Joshua 7:10

KJV

¶ And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?

KJV (with Strong's)

And the LORD {H3068} said {H559} unto Joshua {H3091}, Get thee up {H6965}; wherefore liest {H5307} thou thus upon thy face {H6440}?

Complete Jewish Bible

ADONAI said to Y'hoshua, "Stand up! Why are you lying there face down?

Berean Standard Bible

But the LORD said to Joshua, “Stand up! Why have you fallen on your face?

American Standard Version

And Jehovah said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore art thou thus fallen upon thy face?

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Joshua 7:10 captures a pivotal moment of divine intervention, as the LORD sharply rebukes Joshua, who is prostrate in despair following Israel's humiliating defeat at Ai. God's direct command, "Get thee up," and rhetorical question, "wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?", cut through Joshua's lamentation, revealing that the setback was due to unaddressed sin within the camp, not a failure of divine power. This verse serves as a divine call to action, shifting the focus from passive mourning to active investigation and purification, underscoring God's expectation for leaders to confront sin and restore corporate holiness.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Joshua 7:10 immediately follows a profound crisis for the newly established nation of Israel. Having experienced a miraculous and decisive victory at [Jericho](/joshua/6 "Joshua 6 - The Fall of Jericho"), the Israelites, overconfident and perhaps complacent, suffered an unexpected and humiliating defeat at Ai, losing thirty-six men ([Joshua 7:5](/joshua/7-5 "Joshua 7:5 - Israel's Defeat at Ai")). This catastrophic reversal plunged Joshua and the elders into deep despair. They tore their clothes, put dust on their heads, and lay prostrate before the Ark of the Covenant until evening, lamenting the defeat and expressing profound fear for God's reputation among the surrounding nations ([Joshua 7:6-9](/joshua/7-6 "Joshua 7:6-9 - Joshua's Lament and Prayer")). God's address in verse 10 is a direct, abrupt interruption of Joshua's lament, signaling that the time for mourning is over and the time for decisive action has come. It sets the stage for the revelation of Achan's sin and the subsequent corporate purification.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The Israelites were in the midst of conquering Canaan, a land promised to them by God. This was a period of intense military and spiritual warfare. The defeat at Ai was not merely a military setback but a theological crisis, threatening to undermine the entire conquest. In the ancient Near East, military success or failure was often attributed to the favor or disfavor of a nation's deity. Joshua's concern for God's reputation ("What wilt thou do unto thy great name?" [Joshua 7:9](/joshua/7-9 "Joshua 7:9 - Joshua's Plea for God's Name")) reflects this cultural understanding. Prostration (lying "upon thy face") was a common posture of humility, supplication, and deep mourning in the ancient world, often adopted when approaching a deity or a superior. However, in this instance, God perceives it as a posture of unproductive despair rather than active seeking of His will. The defeat at Ai also highlighted the corporate nature of sin and blessing in ancient Israel; the sin of one individual (Achan) could bring judgment upon the entire community.
* **Key Themes:** This verse contributes significantly to several key themes within the book of Joshua and the broader Old Testament narrative. Foremost is the theme of **Divine Sovereignty and Holiness**, as God intervenes directly to address the spiritual state of His people, emphasizing that His power is not diminished but that sin within the camp hinders His blessing. It also highlights **Corporate Responsibility**, demonstrating that the actions of an individual can have far-reaching consequences for the entire community, necessitating corporate confession and purification. The theme of **Leadership Accountability** is prominent, as God directly challenges Joshua, the leader, to rise and take decisive action to identify and remove the sin. This underscores the leader's role in maintaining the spiritual purity and obedience of the people. Finally, it reinforces the theme of **Obedience as a Prerequisite for Blessing**, showing that God's covenant promises are conditional upon Israel's faithfulness, and disobedience leads to divine discipline, as seen in the defeat at Ai. This prepares the ground for the subsequent narrative of Achan's discovery and punishment in [Joshua 7:16-26](/joshua/7-16 "Joshua 7:16-26 - Achan's Discovery and Punishment").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Get thee up (Hebrew, _qum'_):** This is a strong, emphatic imperative verb. While literally meaning "rise" or "stand up," its usage here transcends a mere physical command. It signifies a call to action, to cease from inactivity, lamentation, or despair, and to engage decisively with the problem at hand. It implies a shift from a posture of mourning to one of strategic readiness and spiritual resolve. God is not offering comfort but a direct, urgent directive to move from passive grief to active investigation and rectification.
* **liest thou thus upon thy face (Hebrew, _naphal al-panaw'_):** This phrase describes the posture of prostration, literally "to fall upon one's face." While often a sign of humility, worship, or deep sorrow (as seen in [Joshua 7:6](/joshua/7-6 "Joshua 7:6 - Joshua's Lament")), in this context, God's rhetorical question imbues it with a sense of unproductive despair and inaction. It's not the posture itself that God rebukes, but the prolonged and unhelpful nature of it when there is a specific, identifiable problem requiring immediate resolution. God is questioning the efficacy and appropriateness of continued lament when the solution lies in action.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And the LORD said unto Joshua,"**: This opening clause establishes the divine origin and authority of the message. It is a direct, personal address from Yahweh to His chosen leader, Joshua, emphasizing the immediate and unmediated nature of God's communication. This highlights God's active involvement in the affairs of Israel and His direct oversight of their spiritual and military well-being.
* **"Get thee up;"**: This is God's initial, sharp imperative. It is a command to cease the current posture of prostration and despair. It signifies a divine summons to action, urging Joshua to abandon his lament and adopt a posture of readiness and responsibility. It implies that the time for mourning is over, and the time for decisive intervention has arrived.
* **"wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?"**: This is a rhetorical question, not seeking information but expressing divine impatience, rebuke, and a challenge to Joshua's current state. God already knows the reason for Israel's defeat (Achan's sin), and this question implies that Joshua should be seeking the cause rather than merely lamenting the effect. It prompts Joshua to move beyond despair to discernment and decisive action, highlighting that his current posture is unproductive and inappropriate given the circumstances.

