Joshua 7

Achan's Sin and Punishment

¹But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the devoted things; for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. Therefore the LORD’s anger burned against the children of Israel.

²Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the land.” The men went up and spied out Ai.

³They returned to Joshua, and said to him, “Don’t let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and strike Ai. Don’t make all the people to toil there, for there are only a few of them.”

⁴So about three thousand men of the people went up there, and they fled before the men of Ai.

⁵The men of Ai struck about thirty-six men of them. They chased them from before the gate even to Shebarim, and struck them at the descent. The hearts of the people melted, and became like water.

⁶Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the LORD’s ark until the evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads.

⁷Joshua said, “Alas, Lord GOD, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to cause us to perish? I wish that we had been content and lived beyond the Jordan!

⁸Oh, Lord, what shall I say, after Israel has turned their backs before their enemies?

⁹For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and will surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. What will you do for your great name?”

¹⁰The LORD said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face like that?

¹¹Israel has sinned. Yes, they have even transgressed my covenant which I commanded them. Yes, they have even taken some of the devoted things, and have also stolen, and also deceived. They have even put it among their own stuff.

¹²Therefore the children of Israel can’t stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will not be with you any more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.

¹³Get up! Sanctify the people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, for the LORD, the God of Israel, says, “There is a devoted thing among you, Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted thing from among you.”

¹⁴In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes. It shall be that the tribe which the LORD selects shall come near by families. The family which the LORD selects shall come near by households. The household which the LORD selects shall come near man by man.

¹⁵It shall be, that he who is taken with the devoted thing shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the LORD’s covenant, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.’”

¹⁶So Joshua rose up early in the morning and brought Israel near by their tribes. The tribe of Judah was selected.

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

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

¹⁹Joshua said to Achan, “My son, please give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and make confession to him. Tell me now what you have done! Don’t hide it from me!”

²⁰Achan answered Joshua, and said, “I have truly sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel, and this is what I have done.

²¹When I saw among the plunder a beautiful Babylonian robe, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, then I coveted them and took them. Behold, they are hidden in the ground in the middle of my tent, with the silver under it.”

²²So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent. Behold, it was hidden in his tent, with the silver under it.

²³They took them from the middle of the tent, and brought them to Joshua and to all the children of Israel. They laid them down before the LORD.

²⁴Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his cattle, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had; and they brought them up to the valley of Achor.

²⁵Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you today.” All Israel stoned him with stones, and they burned them with fire and stoned them with stones.

²⁶They raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. The LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Therefore the name of that place was called “The valley of Achor” to this day.

Previous Joshua 6

Next Joshua 8

Israel's conquest momentum is shattered when they suffer a humiliating defeat at Ai, a small city that should have been easily conquered. The defeat stems from Achan's secret violation of God's command to destroy all devoted things from Jericho, bringing divine judgment upon the entire nation. Through a process of elimination involving tribes, families, and households, God reveals Achan as the culprit, demonstrating that individual sin affects the whole community and that God's holiness demands justice.

Context

This chapter creates a stark contrast with the miraculous victory at Jericho in chapter 6, showing how disobedience can reverse God's blessing and foreshadowing the need for covenant faithfulness in the conquest.

Key Themes

Outline

1
Achan's Hidden Sin Achan secretly takes devoted items from Jericho, bringing God's anger upon all Israel.
2-5
Defeat at Ai Israel's confident attack on the small city of Ai results in unexpected defeat and thirty-six casualties.
6-9
Joshua's Anguished Prayer Joshua and the elders mourn in sackcloth, questioning God about the defeat and fearing for Israel's future.
10-15
God Reveals the Cause God explains that hidden sin has broken the covenant and outlines the process for identifying the guilty party.
16-26
Achan Identified and Executed Through divine selection, Achan is exposed, confesses his theft, and is executed with his family.

Achan's Sin and Punishment

7:1–7:26

narrative narration anguished

Achan's theft of devoted items leads to Israel's defeat at Ai and God's anger against the nation. The account demonstrates the consequences of covenant violation and the need for corporate holiness.

person_contrast

Joshua's characteristic role as obedient leader transforms into reluctant executioner, as he must stone Achan despite previously leading Israel through triumphant conquests rather than internal judgment.

Insight Character Study

Cross-References

Connected passages across Scripture

Joshua 7:1 3 references

Lexicals 3

Joshua 22:20 Lexical

Didn’t Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the devoted thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel?…

5 shared words

1 Chronicles 2:7 Lexical

The son of Carmi: Achar, the troubler of Israel, who committed a trespass in the devoted thing.

Joshua 7

Achan's Sin and Punishment

Achan's Sin and Punishment

Insights

Cross-References

Joshua 7:1 3 references

Joshua 7:2 5 references

Joshua 7:3 1 reference

Joshua 7:5 1 reference

Joshua 7:7 5 references

Joshua 7:12 1 reference

Joshua 7:13 1 reference

Joshua 7:14 2 references

Joshua 7:15 4 references

Joshua 7:16 5 references

Joshua 7:17 1 reference

Joshua 7:18 1 reference

Joshua 7:19 1 reference

Joshua 7:21 5 references

Joshua 7:22 1 reference

Joshua 7:24 5 references

Joshua 7:25 3 references

Joshua 7:26 3 references

Interlinear

Historical Context