Joshua 7:9

Joshua 7:9 in other versions

• King James Version (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?
• New International Version (NIV)The Canaanites and the other people of the country will hear about this and they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. What then will you do for your own great name?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear it, and surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?”

Context of Joshua 7:9

7Joshua said, ‘Almighty Lord, why did you ever bring us over the Jordan River? Did you bring us here so that the Amorites could destroy us? It would have been better for us to stay on the other side of the Jordan! 8Now our army has had to run away from our enemies! Lord, there is nothing more for me to say! The Canaanites and the other tribes who live in this land will hear about what has happened. They will come to attack us and they will completely destroy us all. If that happens, nobody will ever respect your great name again!’ 10The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Stand up! Why are you lying there on the ground? 11Israel has done a bad thing. They have not obeyed the command of the covenant that I made with them. That have taken for themselves some of the valuable things that belong to me. They have taken them and they have tried to deceive me. They have hidden them among their own things.

Joshua 7:9 word by word

וְיִשְׁמְע֣וּ הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֗י וְכֹל֙ יֹשְׁבֵ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ וְנָסַ֣בּוּ עָלֵ֔ינוּ וְהִכְרִ֥יתוּ אֶת־שְׁמֵ֖נוּ מִן־הָאָ֑רֶץ וּמַֽה־תַּעֲשֵׂ֖ה לְשִׁמְךָ֥ הַגָּדֽוֹל׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• For the Canaanitesכְּנַעֲנִיkena‛anîy · CanaaniteH3669
• and all the inhabitantsיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• of the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• shall hearשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• and shall environ us roundסָבַבsâbab · to turn: surroundH5437
• and cut offכָּרַתkârath · to cut: eliminateH3772
• our nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
• and what wilt thou doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• unto thy greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419

Cross-references for Joshua 7:9

• Exodus 32:12If you destroy them, the Egyptians will say, “God led the Israelites out of our land so that he could completely destroy them. He wanted to kill them in the mountains.” So please stop being angry. Change your mind. Please do not bring this great trouble on your own people.
• Numbers 14:13Moses said to the Lord, ‘Please do not do that! You used your great power to bring these people out of Egypt. If you destroy them, the Egyptians will hear about it.
• Psalms 83:4They say, ‘Come now! We will destroy them. They will no longer be a nation. Nobody will remember the name of Israel any more.’
• Psalms 124:2‘If the Lord was not fighting for us when men attacked us,
• Deuteronomy 32:26I wanted to remove my people completely, so that nobody would ever remember them.
• Psalms 106:6We have done bad things, as our ancestors also did. We have done things that are wicked and evil.
• Ezekiel 20:9But I did not want the people of other nations to insult my name. I had promised Israel's people that I would bring them out of Egypt. The nations near where the Israelites were living knew this.
• Ezekiel 36:22So you must say to Israel's people, “This is what the Almighty Lord says: I will help you, Israel's people. But it is not because you deserve it. I will do it so that people give honour to my holy name. You brought me shame among the nations where you went.
• Joel 2:17There are priests who go in front of the Lord. They must cry as they go from the temple door to the altar. They must say to the Lord, ‘Do not hurt your people. Do not let the people in other countries laugh at your own people. They will point at them. And they will say that they have no value. They will say that we have no God.’
• John 12:28So I will say, “Father, show how great and how good you are.” ’ Then a voice spoke from heaven and said, ‘I have shown how great and how good I am. And I will do it again.’

Commentaries on Joshua 7:9

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9What wilt thou do unto thy great name? - i. e. “after the Canaanites have cut off our name what will become of Thy Name?” This bold expostulation, that of one wrestling in sore need with God in prayer, like the similar appeals of Moses in earlier emergencies (Compare the marginal references), is based upon God‘s past promises and mercies. What would be said of (God by the pagan if now He permitted Israel to be destroyed?Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-9Verses 6-9 Joshua's concern for the honour of God, more than even for the fate of Israel, was the language of the Spirit of adoption. He pleaded with God. He laments their defeat, as he feared it would reflect on God's wisdom and power, his goodness and faithfulness. We cannot at any time urge a better plea than this, Lord, what wilt thou do for thy great name? Let God be glorified in all, and then welcome his whole will.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-9Joshua’s fears were realistic. All of Canaan had believed that Israel could not be defeated. However, because the small town of Ai defeated Israel, the Canaanites might think this could happen again. If God allowed the wicked to destroy his people completely, the nations would no longer have a witness. They would not see that God continues to be involved with his world. Your great name: Compare Exodus 32:11–12; Numbers 14:13–19.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 6-96-9. Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth ... before the ark ... he and the elders--It is evident, from those tokens of humiliation and sorrow, that a solemn fast was observed on this occasion. The language of Joshua's prayer is thought by many to savor of human infirmity and to be wanting in that reverence and submission he owed to God. But, although apparently breathing a spirit of bold remonstrance and complaint, it was in reality the…Read the comment

Topics related to Joshua 7:9

• Ark
• Intercession
• Prayer

In the dictionaries

• Folly
• Hide
• Tell
• Wedge
• Achan
• Ai
• Covetousness
• Exodus, the Book of
• God
• Guilt

Commentaries on Joshua 7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings