Fourth, from the condition of the dagesh and of the pointing of the shin.
Fourth, from the condition of the dagesh and of the pointing of the shin.
§ 348. (IV) From the condition of the dagesh and of the pointing of 
. “The points that distinguish the difference in consonants, such as the dagesh, which doubles a consonant, and the upper pointing that distinguishes the right and left 
(that is, shin and sin) must be as old as the vowel points. But now we conclude from Judg. 12:6 that at the time of the judges no point was observed on the right or left horn of the 
.” We respond. (1) From that passage one merely concludes that the Ephraimites were unable to pronounce s with the sh aspiration but only the sibilant s because they would say “sibboleth” instead of “shibboleth.” From this peculiarity of language people would recognize them, just as the Saxons today pronounce sch as a sibilant s. But by no means can one draw from this that there was no difference between the 
, shin yamin, and the 
, sin semol; rather, the contrary. (2) For had there been no difference between the shin yamin and sin semol, the Ephraimites could not have been distinguished from others by it. (3) The fact that 
is later changed into 
in the word 
[sibboleth] does not prove that at that time sin semol was not used. Rather, it pleased the Holy Spirit to express more clearly in this manner the mispronounced speech of the Ephraimites. (4) Those who are familiar with the Hebrew language know how much force and power the little point dagesh has to establish, bolster, extend, and at times even change the meaning of words.