Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joshua 7:2
And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which [is] beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.
2. from Jericho to Ai ] The country of Canaan seems in the time of Joshua to have been broken up into a number of small territories, each governed by an independent chief or “king,” who extended his rule from his fortified citadel to the district round. In Jos 12:7-24, we find mention of no less than 32 such “kings.” A series of sieges, therefore, rather than of pitched battles, might be expected to characterise the campaigns of Joshua.
which is beside Beth-aven ] Ai had been already mentioned in Gen 12:8, in connection with the history of Abraham, who is said to have removed from Shechem “to a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east.” Though smaller than Jericho, Ai was a position of great importance; ( a) It dominated the road to Jerusalem, then called Jebus, and was situated only a few hours distant; ( b) It commanded the approaches into the heart of the country, and especially the fertile district of Samaria; ( c) Its fall virtually involved that of Bethel. Beth-aven lay between Bethel and Michmash (1Sa 13:5; 1Sa 14:23). In Hos 4:15; Hos 5:8; Hos 10:5, the name is transferred, with a play upon the word characteristic of the prophet, to the neighbouring Bethel, once the “house of God,” but then the house of idols, or “naught.”
the east side of Beth-el ] Bethel, formerly Luz (Gen 28:19), was an ancient Canaanitish royal city. The name Bethel existed, it would seem, as early as the time of Abraham, who removed from the oaks of Mamre to the “mountain on the east of Bethel ” (Gen 12:8). Here he built an altar, and hither he returned from Egypt with Lot before their separation (Gen 13:3-4). Even in those early times a distinction seems to have been drawn between the “city” of Luz and the consecrated “place” in its neighbourhood (Gen 35:7) called “Bethel” by Jacob ( a) Gen 28:19, ( b) Gen 35:14-15, which name does not appear to have been appropriated to the city itself till after the conquest by Joshua (Jos 16:1-2; Jdg 1:22-26).
Go up and view the country ] So important did the Hebrew leader deem the position of Ai that he resolved to repeat the tactics already pursued at Jericho, and to send spies to “view the country.” For the use of “view” = to “survey,” “review,” comp. Ezr 8:15, “and I viewed the people and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi;” and Hall, Henry V., “Before whose arriuall the kyng was departed from Wyndsor to Winchester, entending to haue gone to Hampton and to haue vewed his nauie.” Shakespeare, Henry Josh v. 4. 21,
“Therefore, I say,’tis meet we all go forth
To view the sick and feeble parts of France.”
See Bible Word Book, pp. 511, 512.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Ai, Bethel – See Gen 12:8 note. (Modern travelers place the former at Khan Haiy, in the neighborhood of Deir Diwan.)
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Jos 7:2-5
They fled before the men of Ai.
The true measure of strength
In every estimate of work to be done by men, or by money, the moral element ought to be taken into account as an important factor. Napoleons thought was that God is on the side of the heaviest battalions. But Napoleon did not consider the relative weight of battalions by Gods method of weighing them. One mans strength may be as the strength of ten, because his heart is pure; and where two thousand righteous men would be more than sufficient for a work of God, twenty thousand wrong-hearted men may fail. The true measure of the strength of any local Church is in the number and power of its godly men and women, not in the show of its men and women of wealth and intellect and social standing. One good teacher in a Sunday-school has more real power there than a score of unworthy ones. And it is with money as with men. The need of the Church in both the home and the foreign field to-day is not so much mere money, but better gifts. Ten dollars with a blessing will count for more in Gods work than ten thousand dollars without a blessing. It is not true that one mans money is as good as anothers, nor that money gained by one means is as good as money gained by another. (H. C. Trumbull.)
Joshuas lesson after the defeat at Ai
Jericho, according to the Divine promise, had fallen before Israel. It was evident that this remarkable event had happened through the direct interposition of the power of God. It is scarcely to be wondered at that such a triumph bred self-confidence. And, flushed with their recent and easily-gained success, the victors were in haste to add to their laurels by the conquest of Ai. Sere was an unlooked-for catastrophe. The Lords chosen people discomfited and dispersed in their second battle, a ground of insulting and contemptuous rejoicing given to the idolatrous Canaanites. And thus the Divine purpose stood, apparently, in danger of disgraceful frustration. Such thoughts were evidently jostling each other, like a medley crowd, in the mind of Joshua. And, confused beyond the possibility of calm reflection by their influence, he casts himself in despair before the ark of the Lord. With what wonderful illuminating power must the answer have come to him, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou upon thy face! What a call to common-sense action on the lines of faith is here! A little reflection might have shown to Joshua that the fault, whatever it was, could not lie at Jehovahs door. In place of useless whimpering over the past, vigorous examination was needed to remove the lurking evil. Sanctification, as before Jericho, was urgently required. And as for the honour of the name of the Lord, it was never in danger. This first defeat would give caution to the warriors of Israel, while, under the improved conditions about to be set up, it would act as an unfailing lure to the victors of Ai. Now this leaf out of the life of a good servant of God is well fitted to teach us many useful lessons.
I. A lesson as to the right treatment of a divine mystery. It is easy to conceive of Joshua as emulating the example of a rationalist, had the prototype of that much-belauded school existed in his time. In that case he would have called the leaders of his army together, and subjected them to severe cross-examination. He would have proposed a long list of questions as to the condition of the arms of the people, the manner of their leadership and its blunders, the time and apparent causes of the panic. And having exhausted his critical powers in the vain endeavour to discover some adequate cause for the catastrophe, he would have proceeded to distribute blame all round. At the same time, sapiently shaking his head over the problem, he would decide to rest and be thankful without further efforts at the conquest of the country. Or he would set himself to prove conclusively that after all the success at Jericho was due to accident, or purely natural causes, and that the whole scheme of Canaan conquest was based on a mistake. In this he might, not improbably, easily find scientific heads to help him. There would be sages who would invoke the aid of the discoveries of their time to show that the Jordan was divided, and the walls of Jericho fell from the operation of ordinary physical laws. The phenomena were special, but not supernaturally so. Or Joshua might have chosen a third course, and abandoned himself to surly grumbling or useless repining at the hard lot of a popular leader under a so-called theocracy. Joshuas primitive faith–or, as some would say, simplicity–was far wiser and more useful. And just as, turn the compass as yea may, the needle will point to the pole, so, let circumstances be what they might, Joshuas trust always drew him towards Gods oracle. The man of the world might call it childish, fatalistic credulity. At all events the issue proved it to be the right, the wisest thing to do. In like manner our true wisdom lies in taking our difficulties to God. Second causes, in the shape of natural law, human ignorance or frailty, have their sphere in the economy of the Divine government, but God is supreme over all.
