Joshua 7

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 7:5

And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men ,.... In the pursuit of them, which were but few, but a sufficient rebuke of Providence; their loss was but small, but their shame and disgrace great: for they chased them from before the gate ; the gate of the city of Ai: even unto Shebarim ; not that there was a place of this name before, but it was so called from hence, because there they were broken, as Kimchi observes; and the Targum and Jarchi render it,"until they... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 7:6

And Joshua rent his clothes ,.... As was usual in those ancient times, on hearing bad news, and as expressive of grief and trouble F18 "Tum pius", Aeneas, &c.; Virgil. Aeneid. l. 5. prope finem. ; see Genesis 37:29 , and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord, until the eventide ; in a posture of adoration and prayer, in which he continued till even; how long that was cannot be said, since the time is not mentioned when the army returned from Ai; very... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 7:7

And Joshua said, alas! O Lord God ,.... What a miserable and distressed condition are we in! have pity and compassion on us; who could have thought it, that this would have been our case? wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us : who are mentioned either for the whole people of the land of Canaan; or rather, because the people of Israel were now in that part of the country which they inhabited: these words... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 7:8

O Lord, what shall I say ,.... For the comfort and encouragement of the people of Israel, in vindication of thy power and faithfulness, and against the charge of weakness in thyself, unfaithfulness to thy promises, and unkindness to thy people, brought by our enemies: when Israel hath turned their backs before their enemies ? or after they have done it; what is to be said now, this being the case? he speaks as a man confounded, and at the utmost loss how to account for the power, the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 7:10

And the Lord said unto Joshua, get thee up ,.... From the ground where he lay prostrate, with his face to it: this he said, not as refusing his supplication to him, but rather as encouraging and strengthening him; though chiefly he said this in order to instruct him, and that he might prepare for what he was to do: wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face ? in this manner, so distressed and dejected; or for this thing, as the Targum, for this defeat of the army; something else is to be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 7:11

Israel hath sinned ,.... For though one only had committed the sin, others might have known of it, and connived at it; however, there was sin committed among them, and it must be discovered, the guilt charged, and punishment inflicted: and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them ; not the law given on Mount Sinai, called the covenant, though in general that was now broken, inasmuch as they then promised to hear and obey all that the Lord should say unto them, ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 7:13

Up, sanctify the people ,.... The word "up" not only signifies getting up from the ground on which he lay, but to bestir himself, and to be active in what he would now be enjoined and directed to do, and in the first place to "sanctify the people", that is, by giving them orders to do it themselves: and say, sanctify yourselves against tomorrow ; either by some ceremonial ablutions, or by the performance of moral duties, as prayer, repentance, and good works; or rather, they were to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 7:14

In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes ,.... One or more of every tribe, according to the number of them, were to be brought the next morning before Joshua and the elders of Israel, the sanhedrim and council of the nation, and very probably the tabernacle, where they assembled for this purpose: and it shall be, that the tribe which the Lord taketh ; how a tribe and so a family or household were taken is differently understood; what some of the Jewish... read more

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