Joshua 7:1-10

1 Forsooth the sons of Israel brake the commandment, and mis-took of the cursed thing; for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, [the] son of Zerah, of the lineage of Judah, took something of the cursed thing; and the Lord was wroth against the sons of Israel. (But one of the Israelites disobeyed the Lord's command, and took some of the cursed things; for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the cursed things; and so the Lord was angry with the Israelites.)
2 And when Joshua sent men from Jericho against Ai, which is beside Bethaven, at the east coast of the city of Bethel, he said to them, Go ye up, and espy the land. Which [ful]filled the commandments, and espied Ai; (And when Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, to the east of the city of Bethel, he said to them, Go ye up, and spy out the land. And they fulfilled his commands, and spied out Ai;)
3 and they turned again, and said to him, All the people go not up thither, but two either three thousand of men go, and do away the city (and they returned, and said to him, All the people do not need to go up there, but only two or three thousand men need to go, and do away the city); why shall all the people be travailed in vain against (such) full few enemies?
4 Therefore three thousand of fighters ascended, which turned the backs anon, and were smitten of the men of Ai; (And so three thousand fighting men went up, who at once turned their backs, after they were attacked by the men of Ai;)
5 and six and thirty men of them were slain; and the adversaries pursued them from the (city) gate unto Shebarim; and they felled down fleeing by (the) low places. And the heart of the people dreaded much, and it was made unsteadfast at the likeness of water (And the people's hearts were full of fear, and they were made as unstable as water).
6 And Joshua rent his clothes, and he fell down low to the earth before the ark of the Lord, unto the eventide, as well he, as all the elder men of Israel; and they casted powder on their heads. (And Joshua tore his clothes, and he fell down onto the ground before the Ark of the Lord, until the evening, he, as well as all the elders of Israel; and they threw powder on their heads.)
7 And Joshua said, Alas! alas! Lord God, what wouldest thou lead this people over the flood Jordan, that thou shouldest betake us in the hand of Amorites, and should lose us? I would, that as we began, we had dwelled beyond (the) Jordan. (And Joshua said, Alas! alas! Lord God, why didest thou lead this people over the Jordan River, so that thou couldest deliver us into the hands of the Amorites, and so destroy us? Oh how I wish, that we had stayed on the other side of the Jordan!)
8 My Lord God, what shall I say, seeing Israel turning the backs to his enemies? (My Lord God, what can I say, after seeing the men of Israel turn their backs to their enemies?)
9 Canaanites, and all the dwellers of the land shall hear this, and they shall be gathered together, and shall compass us, and they shall do away our name from [the] earth; and what shalt thou do to thy great name? (The Canaanites, and all the inhabitants of this land, shall hear of this, and they shall be gathered together, and shall surround us, and they shall do away our names from the earth; and then what shalt thou do for thy great name?)
10 And the Lord said to Joshua, Rise thou up; why liest thou low in the earth? (why liest thou there on the ground?)

Joshua 7:1-10 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 7

For the trespass of Achan the children of Israel were smitten and put to flight by the men of Ai, Jos 7:1-5; which gave him and the elders of the people great concern, both for Israel and for the name of the Lord, which was expressed by Joshua in prayer to God, Jos 7:6-9; when the Lord informed him of the reason of it, and gave him directions for finding out the guilty person, and for the punishment of him, Jos 7:10-15; which directions Joshua followed, and the person was found out, who being urged to a confession made one, Jos 7:16-21; upon which he and all he had, with the things he had taken, were burnt with fire, Jos 7:22-26.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.