II. It is not always safe to trust our zeal for the divine honour. Doubtless Joshua thought with Elijah in later times, I have been very zealous for the Lord of hosts, while he was really only fathering Israels sin upon Jehovah. And similar mistakes are not unfrequently made by godly men, and often with the best intentions. There are some facts which exist, and some which are threatened, which seem to reflect upon the nature and government of God. And in order, as it is supposed, to conserve Jehovahs honour, infinite effort is expended to cast doubt upon the facts or to qualify the declarations. Could we but touch the bottom of such zeal for God we might be surprised to discover that after all there is more in it which–unconsciously, it is true–tends to conserve human weakness and sin rather than the glory of our Divine Ruler. A similar remark applies to very much in our own estimate of the success of the gospel. Often we hear, and perhaps oftener are tempted to indulge in our hearts, doubts as to the power of the glorious gospel. Progress is so slow that men are quick to discover that the machinery of evangelical ministry has become obsolete, and its teachings effete. But the lesson ought rather to be earnest inquiry as to our fitness or otherwise for the success we crave. Is the cause in ourselves, or our easily improvable methods? Or does the hidden mischief lie in those with whom we work? There needs but the removal of the accursed thing for success to return to us, and our despondent dirge shall then speedily become a song of victory.
III. The narrative, moreover, suggests to us the sight method of regarding afflictions. It is wise here to have a fixed belief in an overruling Providence, but we must not allow this to hinder our full cognisance of second causes. And it will be well for us if in any special trial, while we are ready, with all submission, to bow to the Divine decree, we carefully ask what there is in us of indiscretion or sin which has procured, or been accessory to, our sufferings; and then, in earnest reliance upon Divine grace, let us seek altogether to remove it.
IV. Sanctification for Gods service often involves the searching out and removal of hidden and unsuspected sins. There was only one Achan in the camp, and his offence was known only to himself and God. Nevertheless, no success can rest on the arms of Israel until he is found out and destroyed. Let us not forget the important lesson which this is so well fitted to teach. Sin comes to us in such insidious ways, and uses agents so dear to us, that it succeeds in taking up its abode in our hearts before we are aware of its presence. Have we an Achan in the camp? If so, let us seek to extirpate the evil. (J. Dann.)
Israel defeated at Ai
I. The divine displeasure at human sin. This was not a new lesson to the Israelites. At Sinai, at Kadesh, at Peor, it had been taught them; but, under new temptations, they needed renewed instruction. Sin unrepented and unforsaken provokes Gods changeless displeasure. Such displeasure is a part of eternal justice. We magnify the grace of God, but grace is only a fragment of His character; it co-exists with justice.
II. The many may be punished for the sins of one. God does not deal with men as individuals only. There is a corporate unity of the family, the Church, the State, which He regards; and, as the good deeds of one benefit all, the sins of one bring evil upon all. In this matter, Gods thought is often not as ours. No modern leader, after the sack of a city, would be surprised to find an Achan in every tent. Might not, then, the one have been pardoned for the sake of the self-restraint of the many? At least, might not the guilty one have suffered all the consequences of his crime, without involving his innocent fellows? Such questions we are not competent to decide. Only a far-seeing Wisdom, which can fully fathom motives and forecast all the results of individual sins, can tell when to be gracious and forgiving, and when to punish. The war against the idolatrous races of Palestine was not to degenerate into pillage, a school for covetousness and selfishness for the victors; and so, at the beginning, such a lesson was needed as would make each afraid of private transgression, and also watchful of others.
III. The defeat at ai illustrates the difference between human sagacity and divine guidance. The Israelites were so strangely unteachable that they did not clearly distinguish between the two. The victory at Jericho was clearly not theirs, but Gods. But, in the flush of victory, this was forgotten. Israel rejoiced in her own success. Prosperity brought presumption, out of which grew the ill-advised expedition against Ai. It is easy for the Church to repose confidence in the stability and strength of her own organisation, and in smoothly-running ecclesiastical machinery, to find the sure augury of her success. Then some spiritual Ai must needs recall us to the truth that the victories of the kingdom of heaven are not by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts.
IV. There is great danger in underestimating the power of an adversary. The easy success at Jericho made Israel over-confident. A Southern historian of the rebellion has recorded his opinion that the first battle at Bull Run was a serious misfortune to the Southern cause. It led to mistaken confidence. Great numbers of volunteers left the Southern army and returned home, believing the war ended. Thoughtful writers at the North agree that it helped the Northern cause, for it taught us not to despise the enemy, and set clearly before us the magnitude of the conflict. And this has its parallel in the conflicts of the spiritual life. After Jericho, Ai. There is no commoner mistake than the belief that following some great victory will be peaceful conquest, the rest of Canaan. There is no earthly Canaan.
V. It is folly to trust in past experiences. The three thousand men who went up against Ai were full of confidence which grew out of the successes at the Jordan and at Jericho. They assumed the presence and guidance of God because of His past deliverances. They knew what had happened; from this they formed a doctrine of probabilities of what would happen. They learned the truth of the maxim, It is a part of probability that many improbable things will happen. We cannot measure our present relation to God by the past. The past may give us ground for hope, but there is no science of spiritual probabilities. There are factors in the spiritual life which can change,, the face of things to any extent, and which hide from all calculations of the probable. Christian progress is by forgetting the things that are behind. Have we a living faith to-day? (Sermons by the Monday Club.)
