So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken:
So Joshua rose up early ... and brought Israel by their tribes - i:e., before the tabernacle. The lot being appealed to (Proverbs 16:33) - a mode of appealing to the divine decision, to which the Israelites resorted in cases of grave public interest, and for which they made preparation by solemn rites of religion-Joshua proceeded in the inquiry from heads of tribes to heads of families, and from heads of households in succession to one family, and to particular persons in that family. It must be borne in mind that a family, according to the usage of the Hebrews, was very different from a family according to our ideas. It was not a single household, but may have included many households; or, vice versa, one household may have been subdivided into many families (see the note at Exodus 6:25). The criminal was found to be Achan, who, on Joshua's admonition, confessed the fact of having secreted for his own use, in the floor of his tent, spoil both in garments and money. How dreadful must have been his feelings when he saw the slow but certain process of discovery! (Numbers 32:23.)