Joshua 9:14

Amplified Bible

So the men [of Israel] took some of their own provisions [and offered them in friendship], and [foolishly] did not ask for the counsel of the LORD.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions, but did not seek the Lord’s decision.

Hebrew Names Version
The men took of their provision, and didn't ask counsel at the mouth of the LORD.

King James Version
And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord .

Lexham English Bible
So the leaders took from their provisions, but they did not ask direction from Yahweh.

English Standard Version
So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord .

New Century Version
The men of Israel tasted the bread, but they did not ask the Lord what to do.

New English Translation
The men examined some of their provisions, but they failed to ask the Lord 's advice.

New American Standard Bible
So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the LORD.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And the men accepted their tale concerning their vittailes, and counselled not with the mouth of the Lord.

Legacy Standard Bible
So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, but they did not ask for the command of Yahweh.

Contemporary English Version
The Israelites tried some of the food, but they did not ask the Lord if he wanted them to make a treaty.

Complete Jewish Bible
The men sampled some of their food but didn't seek the advice of Adonai ,

Darby Translation
And the men took of their victuals, but they did not inquire at the mouth of Jehovah.

Easy-to-Read Version
The men of Israel wanted to know if these men were telling the truth. So they tasted the bread—but they did not ask the Lord what they should do.

George Lamsa Translation
And the men took of their provisions and went away, and the Israelites did not ask counsel from the LORD.

Good News Translation
The Israelites accepted some food from them, but did not consult the Lord about it.

Literal Translation
And the men took of their provision, and did not ask at the mouth of Jehovah.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then the captaynes toke their vytayles, and axed not the mouth of the LORDE.

American Standard Version
And the men took of their provision, and asked not counsel at the mouth of Jehovah.

Bible in Basic English
And the men took some of their food, without requesting directions from the Lord.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the men toke of theyr vitayles, & counseled not with the mouth of the Lorde.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the men took of their provision, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.

King James Version (1611)
And the men tooke of their victuals, and asked not counsell at the mouth of the Lord.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the chiefs took of their provision, and asked not counsel of the Lord.

English Revised Version
And the men took of their provision, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.

Berean Standard Bible
Then the men of Israel sampled their provisions, but did not seek the counsel of the LORD.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor `the sones of Israel token of the metis of hem, and thei axiden not `the mouth of the Lord.

Young's Literal Translation
And the men take of their provision, and the mouth of Jehovah have not asked;

Update Bible Version
And the men took of their provision, and didn't ask counsel at the mouth of Yahweh.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the men took of their provisions, and asked not [counsel] at the mouth of the LORD.

World English Bible
The men took of their provision, and didn't ask counsel at the mouth of Yahweh.

New King James Version
Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the LORD.

New Living Translation
So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the Lord .

New Life Bible
So the men of Israel took some of their food. They did not ask the Lord what they should do.

New Revised Standard
So the leaders partook of their provisions, and did not ask direction from the Lord .

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So the men took of their provision, - but, the bidding of Yahweh, had they not asked.

Douay-Rheims Bible
They took therefore of their victuals, and consulted not the mouth of the Lord.

Revised Standard Version
So the men partook of their provisions, and did not ask direction from the LORD.

THE MESSAGE
The men of Israel looked them over and accepted the evidence. But they didn't ask God about it.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the LORD.

Contextual Overview

³But when the people of Gibeon [the Hivites] heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, ⁴they too acted craftily and cunningly, and set out and took along provisions, but took worn-out sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins (leather bottles) that were worn out and split open and patched together, ⁵and worn-out and patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes; and all their supply of food was dry and had turned to crumbs. ⁶They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, "We have come from a far country; so now, make a covenant (treaty) with us." ⁷But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, "Perhaps you are living within our land; how then can we make a covenant (treaty) with you?" ⁸They said to Joshua, "We are your servants." Then Joshua said to them, "Who are you, and where do you come from?" ⁹They said to him, "Your servants have come from a country that is very far away because of the fame of the LORD your God; for we have heard the news about Him and all [the remarkable things] that He did in Egypt, ¹⁰and everything that He did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon and to Og the king of Bashan who lived in Ashtaroth. ¹¹"So our elders and all the residents of our country said to us, 'Take provisions for the journey and go to meet the sons of Israel and say to them, "We are your servants; now make a covenant (treaty) with us."' ¹²"This bread of ours was hot (fresh) when we took it along as our provision from our houses on the day we left to come to you; now look, it is dry and has turned to crumbs.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the men took of their victuals: or, they received the men by reason of their victuals

asked not: Exodus 28:30, Numbers 27:21, Judges 1:1, Judges 20:18, Judges 20:28, 1 Samuel 14:18, 1 Samuel 14:19, 1 Samuel 22:10, 1 Samuel 23:9-12, 1 Samuel 30:7, 1 Samuel 30:8, 2 Samuel 2:1, 2 Samuel 5:19, 1 Chronicles 10:13, 1 Chronicles 10:14, Ezra 8:21, Proverbs 3:5, Proverbs 3:6, Isaiah 30:1, Isaiah 30:2, James 1:5

Reciprocal: Exodus 23:32 - shalt make Judges 20:7 - give here 1 Samuel 23:2 - inquired 1 Samuel 25:13 - Gird ye 1 Kings 22:5 - Inquire 2 Kings 3:11 - that we may 1 Chronicles 17:2 - Do all 2 Chronicles 35:22 - the mouth Luke 9:50 - Forbid 1 Timothy 5:22 - suddenly

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the men took of their victuals,.... That is, the princes of Israel took thereof; not to eat of them, for it cannot be thought that such personages would eat of such dry and mouldy bread, and especially as they were now in a plentiful country, and possessed of the fruits of it; but to see whether it was in such a plight and condition as they said, whereby they might judge of the truth of what they said; and they learned and knew, as R. Jonah observes, from the dryness of their food, that it was truth they said; and so the Targum, the men hearkened to their words; and so Jarchi, they believed what they said on sight of their provisions; but, according to Kimchi and Ben Melech, they ate with them, to confirm the covenant they made with them; but had this been the case, as it sometimes was a custom to eat together at making covenants, see Genesis 26:30; the princes would doubtless have provided a better entertainment for such a purpose: the "margin" of our Bibles leads to the other sense,

"they received the men by reason of their victuals:''

and asked not [counsel] at the mouth of the Lord; as they might and should have done, by desiring the high priest to inquire of the Lord by Urim and Thummim; but this they neglected, which, had they attended to, the fraud would have been discovered; or however, they would have had the mind of God about making peace with the Gibeonites, which in all likelihood he would not have disapproved of, they becoming proselytes, and giving up their possessions to Israel; but this did not excuse their neglect.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The elders of Israel Joshua 9:18, tasting what was offered them by the Gibeonites, pledged themselves according to the usage of Eastern nations to peace and friendship with them. They credited the story at once, instead of seeking the direction of God in the matter. The rendering of the margin is not to be preferred to that of the text.

At the mouth of the Lord - i. e. by the Urim and Thummim Exodus 28:30.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Joshua 9:14. The men took of their victuals — This was done in all probability in the way of friendship; for, from time immemorial to the present day, eating together, in the Asiatic countries, is considered a token of unalterable friendship; and those who eat even salt together, feel themselves bound thereby in a perpetual covenant. But the marginal reading of this clause should not be hastily rejected.

And asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord. — They made the covenant with the Gibeonites without consulting God by Urim and Thummim, which was highly reprehensible in them, as it was a state transaction in which the interests and honour of God their king were intimately concerned.