Joshua 7:21
in Joshua 7When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Shinar, two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
when I saw among the spoil a goodly Babylonish mantle, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.
KJV
When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.
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This verse in Joshua 7
Commentary
4 notes on this verseon Joshua 7:20-21
But human habits have so long applied themselves to this admiration of money that no one is thought worthy of honor unless he is rich. This is no new habit. No, this vice (and that makes the matter worse) grew long years ago in human hearts. When the city of Jericho fell at the sound of the priests' trumpets and Joshua the son of Nun gained the victory, he knew that the valor of the people was weakened through love of money and desire for gold.
This site's exposition
I saw among the spoils
The confession gives the order, and the order is what the verse is for: I saw, then I coveted, then I took, then I hid. Genesis 3:6 runs the same three steps, saw and desired and took, and 2 Samuel 11:2-4 runs them again. The Babylonish garment is literally a robe of Shinar, the plain named at Genesis 10:10, so the goods themselves say where they came from and how far trade reached into a Canaanite town; Barnes notes that robes of that make were worn by kings and prophets. Two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold at fifty shekels weight is a large sum, and the tenth commandment names the step that came before the taking.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
When I saw - He accurately describes the progress of his sin, which began at his eye, which he permitted to gaze upon them, which inflamed his desire, and made him covet them; and that desire made him take them; and having taken, resolve to keep them; and to that end hide them in his tent.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
A goodly Babylonian garment - literally, “a robe or cloak of Shinar,” the plain in which Babylon was situated Gen 10:10. It was a long robe such as was worn by kings on state occasions Jon 3:6, and by prophets 1Ki 19:13; Zec 13:4. The Assyrians were in early times famous for the manufacture of beautiful dyed and richly embroidered robes (compare Eze 23:15). That such a robe should be found in a Canaanite city is natural enough.
The words behind it
24 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וָאֵ֣רֶא | vaereh' | and I saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| בַשָּׁלָ֡ל | vashalal | among the booty | H7998 → | 73 times |
| אַדֶּ֣רֶת | ʾaderet | <the> cloak of | H155 → | |
| שִׁנְעָר֩ | shinar | Shinar | H8152 → | |
| אַחַ֨ת | ʾachat | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| טוֹבָ֜ה | tovah | good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| וּמָאתַ֧יִם | umatayim | and two hundred | H3967 → | 581 times |
| שְׁקָלִ֣ים | shekalim | shekels | H8255 → | |
| כֶּ֗סֶף | kesef | silver | H3701 → | 403 times |
| וּלְשׁ֨וֹן | uleshon | and a wedge of | H3956 → | 117 times |
| זָהָ֤ב | zahav | gold | H2091 → | 389 times |
| אֶחָד֙ | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| חֲמִשִּׁ֤ים | chamishim | [was] fifty | H2572 → | |
| שְׁקָלִים֙ | shekalim | shekels | H8255 → | |
| מִשְׁקָל֔וֹ | mishkalo | weight its | H4948 → | |
| וָֽאֶחְמְדֵ֖ם | vaechmedem | and I desired them | H2530 → | |
| וָֽאֶקָּחֵ֑ם | vaekachem | and I took them | H3947 → | 966 times |
| וְהִנָּ֨ם | vehinam | and there they | H2009 → | 843 times |
| טְמוּנִ֥ים | temunim | [are] hidden | H2934 → | 31 times |
| בָּאָ֛רֶץ | baaretz | in the ground | H776 → | 2504 times |
| בְּת֥וֹךְ | betokh | in [the] midst of | H8432 → | 418 times |
| הָאָֽהֳלִ֖י | haoholi | <the> tent my | H168 → | 345 times |
| וְהַכֶּ֥סֶף | vehakesef | and the silver | H3701 → | 403 times |
| תַּחְתֶּֽיהָ׃ | tachteiha | [is] under it | H8478 → | 505 times |
וָאֵ֣רֶאand I saw
vaereh'H7200 →1300 times
בַשָּׁלָ֡לamong the booty
vashalalH7998 →73 times
אַדֶּ֣רֶת<the> cloak of
ʾaderetH155 →
שִׁנְעָר֩Shinar
shinarH8152 →
אַחַ֨תone
ʾachatH259 →971 times
טוֹבָ֜הgood
tovahH2896 →538 times
וּמָאתַ֧יִםand two hundred
umatayimH3967 →581 times
שְׁקָלִ֣יםshekels
shekalimH8255 →
כֶּ֗סֶףsilver
kesefH3701 →403 times
וּלְשׁ֨וֹןand a wedge of
uleshonH3956 →117 times
זָהָ֤בgold
zahavH2091 →389 times
אֶחָד֙one
ʾechadH259 →971 times
חֲמִשִּׁ֤ים[was] fifty
chamishimH2572 →
שְׁקָלִים֙shekels
shekalimH8255 →
מִשְׁקָל֔וֹweight its
mishkaloH4948 →
וָֽאֶחְמְדֵ֖םand I desired them
vaechmedemH2530 →
וָֽאֶקָּחֵ֑םand I took them
vaekachemH3947 →966 times
וְהִנָּ֨םand there they
vehinamH2009 →843 times
טְמוּנִ֥ים[are] hidden
temunimH2934 →31 times
בָּאָ֛רֶץin the ground
baaretzH776 →2504 times
בְּת֥וֹךְin [the] midst of
betokhH8432 →418 times
הָאָֽהֳלִ֖י<the> tent my
haoholiH168 →345 times
וְהַכֶּ֥סֶףand the silver
vehakesefH3701 →403 times
תַּחְתֶּֽיהָ׃[is] under it
tachteihaH8478 →505 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Luke 12:15And He said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
it leads to
- Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”
- 1 Timothy 6:6–10
Of course, godliness with contentment is great gain.
- Psalms 119:36–37
Turn my heart to Your testimonies and not to covetous gain.
- Proverbs 16:16
How much better to acquire wisdom than gold! To gain understanding is more desirable than silver.
- Proverbs 15:16
Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure with turmoil.
- Hebrews 13:5
Through
Psalms 119:37Turn my eyes away from worthless things; revive me with Your word.
it leads to
- 1 John 2:16
For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.
- Proverbs 4:25
Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead.
- 1 John 2:16
Through
James 1:15Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
it leads to
- Psalms 7:14
Behold, the wicked man travails with evil; he conceives trouble and births falsehood.
- Psalms 7:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Joshua
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrose of Milan, On the Duties of the Clergy 2.26.129; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.