The men of Ai struck of them about thirty-six men; and they chased them [from] before the gate even to Shebarim, and struck them at the descent; and the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.
The spies in Numbers 13, 14 lacked faith in God because they did not believe that the Israelites were strong enough to defeat their enemies. They failed to reckon on God’s help. The spies in Joshua 7 lacked faith in God because they believed the Israelites were strong enough to defeat their enemies. They disregarded the need for God’s help. The fact that the people’s hearts melted (Joshua 7:5; cf. Joshua 2:11) hints that Israel may have been trusting in her own strength rather than in the Lord.