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.

JOSHUA 7:14KJV
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Joshua 7:14 (KJV)

What does Joshua 7:14 mean?

Joshua 7:14 describes how God will reveal the guilty party among the Israelites by a process of selection, starting with the tribes, then narrowing down to families, then households, and finally to the individual man. This verse sets out the step-by-step way the people will be brought forward to identify who has sinned.

Joshua is speaking to the Israelites after a defeat in battle, following God’s instructions to find out who has broken faith by taking things set apart for God. The verse explains that in the morning, the people will be gathered by their tribes (the large family groups of Israel), and God will indicate which tribe, then which family, then which household, and finally which man is responsible. This process shows the seriousness of the situation and the careful, public way the truth will be revealed.

The Hebrew behind Joshua 7:14

  • "tribes" (שֵׁבֶט, shevet): This word refers to the major divisions among the Israelites, each descended from one of Jacob’s sons. The process starts at the broadest level, emphasizing that the whole community is involved.
  • "families" (מִשְׁפָּחָה, mishpachah): This narrows the search to extended family groups within a tribe, showing a methodical approach.
  • "households" (בַּיִת, bayit): This word often means a single household or immediate family, making the search even more specific.
  • "man" (גֶּבֶר, gever): The Hebrew here points to an individual male, highlighting that ultimate responsibility will rest on a single person.

Why Joshua 7:14 matters

  • Joshua 7:14 shows that God’s process for revealing sin is orderly and public, not random or secretive, which would have reassured the people that the outcome was fair.
  • The verse connects directly to the story’s tension: the community’s suffering is linked to one person’s hidden wrongdoing, and this process will make that clear.
  • Understanding the step-by-step narrowing helps readers see the seriousness with which God treats both communal responsibility and individual accountability in Israel.