Joshua 7:12

12 The {Israelites} were unable to stand before their enemies; {they fled from their enemies} because they have become a thing devoted for destruction. {I will be with you no more} unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.

Joshua 7:12 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 7:12

Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their
enemies
Being forsaken of God for the sin committed among them:

[but] turned [their] backs before their enemies:
had not courage to face them, but fled as soon as they appeared:

because they were accursed;
of God for the accursed thing that had been taken, as was threatened would be their case, should they take any of it; ( Joshua 6:18 ) ;

neither will I be with you any more, until ye take away the accursed
thing from among you;
that is, until they had put to death the person who had taken of the accursed thing, and made himself thereby accursed, and even all the camp of Israel; till this was done, the Lord would not be with them to protect and defend them, and give them success against their enemies.

Joshua 7:12 In-Context

10 And Yahweh said to Joshua, "Stand up! {Why} [have] you fallen on your face?

11 Israel has sinned and {transgressed my covenant} that I commanded them. They have taken from the devoted things; they have stolen and acted deceitfully, and they have put [them] among their belongings.

12 The {Israelites} were unable to stand before their enemies; {they fled from their enemies} because they have become a thing devoted for destruction. {I will be with you no more} unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.

13 Get up, sanctify the people, and say, 'Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow. Thus says Yahweh the God of Israel: "[There are] devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You will be unable to stand before you enemies until you remove the devoted things from your midst."

14 In the morning you will come forward, {tribe by tribe}, and the tribe that Yahweh will select by lot will come forward by clans, and the clan that Yahweh selects by lot will come forward by families, and the family that Yahweh selects by lot will come forward one by one.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [b]. Literally "they turned [their] neck before their enemies"
• [c]. Or "consecrated"
• [d]. Literally "I will not do again to be with you"
• [e]. Hebrew "thing" or "consecrated possession"