#### Literary Devices
Joshua 7:10 employs several potent **Literary Devices** to convey its message. The most prominent is the **Rhetorical Question**, "wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?" This is not a query seeking information, but a forceful statement of divine disapproval and a call to self-reflection and action. It highlights the incongruity of Joshua's passive despair in the face of a problem that demands active resolution. The verse also utilizes **Imperative** language, specifically "Get thee up," which is a direct, authoritative command from God. This imperative underscores God's sovereignty and His expectation of immediate obedience and action from His leader. Furthermore, the scene presents a form of **Anthropomorphism**, as God is depicted speaking directly to Joshua, expressing what appears to be impatience or frustration with his inaction. This human-like quality in God's communication makes the divine rebuke more immediate and impactful for the human recipient.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Joshua 7:10 powerfully illustrates that God is not indifferent to the struggles of His people, but He also expects them to move beyond despair to active obedience when sin is present. The defeat at Ai was not due to God's weakness, but to Israel's unfaithfulness. God's sharp rebuke to Joshua underscores the principle that divine blessing is contingent upon corporate holiness and obedience. When setbacks occur, the first response should be to seek God's face, not merely in lament, but in diligent inquiry to uncover any hidden sin that might be hindering His favor. This passage serves as a timeless reminder that while prayer and mourning are vital, there are moments when God calls His people, especially their leaders, to rise, investigate, and decisively address the root causes of spiritual stagnation or defeat.

