Bible Strands
Joshua 7:17
He had the clans of Judah come forward, and the clan of the Zerahites was selected. He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward, and the family of Zabdi was selected.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Joshua directs the tribes, clans, and families of Judah to approach him sequentially during a divinely guided selection process following Israel's defeat at Ai.
The words — The Hebrew verb וַיִּקְרֵב (va-yikrev) literally means "he brought near," describing Joshua's action of presenting the clan of Judah. The verb וַיִּלְכֹּד (va-yilkhod) translates as "he took" or "he selected," indicating the divine choice of the Zerahite clan.
The thread — This narrowing of lineage from tribe to clan to family appears in the genealogical records of Numbers 26:20 and 1 Chronicles 2:4, which list the Zerahite clan among Judah's descendants. The same sequential selection pattern runs through Joshua 7:16 and 7:18 as the process isolates Achan from Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah.
Why it lands — The text records a precise, documented narrowing of identity that requires the reader to acknowledge accountability is traced through specific, verifiable family lines. It demands recognition that divine judgment operates through exact lineage rather than vague collective guilt.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken:
Cross-references
- Numbers 26:20 These were the descendants of Judah by their clans: The Shelanite clan from Shelah, the Perezite clan from Perez, and the Zerahite clan from Zerah.
- Genesis 38:30 Then his brother came out with the scarlet thread around his wrist, and he was named Zerah.
- 1 Chronicles 2:4 Tamar, Judah’s daughter-in-law, bore to him Perez and Zerah. Judah had five sons in all.