Joshua 7:8 — Meaning and Application

King James Version

“O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies! {backs: Heb. necks}”

Joshua 7:8

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Understanding the surrounding verses prevents misinterpretation:

And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.

And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!

O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies! {backs: Heb. necks}

For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear {of it}, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?

And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? {liest: Heb. fallest}

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Joshua 7:1

"But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel. {Achan: also called, Achar} {Zabdi: also called, Zimri}"

Joshua 7:2

"And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which {is} beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai."

Joshua 7:3

"And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; {and} make not all the people to labour thither; for they {are but} few. {about...: Heb. about two thousand men, or, about three thousand men}"

Joshua 7:4

"So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai."

Joshua 7:5

"And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them {from} before the gate {even} unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water. {in...: or, in Morad}"

Joshua 7:6

"And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads."

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