Joshua 7:1-13

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 7:1-5

The story of this chapter begins with a but. The Lord was with Joshua, and his fame was noised through all that country, so the foregoing chapter ends, and it left no room to doubt but that he would go on as he had begun conquering and to conquer. He did right, and observed his orders in every thing. But the children of Israel committed a trespass, and so set God against them; and then even Joshua's name and fame, his wisdom and courage, could do them no service. If we lose our God, we lose... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 7:6-9

We have here an account of the deep concern Joshua was in upon this sad occasion. He, as a public person, interested himself more than any other in this public loss, and is therein an example to princes and great men, and teaches them to lay much to heart the calamities that befal their people: he is also a type of Christ, to whom the blood of his subjects is precious, Ps. 72:14. Observe, I. How he grieved: He rent his clothes (Josh. 7:6), in token of great sorrow for this public disaster, and... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 7:10-15

We have here God's answer to Joshua's address, which, we may suppose, came from the oracle over the ark, before which Joshua had prostrated himself, Josh. 7:6. Those that desire to know the will of God must attend with their desires upon the lively oracles, and wait at wisdom's gates for wisdom's dictates, Prov. 8:34. And let those that find themselves under the tokens of God's displeasure never complain of him, but complain to him, and they shall receive an answer of peace. The answer came... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 7:1

But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing ,.... Or concerning it, with respect to it, by taking part of what was devoted to another use, and forbidden theirs: this was done, not by the whole body of the people, only by one of them; but it not being discovered who it was, it was imputed to the whole, on whom it lay to find out the guilty person and punish him, or else the whole must suffer for it: this chapter begins with a "but", and draws a vail over the fame and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 7:2

And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai ,.... Which was the next city of importance, though not so large as Jericho, and was, as the Jews say F12 Shemoth Rabba, sect. 32. fol. 185. 2. , three miles distant from it; Abarbinel says F13 In Josh. xx. fol. 34. 1. four miles, and so Bunting F14 Travels Of the Patriarchs, &c.; p. 95. ; Jerom F15 De loc. Heb. fol. 87. E. says, that in his times very few ruins of it appeared, only the place was shown where it stood: ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 7:3

And they returned unto Joshua, and said unto him, let not all the people go up ,.... After they had reconnoitred the place, they came back to their general, and gave it as their opinion, that there was no need for the whole army to go up against the city: but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai ; such a number they judged were sufficient to take it: and make not all the people to labour thither ; carrying their tents, bearing their armour, and going up hill: ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 7:4

So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men ,.... Joshua detached from the army the largest number proposed, that there might be strength enough to take the place; and those he sent under proper officers to Ai, who went up to the very gate of the city, as appears from Joshua 7:5 , and they fled before the men of Ai ; for upon their appearing at the gate of their city, they came out with all their forces against them, and as soon as they did, the children of Israel... read more

John Gill

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

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