Joshua 7:16 - So Joshua rose up early in the morning and brought Israel near by their tribes. The tribe of Judah was selected.

Generated Verse: Joshua 7:16

What does "Joshua 7:16" mean?


Joshua 7 tells the story of Achan's sin, where he disobeyed God's command by taking forbidden items from Jericho after its conquest. Because of this sin, Israel was defeated in battle at Ai. To identify the sinner, God instructed Joshua to use a process of elimination.

Therefore, Joshua 7:16 describes the first step in this process:

"So Joshua rose up early in the morning..." This emphasizes the urgency and importance of discovering the cause of Israel's defeat and God's displeasure.
"...and brought Israel near by their tribes." Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel together. This means he assembled representatives from each of the twelve tribes.
"The tribe of Judah was selected." Through a method of casting lots (or another form of divine selection), God revealed that the guilty party belonged to the tribe of Judah. The process wasn't finished yet, but it narrowed the search down to a single tribe.

In essence, this verse marks the beginning of a divine investigation. God revealed the general area (the tribe of Judah) where the culprit could be found. Further selection would be necessary to pinpoint the exact family and individual responsible.

What categories does "Joshua 7:16" have?