Joshua 7
Achan's Sin and Punishment
1But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the devoted things; for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. Therefore the LORD’s anger burned against the children of Israel.
2Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the land.” The men went up and spied out Ai.
3They returned to Joshua, and said to him, “Don’t let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and strike Ai. Don’t make all the people to toil there, for there are only a few of them.”
4So about three thousand men of the people went up there, and they fled before the men of Ai.
5The men of Ai struck about thirty-six men of them. They chased them from before the gate even to Shebarim, and struck them at the descent. The hearts of the people melted, and became like water.
6Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the LORD’s ark until the evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads.
7Joshua said, “Alas, Lord GOD, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to cause us to perish? I wish that we had been content and lived beyond the Jordan!
8Oh, Lord, what shall I say, after Israel has turned their backs before their enemies?
9For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and will surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. What will you do for your great name?”
10The LORD said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face like that?
11Israel has sinned. Yes, they have even transgressed my covenant which I commanded them. Yes, they have even taken some of the devoted things, and have also stolen, and also deceived. They have even put it among their own stuff.
12Therefore the children of Israel can’t stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will not be with you any more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.
13Get up! Sanctify the people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, for the LORD, the God of Israel, says, “There is a devoted thing among you, Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted thing from among you.”
14In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes. It shall be that the tribe which the LORD selects shall come near by families. The family which the LORD selects shall come near by households. The household which the LORD selects shall come near man by man.
15It shall be, that he who is taken with the devoted thing shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the LORD’s covenant, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.’”
16So Joshua rose up early in the morning and brought Israel near by their tribes. The tribe of Judah was selected.
17He brought near the family of Judah, and he selected the family of the Zerahites. He brought near the family of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was selected.
18He brought near his household man by man, and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was selected.
19Joshua said to Achan, “My son, please give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and make confession to him. Tell me now what you have done! Don’t hide it from me!”
20Achan answered Joshua, and said, “I have truly sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel, and this is what I have done.
21When I saw among the plunder a beautiful Babylonian robe, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, then I coveted them and took them. Behold, they are hidden in the ground in the middle of my tent, with the silver under it.”
22So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent. Behold, it was hidden in his tent, with the silver under it.
23They took them from the middle of the tent, and brought them to Joshua and to all the children of Israel. They laid them down before the LORD.
24Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his cattle, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had; and they brought them up to the valley of Achor.
25Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you today.” All Israel stoned him with stones, and they burned them with fire and stoned them with stones.
26They raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. The LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Therefore the name of that place was called “The valley of Achor” to this day.
Israel's conquest momentum is shattered when they suffer a humiliating defeat at Ai, a small city that should have been easily conquered. The defeat stems from Achan's secret violation of God's command to destroy all devoted things from Jericho, bringing divine judgment upon the entire nation. Through a process of elimination involving tribes, families, and households, God reveals Achan as the culprit, demonstrating that individual sin affects the whole community and that God's holiness demands justice.
Context
This chapter creates a stark contrast with the miraculous victory at Jericho in chapter 6, showing how disobedience can reverse God's blessing and foreshadowing the need for covenant faithfulness in the conquest.
Key Themes
Outline
- 1Achan's Hidden SinAchan secretly takes devoted items from Jericho, bringing God's anger upon all Israel.
- 2-5Defeat at AiIsrael's confident attack on the small city of Ai results in unexpected defeat and thirty-six casualties.
- 6-9Joshua's Anguished PrayerJoshua and the elders mourn in sackcloth, questioning God about the defeat and fearing for Israel's future.
- 10-15God Reveals the CauseGod explains that hidden sin has broken the covenant and outlines the process for identifying the guilty party.
- 16-26Achan Identified and ExecutedThrough divine selection, Achan is exposed, confesses his theft, and is executed with his family.
Achan's Sin and Punishment
7:1–7:26Achan's theft of devoted items leads to Israel's defeat at Ai and God's anger against the nation. The account demonstrates the consequences of covenant violation and the need for corporate holiness.
person_contrast
Joshua's characteristic role as obedient leader transforms into reluctant executioner, as he must stone Achan despite previously leading Israel through triumphant conquests rather than internal judgment.
