Joshua 7:11
in Joshua 7Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant that I commanded them, and they have taken some of what was devoted to destruction. Indeed, they have stolen and lied, and they have put these things with their own possessions.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Israel hath sinned; yea, they have even transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: yea, they have even taken of the devoted thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also; and they have even put it among their own stuff.
KJV
Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.
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This verse in Joshua 7
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Also stolen, and dissembled also - The anger of God and the heinousness of Israel’s sin are marked by the accumulation of clause upon clause. As a climax they had even appropriated to their own use the consecrated property purloined from God.
This site's exposition
Why have you fallen on your face
on Joshua 7:10-12
The answer lays the charge on the nation, “Israel has sinned”, followed by five verbs, each a step further from the first act. Clarke draws the mechanism from the word itself, that whatever touched the devoted thing fell under its sentence, so Israel stands condemned by contact.
This site's exposition
they have stolen and lied
Clarke explains the lie as pretending to have kept the command. Barnes sees the list rise to its worst point in the last clause, where goods devoted to God are stored as private property.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Israel hath sinned,....
Let all men know that it is nothing but sin that separates between them and God, and, if it be not sincerely repented of and forsaken, it will separate eternally. He directs him in what method to make this enquiry and prosecution. He must sanctify the people, now over-night, that is, as it is explained, he must command them to sanctify themselves,
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up--The answer of the divine oracle was to this effect: the crisis is owing not to unfaithfulness in Me, but sin in the people.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Israel hath sinned - It is impossible that God should turn against his people, if they had not turned away from him. They have taken of the accursed thing, notwithstanding my severe prohibition. They have also stolen, supposing, if not seen by their brethren, I should either not see or not regard it. They have dissembled - pretended to have kept strictly the command I gave them; and have put it among their own stuff - considered it now as a part of their own property.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Get yourself up. [Even though we read the word as קֻם], it is written קם [which could be read קָם]. [The explanation therefore would be as follows]: Your prayers to Me have stood up for you, and [everything] you mentioned.
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
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| חָטָא֙ | chata' | it has sinned | H2398 → | |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וְגַם֙ | vegam | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| עָבְר֣וּ | ʾaveru | they have transgressed | H5674 → | 556 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בְּרִיתִ֔י | beriti | covenant my | H1285 → | 284 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| צִוִּ֖יתִי | tziviti | I commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
| אוֹתָ֑ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וְגַ֤ם | vegam | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| לָֽקְחוּ֙ | lakechu | they have taken | H3947 → | 966 times |
| מִן־ | min- | some of | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַחֵ֔רֶם | hacherem | the devoted thing[s] | H2764 → | 38 times |
| וְגַ֤ם | vegam | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| גָּֽנְבוּ֙ | ganevu | they have stolen | H1589 → | |
| וְגַ֣ם | vegam | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| כִּֽחֲשׁ֔וּ | kichashu | they have deceived | H3584 → | |
| וְגַ֖ם | vegam | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| שָׂ֥מוּ | samu | they have put [them] | H7760 → | 584 times |
| בִכְלֵיהֶֽם׃ | vikhleihem | among things their | H3627 → | 325 times |
חָטָא֙it has sinned
chata'H2398 →
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וְגַם֙and also
vegamH1571 →769 times
עָבְר֣וּthey have transgressed
ʾaveruH5674 →556 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בְּרִיתִ֔יcovenant my
beritiH1285 →284 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
צִוִּ֖יתִיI commanded
tzivitiH6680 →494 times
אוֹתָ֑ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
וְגַ֤םand also
vegamH1571 →769 times
לָֽקְחוּ֙they have taken
lakechuH3947 →966 times
מִן־some of
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַחֵ֔רֶםthe devoted thing[s]
hacheremH2764 →38 times
וְגַ֤םand also
vegamH1571 →769 times
גָּֽנְבוּ֙they have stolen
ganevuH1589 →
וְגַ֣םand also
vegamH1571 →769 times
כִּֽחֲשׁ֔וּthey have deceived
kichashuH3584 →
וְגַ֖םand also
vegamH1571 →769 times
שָׂ֥מוּthey have put [them]
samuH7760 →584 times
בִכְלֵיהֶֽם׃among things their
vikhleihemH3627 →325 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
Hebrews 4:13Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 4:5
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each…
- Psalms 33:13–15
The LORD looks down from heaven; He sees all the sons of men.
- Proverbs 15:3
The eyes of the LORD are in every place, observing the evil and the good.
- Ecclesiastes 12:14
For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.
- Jeremiah 17:10
I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.
- 1 Corinthians 4:5
Through
Acts 5:9“How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord?” Peter replied. “Look, the feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 10:9
We should not test Christ, as some of them did, and were killed by snakes.
- Acts 5:3–4
Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and withhold some of the proceeds from the land?
- Psalms 95:8–11
do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, in the day at Massah in the wilderness,
- 1 Corinthians 10:9
Where this verse is studied
About Joshua
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.