Joshua 7:13-23

13 Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: for thus says the LORD, the God of Yisra'el, There is a devoted thing in the midst of you, Yisra'el; you can not stand before your enemies, until you take away the devoted thing from among you.

14 In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the LORD takes shall come near by families; and the family which the LORD shall take shall come near by households; and the household which the LORD shall take shall come near man by man.

15 It shall be, that he who is taken with the devoted thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he has; because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has done folly in Yisra'el.

16 So Yehoshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Yisra'el near by their tribes; and the tribe of Yehudah was taken:

17 and he brought near the family of Yehudah; and he took the family of the Zarchi: and he brought near the family of the Zarchi man by man; and Zavdi was taken:

18 and he brought near his household man by man; and `Akhan, the son of Karmi, the son of Zavdi, the son of Zerach, of the tribe of Yehudah, was taken.

19 Yehoshua said to `Akhan, My son, please give glory to the LORD, the God of Yisra'el, and make confession to him; and tell me now what you have done; don't hide it from me.

20 `Akhan answered Yehoshua, and said, Of a truth I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Yisra'el, and thus and thus have I done:

21 when I saw among the spoil a goodly mantle of Shin`ar, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the eretz in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.

22 So Yehoshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it.

23 They took them from the midst of the tent, and brought them to Yehoshua, and to all the children of Yisra'el; and they laid them down before the LORD.

Joshua 7:13-23 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.