Joshua 7 · Verse 2

Joshua 7:2

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.
Joshua 7:2, King James Version

Joshua 7:2 in other translations

BSBMeanwhile, 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 land.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.
WEBJoshua 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 land.” The men went up and spied out Ai.
ASVAnd 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 spy out the land. And the men went up and spied out Ai.
YLTAnd Joshua sendeth men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-Aven, on the east of Bethel, and speaketh unto them, saying, ‘Go up and spy the land;' and the men go up and spy Ai,
DARBYAnd 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. And the men went up and spied out Ai.
BBENow Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is by the side of Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el, and said to them, Go up and make a search through the land. And the men went up and saw how Ai was placed.
WebsterAnd Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el, and spoke to them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.

What does Joshua 7:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

Jos 7:2-26. The Israelites Smitten at Ai.

2. 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 Beth-el [Van De Velde]. Beth-aven--("house of vanity")--a name afterwards given derisively (Ho 4:15; 5:8; 10:5), on account of its idolatries, to Beth-el, "house of God," but here referred to another place, about six miles east of Beth-el and three north of Ai.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 Sent men from Jericho to Ai - This is the place called Hai, Gen 12:8. It was in the east of Beth-el, north of Jericho, from which it was distant about ten or twelve miles. From Jos 7:4, Jos 7:5 it appears to have been situated upon a hill, and belonged to the Amorites, as we learn from Jos 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 lately witnessed.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Joshua 7:1-5

Achan took some of the spoil of Jericho. The love of the world is that root of bitterness, which of all others is most hardly rooted up. We should take heed of sin ourselves, lest by it many be defiled or disquieted, He 12:15; and take heed of having fellowship with sinners, lest we share their guilt. It concerns us to watch over one another to prevent sin, because others' sins may be to our damage. The easy…

Read the full comment on Joshua 7:1-5 →

Joshua 7:2 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּשְׁלַח֩vai.yish.Lachand he sentH7971
יְהוֹשֻׁ֨עַye.ho.Shu.a'JoshuaH3091
אֲנָשִׁ֜ים'a.na.ShimmenH582
מִֽירִיח֗וֹmi.ri.Chofrom JerichoH3405
הָעַ֞יha.'Ai<the> AiH5857
אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.SherwhichH834
עִם\־'im-[is] besideH5973
בֵּ֥יתbeitBethH1007
אָ֙וֶן֙'a.venAvenH1007
מִקֶּ֣דֶםmi.Ke.demfrom [the] eastH6924
לְבֵֽית\־le.veit-of Beth-H1008
אֵ֔ל'El-elH1008
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
אֲלֵיהֶם֙'a.lei.Hemto themH413
לֵאמֹ֔רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
עֲל֖וּ'a.Lugo upH5927
וְרַגְּל֣וּve.ra.ge.Luand spy outH7270
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הָאָ֑רֶץha.'A.retzthe landH776
וַֽיַּעֲלוּ֙vai.ya.'a.Luand they went upH5927
הָאֲנָשִׁ֔יםha.'a.na.Shimthe menH582
וַֽיְרַגְּל֖וּvay.ra.ge.Luand they spied outH7270
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הָעָֽי\׃ha.'Ai<the> AiH5857

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Joshua 7:2

  • Joshua 18:12

    And their border on the north side was from Jordan; and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north side, and went up through the mountains westward; and the goings out thereof were at the wilderness of Beth–aven.

  • 1 Samuel 14:23

    So the Lord saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Beth–aven.

  • Hosea 4:15

    Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth–aven, nor swear, The Lord liveth.

  • 1 Samuel 13:5

    And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Beth–aven.

  • Genesis 12:8

    And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Beth–el, and pitched his tent, having Beth–el on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord.

  • Proverbs 20:18

    Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.

  • Matthew 10:16

    Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

  • Proverbs 24:6

    For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.

  • Joshua 12:9

    The king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Beth–el, one;

  • Joshua 2:1

    And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there.

  • Genesis 28:19

    And he called the name of that place Beth–el: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.

  • Ephesians 5:15

    See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
to Ai.
12:9; Ge 12:8
Hai.
Ne 11:31
Aija. Beth-aven.
18:12; Ge 28:19; Ho 4:15
Go up.
2:1; Pr 20:18; 24:6; Mt 10:16; Eph 5:15

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Joshua 7:1

    But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel.

  • Joshua 7:2

    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.

  • Joshua 7:3

    And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.

Read all of Joshua 7

Joshua 7:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y Josué envió hombres desde Jericó á Hai, que estaba junto á Beth-aven hacia el oriente de Beth-el; y hablóles diciendo: Subid, y reconoced la tierra. Y ellos subieron, y reconocieron á Hai.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Or Josué envoya de Jéricho des hommes vers Aï, qui est près de Beth-Aven, à l’orient de Béthel, et leur parla, disant: Montez, et explorez le pays. Et les hommes montèrent, et explorèrent Aï.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und Josua sandte Männer von Jericho nach Ai, das bei Beth-Awen, östlich von Bethel, liegt, und sprach zu ihnen und sagte: Gehet hinauf und kundschaftet das Land aus. Und die Männer gingen hinauf und kundschafteten Ai aus.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Cumque mitteret Josue de Jericho viros contra Hai, quæ est juxta Bethaven, ad orientalem plagam oppidi Bethel, dixit eis: Ascendite, et explorate terram. Qui præcepta complentes exploraverunt Hai.