Judges 1:23
New International Version
When they sent men to spy out Bethel (formerly called Luz),

New Living Translation
They sent men to scout out Bethel (formerly known as Luz).

English Standard Version
And the house of Joseph scouted out Bethel. (Now the name of the city was formerly Luz.)

Berean Standard Bible
They sent spies to Bethel (formerly known as Luz),

King James Bible
And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel. (Now the name of the city before was Luz.)

New King James Version
So the house of Joseph sent men to spy out Bethel. (The name of the city was formerly Luz.)

New American Standard Bible
The house of Joseph had men spy out Bethel (the name of the city previously was Luz).

NASB 1995
The house of Joseph spied out Bethel (now the name of the city was formerly Luz).

NASB 1977
And the house of Joseph spied out Bethel (now the name of the city was formerly Luz).

Legacy Standard Bible
And the house of Joseph spied out Bethel (now the name of the city was formerly Luz).

Amplified Bible
The house of Joseph spied out Bethel (now the name of the city was formerly Luz).

Christian Standard Bible
They sent spies to Bethel (the town was formerly named Luz ).

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They sent spies to Bethel (the town was formerly named Luz).

American Standard Version
And the house of Joseph sent to spy out Beth-el. (Now the name of the city beforetime was Luz.)

English Revised Version
And the house of Joseph sent to spy out Beth-el. (Now the name of the city beforetime was Luz.)

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They sent men to spy on Bethel. (In the past the city was called Luz.)

International Standard Version
The army of the tribe of Joseph scouted out Bethel, which had been formerly named Luz.

Majority Standard Bible
They sent spies to Bethel (formerly known as Luz),

NET Bible
When the men of Joseph spied out Bethel (it used to be called Luz),

New Heart English Bible
And the house of Joseph sent out spies to Bethel. (Now the name of the city before was Luz.)

Webster's Bible Translation
And the house of Joseph sent to explore Beth-el. Now the name of the city before was Luz.

World English Bible
The house of Joseph sent to spy out Bethel. (The name of the city before that was Luz.)
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and the house of Joseph causes [men] to spy out Beth-El (and the name of the city [was] formerly Luz),

Young's Literal Translation
and the house of Joseph cause men to spy about Beth-El (and the name of the city formerly is Luz),

Smith's Literal Translation
And the house of Joseph will examine in the house of God. And the name of the city before, was Almond tree.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For when they were besieging the city, which before was called Luza,

Catholic Public Domain Version
For when they were besieging the city, which was previously called Luz,

New American Bible
The house of Joseph reconnoitered Bethel, which formerly was called Luz.

New Revised Standard Version
The house of Joseph sent out spies to Bethel (the name of the city was formerly Luz).
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the house of Joseph spied on Beth-el. (Now the name of the city before was Luz.)

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they of the house of Yoseph stayed in Bayth Eil, and the name of the city from former time was Luz
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the house of Joseph sent to spy out Beth-el--now the name of the city beforetime was Luz.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And they encamped and surveyed Baethel: and the name of the city before was Luza.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jerusalem and Hebron Captured
22The house of Joseph also attacked Bethel, and the LORD was with them. 23They sent spies to Bethel ( formerly known as Luz), 24and when the spies saw a man coming out of the city, they said to him, “Please show us how to get into the city, and we will treat you kindly.”…

Cross References
Joshua 2:1
Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim, saying, “Go, inspect the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.

Numbers 13:17-20
When Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, he told them, “Go up through the Negev and into the hill country. / See what the land is like and whether its people are strong or weak, few or many. / Is the land where they live good or bad? Are the cities where they dwell open camps or fortifications? ...

Joshua 6:22-25
Meanwhile, Joshua told the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the house of the prostitute and bring out the woman and all who are with her, just as you promised her.” / So the young spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and settled them outside the camp of Israel. / Then the Israelites burned up the city and everything in it. However, they put the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the LORD’s house. ...

Joshua 7:2
Meanwhile, Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the land.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.

2 Samuel 10:3
the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, “Just because David has sent you comforters, do you really believe he is showing respect for your father? Has not David instead sent his servants to explore the city, spy it out, and overthrow it?”

1 Samuel 26:4
David sent out spies to verify that Saul had arrived.

2 Kings 6:13-14
So the king said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send men to capture him.” On receiving the report, “Elisha is in Dothan,” / the king of Aram sent horses, chariots, and a great army. They went there by night and surrounded the city.

1 Chronicles 19:3
the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, “Just because David has sent you comforters, do you really believe he is showing respect for your father? Have not his servants come to you to explore the land, spy it out, and overthrow it?”

Matthew 10:16
Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

Luke 10:3
Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.

John 7:52
“Aren’t you also from Galilee?” they replied. “Look into it, and you will see that no prophet comes out of Galilee.”

