Joshua 7:12

12 "Therefore the ¹sons of Israel cannot * stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, for they have become accursed. I will not be with you anymore unless * you destroy the things under the ban from your midst.

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 So the LORD said to Joshua, "Rise up! Why is it that you have fallen on your face?

11 "Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. And they have even taken some of the things under the ban and have both stolen and deceived. Moreover, they have also put them among their own things.

12 "Therefore the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, for they have become accursed. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy the things under the ban from your midst.

13 "Rise up! Consecrate the people and say, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for thus the LORD , the God of Israel, has said, "There are things under the ban in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you have removed the things under the ban from your midst."

14 'In the morning then you shall come near by your tribes. And it shall be that the tribe which the LORD takes by lot shall come near by families, and the family which the LORD takes shall come near by households, and the household which the LORD takes shall come near man by man.

Cross References

• 1. Numbers 14:39, 45; Judges 2:14

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "necks"