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.
That's why the Israelites couldn't stand up to their enemies and had to run away from them, because they were under a curse. I will not be with you anymore unless you remove the cursed thing from among your people.
God is explaining that Israel's military defeat happened because of hidden sin in their camp, and He won't help them again until they deal with it.
📚 Historical Context
This comes after Israel's shocking defeat at Ai, following their great victory at Jericho. Unknown to most Israelites, Achan had secretly taken forbidden items from Jericho, violating God's command and bringing judgment on the entire nation. Joshua is receiving God's explanation for why His people suddenly became powerless against a much smaller enemy force.
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