Sibboleth or Shibboleth: A Discursive Denial of Identity.
Publication Date: 01/04/2026
Author(s): Selorm Agbesi, Joseph Benjamin Archibald Afful.
Volume/Issue: Volume 9, Issue 1 (2026)
Page No: 21-34
Journal: International Journal of Literature, Language and Linguistics (IJLLL)
Abstract:
The incident in the Biblical story of Judges 12: 5-6 provides some insight into people’s enactment of identities. According to the biblical account, forty-two thousand people lost their lives because they were unable to appropriate a linguistic form that would identify them as non-enemies. The study aimed to explore identity construction in the shibboleth story by performing a textual analysis of the biblical passage (Judges 12: 5-6) containing the incident, within the framework of Identity Theory and Social Identity Theory. Social Identity enactments and responses were found to be factors responsible for turning the Gileadite and Ephraimite ethnic groups into social categories. The use of pronunciation test to determine the fate of individuals in the matter of life and death was questioned. The study demonstrated the application of the identity and social identity theories and makes recommendations for further studies.
Keywords:
Identity enactment, identity theory, social identity theory, Gileadites, Ephraimites.
