Joshua 22:20

20 "Remember Achan, the son of Zerah. Achan wasn't faithful to the Lord. He took the things that had been set apart to the LORD in a special way to be destroyed. Didn't the LORD's anger come on the whole community of Israel? And Achan wasn't the only one who died because of his sin."

Joshua 22:20 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 22:20

Did not Achan the son of Zerah
One that descended from Zerah the son of Judah, ( Joshua 7:18 ) ;

commit a trespass in the accursed thing;
in taking what was devoted to sacred uses:

and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel?
and which was what was feared now; and this instance is brought to show that such fears were not groundless:

and that man perished not alone in his iniquity:
which seems to confirm the notion of those who think that his children suffered with him; though it may be observed, that it was through his sin that thirty six men were slain by the men of Ai, ( Joshua 7:5 ) .

Joshua 22:20 In-Context

18 Are you turning away from the LORD now? "Suppose you disobey the LORD today. If you do, he'll be angry with the whole community of Israel tomorrow.

19 "If your own land isn't 'clean,' come over to the LORD's land. It's where his holy tent stands. Share our land with us. But don't disobey the Lord. Don't turn against us by building an altar for yourselves. Don't build any altar other than the altar of the LORD our God.

20 "Remember Achan, the son of Zerah. Achan wasn't faithful to the Lord. He took the things that had been set apart to the LORD in a special way to be destroyed. Didn't the LORD's anger come on the whole community of Israel? And Achan wasn't the only one who died because of his sin."

21 Then the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh replied. They answered the leaders of the family groups of Israel.

22 They said, "The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows! And we want Israel to know! Have we opposed the Lord? Have we refused to obey him? If we have, don't spare us today.