The Meaning of Joshua 7:7 Explained

Joshua 7:7

KJV: 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!

YLT: And Joshua saith, 'Ah, Lord Jehovah, why hast Thou at all caused this people to pass over the Jordan, to give us into the hand of the Amorite to destroy us? -- and oh that we had been willing -- and we dwell beyond the Jordan!

Darby: And Joshua said, Alas, Lord Jehovah, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over the Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh that we had been content and had remained beyond the Jordan!

ASV: And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord Jehovah, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over the Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to cause us to perish? would that we had been content and dwelt beyond the Jordan!

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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! 

What does Joshua 7:7 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 7:7 mean?

And said Joshua Alas Lord GOD why have You brought at all - people this the over Jordan to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us and Oh that we had been content and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוֹשֻׁ֜עַ אֲהָ֣הּ ׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה לָ֠מָה הֵעֲבַ֨רְתָּ הַעֲבִ֜יר אֶת־ הָעָ֤ם הַזֶּה֙ הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן לָתֵ֥ת אֹתָ֛נוּ בְּיַ֥ד הָאֱמֹרִ֖י לְהַאֲבִידֵ֑נוּ וְלוּ֙ הוֹאַ֣לְנוּ וַנֵּ֔שֶׁב בְּעֵ֖בֶר ! הַיַּרְדֵּֽן

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוֹשֻׁ֜עַ  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.
אֲהָ֣הּ ׀  Alas 
Parse: Interjection
Root: אֲהָהּ  
Sense: alas!, oh!, ah!.
אֲדֹנָ֣י  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
יְהוִ֗ה  GOD 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
לָ֠מָה  why 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
הֵעֲבַ֨רְתָּ  have  You  brought 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
הַעֲבִ֜יר  at  all 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
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.
הָעָ֤ם  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הַזֶּה֙  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן  the  over  Jordan 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יַרְדֵּן  
Sense: the river of Palestine running from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the Dead Sea a distance of approx 200 miles (320 km).
לָתֵ֥ת  to  deliver 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אֹתָ֛נוּ  us 
Parse: Direct object marker, first person common plural
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
בְּיַ֥ד  into  the  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
הָאֱמֹרִ֖י  of  the  Amorites 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱמֹרִי  
Sense: one of the peoples of east Canaan and beyond the Jordan, dispossessed by the Israelite incursion from Egypt.
לְהַאֲבִידֵ֑נוּ  to  destroy  us 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct, first person common plural
Root: אָבַד  
Sense: perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed.
וְלוּ֙  and  Oh 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: לוּ  
Sense: if, oh that!, if only!.
הוֹאַ֣לְנוּ  that  we  had  been  content 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: יָאַל  
Sense: to begin, make a beginning, show willingness, undertake to do, be pleased, be determined.
וַנֵּ֔שֶׁב  and  dwelt 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common plural
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בְּעֵ֖בֶר  on  the  other  side 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֵבֶר  
Sense: region beyond or across, side.
! הַיַּרְדֵּֽן  of  the  Jordan 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יַרְדֵּן  
Sense: the river of Palestine running from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the Dead Sea a distance of approx 200 miles (320 km).