Joshua 9:5
in Joshua 9They put worn, patched sandals on their feet and threadbare clothing on their bodies, and their whole supply of bread was dry and moldy.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and old and patched shoes upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and was become mouldy.
KJV
And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.
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This verse in Joshua 9
Commentary
7 notes on this verseOld shoes and clouted - Their sandals, they pretended had been worn out by long and difficult travelling, and they had been obliged to have them frequently patched during the way; their garments also were worn thin; and what remained of their bread was mouldy - spotted with age, or, as our old version has it, bored - pierced with many holes by the vermin which had bred in it, through the length of the time it had been in their sacks; and this is the most literal meaning of the original נקדים nikkudim, which means spotted or pierced with many holes.
This site's exposition
the people of Gibeon, having heard
on Joshua 9:3-5
Gibeon hears of Jericho and Ai and answers with a lie instead of an army. The Hebrew behind “deceptively” comes from the root of the serpent’s craftiness at Genesis 3:1. Every prop is chosen because it ages, sacks, wineskins, sandals, clothing and bread, five witnesses to a long road.
This site's exposition
dry and moldy
The word rendered moldy, nikkudim, means spotted or pierced with many holes, and Adam Clarke notes that an older English version read it as bored. He pictures bread eaten through by vermin during a long time in the sacks. Verse 12 uses the same word.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"In my father's house are many mansions," says the Word of God. Yet even the resurrection of the dead will not exhibit an equal glory of those rising again, for "there is one flesh of birds, another of cattle, and even another of fish. There are both heavenly bodies and earthly bodies; but the glory of heavenly things is one thing, that of the earthly, another. One glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, another glory of the stars.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And old shoes and clouted upon their feet,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Not being so well baked as our biscuits, it becomes hard and mouldy from the moisture left in the dough. It is usually soaked in water previous to being used.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard--This town, as its name imports, was situated on a rocky eminence, about six miles northwest from Jerusalem, where the modern village of El Jib now stands. It was the capital of the Hivites, and a large important city (Jos 10:2).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּנְעָל֨וֹת | unealot | and sandals | H5275 → | 22 times |
| בָּל֤וֹת | balot | worn out | H1087 → | 5 times |
| וּמְטֻלָּאוֹת֙ | umetulaot | and patched | H2921 → | |
| בְּרַגְלֵיהֶ֔ם | beragleihem | [were] on feet their | H7272 → | 247 times |
| וּשְׂלָמ֥וֹת | uselamot | and garments | H8008 → | 16 times |
| בָּל֖וֹת | balot | worn out | H1087 → | 5 times |
| עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם | ʾaleihem | [were] on them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| וְכֹל֙ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| לֶ֣חֶם | lechem | [the] bread of | H3899 → | |
| צֵידָ֔ם | tzeidam | provision[s] their | H6718 → | |
| יָבֵ֖שׁ | yavesh | it was dried up | H3001 → | 59 times |
| הָיָ֥ה | hayah | it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| נִקֻּדִֽים׃ | nikudim | crumbs | H5350 → |
וּנְעָל֨וֹתand sandals
unealotH5275 →22 times
בָּל֤וֹתworn out
balotH1087 →5 times
וּמְטֻלָּאוֹת֙and patched
umetulaotH2921 →
בְּרַגְלֵיהֶ֔ם[were] on feet their
beragleihemH7272 →247 times
וּשְׂלָמ֥וֹתand garments
uselamotH8008 →16 times
בָּל֖וֹתworn out
balotH1087 →5 times
עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם[were] on them
ʾaleihemH5921 →5755 times
וְכֹל֙and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
לֶ֣חֶם[the] bread of
lechemH3899 →
צֵידָ֔םprovision[s] their
tzeidamH6718 →
יָבֵ֖שׁit was dried up
yaveshH3001 →59 times
הָיָ֥הit was
hayahH1961 →3559 times
נִקֻּדִֽים׃crumbs
nikudimH5350 →
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
Deuteronomy 33:25May the bolts of your gate be iron and bronze, and may your strength match your days.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 41:10
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand…
- Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
- Isaiah 40:29
He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak.
- Colossians 1:11
being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have full endurance and patience, and joyfully
- Psalms 138:3
On the day I called, You answered me; You emboldened me and strengthened my soul.
- Isaiah 41:10
Through
Deuteronomy 29:5For forty years I led you in the wilderness, yet your clothes and sandals did not wear out.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 8:4
Your clothing did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years.
- Deuteronomy 8:4
Through
Luke 15:22But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
it leads to
- Esther 8:2
The king removed the signet ring he had recovered from Haman and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed Mordecai over the estate of Haman.
- Genesis 41:42
Then Pharaoh removed the signet ring from his finger, put it on Joseph’s finger, clothed him in garments of fine linen, and placed a gold chain around his neck.
- Esther 8:2
Where this verse is studied
About Joshua
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 (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 10.1.