The diseases that stop Englands mercies
In this chapter you have a treatise concerning Achans sin, branching itself into three parts; one concerning the commission of the sin, the second concerning the discovery of it, and the third concerning the punishment thereof. Oh, what unexpected ways and means hath God to bring out mens sin to light. Three thousand men flee before the men of Ai, and thirty-six men are slain, and this was made the means of discovery of Achans sin; who would have thought that there should have been such a discovery as this? The work was hindered by this defeat, and that sets them on work to search out the cause, and shows–
1. That afflictions should set us on work, to search out our sins, and the cause of them.
2. That sins shall not always be pocketed up, but shall be discovered, though never so secret.
3. That God hath strange ways to discover mens sins. First, where God is in a way of mercy towards His people, there sin does make a stoppage in His proceedings; so here God was in a way of mercy towards His people, carrying of them into the land of Canaan, but in the way they sin, Achan plays the thief; mark what a stoppage this made in the way of mercy; so you have it in Jos 24:20, Jer 28:9. Sins committed when God is in a way of mercy are a slighting of mercy. Again, those mercies that come unto Gods people come unto them in the way of a promise, and therefore if men do not keep the condition, God takes Himself free, and will turn Himself out of the way of His mercy. You have an expression to this purpose (Num 14:34). God never gives His people any mercy, but He gives it them in a way of mercy. He does not think it enough to give them that which is mercy, but He will give it them in a way of mercy. But now if God should be in a way of mercy towards His people, and they sin against Him, and He should go on to give them the mercy, they would be hardened in their sin, and so it would not come unto them in the way of mercy. Therefore, if God be in a way of mercy towards His people, and they sin against Him, He will break off the course of His mercy, and go another way, and there shall be a stoppage made in these proceedings. Why should this be, that so small a sin should turn the great God of heaven out of the way of His mercy? Achan commits but a small sin, and what a mighty stop is made in the way of mercy! For answer three things–
1. There is nothing between God and us. I may boldly say thus much, that men sin a great sin in saying their sin is small.
2. Sometimes what falls short in the greatness of the sin is made up in the number of sins. It may be that the number of your little sins amount to the greatest sin.
3. God will make good His name to the utmost, and His name is, A jealous God. But what evil and hurt is in this, if final stoppage be not made? Is it nothing in your ears, and in your hearts, that the Lord should turn out of a way of mercy? If there be a stoppage made in Englands mercy, though but present, there is an obstruction in all your comforts: you arc sensible of the obstructions of your body, will you not be sensible of State obstructions, of Church obstructions? Again, when a man does not rely and live upon Gods all-sufficiency, when God hath appeared in that way. Abusing of Gods instruments which He raiseth up for to do His work by, doth exceedingly provoke and make a stoppage in the mercy of God. Carrying on the work of reformation, and the great affairs of the Church, upon the shoulders of human prudence, will make a stoppage in the way of mercy. As prayer and humiliation do exceedingly further the work of God in the hands of His people, so the falling and slacking of the hands in these two works doth make a stop in mercy, and hath done in our mercy. An unthankful receiving of the mercies that God hath given us, and a slight beholding of the great works He hath done before us lately, is another sin that hath made a stoppage in our mercy. The last sin that makes a stop in Englands mercy is a worldly disposition, whereby a man hangs back unto the great work of God, and the glorious reformation that is news-doing. I shall show you it is a hard thing to appease Gods anger when it is gone out. It must be done, and that quickly. I shall show you what you shall do, that you may do it. Therefore it is an exceeding hard thing and very difficult to appease Gods anger. If the sea break over the banks, and there are but few to stop it, it is hard to do; if fire hath taken two or three houses in a street, and but few to quench it, it is hard to do: the fire of Gods anger is broken out, and there are but few to quench it: it is a hard thing, therefore. Again, God seems to be engaged in the way of tits wrath. Oh, it is a hard thing to turn God from His anger! But it must be done, and done quickly. There are six things that Joshua did here, when they fled before the men of Ai.
1. He was very sensible of Gods stroke that was given to them, for he says, Lord, would we had been contented in the wilderness.
2. He was humbled under Gods hand, for it is said, he rent his clothes, and fell down upon the earth.
3. And he prayed, and cried mightily unto God, as you read in the chapter.
4. And he put away the evil of their doings.
5. And he punished Achan, the offender.
6. tie made a holy resignation. And there must be a concurrence of all these six things if we would bring God back into the way of His mercy towards England. (W. Bridge, M. A.)
Sources of weakness
1. Here is a Church with all the outward elements of strength, prosperity, and efficiency. The mass of members are orderly and in good standing. But it has a name to live while it is dead. God frowns upon it. And why? There are notoriously unworthy members in it–perhaps rich and influential–and they are tolerated year after year. And there is not spiritual life and conscience enough in the body to cast them out I And so the whole Church is cursed for their sake!
2. Here is a city numbering 800,000 strong, with hundreds of Churches and able pastors, and scores of thousands of respectable members, and education and schools and wealth, and all the elements that should insure social virtue and general thrift, and Gods abundant and abiding blessing. But there is a moral blot upon it. There is an accursed thing winked at. A handful of corrupt officials are suffered to rule it and curse it. Gambling, drinking, crime, are suffered to run riot. There is power in the mass, in the Christian element, to put it down, stamp it out. But it is not invoked. And so the whole city has to suffer the shame and ignominy and loss. The pulpit, the Church, virtue, law, are all shorn of their strength. For God will not wink at such things, if His people do; and so Ichabod is written on that city.
3. Here is a community in which a horrible crime has been committed–a man shot down in cold blood for his fidelity to truth or virtue or the public welfare. The blood of that man God will require of that entire community, unless they exhaust every resource of law and society to bring the guilty to punishment! We may narrow the circle to the individual, and the principle will still apply. One sin in the heart will neutralise a thousand virtues in the life. One secret offence will make a man a coward in the face of the world. One moral weakness will spoil a whole character. (J. M. Sherwood, D. D.)
