The Meaning of Joshua 7:12 Explained

Joshua 7:12

KJV: Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.

YLT: and the sons of Israel have not been able to stand before their enemies; the neck they turn before their enemies, for they have become a devoted thing; I add not to be with you -- if ye destroy not the devoted thing out of your midst.

Darby: And the children of Israel shall not be able to stand before their enemies: they shall turn their backs before their enemies, for they have made themselves accursed. I will no more be with you, except ye destroy the accursed thing from your midst.

ASV: Therefore the children of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, because they are become accursed: I will not be with you any more, except ye destroy the devoted thing from among you.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Therefore the children  of Israel  could  not stand  before  their enemies,  [but] turned  [their] backs  before  their enemies,  because they were accursed:  neither will I be with you any more,  except  ye destroy  the accursed  from among  you. 

What does Joshua 7:12 Mean?

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 7:12 mean?

Therefore not could the sons of Israel stand before their enemies [their] backs [but] turned their enemies because they have become doomed to destruction Neither anymore will I be with you unless not you you destroy the accursed from among you
וְלֹ֨א יֻכְל֜וּ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לָקוּם֙ לִפְנֵ֣י אֹיְבֵיהֶ֔ם עֹ֗רֶף יִפְנוּ֙ אֹֽיְבֵיהֶ֔ם כִּ֥י הָי֖וּ לְחֵ֑רֶם לֹ֤א אוֹסִיף֙ לִֽהְי֣וֹת עִמָּכֶ֔ם אִם־ לֹ֥א תַשְׁמִ֛ידוּ הַחֵ֖רֶם מִֽקִּרְבְּכֶֽם

וְלֹ֨א  Therefore  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יֻכְל֜וּ  could 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָכֹל  
Sense: to prevail, overcome, endure, have power, be able.
בְּנֵ֣י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל  of  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.
לָקוּם֙  stand 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
לִפְנֵ֣י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
אֹיְבֵיהֶ֔ם  their  enemies 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
עֹ֗רֶף  [their]  backs 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹרֶף  
Sense: neck, back of the neck, back.
יִפְנוּ֙  [but]  turned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: פֹּונֶה 
Sense: to turn.
אֹֽיְבֵיהֶ֔ם  their  enemies 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
כִּ֥י  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
הָי֖וּ  they  have  become 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לְחֵ֑רֶם  doomed  to  destruction 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֵרֶם 
Sense: a thing devoted, thing dedicated, ban, devotion.
לֹ֤א  Neither 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
אוֹסִיף֙  anymore 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: יָסַף 
Sense: to add, increase, do again.
לִֽהְי֣וֹת  will  I  be 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
עִמָּכֶ֔ם  with  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
אִם־  unless 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
לֹ֥א  not  you 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
תַשְׁמִ֛ידוּ  you  destroy 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַד  
Sense: to destroy, exterminate, be destroyed, be exterminated.
הַחֵ֖רֶם  the  accursed 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֵרֶם 
Sense: a thing devoted, thing dedicated, ban, devotion.
מִֽקִּרְבְּכֶֽם  from  among  you 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: קֶרֶב  
Sense: midst, among, inner part, middle.