Joshua 7:10-15 Meaning: Not a Rebuke, a Call to Get Up
10Yahweh said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face like that?
11Israel has sinned. Yes, they have even transgressed my covenant which I commanded them. Yes, they have even taken some of the devoted things, and have also stolen, and also deceived. They have even put it among their own stuff.
12Therefore the children of Israel can’t stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will not be with you any more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.
13Get up! Sanctify the people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, for Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, “There is a devoted thing among you, Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted thing from among you.”
14In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes. It shall be that the tribe which Yahweh selects shall come near by families. The family which Yahweh selects shall come near by households. The household which Yahweh selects shall come near man by man.
15It shall be, that he who is taken with the devoted thing shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed Yahweh’s covenant, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.’”
10And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?
11Israel 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.
12Therefore 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.
13Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.
14In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the Lord taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the Lord shall take shall come by households; and the household which the Lord shall take shall come man by man.
15And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.
10And Jehovah said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore art thou thus fallen upon thy face?
11Israel 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.
12Therefore 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.
13Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to-morrow: for thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, There is a devoted thing in the midst of thee, O Israel; thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the devoted thing from among you.
14In the morning therefore ye shall be brought near by your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which Jehovah taketh shall come near by families; and the family which Jehovah shall take shall come near by households; and the household which Jehovah shall take shall come near man by man.
15And it shall be, that he that is taken with the devoted thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath; because he hath transgressed the covenant of Jehovah, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.
10And Jehovah saith unto Joshua, `Rise for thee, why is this? --thou art falling on thy face?
11Israel 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,
12and 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.
13`Rise, sanctify the people, and thou hast said, Sanctify yourselves for to-morrow; for thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, A devoted thing is in thy midst, O Israel, thou art not able to stand before thine enemies till your turning aside of the devoted thing out of your midst;
14and ye have been brought near in the morning by your tribes, and it hath been, the tribe which Jehovah doth capture doth draw near by families, and the family which Jehovah doth capture doth draw near by households, and the household which Jehovah doth capture doth draw near by men;
15and it hath been, he who is captured with the devoted thing is burnt with fire, he and all that he hath, because he hath transgressed the covenant of Jehovah, and because he hath done folly in Israel.'
10And Jehovah said to Joshua, Rise up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?
11Israel 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.
12And 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.
13Rise up, hallow the people, and say, Hallow yourselves for to-morrow; for thus saith Jehovah the God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, Israel: thou shalt not be able to stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from your midst.
14And ye shall be brought near in the morning according to your tribes; and it shall be, that the tribe which Jehovah taketh shall come forward by families, and the family which Jehovah taketh shall come forward by households; and the household which Jehovah taketh shall come forward man by man.
15And it shall be, that he who is taken with the accursed thing shall be burned with fire, he and all that he hath, because he hath transgressed the covenant of Jehovah, and because he hath wrought wickedness in Israel.
Meaning in one sentence
When Joshua fell on his face after defeat, God said 'Get up.' Learn what this passage teaches about prayer, hidden sin, and the community's responsibility.
Context
Joshua had just seen Israel routed at Ai, a small town they expected to take easily. Tearing his clothes, he fell on his face before the ark of the Lord, questioning why God had brought them across the Jordan only to let them be destroyed. He and the elders lay there until evening, covered in dust. But God's answer came sharply: why are you lying there? The defeat was not due to a failure in God's promise, but to sin in the camp. One man, Achan, had taken forbidden plunder from Jericho, and the whole nation suffered for it. God now commands Joshua to get up, sanctify the people, and purge the sin.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words stand out in these verses, each pushing Joshua from lament toward action. The first is kum, the command “get up.” It is not a dismissal of Joshua’s prayer but a redirection: there is work to do, and lying prostrate is no longer the right posture. The second word is cherem, translated as “devoted thing” or “accursed.” It means something set apart for destruction, and anyone who touches it becomes cherem themselves, contagious, dangerous to the whole community. This explains why one man’s secret theft could cripple an entire nation. The third word is nevalah, “folly” or “disgraceful act.” In the Old Testament this is not mere foolishness; it is a moral outrage, a betrayal so shameful it brings reproach on the whole people of God. These three words together show the path from posture to purification to honest naming of sin.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have seen different nuances in God’s words to Joshua. Reformed commentators like Calvin note that God does not reprimand Joshua for praying but calls him out of excessive sorrow into decisive action. Wesleyan interpreters such as Adam Clarke and Wesley agree there is no rebuke; the urgency is about reformation, not reproof. All traditions take seriously the corporate nature of sin: one person’s hidden disobedience brought defeat on the entire camp. The method of selecting the guilty tribe by lot is understood by some as direct divine selection, while others note it was a common ancient practice that God used to reveal the truth. Both views affirm that God cares deeply about the integrity of His people.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is that God was angry with Joshua for praying, as if prayer itself were a waste of time. In fact, God does not rebuke Joshua for crying out. He redirects him from helpless lament to necessary action. The verse shows that prayer and action are not opposites; the time for lying prostrate had passed, and the time for dealing with sin had come.
Living This Out
When you face a setback at work, in your family, or in your church, the first instinct may be to fall into a heap of questions: Why did God let this happen? But this passage invites a different question. Is there something unconfessed in your life or in your community that needs attention? Instead of staying in disappointment, you can get up and ask God to search your heart, and your group, for any hidden compromise, any “accursed thing” you have tucked away. Then take the difficult step of removing it. That is how God’s presence returns.
Main takeaway: God calls us to rise from lament, face the hidden sin among us, and trust that He will be with us again when we do.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
When Israel lost a battle, Joshua was very sad and lay on the ground. But God said, “Get up! Someone has taken something I said not to take.” God wanted His people to fix the problem. We can talk to God when we are sad, but we also need to listen when He tells us to act.
For ages 9, 12
After Israel’s defeat at Ai, Joshua prayed desperately. But God told him to stop lying on the ground, there was sin in the camp. One man, Achan, had kept treasure from Jericho that God said to destroy. His sin affected the whole nation. This shows us that our private sins can hurt others, and we need to take them seriously. God wants us to confess and clean house, not just complain.
Questions People Ask
Was God rebuking Joshua for praying when He said 'Get up'?
Not exactly. God wasn't angry that Joshua prayed; He was redirecting him. The prayer was good, but the time for lying prostrate was over. It was time to act and deal with the sin causing the defeat.
What is the 'devoted thing' or 'accursed thing' in this passage?
It is the Hebrew word 'cherem,' meaning something set apart for destruction. In this case, the plunder from Jericho was devoted to God, no one was allowed to keep it for themselves. Taking it made a person 'cherem' as well, bringing God's judgment on the whole community.
Why did all Israel suffer for one man's sin?
The Bible shows that sin is never purely private. Israel was a covenant community, and Achan's breach of the covenant brought guilt on everyone. This teaches us that hidden sin in a group can weaken and harm the whole body, a principle echoed in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 5).
How did they use lots to find the guilty person?
The process likely involved casting lots before the Lord, perhaps using stones or marked objects. The outcome was seen as God's choice. This method was used in other Old Testament stories, such as finding Jonathan's guilt and choosing Matthias as an apostle.
For pastors & researchers
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