Defeat through miscalculation
This old story of the battle at Ai is paralleled in all its essential features in every age and country. Some unrecognised weakness, some unforeseen turn of events, confuses the most careful calculations and neutralises the most elaborate preparations. Probably the splendid military strategy of Napoleon was never more clearly illustrated than in his plan of the battle of Waterloo; and yet a little strip of sunken road, which was overlooked in the preliminary survey of the engineers, threw all his calculations into disarray and lost him the battle and the empire of Europe. Some unnoticed defect in the machinery negatives the skill of the captain and the seamanship of the crew of the Atlantic steamer. It was only an insignificant bubble of air, overlooked in the foundry when the steel was wrought, but it resulted in weakness in the core of the main shaft, and in the supreme hour of trial there is failure and disaster. Some lack of fibre in character, and the time comes when the man who supposed himself sufficient for anything finds himself unequal to the emergency. And these unforeseen interferences and checks are nowhere so common and so potential as in the department of religious life. A low type of piety is not necessarily or probably the result of a resolution to be satisfied with a certain level of spiritual attainment. I believe that at heart the majority of Christian men and women desire and attempt to be and do the best and most possible, but there is some defect of will, some infirmity of temper, some unwillingness to surrender to God what may be considered an unimportant particular, and so long as that hindrance is in the way, our prayers and struggles for better and larger growth are unavailing, and the influence of that obstacle continually makes itself more and more felt for evil. And what is true of the individual Christian life is true also of the life and progress of the Christian Church as a whole. That Church has made great advances and won not a few triumphs at various periods and in certain directions. At the same time it is true that the Church ought to have accomplished greater things, ought to be doing far more than it is to-day. It is Gods Church, and He abides in it, and that of itself is a warrant for imperial greatness. What conquest is too vast to be expected when the Lord of hosts marshals the forces that are enlisted to win it? With such portents and prophecies of triumph, why should there be any discouragement, or half-heartedness, or laggard marches, or unwilling hands, or partial successes? Why was not the promise fulfilled long ago, that the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ? A great deal is said in our time about the need of a working Church. There is another need quite as great–the need of a Church through which God Can work. It is not the method and spirit of the working of the Church, so much as the way and the extent in which and to which it is wrought upon of the Divine Spirit that determines its efficiency. It is the folly of the Church of this age that it spends so much ingenuity in devising machinery and too little time in preparing the way of the Lord and making His paths straight. No wisdom, nor eloquence, nor marvel of contrivance can make good the lack of a devoted and submissive spirit that waits and waits and still waits with the inquiry: Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do? Let us have that in the Church, a singleness of union with God, and then, through the membership, the converting energy from on high will flow unhindered, and men be reached and transformed. (E. S. Atwood.)
Hindered by sin
1. As a matter of fact, there are unexplained checks in human progress. We wonder why we do not advance more surely and quickly.
2. Such checks bring Divine providence under criticism and suspicion (Jos 7:6-9). This is an easy refuge for men. Providence has had to sustain many a slander. It seems the handiest of all things to blame the mysteriousness of the Divine way. Who ever says, The fault must be within the house itself; let every man in the house be examined; somebody is to blame for this mystery–who is it? But it is easier to sit down under the supposed comforting doctrine that all this is meant for our good; it is chastisement; it is part of the mysterious process of human education At the same time it must be remembered that the sufferer himself may not be personally guilty. Certainly Joshua was no criminal in this case; yet Joshua suffered more than any other man. Here we may find the mysteriousness of the Divine action. This is not an action of mere virtue, as it is socially understood and limited; it is the very necessity of God: He cannot touch the accursed thing; He cannot smile upon fraud. A new light is thus thrown upon sovereignty and Gods elective laws. God elects righteousness, pureness, simplicity, nobleness. He will forsake Israel if Israel forsake Him. The Lord gives the reason why we are stopped. We must go to Heaven to find out why we are not making more money, more progress, more solidity of position. (J. Parker, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 2. Sent men from Jericho to Ai] This is the place called Hai, Ge 12:8. It was in the east of Beth-el, north of Jericho, from which it was distant about ten or twelve miles. From Jos 7:4-5 it appears to have been situated upon a hill, and belonged to the Amorites, as we learn from Jos 7:7. It is very likely that it was a strong place, as it chose to risk a siege, notwithstanding the extraordinary destruction of Jericho which it had lately witnessed.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Ai, called Hai, Gen 12:8, and Alia, Neh 11:31. They were not to go into the city of Ai, but into the country bordering and belonging to it, and there to understand the state and quality of the place and people.
Beside; so the Hebrew im is used, Gen 25:11; 35:4; Jdg 9:6; 18:3; 19:11.
Beth-aven; a city or town distinct from, but nigh unto
Beth-el, though Beth-el was afterwards by allusion called Beth-aven, Hos 4:15; 10:5. Compare Jos 18:12. On the east side of Beth-el: compare Gen 12:8; Jos 8:9,12.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. Joshua sent men from Jericho toAiAfter the sacking of Jericho, the next step was to penetrateinto the hills above. Accordingly, spies went up the mountain pass toview the country. The precise site of Ai, or Hai, is indicated withsufficient clearness (Gen 12:8;Gen 13:3) and has been recentlydiscovered in an isolated tell, called by the natives Tell-el-Hajar,”the mount of stones,” at two miles’, or thirty-fiveminutes’ distance, east southeast from Beth-el [VANDE VELDE].
Beth-aven(“houseof vanity”)a name afterwards given derisively (Hos 4:15;Hos 5:8; Hos 10:5),on account of its idolatries, to Beth-el, “house of God,”but here referred to another place, about six miles east of Beth-eland three north of Ai.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai,…. Which was the next city of importance, though not so large as Jericho, and was, as the Jews say l, three miles distant from it; Abarbinel says m four miles, and so Bunting n; Jerom o says, that in his times very few ruins of it appeared, only the place was shown where it stood:
which [is] beside Bethaven; a name by which Bethel in later times was called, Ho 4:15; but here it is manifestly a distinct place from it; just hard by or near to this place, as Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it, was the city of Ai: Bethaven seems to have been the suburbs of it, or however was very near unto it:
on the east side of Bethel; near to which Abraham built an altar, as did Jacob also, and which in former times was called Luz, Ge 12:8; and was well known in later ages by the name of Bethel; it was reckoned about a mile from Ai: the situation of this city is so particularly described to distinguish it from another city of this name, Ai of the Amorites, Jer 49:3; and is here called “that Ai”, that well known Ai, as Kimchi observes:
and spake unto them; at the time he sent them, when he gave them their orders to go thither:
saying, go up and view the country; the mountainous part of it; for they were now in a plain, where Jericho was seated; and observe what place was most proper to attack next, and which the best way of coming at it:
and the men went up and viewed Ai; what a sort of a city it was, how large, and what its fortifications, and what avenues were to it: by this it appears that Ai was built upon a hill, or at least was higher than Jericho and its plains; and with this agrees what a traveller says p of it, it is a village full of large ruins (in this he differs from Jerom) and from hence are seen the valley of Jericho, the dead sea, Gilgal, and Mount Quarantania, and many other places towards the east.
