Joshua 7:5-8

7:5 The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them and chased them from in front of the city gate all the way to the fissures ¹  and defeated them on the steep slope. ²  The people’s ³  courage melted away like water. ⁴ 

7:6 Joshua tore his clothes; ⁵  he and the leaders ⁶  of Israel lay face down on the ground before the ark of the Lord until evening ⁷  and threw dirt on their heads. ⁸  7:7 Joshua prayed, ⁹  “O, Master, Lord! Why did you bring these people across the Jordan to hand us over to the Amorites so they could destroy us? 7:8 If only we had been satisfied to live on the other side of the Jordan! O Lord, what can I say now that Israel has retreated ¹⁰  before its enemies?

Joshua 7:12

7:12 The Israelites are unable to stand before their enemies; they retreat because they have become subject to annihilation. ¹¹  I will no longer be with you, ¹²  unless you destroy what has contaminated you. ¹³ 

¹ tn The meaning and correct translation of the Hebrew word שְׁבָרִים (shÿvarim) is uncertain. The translation “fissures” is based on usage of the plural form of the noun in Ps 60:4 HT (60:2 ET), where it appears to refer to cracks in the earth caused by an earthquake. Perhaps deep ravines or gorges are in view, or the word is a proper noun (“all the way to Shebarim”).

² sn The precise geographical location of the Israelite defeat at this “steep slope” is uncertain.

³ tn Or “army’s.”

⁴ tn Heb “and the heart of the people melted and became water.”

⁵ sn Tearing one’s clothes was an outward expression of extreme sorrow (see Gen 37:34; 44:13).

⁶ tn Or “elders.”

⁷ tn Heb “and fell on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel.”

⁸ sn Throwing dirt on one’s head was an outward expression of extreme sorrow (see Lam 2:10; Ezek 27:30).

⁹ tn Heb “said.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “turned [the] back.”

¹¹ tn Heb “they turn [the] back before their enemies because they are set apart [to destruction by the Lord].”

¹² tn The second person pronoun is plural in Hebrew, indicating these words are addressed to the entire nation.

¹³ tn Heb “what is set apart [to destruction by the Lord] from your midst.”