Joshua 8:27
in Joshua 8Israel took for themselves only the cattle and plunder of that city, as the LORD had commanded Joshua.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for prey unto themselves, according unto the word of Jehovah which he commanded Joshua.
KJV
Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey unto themselves, according unto the word of the Lord which he commanded Joshua.
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This verse in Joshua 8
Commentary
6 notes on this verseOnly the cattle and the spoil - In the case of Jericho these were all consigned to destruction, and therefore it was criminal to take any thing pertaining to the city, as we have already seen; but in the case before us the cattle and spoils were expressly given to the conquerors by the order of God. See Jos 8:2.
This site's exposition
Joshua did not draw back the hand that held his battle lance
on Joshua 8:26-27
Joshua holds out the lance until the work is done, and Gill sets it beside Exodus 17:12, where Moses’ hands stayed steady while Joshua fought. Verse 27 notes the plunder taken “as the LORD had commanded Joshua”, because a man had taken plunder without that word one chapter earlier.
This site's exposition
cattle and plunder
Henry sets this spoil beside the goods Israel carried out of Egypt at Exodus 12:35-36, much of which went into the tabernacle in the wilderness. Ai repays that outlay with interest, in his reading. He cites Proverbs 13:22, on the wealth of the sinner stored up for the righteous.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
It was a federal transaction: the covenant was now renewed between God and Israel upon their taking possession of the land of promise, that they might be encouraged in the conquest of it, and might know upon what terms they held it, and come under fresh obligations to obedience. In token of the covenant, I. They built an altar, and offered sacrifice to God (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Only the cattle, and the spoil of the city, Israel took for a prey unto themselves,.... Even all their substance, as besides their cattle, also their gold, silver, household goods, merchandise, &c. according unto the word of the Lord which he commanded Joshua, Jos 8:2.
Thus the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just; the spoil they brought out of Egypt, by borrowing of their neighbours, was much of it expended upon the tabernacle they had reared in the wilderness, for which they are now reimbursed with interest.
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| רַ֣ק | rak | only | H7535 → | 109 times |
| הַבְּהֵמָ֗ה | habehemah | the livestock | H929 → | 190 times |
| וּשְׁלַל֙ | ushelal | and [the] booty of | H7998 → | 73 times |
| הָעִ֣יר | hair | the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| הַהִ֔יא | hahi' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| בָּזְז֥וּ | bazezu | they plundered | H962 → | 43 times |
| לָהֶ֖ם | lahem | for <the> themselves | ||
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| כִּדְבַ֣ר | kidvar | according to [the] word of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| צִוָּ֖ה | tzivah | he had commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוֹשֻֽׁעַ׃ | yehoshua' | Joshua | H3091 → | 218 times |
רַ֣קonly
rakH7535 →109 times
הַבְּהֵמָ֗הthe livestock
habehemahH929 →190 times
וּשְׁלַל֙and [the] booty of
ushelalH7998 →73 times
הָעִ֣ירthe city
hairH5892 →1090 times
הַהִ֔יא<the> that
hahi'H1931 →1879 times
בָּזְז֥וּthey plundered
bazezuH962 →43 times
לָהֶ֖םfor <the> themselves
lahem
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
כִּדְבַ֣רaccording to [the] word of
kidvarH1697 →1440 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
צִוָּ֖הhe had commanded
tzivahH6680 →494 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְהוֹשֻֽׁעַ׃Joshua
yehoshua'H3091 →218 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
Matthew 20:15Do I not have the right to do as I please with what is mine? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
it leads to
- Romans 9:15–24
For He says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
- Deuteronomy 15:9
Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought in your heart: “The seventh year, the year of release, is near,” so that you look upon your poor brother begrudgingly and give him nothing. He…
- Matthew 6:23
But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
- Mark 7:22
greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness.
- Jonah 4:1–4
Jonah, however, was greatly displeased, and he became angry.
- Romans 9:15–24
Through
Joshua 8:2And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set up an ambush behind…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 20:14
But the women, children, livestock, and whatever else is in the city—all its spoil—you may take as plunder, and you shall use the spoil of your enemies that the LORD your God gives you.
- Deuteronomy 20:14
Through
Joshua 11:4So these kings came out with all their armies, a multitude as numerous as the sand on the seashore, along with a great number of horses and chariots.
it leads to
- Judges 7:12
Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and all the other people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts, and their camels were as countless as the sand on the seashore.
- 1 Samuel 13:5
Now the Philistines assembled to fight against Israel with three thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmash, east of…
- Judges 7:12
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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On this verse
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; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.