Joshua 7:7 - Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown

Joshua 7:7

5 And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore ^athe hearts of the people melted and became like water.

6 Then Joshua ^atore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they ^bput dust on their heads.

7 And Joshua said, “Alas, Lord¹ God, ^awhy have You brought this people over the Jordan at all—to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan!

8 O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns its¹ back before its enemies?

9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear it, and surround us, and ^acut off our name from the earth. Then ^bwhat will You do for Your great name?”

The Sin of Achan

10 So the Lord said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face?

11 Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. ^aFor they have even taken some of the¹ accursed things, and have both stolen and ^bdeceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff.

12 ^aTherefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because ^bthey have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you.

13 Get up, ^asanctify the people, and say, ^b‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says the Lord God of Israel: “There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you.”

Commentaries:

Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown

<< Joshua 7:6

Joshua 7:8 >>

Joshua 7:6-9

Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth . . . before the ark . . . he and the elders—It is evident, from those tokens of humiliation and sorrow, that a solemn fast was observed on this occasion. The language of Joshua's prayer is thought by many to savor of human infirmity and to be wanting in that reverence and submission he owed to God. But, although apparently breathing a spirit of bold remonstrance and complaint, it was in reality the effusion of a deeply humbled and afflicted mind, expressing his belief that God could not, after having so miraculously brought His people over Jordan into the promised land, intend to destroy them, to expose them to the insults of their triumphant enemies, and bring reproach upon His own name for inconstancy or unkindness to His people, or inability to resist their enemies. Unable to understand the cause of the present calamity, he owned the hand of God.

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The Sin of Achan

A Verse and a Thought,Every Morning

A Verse and a Thought,
Every Morning