.
Language, like fire, can be a tremendous tool that aids in human flourishing. It’s also a tool that can be used for tremendous evil and destruction.
As you meditate on this week’s passage and discussion:
- Think of a language related story of evil and one of good.
- Share those stories (1 negative and 1 positive) in your devotion response.
- Idea starters:
- Were you ever excluded because you didn’t speak the right way; you didn’t have the right accent or pronunciation?
- Have you ever used language (right/wrong vocabulary, accents, etc) as a basis to include or exclude others from your in-group?
- Did you ever invite someone into your group because of language?
- How have you or others used language for good?
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