Revised Literal Translation
Joshua 7:7
7And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord Yhwh, 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!
Joshua 7:7 in other versions
- King James Version (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!
- New International Version (NIV)And Joshua said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan!
- English Standard Version (ESV)And Joshua said, "Alas, O Lord God, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan!
- New King James Version (NKJV)And Joshua said, “Alas, Lord God, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all—to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan!
Context of Joshua 7:7
5And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water. 6And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of Yhwh until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads. And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord Yhwh, 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! 8O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies! 9For 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?
Read all of Joshua 7Joshua 7:7 word by word
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוֹשֻׁ֜עַ אֲהָ֣הּ׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה לָ֠מָה הֵעֲבַ֨רְתָּ הַעֲבִ֜יר אֶת־הָעָ֤ם הַזֶּה֙ אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן לָתֵ֥ת אֹתָ֛נוּ בְּיַ֥ד הָאֱמֹרִ֖י לְהַאֲבִידֵ֑נוּ וְלוּ֙ הוֹאַ֣לְנוּ וַנֵּ֔שֶׁב בְּעֵ֖בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃Read the interlinear
- And Joshuaיְהוֹשׁוּעַyehôshûa‛ yehôshûa‛ · JoshuaH3091
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Alas, Oאֲהָהּ'ăhâhh · alas!H162
- Lordאֲדֹנָי'ădônây · LordH136
- Yhwhיְהֹוִהyehôvih · YHWH/GodH3069
- wherefore hast thou at allעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- this peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- Jordanיַרְדֵּןyardên · JordanH3383
- to deliverנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- us into the handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
- of the Amoritesאֱמֹרִי'ĕmôrîy · AmoriteH567
- to destroyאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6
- us? would to Godלוּlû' lû' lû · ifH3863
- we had been contentיָאַלyâ'al · be willingH2974
- and dweltיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- on the other sideעֵ֫בֶר‛êber · side: beyondH5676
Cross-references for Joshua 7:7
- Exodus 5:22And Moses returned unto Yhwh, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?
- Numbers 14:3And wherefore hath Yhwh brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?
- 2 Kings 3:10And the king of Israel said, Alas! that Yhwh hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!
- Psalms 116:11I said in my haste, All men are liars.
- Jeremiah 12:1Righteous art thou, O Yhwh, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?
- Hebrews 12:5And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
- Exodus 14:11And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?
- Exodus 17:3And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?
- Numbers 20:4And why have ye brought up the congregation of Yhwh into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?
- Matthew 17:17Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
- Matthew 8:17That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
- Exodus 16:3And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of Yhwh in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
- Joshua 1:2Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.
Commentaries on Joshua 7:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Alas, O Lord God - Particles of exclamations and distress, or what are called interjections, are nearly the same in all languages: and the reason is because they are the simple voice of nature. The Hebrew word which we translate alas is אהה ahah . The complaint of Joshua in this and the following verses seems principally to have arisen from his deep concern for the glory of God, and the affecting interest he took in behalf of the people: he felt for the…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. 7Joshua spoke to God in anger. This helps explain the sharp tone of God’s reply (7:10–15). The battle was lost because of Achan’s sin. However, Joshua and Israel’s elders had also failed to ask God for guidance (7:3). Joshua did not truly believe that Israel should have stayed on the other side of the Jordan River. Instead, he used hyperbole (strong exaggeration) to show that he did not know what to do next.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 7:7
In the dictionaries
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
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
Commentaries