John Calvin Commentary Joshua 7:6

"And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of Jehovah until the evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust upon their heads." — Joshua 7:6 (ASV)

And Joshua rent his clothes, etc. Although it was easy to blame others for the defeat or disgrace they had suffered, and it was by no means fitting for a courageous leader to be so cast down by the loss of thirty men—especially when, by increasing his forces a hundredfold, it would not have been difficult to drive back an enemy now weary from their exertions—Joshua’s deep sorrow and feelings bordering on despair were not, however, without cause.

The thought that the outcomes of war are uncertain—a thought that sustains and reanimates the defeated—could not be entertained by him, because God had promised that they would always be victorious. Therefore, when their success did not correspond to his hopes, the only conclusion he could draw was that they had fought unsuccessfully merely because they had been deprived of God's promised assistance.

Accordingly, both he and the elders not only gave themselves up to sorrow and sadness but also engaged in solemn mourning, as was customary in the most calamitous circumstances, by tearing their garments and throwing dust on their heads. That way of expressing grief was also used by the heathen, but it was especially appropriate for the pious worshippers of God in humbly seeking to avert His wrath.

The tearing of garments and other accompanying acts contained a profession of repentance, as can also be inferred from the accompanying prayer, which, however, was of a mixed nature—dictated partly by faith and a pure spirit of piety, and partly by excessive agitation. In turning immediately to God and acknowledging that in His hand, which inflicted the wound, the cure was also prepared, they were influenced by faith; but their excessive grief was evidently carried beyond all proper bounds. Hence the freedom with which they expostulated, and hence the preposterous wish, "Oh, that we had remained in the desert!"

However, it is not a new thing for pious minds, when they aspire to seek God with holy zeal, to obscure the light of faith by the vehemence and impetuosity of their emotions. And in this way, all prayers would be corrupted if the Lord, in His boundless indulgence, did not pardon them and, wiping away all their stains, receive them as if they were pure. And yet, while freely expostulating in this way, they cast their cares upon God; although this blunt simplicity needs pardon, it is far more acceptable than the false modesty of hypocrites, who, while carefully restraining themselves to prevent any confident expression from escaping their lips, inwardly swell and almost burst with defiance.

Joshua oversteps the bounds of moderation when he challenges God for having brought the people out of the desert; but he proceeds to much greater lack of restraint when, in opposition to the divine promise and decree, he utters the turbulent wish, "Oh, that we had never come out of the desert!" That was to annul the divine covenant altogether. But as his objective was to maintain and assert the divine glory, the vehemence that otherwise might have justly provoked God was excused.

Therefore, we are taught that saints, while they aim at the right mark, often stumble and fall, and that this sometimes happens even in their prayers, in which purity of faith and emotions shaped by obedience ought to be especially manifested. That Joshua felt particularly concerned for the divine glory is apparent from the next verse, where he undertakes to maintain it, a task that had, in a way, been assigned to him.

"What shall I say," he asks, "when it will be objected that the people turned their backs?" And he justly complains that he is left without an answer, as God had made him the witness and herald of His favor, from which there was reason to hope for an uninterrupted series of victories.

Accordingly, after having extolled the divine omnipotence in the loftiest terms in fulfillment of the office committed to him, it had now become necessary for him, due to the adverse course of events, to remain shamefully silent. We see, therefore, that nothing distresses him more than the disgrace brought upon his calling.

He is not concerned for his own reputation but fears that the truth of God might be endangered in the eyes of the world. In short, as it was only by God's command that he had brought the people into the land of Canaan, he now in adversity calls upon Him as author and avenger, just as if he had said, "Since You have brought me into these straits, and I am in danger of seeming to be a deceiver, it is for You to interfere and provide me with the means of defense."