* [Psalm 66:18](/psalms/66-18 "Psalm 66:18 - If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me")
* [Isaiah 59:1-2](/isaiah/59-1 "Isaiah 59:1-2 - Your iniquities have separated you from your God")
* [1 Corinthians 5:1-5](/1_corinthians/5-1 "1 Corinthians 5:1-5 - Dealing with Immorality in the Church")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Joshua 7:10 provides a profound spiritual lesson for believers and leaders today. While it is natural and often necessary to grieve and lament in times of trouble or defeat, there comes a point where prolonged despair becomes unproductive and even disobedient. God's question to Joshua challenges us to move beyond a passive posture of lament to an active posture of inquiry and resolution. When we face setbacks in our personal lives, families, or churches, this verse urges us to consider if there is unconfessed sin, unaddressed disobedience, or a lack of corporate holiness that might be hindering God's blessing. It calls us to courageous self-examination and decisive action, trusting that God will reveal the cause if we earnestly seek Him and are prepared to obey His directives, no matter how challenging. True spiritual leadership, as exemplified by God's charge to Joshua, involves not only intercession but also the difficult work of confronting sin and leading the community back to purity and obedience.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what areas of my life or community might I be "lying upon my face" in despair, when God is calling me to "get up" and take action?**
* **When facing setbacks, do I primarily lament the circumstances, or do I diligently seek to identify any underlying sin or disobedience that might be contributing to the problem?**
* **As a leader (in my home, church, or workplace), how vigilant am I in discerning and addressing spiritual impurities or disobedience within my sphere of influence?**
* **What specific, concrete steps might God be calling me to take to move from passive lament to active obedience and purification?**

### FAQ
**Why did God rebuke Joshua instead of comforting him in his despair?**

Answer: God's rebuke was not a rejection of Joshua's grief but a corrective intervention. Joshua's despair, while understandable, had become unproductive and was preventing him from addressing the true cause of Israel's defeat. God knew the defeat at Ai was not due to His lack of power or presence, but to unaddressed sin within the camp (Achan's transgression). Therefore, comfort would have been inappropriate and counterproductive. Instead, God's sharp command and rhetorical question served to jolt Joshua out of his lament and redirect his focus to the urgent task of identifying and purging the sin. This highlights God's priority for holiness and obedience over prolonged, passive mourning when action is required. It was a call to leadership and responsibility, not an abandonment of His servant.

**Does this verse mean that all setbacks are a result of personal or corporate sin?**

Answer: Not necessarily all, but it strongly suggests that when God's people experience unexpected defeat or a withdrawal of His blessing, sin should be a primary consideration for investigation. While some suffering is for purification, testing, or to display God's glory (as seen in [John 9:1-3](/john/9-1 "John 9:1-3 - The Man Born Blind")), Joshua 7:10 teaches that unconfessed or unaddressed sin can indeed hinder God's favor and lead to negative consequences. It encourages a posture of humble self-examination and corporate accountability, urging us to ask if there's anything in our lives or communities that is displeasing to God and needs to be dealt with. It's a call to discernment, not automatic self-condemnation.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Joshua 7:10, with its divine rebuke and call to action concerning sin in the camp, powerfully foreshadows the ultimate solution to humanity's sin problem found in Jesus Christ. Just as God called Joshua to "get up" and deal with the "accursed thing" that defiled Israel and hindered their victory, so too does the New Testament reveal that humanity's greatest defeat and separation from God is due to sin. However, unlike Achan's sin which required a corporate purging and the death of the offender, Christ himself became the "accursed thing" for us, taking upon Himself the full weight of God's wrath against sin ([Galatians 3:13](/galatians/3-13 "Galatians 3:13 - Christ Redeemed Us from the Curse")). He did not merely lament our fallen state but rose from the dead, conquering sin and death, and now calls His followers to "get up" from their spiritual slumber and actively participate in His kingdom work ([Ephesians 5:14](/ephesians/5-14 "Ephesians 5:14 - Awake, O sleeper!")). Through His sacrifice, the "sin in the camp" of humanity has been dealt with, allowing for true reconciliation and victory. Christ, as our perfect Leader, not only identifies the sin but provides the means for its removal, enabling us to stand before God cleansed and empowered for His purposes, no longer lying in despair but rising in the power of His resurrection ([Romans 6:4](/romans/6-4 "Romans 6:4 - Raised to Walk in Newness of Life")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Exodus 14:15

¶ And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:

1 Samuel 16:1

¶ And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

1 Samuel 15:22

And Samuel said, Hath the LORD [as great] delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey [is] better than sacrifice, [and] to hearken than the fat of rams.

1 Chronicles 22:16

Of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, [there is] no number. Arise [therefore], and be doing, and the LORD be with thee.