Joshua 7:13

God's holiness

¹¹ Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant that I commanded them, and they have taken some of what was devoted to destruction. Indeed, they have stolen and lied, and they have put these things with their own possessions.

¹² This is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies. They will turn their backs and run from their enemies, because they themselves have been set apart for destruction. I will no longer be with you unless you remove from among you whatever is devoted to destruction.

Get up and consecrate the people, saying, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Among you, O Israel, there are things devoted to destruction. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them.

¹⁴ In the morning you must present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe that the LORD selects shall come forward clan by clan, and the clan that the LORD selects shall come forward family by family, and the family that the LORD selects shall come forward man by man.

¹⁵ The one who is caught with the things devoted to destruction must be burned, along with all that belongs to him, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD and committed an outrage in Israel.’”

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Get up and consecrate the people, saying, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Among you, O Israel, there are things devoted to destruction. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them.
KJV: Up, 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.
WEB: Get up! Sanctify the people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, for the LORD, 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.”
ASV: Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: 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.
DARBY: Rise 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.
BLB: Get up, sanctify the people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says YHWH, God of Israel: A devoted thing is among you, O Israel. You are not able to stand before the faces of your enemies until your⁺ turning aside of the devoted thing from among you⁺.

ÅB: Stå opp, la folket hellige seg, og si: Hellige dere til imorgen! For så sier Herren, Israels Gud: Der er bannlyst gods hos deg, Israel! Du kan ikke stå deg mot dine fiender før dere skiller dere helt av med det bannlyste.
OTB: “Gå, hellige folket. Si til dem: ‘Hellige dere for morgendagen, for dette er hva Herren, Israels Gud, sier: Det er ting viet til ødeleggelse blant dere, Israel. Dere kan ikke stå imot deres fiender før dere fjerner dem.
B1930: Stå op, la folket hellige sig, og si: Hellige eder til imorgen! For så sier Herren, Israels Gud: Der er bannlyst gods hos dig, Israel! Du kan ikke stå dig mot dine fiender før I skiller eder helt av med det bannlyste.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Lamentations 3:40–41
Let us examine and test our ways, and turn back to the LORD.
Read in context
Joshua 3:5
Then Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.”
Read in context
Matthew 7:5
You hypocrite! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Read in context
1 Corinthians 5:11–13
But now I am writing you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a verbal abuser, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
Read in context
Joshua 6:18
But keep away from the things devoted to destruction, lest you yourself be set apart for destruction. If you take any of these, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and bring disaster upon it.
Read in context
Joshua 7:11
Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant that I commanded them, and they have taken some of what was devoted to destruction. Indeed, they have stolen and lied, and they have put these things with their own possessions.
Read in context
2 Chronicles 28:10
And now you intend to reduce to slavery the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem. But are you not also guilty before the LORD your God?
Read in context
1 Corinthians 5:1–6
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is intolerable even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife.
Read in context