Joshua 7:26

26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day; then the LORD turned from his burning anger. Therefore to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor.

Joshua 7:26 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 7:26

And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this
day
That is, at the place where he suffered, or where they laid his ashes, they heaped up a pile of stones over him, as a monument whereby it might be known hereafter where he was executed and was buried; and which pile continued to the writing of this history: such sort of funeral monuments were usual with the Heathens F19 also as well as with the Jews, see ( Joshua 8:29 ) ( 2 Samuel 18:17 ) ; so the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger; or the effects of it ceased; the outward face of things was altered, the dealings of God in his providence with Israel were changed; though, properly speaking, there is no change in God, nor such affections and passions in him as in man:

wherefore the name of the place was called the valley of Achor unto
this day;
from the trouble Achan met with, and the people of Israel on his account, see ( Joshua 7:24 ) ; and so it was called in the days of Isaiah and Hosea, ( Isaiah 65:10 ) ( Hosea 2:15 ) ; and where it is prophesied of as what should be in time to come: according to Bunting F20, it was twelve miles from Jerusalem; Jerom F21 says it was at the north of Jericho, but Lamy F23, following Bonfrerius, places it to the south; see ( Joshua 15:7 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F19 Vid. Pausan. Arcadica, sive, l. 8. p. 477. & Phocica, sive, l. 10. p. 616, 617.
F20 Travels of the Patriarchs p. 98.
F21 De loc. Heb. fol. 88. B.
F23 Apparat. Geograph. p. 61.

Joshua 7:26 In-Context

24 And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the mantle and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters, and his oxen and asses and sheep, and his tent, and all that he had; and they brought them up to the Valley of Achor.
25 And Joshua said, "Why did you bring trouble on us? The LORD brings trouble on you today." And all Israel stoned him with stones; they burned them with fire, and stoned them with stones.
26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day; then the LORD turned from his burning anger. Therefore to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.