The Meaning of Joshua 7:14 Explained

Joshua 7:14

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.

YLT: and ye have been brought near in the morning by your tribes, and it hath been, the tribe which Jehovah doth capture doth draw near by families, and the family which Jehovah doth capture doth draw near by households, and the household which Jehovah doth capture doth draw near by men;

Darby: And ye shall be brought near in the morning according to your tribes; and it shall be, that the tribe which Jehovah taketh shall come forward by families, and the family which Jehovah taketh shall come forward by households; and the household which Jehovah taketh shall come forward man by man.

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 Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Joshua 7:14 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 7:1-15 - The First Defeat And Its Cause
Israel was taught that victory is possible only where there are exact obedience and sincere consecration. We cannot cope with our foes, unless we live in unclouded fellowship with God. See 2 Chronicles 15:2. Our spiritual allies in the heavenly places cannot co-operate while evil is harbored. Canaan was a gift to faith, and a strong spiritual life was peremptory. The gold and silver of Jericho were consecrated to God, so that Achan committed sacrilege as well as theft.
Ai (see Genesis 12:8; Genesis 13:3) lay two miles north of Jericho, and was a comparatively small place; but without God the smallest opposition is too great for us. Joshua seemed more concerned for the disgrace brought on the divine name than for the disaster to his men. Let us always look at our failures from God's side! We must not lie too long in the dust of despair, but arise to detect and put away the hidden cause of our defeat, Hosea 5:15; Hosea 6:1-2. [source]

Chapter Summary: Joshua 7

1  The Israelites are smitten at Ai
6  Joshua's complaint
10  God instructs him what to do
16  Achan is taken by the lot
19  His confession
24  He and all he had are destroyed in the valley of Achor

What do the individual words in Joshua 7:14 mean?

Therefore you shall be brought in the morning according to your tribes And it shall be [that] the tribe which takes Yahweh shall come according to families and the family which takes Yahweh shall come by households and the household which Yahweh by man
וְנִקְרַבְתֶּ֥ם בַּבֹּ֖קֶר לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶ֑ם וְהָיָ֡ה הַשֵּׁבֶט֩ אֲשֶׁר־ יִלְכְּדֶ֨נּוּ יְהוָ֜ה יִקְרַ֣ב לַמִּשְׁפָּח֗וֹת וְהַמִּשְׁפָּחָ֞ה אֲשֶֽׁר־ יִלְכְּדֶ֤נָּה יְהוָה֙ תִּקְרַ֣ב לַבָּתִּ֔ים וְהַבַּ֙יִת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה לַגְּבָרִֽים

וְנִקְרַבְתֶּ֥ם  Therefore  you  shall  be  brought 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: קָרַב  
Sense: to come near, approach, enter into, draw near.
בַּבֹּ֖קֶר  in  the  morning 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֹּקֶר 
Sense: morning, break of day.
לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶ֑ם  according  to  your  tribes 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: שֵׁבֶט  
Sense: rod, staff, branch, offshoot, club, sceptre, tribe.
וְהָיָ֡ה  And  it  shall  be  [that] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
הַשֵּׁבֶט֩  the  tribe 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֵׁבֶט  
Sense: rod, staff, branch, offshoot, club, sceptre, tribe.
יִלְכְּדֶ֨נּוּ  takes 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: לָכַד  
Sense: to capture, take, seize.
יְהוָ֜ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
יִקְרַ֣ב  shall  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרַב  
Sense: to come near, approach, enter into, draw near.
לַמִּשְׁפָּח֗וֹת  according  to  families 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: מִשְׁפָּחָה  
Sense: clan, family.
וְהַמִּשְׁפָּחָ֞ה  and  the  family 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִשְׁפָּחָה  
Sense: clan, family.
יִלְכְּדֶ֤נָּה  takes 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: לָכַד  
Sense: to capture, take, seize.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
תִּקְרַ֣ב  shall  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: קָרַב  
Sense: to come near, approach, enter into, draw near.
לַבָּתִּ֔ים  by  households 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
וְהַבַּ֙יִת֙  and  the  household 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לַגְּבָרִֽים  by  man 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֶּבֶר  
Sense: man, strong man, warrior (emphasising strength or ability to fight).