The Book of Joshua
Joshua 7
Chapter VII · Vol. I, pp. 547–549
1 Achan's trespass. 2 The Israelites are smitten at Ai. 6 Joshua's complaint. 10 God instructeth him what to do. 16 Achan is taken by the lot. 19 His confession. 24 He and all he had are destroyed in the valley of Achor.
1 But the achildren of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing:1 for 2Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the baccursed thing: and cthe anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.
a ch.22.20. 1 Ch.2.7.
1 Why was the Lord angry with all, since only Achan was guilty of the trespass? It is not improbable, though not expressly mentioned, that all may have grieved and grudged in their hearts to see so much valuable spoil given up to the fire or dedicated to the tabernacle, while Achan alone committed the actual trespass.—C.
2 Or, Achar.
b Devoted, ch.6.17,18.
c Ex.4.14. Nu.11.1,10; 25.3; 32.10,13. De.6.15; 7.4. ch.22.20.
2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to dAi, which is beside eBeth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and fview the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.3
d Ge.12.8; 13.3. ch.12.9; 8.1. Is.10.28.
e 1 Sa.14.23. Ho.4.15; 5.8; 10.5.
f Pr.20.18; 24.6. Mat.10.16. Ep.5.15. ch.2.1.
3 The site of Ai has been recently identified. It stood on a rocky ridge on the eastern brow of the mountain chain, commanding a noble view of the Jordan valley. It is about 2½ miles south-east of Bethel; and between them lies the broad plateau on the top of which Abraham pitched his tent. Ai has an elevation of some 3000 ft. above Gilgal, so that it is truly said 'the men went up.'—P.
3 And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, gLet not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men4 go up and smite Ai, and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.5
A.M. 2553. B.C. 1451.
4 Heb. about 2000 men or about 3000 men.
5 That is, the people of Ai are few.—Note, We should never despise any enemy, temporal or spiritual, nor any temptation, however apparently weak. One may chase a thousand, if the Lord will, and the mightiest may fall before the weakest temptation, as Peter was affrighted by a servant maid.—C.
4 So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men; and they hfled before the men of Ai.
5 And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down:6 wherefore ithe hearts of the people melted,7 and became as water.
6 Or, in Morad.
i Le.26.36. ch.2.11; 5.1. Is.13.8.
7 It was but a small loss of men which they had sustained, but as yet they were but little accustomed to military affairs—'nomades fresh from the desert'—and ready to lose courage at the slightest reverse; and, above all, having been taught to rely implicitly on divine aid, this unexpected discomfiture would fill them with alarm, as a token of the withdrawing of God's favour, his promised assistance being withheld.—I.
6 And Joshua krent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the even-tide, he and the elders of Israel, and lput dust upon their heads.
7 And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, whereforem hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? nWould to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!
9 For the Canaanites, and all the inhabitants of the land, shall hear of it, and pshall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and qwhat wilt thou do unto thy great name?
p Ps.124.2,3; 83.4. Nu.14.13.
q Ex.32.12. De.32.27. Joel 2.17. Ps.106.6,9; 79.10. Je.14.7,9,21. Eze.20.9,14,22. Mat.6.9. Jn.12.28.
10 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; rwherefore liest9 thou thus upon thy face?
r Ex.14.15. 1 Sa.15.22; 16.1.
9 Heb. fallest.
11 Israel shath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.
12 Thereforet the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed; neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.
13 Up, usanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to-morrow; for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, xThere is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.
u Ex.19.10. ch.3.5. La.3.40. Zep.2.1,2.
x ver.1,11,12. 2 Ch.28.10. Je.2.17,19; 4.18; 5.25; 6.19.
14 In ythe morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the LORD ztaketh1 shall come according to the families thereof: and the family which the LORD shall take shall come by households; and the household which the LORD shall take shall come man by man.
y ch.3.1; 6.12. Ps.119.60. Pr.8.17; 27.1. Ec.9.10.
z By lot, Pr.16.33. 1 Sa.14.41,42. Jonah 1.7. Ac.1.24,26. Le.16.8. ch.18.6; 21.4.
1 In what precise manner the discovery was to be made we are not informed. The Jews had various strange traditions upon the subject, and among others, that the tribes, families, &c., were made to pass before the high-priest, and that the stone on his breastplate gave the intimation by suddenly changing its colour, or losing its lustre. It is most probable, however, that the discovery was made by means of lots.—I.
15 And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing ashall be burnt with fire, he and all2 that he hath; because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath bwrought folly3 in Israel.
A.M. 2553. B.C. 1451.
a ver.25; ch.6.17,24. De.13.15,16; 7.26.
2 It is doubtful whether this is to be understood as including his family as well as his goods.—I.
b Ge.34.7. Ju.20.6. 2 Sa.13.13. Ex.19.5,6. De.7.6,7; 14.2; 26.18.
