Joshua 7:2

Joshua 7:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth–aven, on the east side of Beth–el, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.
• New International Version (NIV)Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth Aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the region.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, "Go up and spy out the land." And the men went up and spied out Ai.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the country.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.

Context of Joshua 7:2

1The Israelites did not obey what Joshua had said about the valuable things that belonged to God. Achan took some of these things for himself. He was Carmi's son, who was the son of Zimri, who was the son of Zerah. They were from the tribe of Judah. The Lord was very angry with the Israelites. Joshua sent some men to go from Jericho to Ai. That is a city near to Beth Aven, and east of Bethel. He said to the men, ‘Go up and look at the land near there secretly.’ So the men went to Ai to see what they could discover. 3The men came back and they said to Joshua, ‘There are not many men in Ai. Do not send our whole army to attack it. 2,000 or 3,000 men will be enough to take the city.’ 4So about 3,000 Israelite men went to attack Ai. But the men of Ai made them run away.

Joshua 7:2 word by word

וַיִּשְׁלַח֩ יְהוֹשֻׁ֨עַ אֲנָשִׁ֜ים מִֽירִיח֗וֹ הָעַ֞י אֲשֶׁ֨ר עִם־בֵּ֥ית אָ֙וֶן֙ מִקֶּ֣דֶם לְבֵֽית־אֵ֔ל וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר עֲל֖וּ וְרַגְּל֣וּ אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַֽיַּעֲלוּ֙ הָאֲנָשִׁ֔ים וַֽיְרַגְּל֖וּ אֶת־הָעָֽי׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Joshuaיְהוֹשׁוּעַyehôshûa‛ yehôshûa‛ · JoshuaH3091
• sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
• from Jerichoיְרִיחוֹyerîychô yerêchô yerîychôh · JerichoH3405
• to Aiעַי‛ay ‛ayâ' ‛ayâth · AiH5857
• besideעִם‛im · withH5973
• Beth–avenבֵּית אָ֫וֶןbêyth 'âven · Beth-avenH1007
• on the east sideקֶ֫דֶםqedem qêdmâh · front: eastH6924
• of Beth–elבֵּֽיתְ־אֵלbêyth-'êl · BethelH1008
• and spakeאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Go upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
• and viewרָגַלrâgal · to spyH7270
• the countryאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776

Cross-references for Joshua 7:2

• Joshua 12:9Joshua took the land of these kings: king of Jericho, king of Ai (near Bethel),
• Genesis 12:8Then Abram left Shechem. He went to the hills that are on the east of Bethel. He put up his tent in that place. Bethel was towards the west, and Ai was towards the east. Abram also built an altar there to worship the Lord.
• Joshua 18:12The north border of their land began at the Jordan River, and it went up the hills to the north of Jericho. From there it went west into the hills, to the desert of Beth Aven.
• Genesis 28:19Jacob called that place Bethel. Before that, the name of the place had been Luz.
• Hosea 4:15You people of Israel are not faithful to the Lord. But do not let the people of Judah become guilty of the same sins. Do not travel to Gilgal to worship! Do not go to Beth Aven! Do not say, ‘I promise this is true, as surely as the Lord lives’.
• Joshua 2:1Then Joshua sent two men to go out from Shittim. He sent them in secret to see what the land was like. He told them, ‘Go! Look at all the land. Look very carefully at Jericho city.’ When they came to Jericho city, they arrived at the house of a prostitute. Her name was Rahab. They stayed there.
• Proverbs 20:18Things will go well if you receive good advice. If you want to fight a war, ask wise people to be your advisors.
• Proverbs 24:6If you receive good advice before you fight a battle, you will win against your enemy.
• Matthew 10:16Jesus then said to his disciples, ‘Listen well. I am sending you to people who will want to kill you. You will be like sheep among wild animals. You must watch carefully, like snakes do. But you must also be good and kind like doves.
• Ephesians 5:15So you must be very careful how you live. Live like people who are wise. Do not live like fools.

Commentaries on Joshua 7:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Sent men from Jericho to Ai - This is the place called Hai, Genesis 12:8. It was in the east of Beth-el, north of Jericho, from which it was distant about ten or twelve miles. From Joshua 7:4, Joshua 7:5; it appears to have been situated upon a hill, and belonged to the Amorites, as we learn from Joshua 7:7. It is very likely that it was a strong place, as it chose to risk a siege, notwithstanding the extraordinary destruction of Jericho which it had…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Ai, Bethel - See Genesis 12:8 note. (Modern travelers place the former at Khan Haiy, in the neighborhood of Deir Diwan.)Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2As he did before the battle for Jericho, Joshua sent some of his men to assess the situation at Ai. This town was about 16 kilometers (10 miles) west of Jericho. It lay at the entrance to a plateau north of Jerusalem called the Plateau of Benjamin. If Israel captured Ai, it would gain control of the hill country. Beth-aven, which means “house of iniquity” (place of wrongdoing), was probably an intentional wordplay on the name Bethel, which means “house of…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-262. Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai--After the sacking of Jericho, the next step was to penetrate into the hills above. Accordingly, spies went up the mountain pass to view the country. The precise site of Ai, or Hai, is indicated with sufficient clearness (Ge 12:8; 13:3) and has been recently discovered in an isolated tell, called by the natives Tell-el-Hajar, "the mount of stones," at two miles', or thirty-five minutes' distance, east southeast from…Read the comment

Topics related to Joshua 7:2

• Armies
• Beth-Aven

In the dictionaries

• Ai
• Jericho
• Joshua
• Beth-Aven
• Bethaven
• Folly
• Hide
• Tell
• Wedge
• Achan

Commentaries on Joshua 7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings