The Meaning of Joshua 7:21 Explained

Joshua 7:21

KJV: When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.

YLT: and I see among the spoil a goodly robe of Shinar, and two hundred shekels of silver, and one wedge of gold, whose weight is fifty shekels, and I desire them, and take them; and lo, they are hid in the earth, in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.'

Darby: I saw among the spoils a beautiful mantle of Shinar, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a golden bar of fifty shekels weight, and I coveted them and took them; and behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.

ASV: when I saw among the spoil a goodly Babylonish mantle, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

When I saw  among the spoils  a  goodly  Babylonish  garment,  and two hundred  shekels  of silver,  and a  wedge  of gold  of fifty  shekels  weight,  then I coveted  them, and took  them; and, behold, they [are] hid  in the earth  in the midst  of my tent,  and the silver  under it. 

What does Joshua 7:21 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 7:16-26 - The Troubler Found And Removed
When God deals with sin He traces its genealogy. Twice over we have the list of Achan's ancestors, Joshua 7:1; Joshua 7:18. To deal with sin thoroughly we need to go back to its sources. See James 1:14-15.
How Achan's heart must have stood still as he beheld the closer approach of detection, like the contracting walls of a chamber of horrors. One by one we pass before the eye of Omniscience, as a ship's company before the quarantine officer. We cannot hide ourselves behind parents, lineage or religious ancestors. Each must give an account of himself, 2 Corinthians 5:10.
Achan's family had been privy to his crime. It could hardly have been otherwise, since the goods were buried in the common tent. They were probably grown men and women. The notions of justice were stronger and harsher in that day than with us, who have been taught by Christ. When the evil is put away, the door of hope stands wide, Hosea 2:15. [source]

Chapter Summary: Joshua 7

1  The Israelites are smitten at Ai
6  Joshua's complaint
10  God instructs him what to do
16  Achan is taken by the lot
19  His confession
24  He and all he had are destroyed in the valley of Achor

What do the individual words in Joshua 7:21 mean?

- when I saw among the spoils cloak of Shinar one beautiful and two hundred shekels of silver and wedge of gold one fifty shekels weighing and I coveted them and took them and there they are hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent and with the silver under it
[ואראה] (וָאֵ֣רֶא) בַשָּׁלָ֡ל אַדֶּ֣רֶת שִׁנְעָר֩ אַחַ֨ת טוֹבָ֜ה וּמָאתַ֧יִם שְׁקָלִ֣ים כֶּ֗סֶף וּלְשׁ֨וֹן זָהָ֤ב אֶחָד֙ חֲמִשִּׁ֤ים שְׁקָלִים֙ מִשְׁקָל֔וֹ וָֽאֶחְמְדֵ֖ם וָֽאֶקָּחֵ֑ם וְהִנָּ֨ם טְמוּנִ֥ים בָּאָ֛רֶץ בְּת֥וֹךְ הָאָֽהֳלִ֖י וְהַכֶּ֥סֶף תַּחְתֶּֽיהָ

[ואראה]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אֲבִי  
Sense: mother of Hezekiah (cf 029).
(וָאֵ֣רֶא)  when  I  saw 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
בַשָּׁלָ֡ל  among  the  spoils 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלָל  
Sense: prey, plunder, spoil, booty.
אַדֶּ֣רֶת  cloak 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אַדֶּרֶת  
Sense: glory, cloak.
שִׁנְעָר֩  of  Shinar 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שִׁנְעָר  
Sense: the ancient name for the territory later known as Babylonia or Chaldea.
אַחַ֨ת  one 
Parse: Number, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
טוֹבָ֜ה  beautiful 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
וּמָאתַ֧יִם  and  two  hundred 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, fd
Root: מֵאָה 
Sense: hundred.
שְׁקָלִ֣ים  shekels 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: שֶׁקֶל  
Sense: shekel.
כֶּ֗סֶף  of  silver 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.
וּלְשׁ֨וֹן  and  wedge 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, common singular construct
Root: לָשֹׁון  
Sense: tongue.
זָהָ֤ב  of  gold 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: זָהָב  
Sense: gold.
אֶחָד֙  one 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
חֲמִשִּׁ֤ים  fifty 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: חֲמִשִּׁים 
Sense: fifty.
שְׁקָלִים֙  shekels 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: שֶׁקֶל  
Sense: shekel.
מִשְׁקָל֔וֹ  weighing 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁקָל  
Sense: heaviness, weight.
וָֽאֶחְמְדֵ֖ם  and  I  coveted  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: חָמַד 
Sense: to desire, covet, take pleasure in, delight in.
וָֽאֶקָּחֵ֑ם  and  took  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
וְהִנָּ֨ם  and  there  they  are 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection, third person masculine plural
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
טְמוּנִ֥ים  hidden 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine plural
Root: טָמַן  
Sense: to hide, conceal, bury.
בָּאָ֛רֶץ  in  the  earth 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
בְּת֥וֹךְ  in  the  midst 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
הָאָֽהֳלִ֖י  of  my  tent 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אֹהֶל  
Sense: tent.
וְהַכֶּ֥סֶף  and  with  the  silver 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.
תַּחְתֶּֽיהָ  under  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.