Joshua 7:14
in Joshua 7In the morning you must present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe that the LORD selects shall come forward clan by clan, and the clan that the LORD selects shall come forward family by family, and the family that the LORD selects shall come forward man by man.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
In the morning therefore ye shall be brought near by your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which Jehovah taketh shall come near by families; and the family which Jehovah shall take shall come near by households; and the household which Jehovah shall take shall come near man by man.
KJV
In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the Lord taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the Lord shall take shall come by households; and the household which the Lord shall take shall come man by man.
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This verse in Joshua 7
Commentary
7 notes on this verseYe shall be brought according to your tribes - It has been a subject of serious inquiry in what manner and by what means the culpable tribe, family, household, and individual, were discovered. The Jews have many conceits on the subject; the most rational is, that the tribes being, in their representatives, brought before the high priest, the stone on the breastplate gave immediate intimation by suddenly losing its lustre. According to them, this is what is termed consulting God by Urim and Thummim.
This site's exposition
Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow
on Joshua 7:13-15
The narrowing runs by tribe, clan, family and man. Clarke reports older Jewish explanations such as a stone of the high priest’s breastplate losing its light. The Hebrew behind “an outrage in Israel” is kept for a few acts, at Genesis 34:7, Deuteronomy 22:21 and Judges 19 and 20.
This site's exposition
tribe by tribe
Barnes notes the Hebrew word for lot suggests small stones, perhaps white and black, drawn from a chest. The same method finds out Jonathan at 1 Samuel 14:42 and Jonah at Jonah 1:7, and divides Canaan among the tribes at Numbers 26:55. Henry reads selects as the Lord's own verdict.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes,....
Observe, The Lord is said to take the tribe, and family, and household, on which the lot fell, because the disposal of the lot is of the Lord, and, however casual it seems, is under the direction of infinite wisdom and justice; and to show that when the sin of sinners finds them out God is to be acknowledged in it; it is he that seizes them, and the arrests are in his name.
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
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The Lord taketh - i. e. by lot. The Hebrew word for lot suggests that small stones, probably white and black ones, were used. These were probably drawn from a chest (compare the expressions in Jos 18:11; Jos 19:1). The lot was regarded as directed in its result by God (margin reference); and hence, was used on many important occasions by the Jews and by other nations in ancient times. For example: (1), for apportionment, as of Canaan among the twelve tribes Num 26:55; of the Levitical cities (Jos 21:4 ff); of spoil or captives taken in war Joe 3:3. (2) for detection of the guilty, as in the case if Achan, Jonathan 1Sa 14:42, and Jonah Jon 1:7. (3) for determining the persons to undertake a dangerous or warlike enterprise Jdg 20:10. (4) for making appointment to important functions (Lev 16:8 ff; Act 1:26); or for sharing the duties or privileges of an office among those concerned 1Ch 24:31; Luk 1:9. The casting of lots before Haman Est 3:7 seems to have been with a view of determining the lucky day for his undertaking against the Jews. One passage Pro 18:18 perhaps points also to the employment of the lot to decide litigation.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Households. In one family grouping there can be many individual households.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Burned with fire. His tent and movable property [shall be burned].
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
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְנִקְרַבְתֶּ֥ם | venikravtem | and you will bring yourselves near | H7126 → | 280 times |
| בַּבֹּ֖קֶר | baboker | in the morning | H1242 → | 214 times |
| לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶ֑ם | leshivteikhem | to tribes your | H7626 → | 190 times |
| וְהָיָ֡ה | vehayah | and it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| הַשֵּׁבֶט֩ | hashevet | the tribe | H7626 → | 190 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יִלְכְּדֶ֨נּוּ | yilkedenu | he will take it | H3920 → | 121 times |
| יְהוָ֜ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| יִקְרַ֣ב | yikrav | it will draw near | H7126 → | 280 times |
| לַמִּשְׁפָּח֗וֹת | lamishpachot | to the families | H4940 → | 303 times |
| וְהַמִּשְׁפָּחָ֞ה | vehamishpachah | and the family | H4940 → | 303 times |
| אֲשֶֽׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יִלְכְּדֶ֤נָּה | yilkedenah | he will take it | H3920 → | 121 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| תִּקְרַ֣ב | tikrav | it will draw near | H7126 → | 280 times |
| לַבָּתִּ֔ים | labatim | to the households | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| וְהַבַּ֙יִת֙ | vehabayit | and the household | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יִלְכְּדֶ֣נּוּ | yilkedenu | he will take it | H3920 → | 121 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| יִקְרַ֖ב | yikrav | it will draw near | H7126 → | 280 times |
| לַגְּבָרִֽים׃ | lagevarim | to the men | H1397 → | 65 times |
וְנִקְרַבְתֶּ֥םand you will bring yourselves near
venikravtemH7126 →280 times
בַּבֹּ֖קֶרin the morning
babokerH1242 →214 times
לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶ֑םto tribes your
leshivteikhemH7626 →190 times
וְהָיָ֡הand it will be
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
הַשֵּׁבֶט֩the tribe
hashevetH7626 →190 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
יִלְכְּדֶ֨נּוּhe will take it
yilkedenuH3920 →121 times
יְהוָ֜הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
יִקְרַ֣בit will draw near
yikravH7126 →280 times
לַמִּשְׁפָּח֗וֹתto the families
lamishpachotH4940 →303 times
וְהַמִּשְׁפָּחָ֞הand the family
vehamishpachahH4940 →303 times
אֲשֶֽׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
יִלְכְּדֶ֤נָּהhe will take it
yilkedenahH3920 →121 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
תִּקְרַ֣בit will draw near
tikravH7126 →280 times
לַבָּתִּ֔יםto the households
labatimH1004 →2046 times
וְהַבַּ֙יִת֙and the household
vehabayitH1004 →2046 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יִלְכְּדֶ֣נּוּhe will take it
yilkedenuH3920 →121 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
יִקְרַ֖בit will draw near
yikravH7126 →280 times
לַגְּבָרִֽים׃to the men
lagevarimH1397 →65 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
Proverbs 16:33The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.
it leads to
- Proverbs 18:18
Casting the lot ends quarrels and separates strong opponents.
- 1 Samuel 14:41–42
So Saul said to the LORD, the God of Israel, “Why have You not answered Your servant this day? If the fault is with me or my son Jonathan, respond with Urim; but if…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Acts 1:26
Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.
- Jonah 1:7
“Come!” said the sailors to one another. “Let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity that is upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
- Proverbs 29:26
Many seek the ruler’s favor, but a man receives justice from the LORD.
- Proverbs 18:18
Through
Jonah 1:7“Come!” said the sailors to one another. “Let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity that is upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
it leads to
- Proverbs 16:33
The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.
- Joshua 7:13–18
Get up and consecrate the people, saying, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Among you, O Israel, there are things devoted to destruction. You cannot…
- Numbers 32:23
But if you do not do this, you will certainly sin against the LORD—and be assured that your sin will find you out.
- Proverbs 16:33
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies10
About Joshua
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; 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) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.