Paragraph 7:14–15

God gave Joshua further instructions about what should happen the next day.

7:14

tribe by tribe…clan by clan…family by family: There are three Hebrew words in this verse that you should think about.

The Hebrew word שֵׁבֶט shebet that the Berean Standard Bible translates as tribe refers to the descendants of Jacob. Jacob had twelve sons. The twelve sons became the ancestors of twelve groups of people. All twelve groups in Israel spoke Hebrew. They did not speak twelve different languages. For this reason the word shebet is translated in the display as “clan.” Choose a word in your language that refers to a group of people descended from a common ancestor.

The Hebrew word מִשְׁפָּחָה mishpahah that the Berean Standard Bible translates as clan refers to a part of a clan. Each clan had several sub-clans. Each of Jacob’s sons had their own sons, and the sub-clans were named after these grandsons of Jacob. The word mishpahah is translated in the display as “sub-clan.”

The Hebrew word בַּיִת bet that the Berean Standard Bible translates as family refers to a family or an extended family. The families do not have names. The word bet is translated in the display as “family.”

Here are some ways that these three terms are translated in English versions:

tribe…family…household (Revised Standard Version, God’s Word, New American Standard Bible, King James Version)
-or-
tribe…clan…family (Berean Standard Bible, NET Bible, New International Version, New American Bible, Revised Edition, New Living Translation (2004), Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version)
-or-
tribe…clan…household (English Standard Version)
-or-
tribe…clan…ancestral house (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
-or-
clan…sub-clan…family (in the TN Display)

7:14a

This verse begins with a Hebrew word that is often translated as “and.” This word makes a connection between the sin that the Israelites did and what Yahweh does next. There may be an appropriate word in some languages to show this connection, or no connecting word may be necessary. The Berean Standard Bible and many English versions leave the connection as implied information.

In the morning: The phrase In the morning can also be translated:

tomorrow morning

you must present yourselves: The people went near to Yahweh so that Yahweh could choose the guilty person. They stood in front of the Tent of Meeting, the place where Yahweh meets with his people. The Tent of Meeting is not mentioned in the Hebrew text or the Berean Standard Bible, but it may be clearer to make it explicit in some languages.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

you must approach (NET Bible)
-or-
you will come forward (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
you must come near ⌊to Yahweh at the Tent of Meeting⌋

tribe by tribe: The phrase tribe by tribe means that the Israelite people must come in twelve groups before Yahweh, with one tribe in each group.

tribe: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as tribe refers to the people who descended from one of the twelve sons of Jacob. Each of Jacob’s sons had children and grandchildren, and those descendants were part of his tribe. Choose a word that is appropriate for a group of people descended from a common ancestor.

7:14b

The tribe that the LORD selects: It is not certain how Yahweh told them which tribe he chose. Probably they cast lots, throwing small pebbles to determine the choice.

shall come forward clan by clan: When Yahweh chose one of the tribes, then each family in that tribe came before Yahweh.

clan: There were twelve tribes in the nation of Israel, named after the twelve sons of Jacob. Each tribe had several “clans.” A clan includes many families.

Here are some other ways to translate the word clan :

clan (Berean Standard Bible, NET Bible, English Standard Version, New International Version, Good News Translation, New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
sub-clan (used in the TN Display)
-or-
family group
-or-
branch (of a tribe)

7:14c

and the clan that the LORD selects shall come forward family by family: When Yahweh chose a clan, the people within that clan must come forward, one family at a time.

family: This refers to a group of relatives who live in the same house. Sometimes a family consisted of extended families who lived in several houses.

7:14d

and the family that the LORD selects shall come forward man by man: After Yahweh chose one household, then the men of that household came forward one person at a time.

man by man: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as man refers to a male adult. Some English versions (New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation (2004)) use a general word such as “person by person.” Translate this so that it is clear that the male adults came forward.

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