l Shemoth Rabba, sect. 32. fol. 185. 2. m In Josh. xx. fol. 34. 1. n Travels Of the Patriarchs, &c. p. 95. o De loc. Heb. fol. 87. E. p Baumgarten. Peregrinatio, l. 3. c. 1. p. 105.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The anger of God, which Achan had brought upon Israel, was manifested to the congregation in connection with their attempt to take Ai. This town was situated near Bethaven, on the east of Bethel. Bethel was originally called Luz (see at Gen 28:19), a place on the border of Ephraim and Benjamin (Jos 16:2; Jos 18:13). It is frequently mentioned, was well known at a later time as the city in which Jeroboam established the worship of the calves, and was inhabited again even after the captivity (see v. Raumer, Pal. pp. 178, 179). It has been preserved, in all probability, in the very extensive ruins called Beitin (see Robinson, Pal. ii. pp. 126ff.), about four hours’ journey on horseback to the north of Jerusalem, and on the east of the road which leads from Jerusalem to Sichem ( Nablus).
(Note: The statement of the Onomasticon of Eusebius s. v. Aggai’ agree with this: . Also s. v. : , (twelve Roman miles are four or five hours’ journey).)
No traces have ever been discovered of Bethaven. According to Jos 18:12-13, the northern boundary of the tribe of Benjamin, which ran up from Jericho to the mountains on the west, passed on to the desert of Bethaven, and so onwards to Luz (Bethel). If we compare with this the statement in 1Sa 13:5, that the Philistines who came against Israel encamped at Michmash before (in front of) Bethaven, according to which Bethaven was on the east or north-east of Michmash (Mukhmas), the desert of Bethaven may very possibly have been nothing more than the table-land which lies between the Wady Mutyah on the north and the Wadys Fuwar and Suweinit (in Robinson’s map), or Wady Tuwr (on Van de Velde’s map), and stretches in a westerly direction from the rocky mountain Juruntel to Abu Sebah (Subbah). Bethaven would then lie to the south or south-east of Abu Sebah. In that case, however, Ai ( Sept. Gai or Aggai, Gen 12:8) would neither be found in the inconsiderable ruins to the south of the village of Deir Diwan, as Robinson supposes (Pal. ii. pp. 312ff.), nor on the site of the present Tell el Hajar, i.e., stone hill, three-quarters of an hour to the S.E. of Beitin, on the southern side of the deep and precipitous Wady Mutyah, as Van de Velde imagines; but in the ruins of Medinet Chai or Gai, which Krafft
(Note: Topograph. v. Jerusalem, p. ix.)
and Strauss
(Note: Sinai u. Golgoth. pp. 326-7.)
discovered on the flat surface of a mountain that slopes off towards the east, about forty minutes on the eastern side of Geba (Jeba), where “there are considerable ruins surrounded by a circular wall, whilst the place is defended on the south by the valley of Farah, and on the north by the valley of Es Suweinit, with steep shelving walls of rock” (Strauss: vid., C. Ritter Erdk. xvi. pp. 526-7). On the advice of the men who were sent out to explore the land, and who described the population on their return as small (“they are but few”), Joshua did not send the whole of the fighting men against Ai, but only about 3000 men. As there were not more than 12,000 inhabitants (Jos 8:25), there could hardly have been 3000 fighting men, who might easily have been beaten by 3000 Israelitish warriors. But when the Israelites attacked the town they fled before its inhabitants, who slew about thirty-six men, and pursued them before the gate, i.e., outside the town, to the stone quarries, and smote them on the sloping ground. The Shebarim, from sheber , a breach or fracture, were probably stone quarries near the slope on the east of the town. Nothing more can be decided, as the country has not been thoroughly explored by travellers. On account of this repulse the people lost all their courage. “The hearts of the people melted” (see Jos 2:15): this expression is strengthened still further by the additional clause, “and became as water.”
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
2. And Joshua sent men from Jericho, etc To examine the site of the city and reconnoiter all its approaches was an act of prudence, that they might not, by hurrying on at random through unknown places, fall into an ambuscade. But when it would be necessary shortly after to advance with all the forces, to send forward a small band with the view of taking the city, seems to betray a want of military skill. Hence it would not have been strange that two or three thousand men, on a sudden sally were panic-struck and turned their backs. And it was certainly expedient for the whole body that twenty or thirty thousand should have spread in all directions in foraging parties. We may add, that even the act of slaying, though no resistance were offered, was of itself sufficient to wear out a small body of troops. Therefore, when the three thousand or thereabouts were repulsed, it was only a just recompense for their confidence and sloth. The Holy Spirit, however, declares that fewness of numbers was not the cause of the discomfiture, and ought not to bear the blame of it. The true cause was the secret counsel of God, who meant to show a sign of his anger, but allowed the number to be small in order that the loss might be less serious. And it was certainly a rare display of mercy to chastise the people gently and without any great overthrow, with the view of arousing them to seek an instant remedy for the evil. Perhaps, too, the inhabitants of Ai would not have dared to make an attack upon the Israelites had they advanced against the city in full force. The Lord therefore opened a way for his judgment, and yet modified it so as only to detect the hidden crime under which the people might otherwise have been consumed as by a lingering disease.
