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 

Psalms 44:9-10

44:9 But ¹⁴  you rejected and embarrassed us!

You did not go into battle with our armies. ¹⁵ 

44:10 You made us retreat ¹⁶  from the enemy.

Those who hate us take whatever they want from us. ¹⁷ 

[7:5]  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”).

[7:5]  ² sn The precise geographical location of the Israelite defeat at this “steep slope” is uncertain.

[7:5]  ³ tn Or “army’s.”

[7:5]  ⁴ tn Heb “and the heart of the people melted and became water.”

[7:6]  ⁵ sn Tearing one’s clothes was an outward expression of extreme sorrow (see Gen 37:34; 44:13).

[7:6]  ⁶ tn Or “elders.”

[7:6]  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.”

[7:6]  ⁸ sn Throwing dirt on one’s head was an outward expression of extreme sorrow (see Lam 2:10; Ezek 27:30).

[7:7]  ⁹ tn Heb “said.”

[7:8]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “turned [the] back.”

[7:12]  ¹¹ tn Heb “they turn [the] back before their enemies because they are set apart [to destruction by the Lord].”

[7:12]  ¹² tn The second person pronoun is plural in Hebrew, indicating these words are addressed to the entire nation.

[7:12]  ¹³ tn Heb “what is set apart [to destruction by the Lord] from your midst.”

[44:9]  ¹⁴ tn The particle אַף (’af, “but”) is used here as a strong adversative contrasting the following statement with what precedes.

[44:9]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “you did not go out with our armies.” The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).

[44:10]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “you caused us to turn backward.”

[44:10]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “plunder for themselves.” The prepositional phrase לָמוֹ (lamo, “for themselves”) here has the nuance “at their will” or “as they please” (see Ps 80:6).