Joshua 7:9

9 The Canaanites and everyone else in the country will hear about it. They will surround us and kill every one of us! And then what will you do to protect your honor?"

Joshua 7:9 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 7:9

For the Canaanites
Those that dwell on the east and on the west of the land, see ( Joshua 11:3 ) ; who were one of the seven nations:

and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear [of it];
of this defeat; not only the Amorites, among whom they now were, and the Canaanites before mentioned, but the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, and the Jebusites;

and shall environ us round;
come with all their forces from all parts of the land, and surround us, so that there will be no escaping for us:

and cut off our name from the earth;
utterly destroy us, that we shall be no more a nation and people, and the name of an Israelite no more be heard of, see ( Psalms 83:4 ) ;

and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?
this, though mentioned last, was uppermost in the heart of Joshua, and was reserved by him as his strongest argument with God to appear for them and save them; since his own glory, the glory of his perfections, his wisdom, goodness, power, truth, and faithfulness, was so much concerned in their salvation.

Joshua 7:9 In-Context

7 And Joshua said, "Sovereign Lord! Why did you bring us across the Jordan at all? To turn us over to the Amorites? To destroy us? Why didn't we just stay on the other side of the Jordan?

8 What can I say, O Lord, now that Israel has retreated from the enemy?

9 The Canaanites and everyone else in the country will hear about it. They will surround us and kill every one of us! And then what will you do to protect your honor?"

10 The Lord said to Joshua, "Get up! Why are you lying on the ground like this?

11 Israel has sinned! They have broken the agreement with me that I ordered them to keep. They have taken some of the things condemned to destruction. They stole them, lied about it, and put them with their own things.