But although there is nothing wonderful in the defeat of the Israelites, who fought on disadvantageous terms on lower ground, it was, however, perfectly obvious that they were vanquished by fear and the failure of their courage before they came to close quarters; for by turning their backs they gave up the higher ground and retired to the slope of a valley. The enemy, on the other hand, showed how thoroughly they despised them by the confidence and boldness with which they ventured to pursue the fugitives at full speed in the direction of their camp. In the camp itself, such was the trepidation that all hearts melted. I admit, indeed, that there was cause for fear when, after having gained so many victories as it were in sport, they saw themselves so disgracefully defeated. In unwonted circumstances we are more easily disturbed. But it was a terror from heaven which dismayed them more than the death of thirty men and the flight of three thousand.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(2) Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai.Why Ai should be the next town selected for attack after Jericho, is a question which perhaps we cannot answer with certainty. But we may observe that the next step after the capture of Ai, before the further conquest of the country, was to set up the Ten Commandments in Mount Ebal, in the heart of the country, and to pronounce there the blessing and the curse which are the sanction of the law of God. It may well be that the course of the first military operations was directed to this end. The capture of Ai would put the Israelites in possession of the main road running north and south through Palestine, and enable them to reach the centre immediately. Thus the character of the war, which was no mere human enterprise, is maintained; and it is probable that the Divine reason for the movement is that which we are intended to observe. For the first mention of Ai, see Gen. 12:8. It is noticeable that there Abram fitst pitched his tent after his return to Canaan out of Egypt. (See also on Jos. 8:1.) Note also that Beth-aven and Bethel are distinct, although adjacent, places. The one is not a later name of the other, as has been sometimes supposed, although one is the house of vanity (i.e., perhaps of idols) and the other the house of God.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. [ From Jericho to Ai A distance of about fifteen miles, and an ascent of more than 3,000 feet above the plain of the Jordan valley. See map below. Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel This precise statement, together with that of Jos 8:11-12, that there was a valley on the north, and another on the west, capable of concealing five thousand men, would seem to have been sufficient to enable travelers easily to identify the precise location of Ai. But after all their search such men as Robinson, Stanley, and Tristram failed to reach any satisfactory conclusion. Robinson and Tristram assigned as the probable site a place with ruins just south of Deir Duwan, and about an hour distant (south-east) from Bethel; but in the spring of 1866 Captain Wilson and Lieutenant Anderson spent several days in examining every hill-top and almost every acre of ground for several miles east, north, and south of Bethel, and the result was the identification, beyond any reasonable doubt, of Ai with Et-Tel, an eminence a little south-east of Bethel, covered with heaps of stones and ruins. In Jos 8:28, where it is said, “Joshua made it a heap forever,” the Hebrew word for heap is Tel, ( ,) which strikingly confirms this identification. See further notes on Jos 8:11-12; Jos 8:28. Whether Ai was rebuilt or not, the name occurs again in the history of Israel. “Men of Ai” returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel, (Ezr 2:28,) and the name is probably to be recognized in the Aiath of Isaiah 10:38, and Aija of Neh 11:31.]
Bethel house of God was a well-known city and holy place in Central Palestine, and was originally called Luz. It was named by Jacob on awakening from that sleep in which he had a vision of the opened heavens. Gen 28:19, note. Here also God blessed him when he had returned from Padan-aram. After the conquest Bethel was the gathering place of the people to ask counsel of God. Here was an altar for sacrifices. Jeroboam chose Bethel as one of the seats of the false worship which he instituted. It is about twelve miles north of Jerusalem, and its ruins are still pointed out under the scarcely altered name of Beitin. [ Bethaven was in the mountains of Benjamin, east of Bethel, and westward from Michmash. 1Sa 13:5. The name means house of nothingness, or vanity, and was, perhaps, so called from the idolatry practised there. Its site has not been discovered, but Capt. Wilson suggests its identity with the ruins called Khur-bet An, westward from Michmash, and not far from Et-Tel.]
Go up and view the country As in the case of Jericho, spies were probably, sent to reconnoitre Ai, and not an armed company.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘ And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them saying, “Go up and spy out the land.” And the men went up and spied out Ai.’
Meanwhile scouts were sent through the gap in the mountains to discover the next obstacle before them and they came across Ai. It was not seen to be very large. Only three military units were seen as necessary to take it (Jos 7:3), thus, say, one hundred and fifty men (taking a normal unit as possibly around fifty). Military units were split into ‘tens’, ‘hundreds’ and thousands’ (Jdg 20:10). We might translate ‘families, wider families, sub-clans’ for in ancient days these number words rather indicated tribal and sub-tribal units. It was only later that they would finally indicate the numerical value given to them today (and even then military units do not tend to reach the number indicated. For example a Roman ‘legion’ and ‘century’ never attained these numbers in practise. The names were simply technical). Thus there would be units of a few (the family – a ‘ten’), larger units over this (the wider family group – a ‘hundred’), and even larger units (the sub-clan – a ‘thousand’). See the divisions in Jos 7:17-18.
Ai had quite possibly been deliberately set up and inhabited as a semi-permanent township, and as an established forward post for Bethel. This establishment as a reinforced defence post, making use of its ancient walls, may well have been directly in anticipation of Israel’s invasion, which was expected fairly shortly from the Jordan valley, for this invasion must have been anticipated for some time as news filtered through of the approach of this fierce marauding people who were advancing in such numbers. It possibly contained specially trained fighting men/farmers, with their families, under a martial leader called its ‘king’. But its importance for Israel lay in the fact that it stood between the Israelite army and the final ascent to Bethel and the hill country.
Bethaven was used as a synonym for Bethel in Hos 4:15; Amo 5:5. It meant ‘house of iniquity’ (seen by the prophets as a more suitable term for a Bethel taken up with idolatry), but from the description here it was probably an outer sub-town of Bethel. (See Jos 18:12. 1Sa 13:5; 1Sa 14:23 may have been another Bethaven).
Ai always carries the definite article ‘ha ay’ – ‘the ruin’. The present ‘city’ was thus seemingly a small township, established within the ruins of what was once a great city, making use of the ancient walls. Its total population was small. They were ‘but few’ (Jos 7:3), at the most a few hundred, including women and children. It had its own ‘king’ and cattle (compare Gen 19:20 with Gen 14:2 for a parallel king over another very small town). How permanent the settlement was we do not know. They may well have moved here from Bethel some time before, occupying it in readiness to face the Israelite menace. Its identification is not certain.
