Joshua 7:12-26

12 That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.

13 “Go, consecrate the people. Tell them, ‘Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow; for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: There are devoted things among you, Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them.

14 “ ‘In the morning, present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe the LORD chooses shall come forward clan by clan; the clan the LORD chooses shall come forward family by family; and the family the LORD chooses shall come forward man by man.

15 Whoever is caught with the devoted things shall be destroyed by fire, along with all that belongs to him. He has violated the covenant of the LORD and has done an outrageous thing in Israel!’ ”

16 Early the next morning Joshua had Israel come forward by tribes, and Judah was chosen.

17 The clans of Judah came forward, and the Zerahites were chosen. He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward by families, and Zimri was chosen.

18 Joshua had his family come forward man by man, and Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was chosen.

19 Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and honor him. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”

20 Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I have done:

21 When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia,^[a] two hundred shekels^[b] of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels,^[c] I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”

22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent, and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath.

23 They took the things from the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites and spread them out before the LORD.

24 Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold bar, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor.

25 Joshua said, “Why have you brought this trouble on us? The LORD will bring trouble on you today.” Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them.

26 Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor^[d] ever since.

Joshua 7:12-26 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 7

For the trespass of Achan the children of Israel were smitten and put to flight by the men of Ai, Jos 7:1-5; which gave him and the elders of the people great concern, both for Israel and for the name of the Lord, which was expressed by Joshua in prayer to God, Jos 7:6-9; when the Lord informed him of the reason of it, and gave him directions for finding out the guilty person, and for the punishment of him, Jos 7:10-15; which directions Joshua followed, and the person was found out, who being urged to a confession made one, Jos 7:16-21; upon which he and all he had, with the things he had taken, were burnt with fire, Jos 7:22-26.

Cross References

• 1. Leviticus 26:37; Numbers 14:45; Judges 2:14
• 2. Psalms 18:40; Psalms 21:12
• 3. S Leviticus 26:17
• 4. Joshua 6:18
• 5. Psalms 44:9; Psalms 60:10
• 6. S Leviticus 11:44; Joshua 3:5; Joshua 6:18
• 7. 1 Samuel 10:19
• 8. Proverbs 16:33
• 9. Joshua 6:18
• 10. Deuteronomy 7:25; 2 Kings 25:9; 1 Chronicles 14:12; Isaiah 37:19; Jeremiah 43:12; Ezekiel 30:16
• 11. 1 Samuel 14:39
• 12. S ver 11
• 13. Genesis 34:7
• 14. Numbers 26:20
• 15. S ver 1; S Leviticus 24:11
• 16. John 1:7
• 17. Exodus 14:17; 1 Samuel 6:5; Psalms 96:8; Isaiah 42:12; Jeremiah 13:16; John 9:24*
• 18. S Leviticus 5:5; 1 Samuel 14:43
• 19. S Genesis 34:29; S Genesis 49:27
• 20. S Deuteronomy 7:25; Ephesians 5:5; 1 Timothy 6:10
• 21. S Numbers 16:27
• 22. ver 26; Joshua 15:7; Isaiah 65:10; Hosea 2:15
• 23. S Joshua 6:18
• 24. S Leviticus 20:2; Deuteronomy 17:5; 1 Kings 12:18; 2 Chronicles 10:18; 2 Chronicles 24:21; Nehemiah 9:26
• 25. S Genesis 38:24
• 26. 2 Samuel 18:17
• 27. S Genesis 35:20
• 28. S Numbers 25:4; Deuteronomy 13:17
• 29. S ver 24; Isaiah 65:10; Hosea 2:15

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew "Shinar"
• [b]. That is, about 5 pounds or about 2.3 kilograms
• [c]. That is, about 1 1/4 pounds or about 575 grams
• [d]. "Achor" means "trouble."