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
9 notes on this verseBut 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: he saw, coveted, took and hid, the steps of Genesis 3:6 and 2 Samuel 11:2-4. The cloak is from Shinar, the plain of Genesis 10:10, so the goods show how far trade reached into a Canaanite town. Barnes notes such robes were worn by kings.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening5 voices
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.
Upon thy face - This business is not to be done by inactive supplication, but by vigourous endeavours for reformation. Israel - Some or one of them. Transgressed my covenant - That is, broken the conditions of my covenant which they have promised to perform, whereof this was one, not to meddle with the accursed thing.
When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment,....
A penitent acknowledgment of fault. "Indeed I have sinned; what I am charged with is too true to be denied and too bad to be excused. I own it, I lament it; the Lord is righteous in bringing it to light, for indeed I have sinned." This is the language of a penitent that is sick of his, and whose conscience is loaded with it.
And by this story it appears that, as the laws, so Canaan itself, "made nothing perfect," the perfection both of holiness and peace to God's Israel is to be expected in the heavenly Canaan only.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
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.
A goodly Babylonish garment - אדרת שנער addereth shinar, a splendid or costly robe of Shinar; but as Babylon or Babel was built in the plain of Shinar, the word has in general been translated Babylon in this place. It is very probable that this was the robe of the king of Jericho, for the same word is used, Jon 3:6, to express the royal robe, of the king of Nineveh which he laid aside in order to humble himself before God. Bochart and Calmet have shown at large that Babylonish robes were very splendid, and in high reputation. “They are,” says Calmet, “generally allowed to have been of various colors, though some suppose they were woven thus; others, that they were embroidered with the needle; and others, that they were painted. Silius Italicus appears to think they were woven thus: - Vestis spirantes referens subtemine vultus, Quos radio caelat Babylon. Punic. lib. xiv., ver. 667. Martial seems to say they were embroidered with the needle: - Non ego praetulerim Babylonia Picta superbe Textra, Semiramia quae variantur Acu. Lib. viii., E. 28, ver. 17. Pliny (lib. viii., c. 48) and Apuleius (Florid. lib. i). speak of them as if painted: “Colores diversos picturae intexere Babylon maxime celebravit, et nomen imposuit.” Thus far Calmet: but it may be observed that the clothes woven of divers colors at Babylon, which were so greatly celebrated, and hence called Babylonish garments, appear rather to have had the pictures woven or embroidered in them than painted on them, as Calmet supposes, though it is most likely the figures referred to were the work of the needle after the cloth came from the loom. Aquila translates the original, אדרת שנער addereth shinar, by στολην βαβυλονικην, a Babylonish robe; Symmachus, ενδυμα συναρ, a robe of Synar; the Septuagint, ψιλην ποικιλην, a fine garment of different colors; and the Vulgate, pallium coccineum, a scarlet cloak. […]
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
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; 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 Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.