Et-Tel is the more popular preference (being nearest to Jericho and having a name meaning ‘the mound’), but Tel Nisya (sometimes spelt Nusieh) is also suggested and has a number of things in its favour. The former has revealed no evidence of long term occupation at this period, but if its occupation was for defensive purposes in view of the approaching Israelites, such evidence would not be expected, especially as it was then unoccupied until a hundred or so years later. Ravages of weather and predators would soon remove any evidence of limited occupation. The latter has evidence of such occupation and the contours of the land around would allow a large number of men to be hidden. In the former case Bethel would be Tel Beitin, in the latter case Birah.
That it was described as containing ‘few’ demonstrates that its population was much less than that of Jericho, which itself was (because of the size of the mound alone) less than two thousand.
Bethel. If Tel Beitin was Bethel the city dated back to the Middle Bronze age. Both Abraham and Jacob were at times in the vicinity of Bethel (Gen 12:8; Gen 13:3; Gen 31:13; Gen 35:7). Both saw it as religiously important. Jacob even appropriated its name for the place where he had his vision and looked on it as a sanctuary. The Middle Bronze age city was prosperous but destroyed about 1550 BC. It was rebuilt with well built late Bronze age houses, until this in turn was disastrously destroyed in late 13th century BC, to be followed by an Iron age city which marked a definite cultural change. It is tempting to see this as being as a result of occupation by Israel (either here or in Jdg 1:22-24) but archaeology is difficult to apply with certainty. They were tumultuous times, and we are not sure whether this site was Bethel or not. As the Amarna letters reveal it would be a mistake to think of Canaan as a land at peace until the Israelites arrived.
It may be significant that Bethel is not said to have been taken by Joshua although its army was defeated by him along with that of Ai (Jos 8:17). So we are faced with two possibilities. One is that it was captured along with Ai. The great conflagration that destroyed it then being the reason why it was lumped with Ai in grim humour as ‘the ruin’. The other is that Joshua may have been satisfied with rendering Bethel powerless by defeating and decimating its army without at this stage taking the city itself. At this time occupation was not a priority. Immobilising the enemy was. It is not likely that he slew its king at this time (Jos 12:16) or he would have been dealt with as the king of Ai was dealt with.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Ver. 2. Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai. To forward the conquest of the land of Canaan, Joshua made the fertile plain of Jericho the centre of his camp, whence he sent detachments to seize upon the neighbouring towns, till the Israelites should see themselves masters of an extent of country sufficient to be divided among the tribes: the event, however, did not take place till about six years after. See Usher’s Annals. As soon as he had established the best order he could in his camp, he immediately detached two or three thousand men against the king of Ai, whose capital was about ten or twelve miles distant from Jericho. Ai or Hai has been already spoken of in the history of Abraham. On comparing what Joshua here says of it, with what is mentioned Gen 12:8 it appears to have been on the north of Jericho, and east of Beth-el, which lay at but a very small distance. Masius places Ai three leagues from Jericho, and one league from Bethel. It was situated upon a hill, ver. 5 and belonged to the Amorites, ver. 7.
Beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el This town, not far from Beth-el, gave its name to a neighbouring desart. It was certainly, as well as Beth-el, upon the confines of the tribe of Benjamin, toward the north. See chap. Jos 18:12. The prophet Hosea gives Beth-el itself the name of Beth-aven, in an allegorical sense, because Beth-aven signifies a house of iniquity; and Beth-el well deserved this odious appellation when the impious Jeroboam placed there his golden calves. This puts it beyond doubt, that these two towns have been confounded together, and that Beth-el was the same as Beth-aven.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
The scouts were not interrupted in their progress by the enemy, it seems, though for the sin of Achan the Lord intended to chastise Israel.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jos 7:2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which [is] beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.
Ver. 2. To Ai. ] Called elsewhere Hai, and Aija; Gen 12:8 Neh 11:31 by the Septuagint, Gae; by Sulpitius, Geth.
Which is beside Bethavon, on the east side of Bethel.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED TEXT): Jos 7:2-5
2Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, Go up and spy out the land. So the men went up and spied out Ai. 3They returned to Joshua and said to him, Do not let all the people go up; only about two or three thousand men need go up to Ai; do not make all the people toil up there, for they are few. 4So about three thousand men from the people went up there, but they fled from the men of Ai. 5The men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of their men, and pursued them from the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them down on the descent, so the hearts of the people melted and became as water.
Jos 7:2 Ai This seems to be a name to describe a heap or ruin (BDB 743). It always has the DEFINITE ARTICLE in Hebrew, which implies a previous destruction (possibly a former large fortress). Archeology is not sure whether Ai was settled during the time of Joshua’s conquest. However, (1) we are not sure of the date of the conquest and (2) archeology is a rather imprecise science and we cannot base interpretation solely on inconclusive evidence. Because of the use of the terms Beth-aven (BDB 110) and Bethel (BDB 110) in this verse, many have assumed that Ai is somehow connected with the city of Bethel for the following reasons:
1. the term Beth-aven is often used of Bethel in the Bible (cf. 1Sa 13:5; Hos 4:15; Hos 5:8; Hos 10:5; Amo 5:5)
2. the two sites are linked in this account (cf. Jos 8:9; Jos 8:17)
3. although Bethel’s king is listed with the defeated kings in Jos 12:16, the destruction and capture of Bethel is never mentioned
4. there seems to be some confusion in chapters 7-8 of Joshua sending two different groups of men for an ambush; one possible explanation for this is that they ambushed both Bethel and Ai at the same time.
The exact relationship between Bethel and Ai is uncertain. Some have said that it was a military camp or some type of outpost but we are simply not certain.
There are several commands given in Jos 7:2-3 :
1. go up, Jos 7:2, BDB 748, KB 828, Qal IMPERATIVE
2. spy out, Jos 7:2, BDB 92, KB 1183, Piel IMPERATIVE
3. go up, Jos 7:3, Qal JUSSIVE (negated)
4. go up, Jos 7:3, Qal IMPERFECT, but in a JUSSIVE sense
5. attack (not in NASB), Jos 7:3, BDB 645, KB 697, Qal IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense
6. toil, Jos 7:3, BDB 388, KB 386, Piel IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense
There are many doublets in OT narrative literature. The literary purpose of these is unknown to modern interpreters. We must be careful not to project current literary models onto ancient Near Eastern texts.