Joshua 7:1
Joshua 22:20lexicalDidn’t Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the devoted thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel?…
1 Chronicles 2:7lexicalThe son of Carmi: Achar, the troubler of Israel, who committed a trespass in the devoted thing.
Ezekiel 14:13lexical“Son of man, when a land sins against me by committing a trespass, and I stretch out my hand on it, and break the staff…
Joshua 7:2
Joshua 12:9lexicalthe king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one;
Genesis 12:8lexicalHe left from there to go to the mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai o…
Joshua 2:1lexicalJoshua the son of Nun secretly sent two men out of Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, including Jericho.” The…
Joshua 6:25lexicalBut Rahab the prostitute, her father’s household, and all that she had, Joshua saved alive. She lives in the middle of I…
Joshua 10:1lexicalNow when Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Je…
Joshua 7:7
Deuteronomy 1:5lexicalBeyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses began to declare this law, saying,
Joshua 2:10lexicalFor we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you, when you came out of Egypt; and what you di…
Joshua 5:1lexicalWhen all the kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, who were b…
Deuteronomy 3:8lexicalWe took the land at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, from the vall…
Deuteronomy 4:47lexicalThey took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the J…
Joshua 7:14
1 Samuel 10:21lexicalHe brought the tribe of Benjamin near by their families and the family of the Matrites was chosen. Then Saul the son of…
1 Samuel 10:20lexicalSo Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen.
Joshua 7:15
Jeremiah 37:8lexicalThe Chaldeans will come again, and fight against this city. They will take it and burn it with fire.”’
1 Kings 9:16lexicalPharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, taken Gezer, burned it with fire, killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and gi…
Jeremiah 34:22lexicalBehold, I will command,” says the LORD, “and cause them to return to this city. They will fight against it, take it, and…
1 Kings 16:18lexicalWhen Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the fortified part of the king’s house and burned the king’s house…
Joshua 7:16
Exodus 24:4lexicalMoses wrote all the LORD’s words, then rose up early in the morning and built an altar at the base of the mountain, with…
Joshua 3:1lexicalJoshua got up early in the morning; and they moved from Shittim and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israe…
Joshua 6:12lexicalJoshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the LORD’s ark.
Joshua 8:10lexicalJoshua rose up early in the morning, mustered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to…
1 Samuel 10:21lexicalHe brought the tribe of Benjamin near by their families and the family of the Matrites was chosen. Then Saul the son of…
Joshua 7:21
2 Chronicles 3:9lexicalThe weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. He overlaid the upper rooms with gold.
2 Kings 7:8lexicalWhen these lepers came to the outermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and ate and drank, then carried away…
Joshua 22:8lexicaland spoke to them, saying, “Return with much wealth to your tents, with very much livestock, with silver, with gold, wit…
Numbers 7:49lexicalgave his offering: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy sh…
Numbers 7:19lexicalHe offered for his offering: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of…
Joshua 7:24
Isaiah 65:10lexicalSharon will be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down in, for my people who have sought…
Genesis 24:35lexicalThe LORD has blessed my master greatly. He has become great. The LORD has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, m…
Deuteronomy 28:31lexicalYour ox will be slain before your eyes, and you will not eat any of it. Your donkey will be violently taken away from be…
Joshua 22:20lexicalDidn’t Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the devoted thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel?…
Joshua 15:7lexicalThe border went up to Debir from the valley of Achor, and so northward, looking toward Gilgal, that faces the ascent of…
Joshua 7:25
Ezekiel 23:47lexicalThe company will stone them with stones and dispatch them with their swords. They will kill their sons and their daughte…
Joshua 11:9lexicalJoshua did to them as the LORD told him. He hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.
Joshua 11:6lexicalThe LORD said to Joshua, “Don’t be afraid because of them; for tomorrow at this time, I will deliver them up all slain b…
Joshua 7:26
Isaiah 13:13lexicalTherefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place in the LORD of Armies’ wrath, a…
Joshua 15:7lexicalThe border went up to Debir from the valley of Achor, and so northward, looking toward Gilgal, that faces the ascent of…
Isaiah 65:10lexicalSharon will be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down in, for my people who have sought…
Interlinear
Word-by-word original language
Historical Context
Places and events in this chapter