3 Or, wickedness.
16 So Joshua crose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of dJudah was taken:
d 1 Ch.2.4-7. Nu.26.20.
17 And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites:4 and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken:
4 We are not informed how the selection was made; but from Ju.20.9, and similar passages, it appears most probably to have been by lot, as a religious appeal to the judgment of God.—C.
18 And he brought his household man by man; and eAchan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.
19 And Joshua said unto Achan, fMy son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel,5 and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.
f Lu.16.25. 2 Ti.2.25,26. Je.13.16; 3.12,13. 1 Sa.6.5. Pr.28.13. Ps.51.3; 32.5.
5 Give glory, that is, the glory due to the name and perfections of God. And as one of these names declares, 'he will by no means clear the guilty,' so acknowledge your sin before him, and show that you believe it to be a true title.—C.
20 And Achan answered Joshua, and said, gIndeed I have sinned6 against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:
g Job 7.20; 33.27. Ps.51.2,4; 38.18; 25.11. Je.2.21,25.
6 We cannot take it upon us to determine whether this man's repentance was genuine or not. He alone could know who searcheth the heart and trieth the reins. Though extorted, it certainly was frank and ingenuous, and does seem to indicate resignation to his doom as justly merited.—I.
21 When hI saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment,7 and two hundred shekels of silver[≈ 2.3 kg · 5 lb · silver worth ≈ US$3,900],8 and a wedge9 of gold of fifty 1shekels[≈ 570 g · 1.3 lb] weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.
h 1 Jn.2.16. Pr.28.16,22. Job 20.15. Ec.5.13. 1 Ti.6.10.
7 A mantle of Shinar, the plain on which Babylon was situate. Probably something akin to the modern Indian shawl, which is often of great value.—C.
8 £22, 16s.
9 Heb. tongue.
1 £91, 5s.
22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent;2 and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it.
2 Ran, to prevent any attempt to remove or destroy the evidence of guilt.—Note, 'Be sure thy sin will find thee out;' and God will find a swift messenger for its discovery and exposure.—C.
23 And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid3 them out before the LORD.
3 Heb. poured.
24 And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his isons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had; and they brought them unto the valley of Achor.
25 And Joshua said, Why hast thou ktroubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel lstoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.4
k 1 Ch.2.7. Pr.15.27. Hab.2.9. ch.6.18; ver.1. 2 Th.1.6.
l Le.20.2,27; 24.14. De.13.10; 17.5; 21.21; 22.21,24.
4 The sons and daughters of Achan appear to have suffered along with him; yet not for his sin, but in it as guilty of copartnership. Note, One of the most awful effects of sin may be seen in the ruin which the wicked example of a parent may bring upon his children.—C.
26 And they mraised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD nturned from the fierceness of his anger: wherefore the name of that place was called The valley of Achor,o unto this day.
m ch.8.29. La.3.53. 2 Sa.18.17. ch.3.7; 10.27. Nu.16.40.
A.M. 2553. B.C. 1451.
n 2 Sa.21.14. Zec.6.8. Pr.21.3. Joel 2.13,18.
Notes
Reflections.—How terrible a sin is sacrilege, especially when it is presumptuously committed! It brings the most tremendous plagues upon persons and nations. One sinner often destroys much good; and becomes a plague to himself and to the societies with which he is connected. But terrors of conscience will at last most surely attend indulged wickedness: and the attempts begun in sloth or self-confidence, often issue in shame and despair. It is becoming, therefore, for the most courageous and intrepid to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, and to tremble for fear of his displeasure. The choicest saints are too ready to be overmuch discouraged by the alarming frowns of God's providence, and in their anguish to utter words unadvised! and yet, when the honour of God and the safety of his people lie nearest their heart, a proper sorrow, in such a state, is highly becoming. With impartial care, and proper expedition, should ruinous scandals and crimes be inquired into, and animadverted upon, for the preservation of churches and nations. If we do not destroy sin it will destroy us. And it is mad to indulge ourselves in secret wickedness, when God can so easily bring it to light in the most public and shameful manner. It is desirable, yea, even hopeful, when criminals are brought to a candid and kindly confession of their sin: and yet it is necessary to have their punishment as certain and striking as possible, that others may see, and hear, and fear to do such things; yea, in some cases, to keep up the standing memorials of it.
Measures in square brackets are modern equivalents added for this edition. They are not in the King James text or in Brown’s notes. They use common scholarly estimates: a cubit is about 45.7 cm (18 in), a shekel about 11.4 g (0.4 oz), an ephah about 22 litres. Money values give the worth of the silver or gold at spot prices on 28 October 2026, not what the sum would buy in the ancient world.