26:36 “‘As for 1 the ones who remain among you, I will bring despair into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. The sound of a blowing leaf will pursue them, and they will flee as one who flees the sword and fall down even though there is no pursuer. 26:37 They will stumble over each other as those who flee before a sword, though 2 there is no pursuer, and there will be no one to take a stand 3 for you before your enemies.
7:4 So about three thousand men went up, but they fled from the men of Ai. 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 8 and defeated them on the steep slope. 9 The people’s 10 courage melted away like water. 11
7:10 The Lord responded 15 to Joshua, “Get up! Why are you lying there face down? 16 7:11 Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenantal commandment! 17 They have taken some of the riches; 18 they have stolen them and deceitfully put them among their own possessions. 19 7:12 The Israelites are unable to stand before their enemies; they retreat because they have become subject to annihilation. 20 I will no longer be with you, 21 unless you destroy what has contaminated you. 22
7:2 Joshua sent men from Jericho 23 to Ai (which is located near Beth Aven, east of Bethel 24 ) and instructed them, “Go up and spy on the land.” So the men went up and spied on Ai.
1 tn Heb “And.”
2 tn Heb “and.” The Hebrew conjunction ו (vav, “and”) is used in a concessive sense here.
3 tn The term rendered “to stand up” is a noun, not an infinitive. It occurs only here and appears to designate someone who would take a powerful stand for them against their enemies.
4 tn This verb could also be subordinated to the preceding: “that you be not smitten.”
5 tn Heb “came down.”
6 tn The verb used here means “crush by beating,” or “pounded” them. The Greek text used “cut them in pieces.”
7 tn The name “Hormah” means “destruction”; it is from the word that means “ban, devote” for either destruction or temple use.
8 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”).
9 sn The precise geographical location of the Israelite defeat at this “steep slope” is uncertain.
10 tn Or “army’s.”
11 tn Heb “and the heart of the people melted and became water.”
12 tn Heb “turned [the] back.”
13 tn Heb “and cut off our name.”
14 tn Heb “What will you do for your great name?”
15 tn Heb “said.”
16 tn Heb “Why are you falling on your face?”
17 tn Heb “They have violated my covenant which I commanded them.”
18 tn Heb “what was set apart [to the
19 tn Heb “and also they have stolen, and also they have lied, and also they have placed [them] among their items.”
20 tn Heb “they turn [the] back before their enemies because they are set apart [to destruction by the
21 tn The second person pronoun is plural in Hebrew, indicating these words are addressed to the entire nation.
22 tn Heb “what is set apart [to destruction by the
23 map For location see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1.
24 map For the location of Bethel see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3.
25 tn Heb “mouth.”
26 tn Heb “read it in undertones,” or “recite it quietly” (see HALOT 1:237).
27 tn Heb “be careful to do.”
28 tn Heb “you will make your way prosperous.”
29 tn Heb “and be wise,” but the word can mean “be successful” by metonymy.