The Meaning of Joshua 7:11 Explained

Joshua 7:11

KJV: Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.

YLT: Israel hath sinned, and also they have transgressed My covenant which I commanded them, and also taken of the devoted thing, and also stolen, and also deceived, and also put it among their vessels,

Darby: Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them, and they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it among their stuff.

ASV: Israel hath sinned; yea, they have even transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: yea, they have even taken of the devoted thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also; and they have even put it among their own stuff.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Israel  hath sinned,  and they have also transgressed  my covenant  which I commanded  them: for they have even taken  of the accursed thing,  and have also stolen,  and dissembled  also, and they have put  [it] even among their own stuff. 

What does Joshua 7:11 Mean?

Study Notes

Israel
The sin of Achan and its results teach the great truth of the oneness of the people of God, Joshua 7:11 . "Israel hath sinned." See in illustration; 1 Corinthians 5:1-7 ; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 ; 1 Corinthians 12:26 . The whole cause of Christ is injured by the sin, neglect, or unspirituality of one believer.

Context Summary

Joshua 7:1-15 - The First Defeat And Its Cause
Israel was taught that victory is possible only where there are exact obedience and sincere consecration. We cannot cope with our foes, unless we live in unclouded fellowship with God. See 2 Chronicles 15:2. Our spiritual allies in the heavenly places cannot co-operate while evil is harbored. Canaan was a gift to faith, and a strong spiritual life was peremptory. The gold and silver of Jericho were consecrated to God, so that Achan committed sacrilege as well as theft.
Ai (see Genesis 12:8; Genesis 13:3) lay two miles north of Jericho, and was a comparatively small place; but without God the smallest opposition is too great for us. Joshua seemed more concerned for the disgrace brought on the divine name than for the disaster to his men. Let us always look at our failures from God's side! We must not lie too long in the dust of despair, but arise to detect and put away the hidden cause of our defeat, Hosea 5:15; Hosea 6:1-2. [source]

Chapter Summary: Joshua 7

1  The Israelites are smitten at Ai
6  Joshua's complaint
10  God instructs him what to do
16  Achan is taken by the lot
19  His confession
24  He and all he had are destroyed in the valley of Achor

What do the individual words in Joshua 7:11 mean?

has sinned Israel and also they have transgressed - My covenant which I commanded them for even they have taken some of the accursed things and both have stolen and deceived and also they have put [it] among their own stuff
חָטָא֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְגַם֙ עָבְר֣וּ אֶת־ בְּרִיתִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוִּ֖יתִי אוֹתָ֑ם וְגַ֤ם לָֽקְחוּ֙ מִן־ הַחֵ֔רֶם וְגַ֤ם גָּֽנְבוּ֙ וְגַ֣ם כִּֽחֲשׁ֔וּ וְגַ֖ם שָׂ֥מוּ בִכְלֵיהֶֽם

חָטָא֙  has  sinned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וְגַם֙  and  also 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
עָבְר֣וּ  they  have  transgressed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
בְּרִיתִ֔י  My  covenant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.
צִוִּ֖יתִי  I  commanded 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.
וְגַ֤ם  for  even 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
לָֽקְחוּ֙  they  have  taken 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
מִן־  some 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
הַחֵ֔רֶם  of  the  accursed  things 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֵרֶם 
Sense: a thing devoted, thing dedicated, ban, devotion.
וְגַ֤ם  and  both 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
גָּֽנְבוּ֙  have  stolen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: גָּנַב  
Sense: to steal, steal away, carry away.
כִּֽחֲשׁ֔וּ  deceived 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: כָּחַשׁ  
Sense: to deceive, lie, fail, grow lean, be disappointing, be untrue, be insufficient, be found liars, belie, deny, dissemble, deal falsely.
וְגַ֖ם  and  also 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
שָׂ֥מוּ  they  have  put  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
בִכְלֵיהֶֽם  among  their  own  stuff 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: כְּלִי  
Sense: article, vessel, implement, utensil.