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 people of Israel proved to be disloyal about the things claimed by the Lord. Achan, son of Carmi, grandson of Zabdi, great-grandson of Zerah, and a member of the tribe of Judah, took something that had been claimed by the Lord. So the Lord became angry with the people of Israel. Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai. Ai is near Beth Aven, east of Bethel. He said to them, “Go, look at that country.” So the men went and looked at Ai. 3They came back to Joshua and told him, “You don’t need to send all the troops. Only about two or three thousand men are needed to destroy Ai. Don’t tire the troops out by sending all of them. There are only a few troops in Ai.” 4So about three thousand men were sent. However, they fled from the men of Ai.

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 12:9the king of Jericho, the king of Ai (near Bethel),
• Genesis 12:8He moved on to the hills east of Bethel, and he put up his tent—with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. He also built an altar to the Lord there and worshiped the Lord.
• Joshua 18:12Their northern border starts at the Jordan, goes up the slope north of Jericho, west through the mountains, and ends at the desert of Beth Aven.
• Genesis 28:19He named that place Bethel [House of God]. Previously, the name of the city was Luz.
• Hosea 4:15“Israel, you act like a prostitute. Don’t let Judah become guilty too. Don’t go to Gilgal. Don’t go to Beth Aven. Don’t take the oath, ‘As the Lord lives. …’
• Joshua 2:1From Shittim Joshua, son of Nun, secretly sent out two men as spies. He told them, “Go, look at that country, especially the city of Jericho.” So they went to Jericho and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab to spend the night there.
• Proverbs 20:18Plans are confirmed by getting advice, and with guidance one wages war.
• Proverbs 24:6After all, with the right strategy you can wage war, and with many advisers there is victory.
• Matthew 10:16“I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as cunning as snakes but as innocent as doves.
• Ephesians 5:15So then, be very careful how you live. Don’t live like foolish people but like wise people.

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