Joshua 7:8-18

8 "O Lord, what can I say since Israel has turned their back before their enemies?

9 "¹For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and they will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will You do for Your great name?"

10 So the LORD said to Joshua, "Rise up! Why is it that you have fallen on your face?

11 "Israel has sinned, and ²they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. And they have even taken some of the things under the ban and have both stolen and deceived. Moreover, they have also put them among their own things.

12 "Therefore the ³sons of Israel cannot * stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, for they have become accursed. I will not be with you anymore unless * you destroy the things under the ban from your midst.

13 "Rise up! ⁴Consecrate the people and say, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for thus the LORD, the God of Israel, has said, "⁵There are things under the ban in your midst, O Israel. You cannot * stand before your enemies until you have removed the things under the ban from your midst."

14 'In the morning then you shall come near by your tribes. And it shall be that the tribe which ⁶the LORD takes by lot shall come near by families, and the family which the LORD takes shall come near by households, and the household which the LORD takes shall come near man by man.

15 '⁷It shall be that the one who is taken with the things under the ban shall be burned with fire, he and all that belongs to him, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he ⁸has committed a disgraceful thing in Israel.' "

The Sin of Achan

16 So Joshua arose early in the morning and brought Israel near by tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken.

17 He brought the family of Judah near, and he took the family of the Zerahites; and he brought the family of the Zerahites near man by man, and Zabdi was taken.

18 He brought his household near man by man; and ⁹Achan, son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, was taken.

Joshua 7:8-18 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. Exodus 32:12; Deuteronomy 9:28
• 2. Joshua 6:18, 19
• 3. Numbers 14:39, 45; Judges 2:14
• 4. Joshua 3:5
• 5. Joshua 6:18
• 6. Proverbs 16:33
• 7. 1 Samuel 14:38
• 8. Genesis 34:7; Judges 20:6
• 9. Numbers 32:23; Acts 5:1-10

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "neck"
• [b]. Lit "necks"
• [c]. Lit "its tribes"