Commentaries:
Adam Clarke
Old shoes and clouted - Their sandals, they pretended had been worn out by long and difficult travelling, and they had been obliged to have them frequently patched during the way; their garments also were worn thin; and what remained of their bread was mouldy - spotted with age, or, as our old version has it, bored - pierced with many holes by the vermin which had bred in it, through the length of the time it had been in their sacks; and this is the most literal meaning of the original nikkudim , which means spotted or pierced with many holes. The old and clouted shoes have been a subject of some controversy: the Hebrew word baloth signifies worn out, from balah , to wear away; and metullaoth , from tala , to spot or patch, i.e., spotted with patches. Our word clouted , in the Anglo-Saxon signifies seamed up, patched; from clout , rag, or small piece of cloth, used for piecing or patching. But some suppose the word here comes from clouet , the diminutive of clou , a small nail, with which the Gibeonites had fortified the soles of their shoes, to prevent them from wearing out in so long a journey; but this seems very unlikely; and our old English term clouted - seamed or patched - expresses the spirit of the Hebrew word.
Other Adam Clarke entries containing Joshua 9:5:
Leviticus 2:7
Joshua 18:25
Matthew 10:11
DISCLAIMER: Church of the Great God (CGG) provides these resources to aid the individual in studying the Bible. However, it is up to the individual to "prove all things, and hold fast to that which is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21). The content of these resources does not necessarily reflect the views of CGG. They are provided for information purposes only.
Start Your Day with Scripture
Begin each morning with God's Word — the Berean delivers a daily verse and insightful commentary to spark reflection and growth.
Join 140,000+ fellow believers on this journey.