Acts 9:25
One night, however, his disciples took him and lowered him in a basket through a window in the wall.

Acts 17:10
As soon as night had fallen, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went into the Jewish synagogue.

Acts 23:21
Do not let them persuade you, because more than forty men are waiting to ambush him. They have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him; they are ready now, awaiting your consent.”

Romans 16:19
Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil.


Treasury of Scripture

And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel. (Now the name of the city before was Luz.)

sent

Judges 18:2
And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, men of valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land: who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there.

Joshua 2:1
And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there.

Joshua 7:2
And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.

Luz

Genesis 28:19
And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.

Genesis 35:6
So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him.

Genesis 48:3
And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,

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Beforetime Bethel Beth-El Cause City Earlier Explore House Joseph Luz Round Search Spied Spy
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Beforetime Bethel Beth-El Cause City Earlier Explore House Joseph Luz Round Search Spied Spy
Judges 1
1. The acts of Judah and Simeon
4. Adonibezek justly requited
8. Jerusalem taken
10. Hebron taken
11. Othniel has Achsah to wife for taking of Debir
16. The Kenites dwell in Judah
17. Hormah, Gaza, Askelon, and Ekron taken
21. The acts of Benjamin
22. Of the house of Joseph, who take Bethel
30. Of Zebulun
31. Of Asher
33. Of Naphtali
34. Of Dan














And when the house of Joseph
The phrase "house of Joseph" refers to the descendants of Joseph, one of the twelve sons of Jacob, whose lineage was divided into two tribes: Ephraim and Manasseh. In the context of the conquest of Canaan, the house of Joseph represents a significant portion of the Israelite confederation. Historically, Joseph's tribes were known for their strength and leadership among the Israelites. This phrase highlights the unity and collective action of these tribes as they seek to fulfill God's command to possess the land.

sent spies
The act of sending spies is reminiscent of earlier biblical narratives, such as when Moses sent spies into Canaan (Numbers 13). The Hebrew root for "spies" (רָגַל, ragal) implies a careful and strategic reconnaissance mission. This action demonstrates a blend of faith and prudence, as the Israelites seek to understand the land they are to conquer. It reflects a reliance on both divine guidance and human initiative, a recurring theme in the conquest narratives.

to Bethel
Bethel, meaning "house of God" in Hebrew, holds significant historical and spiritual importance. It was a place where Abraham and Jacob had profound encounters with God (Genesis 12:8; 28:19). By targeting Bethel, the house of Joseph is not only pursuing a strategic military objective but also reclaiming a site of deep spiritual heritage. This underscores the intertwining of physical and spiritual conquest in the Israelites' journey.

(formerly known as Luz)
The mention of Luz provides a historical context, indicating a transformation of identity and purpose for the city. Luz was the original Canaanite name, and its renaming to Bethel signifies a shift from pagan associations to a place dedicated to the worship of Yahweh. This transformation is emblematic of the broader divine mandate for the Israelites to establish a land devoted to God, replacing former pagan practices with the worship of the one true God.

(23) To descry Beth-el.--The word perhaps implies a regular siege, and it is so understood by the LXX. (Cod. Alex.) and the Vulgate.

Luz.--We are also told that this was the original name of the city in Genesis 28:19; but there seems to be in that verse a distinction between the city and the place of Jacob's dream. (Comp. Joshua 16:2.) The name means either "hazel," or "sinking," i.e., a valley depression.

Verse 23. - Bethel, now Beitin. The name (house of God) had been given by Jacob (Genesis 28:19), but obviously would not be likely to be adopted by the Canaanitish inhabitants, by whom it was called Luz. As soon, however, as the Ephraimites conquered it, they reimposed the name, in memory of their father Jacob. The Saxon charters exhibit an analogous change in such transitions of name, as that from Bedericksworth to Bury St. Edmunds, which took place after the transfer of St. Edmund's body to the church there, the old name continuing for a time along with the new one, but at last disappearing.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
They
בֵית־ (ḇêṯ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

sent spies
וַיָּתִ֥ירוּ (way·yā·ṯî·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 8446: To meander, about, for, trade, reconnoitring

to Bethel
אֵ֑ל (’êl)
Preposition | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1008: Bethel -- 'house of God', a city in Ephraim, also a place in southern Judah

(
הָעִ֥יר (hā·‘îr)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

formerly
לְפָנִ֖ים (lə·p̄ā·nîm)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 6440: The face

known as
וְשֵׁם־ (wə·šêm-)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8034: A name

Luz),
לֽוּז׃ (lūz)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3870: Luz -- earlier name of Bethel, also a Hittite city


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OT History: Judges 1:23 The house of Joseph sent to spy (Jd Judg. Jdg)
Judges 1:22
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