The Meaning of Joshua 7:8 Explained

Joshua 7:8

KJV: O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies!

YLT: Oh, Lord, what do I say, after that Israel hath turned the neck before its enemies?

Darby: Ah Lord! what shall I say after Israel have turned their backs before their enemies?

ASV: Oh, Lord, what shall I say, after that Israel hath turned their backs before their enemies!

KJV Reverse Interlinear

O  Lord,  what shall I say,  when  Israel  turneth  their backs  before  their enemies! 

What does Joshua 7:8 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 7:8 mean?

O Lord what shall I say when when turns Israel its back before its enemies
בִּ֖י אֲדֹנָ֑י מָ֣ה אֹמַ֔ר אַ֠חֲרֵי אֲשֶׁ֨ר הָפַ֧ךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל עֹ֖רֶף לִפְנֵ֥י ! אֹיְבָֽיו

בִּ֖י  O 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: בִּי  
Sense: if it please, pray excuse me, excuse me please.
אֲדֹנָ֑י  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
אֹמַ֔ר  shall  I  say 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הָפַ֧ךְ  turns 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָפַךְ  
Sense: to turn, overthrow, overturn.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
עֹ֖רֶף  its  back 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹרֶף  
Sense: neck, back of the neck, back.
לִפְנֵ֥י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
! אֹיְבָֽיו  its  enemies 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.

What are the major concepts related to Joshua 7:8?

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