Bible Strands
Joshua 9:14
Then the men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not seek the counsel of the LORD.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The narrator records the men of Israel inspecting the Gibeonites' worn provisions and sandals at the moment before Joshua ratifies a peace treaty. They rely on physical evidence rather than divine direction.
The words — The phrase פִּי יְהוָה (pi Yahweh) literally means "the mouth of Yahweh," referring to formal divine instruction. The verb שָׁאַל (sha'al) in the negative clause indicates they deliberately omitted the required priestly inquiry.
The thread — This omission mirrors the unfaithfulness condemned in 1 Chronicles 10:13, where Saul dies for ignoring the LORD's word. It also stands in direct contrast to the protocol in Numbers 27:21, which mandates seeking counsel through the priest and the Urim before major decisions.
Why it lands — The text demands that readers verify whether decisions are grounded in explicit divine instruction before acting on circumstantial evidence. It establishes that covenant commitments require prior consultation of God's stated will.
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 the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord.
Cross-references
- Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
- Numbers 27:21 He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who will seek counsel for him before the LORD by the judgment of the Urim. At his command, he and all the Israelites with him—the entire congregation—will go out and come in.”
- 1 Chronicles 10:13 So Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance,
- 2 Samuel 5:19 So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?” “Go up,” replied the LORD, “for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hand.”
- Judges 1:1 After the death of Joshua, the Israelites inquired of the LORD, “Who will be the first to go up and fight for us against the Canaanites?”
- Judges 20:28 and Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, served before it.) The Israelites asked, “Should we again go out to battle against our brothers the Benjamites, or should we stop?” The LORD answered, “Fight, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.”
- 1 Samuel 23:9 When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.”
- 1 Samuel 30:7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought it to him,
- 2 Samuel 2:1 Some time later, David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” “Go up,” the LORD answered. Then David asked, “Where should I go?” “To Hebron,” replied the LORD.
- Ezra 8:21 And there by the Ahava Canal I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask Him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.