The Meaning of Joshua 7:3 Explained

Joshua 7:3

KJV: 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.

YLT: and they turn back unto Joshua, and say unto him, 'Let not all the people go up; let about two thousand men, or about three thousand men, go up, and they smite Ai; cause not all the people to labour thither; for they are few.'

Darby: And they returned to Joshua, and said to him, Let not all the people go up; let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; make not all the people to toil thither, for they are few.

ASV: 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; make not all the people to toil thither; for they are but few.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Joshua 7:3 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 7:3 mean?

And they returned to Joshua and said to him not do let go up all the people but about two thousand men or three thousand let go up and attack - Ai do weary there the people for few they [are]
וַיָּשֻׁ֣בוּ אֶל־ יְהוֹשֻׁ֗עַ וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָיו֮ אַל־ יַ֣עַל כָּל־ הָעָם֒ כְּאַלְפַּ֣יִם אִ֗ישׁ א֚וֹ כִּשְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת אֲלָפִ֣ים יַעֲל֖וּ וְיַכּ֣וּ אֶת־ הָעָ֑י תְּיַגַּע־ שָׁ֙מָּה֙ הָעָ֔ם כִּ֥י מְעַ֖ט הֵֽמָּה

וַיָּשֻׁ֣בוּ  And  they  returned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
יְהוֹשֻׁ֗עַ  Joshua 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹושֻׁעַ  
Sense: son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim and successor to Moses as the leader of the children of Israel; led the conquest of Canaan.
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלָיו֮  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
יַ֣עַל  do  let  go  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Jussive, third person masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
הָעָם֒  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
כְּאַלְפַּ֣יִם  but  about  two  thousand 
Parse: Preposition-k, Number, md
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
אִ֗ישׁ  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
כִּשְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת  three 
Parse: Preposition-k, Number, masculine singular construct
Root: מִשְׁלֹשׁ 
Sense: three, triad.
אֲלָפִ֣ים  thousand 
Parse: Number, masculine plural
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
יַעֲל֖וּ  let  go  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
וְיַכּ֣וּ  and  attack 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
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.
הָעָ֑י  Ai 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עַי 
Sense: a city lying east of Bethel and beside Bethaven near Jericho and the 2nd city taken on the invasion of Canaan.
תְּיַגַּע־  do  weary 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָגַע  
Sense: to toil, labour, grow weary, be weary.
הָעָ֔ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
מְעַ֖ט  few 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: מְעַט  
Sense: littleness, few, a little, fewness.
הֵֽמָּה  they  [are] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.