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Joshua 1:14

in Joshua 1

Your wives, your young children, and your livestock may remain in the land that Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But all your mighty men of valor must be armed for battle to cross over ahead of your brothers and help them,

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall abide in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan; but ye shall pass over before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valor, and shall help them;

KJV

Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them;

This verse in Joshua 1

Commentary

8 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Your wives, your little ones - And with these it appears, from Num 32:17, were left behind 70,580 effective men to guard them and their property; only 40,000 having passed over Jordan to assist the nine tribes and half to conquer the land. See Jos 4:13. Armed - חמשים chamushim, by fives; in several lines, five in front, probably the usual method of marching; but it seems to signify arrayed, equipped, accoutred, well-armed, and ready for battle. See the note on Exo 13:18.

This site's exposition

the half-tribe of Manasseh

on Joshua 1:12-15

Joshua holds the two and a half tribes to the terms of Numbers 32:20-22. They cross armed ahead of their brothers and go home only when the land is subdued. Their families stay east of the river, so these men fight for ground they will never live on.

This site's exposition

all your mighty men of valor

Clarke explains the word behind armed as by fives, the ranks of a marching host, arrayed and ready for battle. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown take all your mighty men as the pick of the army. Clarke counts 40,000 across at 4:13 against 70,580 left to guard the families.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

A commentator

Origen of Alexandria

HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 3.1 · Written before 253.

proposed

Rest is not given first to those who through Moses receive the inheritance—that is, those who pleased God through the law—unless they assist their brothers in the battles. Only women and infants receive rest through Moses. The others do not rest but go out to the aid of their brothers.…Thus those who are strong men, their loins armed and girded with truth, go forth to our aid and fight with us. But "infants and women" do not go out to our battle. This is not an astonishing thing, for an infant is said to be one who does not speak.

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

(2.) It was enjoined them by Moses, the servant of the Lord; he commanded them to do this, and Joshua his successor would see his commands observed. (3.) It was the only expedient they had to save themselves from the guilt of a great sin in settling on that side Jordan, a sin which would one time or other find them out, Num. xxxii.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

ye shall pass . . . armed--that is, officered or marshalled under five leaders in the old and approved caravan order (see on Ex 13:18). all the mighty men of valour--The words are not to be interpreted strictly as meaning the whole, but only the flower or choice of the fighting men (see on Jos 4:12).

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

Armed - Rather, “arrayed” (see Exo 13:18 note). On this side Jordan - Compare Deu 1:1, note.

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

All who are mighty warriors among you shall cross over armed [for battle].
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on Joshua 1:14:1, via Sefaria, The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

21 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • נְשֵׁיכֶ֣םwives your

    nesheikhemH802 →781 times

  • טַפְּכֶם֮little one[s] your

    tapekhemH2945 →

  • וּמִקְנֵיכֶם֒and livestock your

    umikneikhemH4735 →76 times

  • יֵשְׁב֕וּthey will remain

    yeshevuH3427 →1079 times

  • בָּאָ֕רֶץin the land

    baaretzH776 →2504 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • נָתַ֥ןhe gave

    natanH5414 →2011 times

  • לָכֶ֛םto <the> you

    lakhem

  • מֹשֶׁ֖הMoses

    moshehH4872 →765 times

  • בְּעֵ֣בֶרon [the] other side of

    beeverH5676 →90 times

  • הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ןthe Jordan

    haiyardenH3383 →182 times

  • וְאַתֶּם֩and you

    veatemH859 →1094 times

  • תַּעַבְר֨וּyou will pass over

    taavruH5674 →556 times

  • חֲמֻשִׁ֜יםarrayed for battle

    chamushimH2571 →

  • לִפְנֵ֣י<to> before

    lifneiH6440 →2123 times

  • אֲחֵיכֶ֗םbrothers your

    ʾacheikhemH251 →630 times

  • כֹּ֚לall

    kolH3605 →5413 times

  • גִּבּוֹרֵ֣י[the] mighty [men] of

    giboreiH1368 →158 times

  • הַחַ֔יִל<the> strength

    hachayilH2428 →246 times

  • וַעֲזַרְתֶּ֖םand you will help

    vaazartemH5826 →81 times

  • אוֹתָֽם׃<obj.> them

    ʾotamH853 →10935 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Revelation 17:4

    The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual…

    it leads to

    • Jeremiah 51:7

      Babylon was a gold cup in the hand of the LORD, making the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore the nations have gone mad.

    • Revelation 18:16

      saying: “Woe, woe to the great city, clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!

    • Revelation 19:2

      For His judgments are true and just. He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the blood of His servants that was poured out by her…

    • Revelation 18:12

      cargo of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; of fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; of all kinds of citron wood and every article of ivory, precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble;

    • Lamentations 1:9

      Her uncleanness stains her skirts; she did not consider her end. Her downfall was astounding; there was no one to comfort her. Look, O LORD, on my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed!

  • Through

    Deuteronomy 20:8

    Then the officers shall speak further to the army, saying, “Is any man afraid or fainthearted? Let him return home, so that the hearts of his brothers will not melt like his own.”

    it leads to

    • Judges 7:3

      Now, therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people: ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand of them turned back, but ten thousand remained.

    • Revelation 21:8

      But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This…

    • Deuteronomy 1:28

      Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying: ‘The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the heavens. We even saw…

Where this verse is studied

About Joshua

Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still upon Gibeon, John Martin, 1816, National Gallery of Art. Public domain.
Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still upon Gibeon, John Martin, 1816, National Gallery of Art. Public domain.

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 3.1.