King James Version

What Does Joshua 7:10 Mean?

Joshua 7:10 in the King James Version says “And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? liest: Heb. fallest” — study this verse from Joshua chapter 7 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? liest: Heb. fallest”

Joshua 7:10 · KJV

Context

8

O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies! backs: Heb. necks

9

For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?

10

And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? liest: Heb. fallest

11

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.

12

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.

Read Joshua 7 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
God's response is abrupt and corrective: 'Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?' This isn't rebuke for praying but for misdirected prayer. The time for intercession has passed; time for action has come. God essentially says: 'Stop praying and deal with the sin!' The Hebrew קוּם (qum—arise, get up) is imperative—urgent command to act. Joshua's prolonged prostration, while expressing proper humility, delays necessary discipline. God redirects Joshua's attention from divine abandonment to human sin. The question 'wherefore liest thou thus' challenges Joshua's assumption that prayer alone will solve this crisis. Sometimes the proper response to sin isn't more prayer but confession and correction. This doesn't devalue prayer but recognizes that unconfessed sin blocks fellowship with God. Isaiah 59:1-2 states: 'the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save...but your iniquities have separated between you and your God.' Until the covenant breach is addressed, prayer remains ineffective. This teaches discernment about when to pray and when to act.

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Historical & Cultural Context

The divine rebuke 'Get thee up' must have startled Joshua. He'd been interceding earnestly since the afternoon, following proper protocols—approaching the ark, assuming a posture of humility, crying out to God. Yet God interrupts to reveal the real problem. In ancient Israelite culture, prophetic revelation often came during intense prayer, but here God's word challenges the prayer's premise. The crisis wasn't divine abandonment but human sin. God's directness reflects the urgency—every moment wasted in misdirected prayer while Achan's sin remained unaddressed prolonged Israel's jeopardy. Ancient Near Eastern covenant treaties stipulated that violations required immediate remedy to restore relationship. The longer sin remained unaddressed, the deeper the breach. God's command to arise and address the sin protected Israel from further judgment and restored covenant relationship. This interaction also demonstrates God's patience with misdirected but sincere seeking—He could have left Joshua to figure it out, but He graciously revealed the true problem.

Reflection Questions

  1. When might extended prayer actually delay necessary action to address sin?
  2. How do you discern whether a situation calls for more prayer or for obedience and action?
  3. What does God's correction of Joshua's prayer teach about the importance of accurate spiritual diagnosis?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 12 words
וַיֹּ֧אמֶר1 of 12

“said”

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

יְהוָ֛ה2 of 12

“And the LORD”

H3068

(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god

אֶל3 of 12
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ4 of 12

“unto Joshua”

H3091

jehoshua (i.e., joshua), the jewish leader

קֻ֣ם5 of 12

“Get thee up”

H6965

to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative)

לָ֑ךְ6 of 12
H0
לָ֣מָּה7 of 12
H4100

properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and

זֶּ֔ה8 of 12
H2088

the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that

אַתָּ֖ה9 of 12
H859

thou and thee, or (plural) ye and you

נֹפֵ֥ל10 of 12

“wherefore liest”

H5307

to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative)

עַל11 of 12
H5921

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

פָּנֶֽיךָ׃12 of 12

“thou thus upon thy face”

H6440

the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposi

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Joshua. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Joshua 7:10 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Joshua 7:10 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

1 Samuel 16:1Exodus 14:151 Samuel 15:221 Chronicles 22:16

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