You helped them defend themselves. You did not help your king win the battle.
Joshua 7:4 - Holy Bible: Easy-to-Read Version So about 3000 men went to Ai, but the people of Ai killed about 36 men of Israel. And the Israelites ran away. The people of Ai chased them from the city gates all the way to the quarries. The people of Ai beat them badly. When the people from Israel saw this, they became very frightened and lost their courage. Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition So about three thousand Israelites went up there, but they fled before the men of Ai. American Standard Version (1901) So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. Common English Bible So about three thousand men from the people went up in that direction. But they fled from the men of Ai. Catholic Public Domain Version Therefore, they went up with three thousand fighters. And they promptly turned their backs, Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version There went up therefore three thousand fighting men: who immediately turned their backs, |
You helped them defend themselves. You did not help your king win the battle.
One enemy soldier will make threats, and a thousand of your men will run away. And when five of them make threats, all of you will run away. The only thing that will be left of your army will be a flagpole on a hill.
It is your sins that separate you from your God. He turns away from you when he sees them.
I will be against you, so your enemies will defeat you. These enemies will hate you and rule over you. You will run away even when no one is chasing you.
“The Lord will let your enemies defeat you. You will go to fight against your enemies one way, but you will run away from them seven different ways. The bad things that happen to you will make all the people on earth afraid.
Can one person chase away 1000 men? Can two men cause 10,000 men to run away? It will happen only if the Lord gives them to their enemy. This will happen only if their Rock sells them like slaves.
Later, the men came back to Joshua. They said, “Ai is a weak area. We will not need all of our people to defeat them. Send 2000 or 3000 men to fight there. There is no need to use the whole army. There are only a few men there to fight against us.”