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Joshua 7:14

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does Joshua 7:14 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “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.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

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.
Joshua 7:14 — American Standard Version

Context — Joshua 7

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
11Israel 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.
12Therefore the children of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, because they are become accursed: I will not be with you any more, except ye destroy the devoted thing from among you.
13Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: for thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, There is a devoted thing in the midst of thee, O Israel; thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the devoted thing from among you.
14In 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.
15And it shall be, that he that is taken with the devoted thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath; because he hath transgressed the covenant of Jehovah, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.
16So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel near by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken:
17and he brought near the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zerahites: and he brought near the family of the Zerahites man by man; and Zabdi was taken:
← Joshua 7:13Joshua 7:15 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes, etc.] One or more of every tribe, according to the number of them, were to be brought the next morning before Joshua and the elders of Israel, the sanhedrim and council of the nation, and very probably the tabernacle, where they assembled for this purpose: and it shall be, [that] the tribe which the Lord taketh; how a tribe and so a family or household were taken is differently understood; what some of the Jewish writers say deserves no regard, as the detention of persons by the ark, or of the dulness of the stones in the Urim and Thummim: it seems best to understand the whole affair as done by casting lots f107; so…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“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 Joshua 18:11; Joshua 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 Numbers 26:55; of the Levitical cities (Joshua 21:4 ff); of spoil or captives taken in war Joel 3:3. (2) for detection of the guilty, as in the case if Achan, Jonathan 1 Samuel 14:42, and Jonah Jonah 1:7. (3) for determining the…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“The Lord taketh - Which shall be declared guilty by the lot, which is disposed by the Lord, Pro 16:33, and which was to be cast in the Lord's presence before the ark. Of such use of lots, see Sa1 14:41-42; Jon 1:7; Act 1:26. Joshua 7:15”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“7:14 Israel’s twelve tribes were descendants of Jacob’s sons. A clan represented a smaller unit within the tribes; later, as Israel’s allotments in the land were distributed, a clan usually received possession of a town and its surrounding fields, forest, and pastureland. A man’s family included his sons and their dependents.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“the tribe: Jos 7:17, Jos 7:18; Sa1 10:19-21, Sa1 14:38-42; Pro 16:33; Jon 1:7; Act 1:24-26 Joshua 7:15”
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Related study paths

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Sources and verification