Beth-aven, east of Bethel The term Beth-aven means house of vanity (cf. Jos 18:12; 1Sa 13:5; 1Sa 14:23). The term vanity was used in the sense of nothingness and was often used to describe idolatry. The term Bethel means house of God because it had holy and sacred associations with the life of Jacob in Genesis 28. Hosea seems to put the two names together (cf. Jos 4:15; Jos 5:8; Jos 10:5).
Jos 7:3 Do not let all the people go up. . .toil up there The ADVERB toil up (BDB 1027) has very distinct topological associations. It is interesting in these two chapters how much eyewitness evidence from geography and topology is apparent in the account. From the place of encampment at Gilgal the land rose 3,400 feet in the space of sixteen miles to this small city of Ai.
two or three thousand The Hebrew term thousand can mean (1) a literal thousand (cf. Gen 20:16; Exo 32:28); (2) a family unit (cf. Jos 22:14; Jdg 6:15; 1Sa 23:23; Zec 9:7); or (3) a military unit (cf. Exo 18:21; Exo 18:25; Deu 1:15; compare 2Sa 10:18 and 1Ch 19:18). See Special Topic: Thousand (eleph) .
they are few We learn from Jos 8:25 that the total population of Ai was under 12,000. This makes Israel’s defeat all the more poignant.
Jos 7:5 the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of their men, and pursued them At this point Joshua does not know that his first attempt to take even a small village after the victory at Jericho was met with defeat and failure.
Notice the VERBS used to describe Israel’s defeat.
1. struck down, BDB 645, KB 697, Hiphil IMPERFECT
2. pursued, BDB 922, KB 1191, Qal IMPERFECT
3. struck down, repeated
4. the hearts of the people melted, BDB 587, KB 606, Niphal IMPERFECT
5. became as water, BDB 224, KB 243, Qal IMPERFECT
The absence of YHWH’s blessing makes all the difference in effect and attitude!
Shebarim This is a proper name in both the English and Latin translations. However, in Greek it means to break, while in Hebrew it seems to imply a stone quarry (BDB 991, cf. New Berkeley Version) or ravine. The exact location of it is uncertain, but this is another eyewitness account.
One wonders if the form of Achan’s death (stoning) is a play on Israel being chased to the stone quarry.
so the hearts of the people melted This is the same metaphor used to describe the fear of the Canaanites (cf. Jos 2:11; Jos 5:1). Now, because of sin, it is experienced by God’s own people.
and became as water It is possible that this is related to the idiom of Eze 7:17; Eze 21:7, where it may refer to urinating on oneself in fear (NIDOTTE, vol. 1, p. 756).
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
men. Hebrew, plural of ish or ‘enosh. App-14.
Ai. Near Beth-el. Compare Gen 12:8; Gen 13:3.
Beth-aven = House of vanity.
Beth-el = House of God. Compare Gen 28:19.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
to Ai: Jos 12:9, Gen 12:8, Hai, Neh 11:31, Aija
Bethaven: Jos 18:12, Gen 28:19, Hos 4:15
Go up: Jos 2:1, Pro 20:18, Pro 24:6, Mat 10:16, Eph 5:15
Reciprocal: Jos 8:9 – between Jdg 1:23 – sent 1Sa 13:5 – Bethaven Ezr 2:28 – Ai Isa 10:28 – Aiath Hos 5:8 – Bethaven Hos 10:5 – Bethaven
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jos 7:2-3. Go up and view the country They were not to go into the city of Ai, but into the country belonging to it, that they might understand the state of the place and people. Let two or three thousand go up and smite Ai There was no little self-confidence and presumption in this counsel: Ai, it appears, was strong by its situation, and guarded by twelve thousand men; so that there was no probability of taking it with two or three thousand. God, however, wisely permitted this advice to be followed, that Achans sin might be brought to light and punished, and the people in general, who were evidently lifted up through their late success, might be awakened, humbled, and reformed, and that with as little mischief and reproach as might be. For if the defeat of these few caused such consternation in Joshua and the elders, and probably in all the host, it is easy to guess what dread it would have caused if the whole army had been defeated.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
7:2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to {b} Ai, which [is] beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.
(b) This was a city of the Amorites: for there was another so called among the Amorites, Jer 49:3. The first Ai is called Aiah, Isa 10:28.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The spies who reconnoitered Ai based their advice on the numbers of these Canaanites and the Israelites.
"East of Ai . . . one route descends due east to the pass across Wadi Makkuk. This pass affords the last crossing before the wadi deepens into a major canyon and obstacle. From there on, the unified stream bed of the wadi cuts a twisted path through the uplifted limestone resulting in rocky scarps of up to 200 meters or 660 feet before continuing east through the rough chalk wilderness. The difference between this rugged region and the pass just west of it is very dramatic. It may reflect what the Biblical writer states in Jos 7:5 when he says that the defenders of the Hill Country pursued the Israelites as far as the broken/fractured area (shebarim), striking them down along the descent [from the pass]. (If this first attack came from the route southeast of Ai, the word shebarim may point to the same type of broken terrain, but the descent would refer to the steep slope off the eastern side of the uplifted limestone where this route to Jericho turns due east.)" [Note: Monson, p. 168.]
The spies in Numbers 13, 14 lacked faith in God because they did not believe that the Israelites were strong enough to defeat their enemies. They failed to reckon on God’s help. The spies in Joshua 7 lacked faith in God because they believed the Israelites were strong enough to defeat their enemies. They disregarded the need for God’s help. The fact that the people’s hearts melted (Jos 7:5; cf. Jos 2:11) hints that Israel may have been trusting in her own strength rather than in the Lord.
"It is strange indeed that the description which was originally used for the Canaanites about to be defeated now describes the heart of the Israelites . . ." [Note: Davis and Whitcomb, p. 54.]