Joshua 7:6
in Joshua 7Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown before the ark of the LORD until evening, as did the elders of Israel; and they all sprinkled dust on their heads.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of Jehovah until the evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust upon their heads.
KJV
And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.
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This verse in Joshua 7
Commentary
2 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
on Joshua 7:6-9
Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth . . . before the ark . . . he and the elders--It is evident, from those tokens of humiliation and sorrow, that a solemn fast was observed on this occasion. The language of Joshua's prayer is thought by many to savor of human infirmity and to be wanting in that reverence and submission he owed to God.
This site's exposition
Joshua rent his clothes
on Joshua 7:6-9
Joshua's complaint takes up the wilderness generation's own words, would to God we had been content and dwelt on the other side Jordan, which is the murmur of Exodus 14:12 and Numbers 14:2 pointed back across the river. Then he argues the way Moses argued, what wilt thou do unto thy great name, the plea of Exodus 32:12 and Numbers 14:15-16 and Deuteronomy 9:28 put in fewer words. Clarke observes that no rebuke follows for the prayer itself, and that the answer corrects the posture rather than the words. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown record that many readers hear human weakness in the language, and the chapter neither defends him nor blames him.
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּקְרַ֨ע | vaiyikra' | and he tore | H7167 → | |
| יְהוֹשֻׁ֜עַ | yehoshua' | Joshua | H3091 → | 218 times |
| שִׂמְלֹתָ֗יו | simlotav | clothes his | H8071 → | |
| וַיִּפֹּל֩ | vaiyipol | and he fell | H5307 → | 435 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| פָּנָ֨יו | panav | face his | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| אַ֜רְצָה | ʾartzah | [the] ground towards | H776 → | 2504 times |
| לִפְנֵ֨י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| אֲר֤וֹן | ʾaron | [the] ark of | H727 → | 202 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| הָעֶ֔רֶב | haerev | the evening | H6153 → | 134 times |
| ה֖וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| וְזִקְנֵ֣י | veziknei | and [the] elders of | H2205 → | 178 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וַיַּעֲל֥וּ | vaiyaalu | and they made go up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| עָפָ֖ר | ʾafar | dust | H6083 → | |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| רֹאשָֽׁם׃ | rosham | head their | H7218 → | 599 times |
וַיִּקְרַ֨עand he tore
vaiyikra'H7167 →
יְהוֹשֻׁ֜עַJoshua
yehoshua'H3091 →218 times
שִׂמְלֹתָ֗יוclothes his
simlotavH8071 →
וַיִּפֹּל֩and he fell
vaiyipolH5307 →435 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
פָּנָ֨יוface his
panavH6440 →2123 times
אַ֜רְצָה[the] ground towards
ʾartzahH776 →2504 times
לִפְנֵ֨י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
אֲר֤וֹן[the] ark of
ʾaronH727 →202 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
הָעֶ֔רֶבthe evening
haerevH6153 →134 times
ה֖וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
וְזִקְנֵ֣יand [the] elders of
vezikneiH2205 →178 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וַיַּעֲל֥וּand they made go up
vaiyaaluH5927 →890 times
עָפָ֖רdust
ʾafarH6083 →
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
רֹאשָֽׁם׃head their
roshamH7218 →599 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
Genesis 37:29When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,
it leads to
- Genesis 37:34
Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 37:34
Through
Genesis 37:34Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
it leads to
- Genesis 37:29
When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Samuel 3:31
Then David ordered Joab and all the people with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner.” And King David himself walked behind the funeral bier.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 37:29
Through
Revelation 18:19Then they will throw dust on their heads as they weep and mourn and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, where all who had ships on the sea were enriched by her…
it leads to
- Revelation 18:10
In fear of her torment, they will stand at a distance and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, the mighty city of Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”
- Ezekiel 27:30
They will raise their voices for you and cry out bitterly. They will throw dust on their heads and roll in ashes.
- Revelation 18:10
Through
2 Samuel 13:31Then the king stood up, tore his clothes, and lay down on the ground; and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 1:11
Then David took hold of his own clothes and tore them, and all the men who were with him did the same.
- 2 Samuel 12:16
David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted and went into his house and spent the night lying in sackcloth on the ground.
- 2 Samuel 1:11
Through
Lamentations 2:10The elders of the Daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence. They have thrown dust on their heads and put on sackcloth. The young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to…
it leads to
- Isaiah 3:26
And the gates of Zion will lament and mourn; destitute, she will sit on the ground.
- Isaiah 3:26
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 Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible and Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible.
