The Meaning of Joshua 7:9 Explained

Joshua 7:9

KJV: 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?

YLT: and the Canaanite and all the inhabitants of the land do hear, and have come round against us, and cut off our name out of the earth; and what dost Thou do for Thy great name?'

Darby: When the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, they will surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. And what wilt thou do unto thy great name?

ASV: For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and will compass us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do for thy great name?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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? 

What does Joshua 7:9 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 7:1-15 - The First Defeat And Its Cause
Israel was taught that victory is possible only where there are exact obedience and sincere consecration. We cannot cope with our foes, unless we live in unclouded fellowship with God. See 2 Chronicles 15:2. Our spiritual allies in the heavenly places cannot co-operate while evil is harbored. Canaan was a gift to faith, and a strong spiritual life was peremptory. The gold and silver of Jericho were consecrated to God, so that Achan committed sacrilege as well as theft.
Ai (see Genesis 12:8; Genesis 13:3) lay two miles north of Jericho, and was a comparatively small place; but without God the smallest opposition is too great for us. Joshua seemed more concerned for the disgrace brought on the divine name than for the disaster to his men. Let us always look at our failures from God's side! We must not lie too long in the dust of despair, but arise to detect and put away the hidden cause of our defeat, Hosea 5:15; Hosea 6:1-2. [source]

Chapter Summary: Joshua 7

1  The Israelites are smitten at Ai
6  Joshua's complaint
10  God instructs him what to do
16  Achan is taken by the lot
19  His confession
24  He and all he had are destroyed in the valley of Achor

What do the individual words in Joshua 7:9 mean?

for will hear [it] the Canaanite and all the inhabitants of the land and surround us and cut off - our name from the earth And what will You do for Your name great -
וְיִשְׁמְע֣וּ הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֗י וְכֹל֙ יֹשְׁבֵ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ וְנָסַ֣בּוּ עָלֵ֔ינוּ וְהִכְרִ֥יתוּ אֶת־ שְׁמֵ֖נוּ מִן־ הָאָ֑רֶץ וּמַֽה־ תַּעֲשֵׂ֖ה ؟ לְשִׁמְךָ֥ הַגָּדֽוֹל ס

וְיִשְׁמְע֣וּ  for  will  hear  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֗י  the  Canaanite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כִּנְעָן 
Sense: descendant of inhabitant of Canaan n.
וְכֹל֙  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
יֹשְׁבֵ֣י  the  inhabitants 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
הָאָ֔רֶץ  of  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וְנָסַ֣בּוּ  and  surround 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: סָבַב  
Sense: to turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or arou nd, surround, encircle, change direction.
עָלֵ֔ינוּ  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
וְהִכְרִ֥יתוּ  and  cut  off 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
שְׁמֵ֖נוּ  our  name 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
הָאָ֑רֶץ  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וּמַֽה־  And  what 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
תַּעֲשֵׂ֖ה  will  You  do 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
؟ לְשִׁמְךָ֥  for  Your  name 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
הַגָּדֽוֹל  great 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation