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Texts -- Joshua 7:1-13 (NET)

Context
Achan Sins and is Punished
7:1 But the Israelites disobeyed the command about the city’s riches . Achan son of Carmi , son of Zabdi , son of Zerah , from the tribe of Judah , stole some of the riches . The Lord was furious with the Israelites . 7:2 Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai (which is located near Beth Aven , east of Bethel ) and instructed them, “Go up and spy on the land .” So the men went up and spied on Ai . 7:3 They returned and reported to Joshua , “Don’t send the whole army . About two or three thousand men are adequate to defeat Ai . Don’t tire out the whole army , for Ai is small .” 7:4 So about three thousand men went up , but they fled from the men of Ai . 7:5 The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them and chased them from in front of the city gate all the way to the fissures and defeated them on the steep slope . The people’s courage melted away like water . 7:6 Joshua tore his clothes ; he and the leaders of Israel lay face down on the ground before the ark of the Lord until evening and threw dirt on their heads . 7:7 Joshua prayed , “O , Master , Lord ! Why did you bring these people across the Jordan to hand us over to the Amorites so they could destroy us? 7:8 If only we had been satisfied to live on the other side of the Jordan! O Lord , what can I say now that Israel has retreated before its enemies ? 7:9 When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will turn against us and destroy the very memory of us from the earth . What will you do to protect your great reputation ?” 7:10 The Lord responded to Joshua , “Get up ! Why are you lying there face down ? 7:11 Israel has sinned ; they have violated my covenantal commandment ! They have taken some of the riches ; they have stolen them and deceitfully put them among their own possessions . 7:12 The Israelites are unable to stand before their enemies ; they retreat because they have become subject to annihilation . I will no longer be with you, unless you destroy what has contaminated you. 7:13 Get up ! Ritually consecrate the people and tell them this: ‘Ritually consecrate yourselves for tomorrow , because the Lord God of Israel says, “You are contaminated , O Israel ! You will not be able to stand before your enemies until you remove what is contaminating you.”

Pericope

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Bible Dictionary

  • Ai

    [ebd] ruins. (1.) One of the royal cities of the Canaanites (Josh. 10:1; Gen. 12:8; 13:3). It was the scene of Joshua's defeat, and afterwards of his victory. It was the second Canaanite city taken by Israel (Josh. 7:2-5; 8:1-29)....
    [smith] (heap of ruins). A city lying east of Bethel and "beside Bethaven." (Joshua 7:2; 8:9) It was the second city taken by Israel after the passage of the Jordan, and was "utterly destroyed." (Joshua 7:3-5; 8:1; Joshua 9:3; 10:1,...
    [nave] AI 1. A royal city of the Canaanites. Conquest and destruction of, Josh. 7; 8. Rebuilt, Ezra 2:28. Called also Aija, Neh. 11:31; and Aiath, Isa. 10:28. Population of, Josh. 8:25. 2. A city of the Ammonites, Jer. 49:3.

  • Achan

    [ebd] called also Achar, i.e., one who troubles (1 Chr. 2:7), in commemoration of his crime, which brought upon him an awful destruction (Josh. 7:1). On the occasion of the fall of Jericho, he seized, contrary to the divine comman...
    [nave] ACHAN, sin and punishment of Josh. 7; 22:20; 1 Chr. 2:7.

  • Merom

    [ebd] height, a lake in Northern Palestine through which the Jordan flows. It was the scene of the third and last great victory gained by Joshua over the Canaanites (Josh. 11:5-7). It is not again mentioned in Scripture. Its moder...

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • God

    [nave] GOD. List of Sub-Topics Miscellany; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Access to; Compassion of; Creator; Creator of Mankind; Eternity of; Faithfulness of; Fatherhood of; Favor of; Foreknowledge of; Glory of; Goodness of...

  • Armies

    [nave] ARMIES Who of the Israelites were subject to service in, Num. 1:2, 3; 26:2; 2 Chr. 25:5; who were exempt from service in, Num. 1:47-50; 2:33; Deut. 20:5-9; Judg. 7:3. Enumeration of Israel's military forces, Num. 1:2, 3; 26...

  • Canaan

    [nave] CANAAN 1. Son of Ham, Gen. 9:18, 22, 25-27. Descendants of, Gen. 10:6, 15; 1 Chr. 1:8, 13. 2. Land of (The history of this region is involved in that of the Israelites. The student is therefore referred to Israel, History ...

  • Joshua

    [nave] JOSHUA 1. Called also Jehoshua, and Jehoshuah, and Oshea. Son of Nun, Num. 13:8; 1 Chr. 7:27. Intimately associated with Moses, Ex. 24:13; 32:17; 33:11. A religious zealot, Num. 11:28. Sent with others to view the promise...

  • Intercession

    [isbe] INTERCESSION - in-ter-sesh'-un (pagha`, "to make intercession"; originally "to strike upon," or "against"; then in a good sense, "to assail anyone with petitions," "to urge," and when on behalf of another, "to intercede" (Ru...
    [nave] INTERCESSION. Of One Person with Another 1 Sam. 2:25 Instances of: Reuben for Joseph, Gen. 37:21, 22. Judah for Joseph, Gen. 37:26, 27. Pharaoh's chief baker for Joseph, Gen. 41:9-13, with Gen. 40:14. Jonathan for David...

  • Ark

    [nave] ARK 1. Noah's. Directions for building of, Gen. 6:14-16. Noah and family preserved in, Gen. 6:18; 7:8; Matt. 24:38; Heb. 11:7; 1 Pet. 3:20. Animals saved in, Gen. 6:19, 20; 7:1-16. 2. Of Bulrushes, Ex. 2:3. 3. In the Tab...

  • Shebarim

    [ebd] breaks; ruins, a place near Ai (Josh. 7:5; R.V. marg., "the quarries").
    [isbe] SHEBARIM - sheb'-a-rim, she-ba'-rim (ha-shebharim; sunetripsan): After the repulse of the first attack on their city the men of Ai chased the Israelites "even unto Shebarim" (Josh 7:5). the Revised Version margin reads "the ...
    [smith] (the breaches), a place named in (Joshua 7:5) only, as one of the points in the flight from Ai.
    [nave] SHEBARIM, a place near Ai, Josh. 7:5.

  • Discipline

    [nave] DISCIPLINE, of armies, for disobedience of orders, Josh. 7:10-26; Judg. 21:5-12. See: Armies. Church Discipline See: Church, Rules of Discipline in, Mosaic and Christian

  • Zabdi

    [ebd] gift of Jehovah. (1.) An ancestor of Achan (Josh. 7:1, 17, 18). He is probably the "Zimri" of 1 Chr. 2:6. (2.) A Benjamite (1 Chr. 8:19). (3.) Called "the Shiphmite," one of David's officers, who had charge of his vineyards ...
    [isbe] ZABDI - zab'-di (zabhdi>, perhaps "(a) gift of Yahweh" or "my gift" = New Testament "Zebedee"): (1) An ancestor of Achan (Josh 7:1,17,18). Some Septuagint manuscripts and 1 Ch 2:6 have "Zimri" (zimri); "the confusion of the ...
    [smith] (my gift). Son of Zerah the son of Judah, and ancestor of Achan. (Joshua 7:1,17,18) (B.C. before 1480.) A Benjamite, of the sons of Shimhi. (1 Chronicles 8:19) (B.C. about 1442.) David?s officer over the produce of the vi...
    [nave] ZABDI 1. Father of Carmi, Josh. 7:1, 17, 18. 2. A Benjamite, 1 Chr. 8:19. 3. David's storekeeper, 1 Chr. 27:27. 4. Son of Asaph, Neh. 11:17.

  • Prayer

    [smith] The object of this article will be to touch briefly on -- The doctrine of Scripture as to the nature and efficacy of prayer; Its directions as to time, place and manner of prayer; Its types and examples of prayer. Scripture ...
    [nave] PRAYER. Index of Sub-topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-Topics; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Answer to, Promised; Answered, Instances of Answered; Confession in; Importunity in, Instances of Importunity in; Intercessor...

  • Emergency

    [nave] EMERGENCY. Ex. 14:15; Josh. 7:10-13 See: Decision.

  • Communion

    [nave] COMMUNION. With God Psa. 16:7; John 14:16-18, 23; 1 Cor. 10:16; 2 Cor. 6:16; 2 Cor. 13:14; Gal. 4:6; Phil. 2:1, 2; 1 John 1:3; Rev. 3:20 See: Fellowship. Instances of Enoch, Gen. 5:22, 24. Noah, Gen. 6:9, 13-22; 8:15-17...

  • DECISION

    [isbe] DECISION - de-sizh'-un: Has several different shades of meaning. It expresses the formation of a judgment on a matter under consideration. It expresses the quality of being firm or positive in one's actions. It expresses the...

  • Carmi

    [ebd] vine-dresser. (1.) The last named of the four sons of Reuben (Gen. 46:9). (2.) A descendant of Judah (1 Chr. 4:1). He is elsewhere (2:18) called Caleb (q.v.). (3.) The son of Zimri, and the father of Achan (Josh. 7:1), "the ...
    [isbe] CARMI - kar'-mi (karmi, "fruitful," "noble"): (1) A son of Reuben who came to Egypt with Jacob (Gen 46:9; Ex 6:14; 1 Ch 5:3). Also the name of a family of which Carmi was the head (Nu 26:6). (2) A Judahite (1 Ch 2:7), son of...
    [smith] (vine dresser). The fourth son of Reuben, the progenitor of the family of the Carmites. (Genesis 46:9; Exodus 6:14; Numbers 26:6; 1 Chronicles 5:3) A man of the tribe of Judah, father of Achan, the "troubler of Israel." (...
    [nave] CARMI 1. Son of Reuben, Gen. 46:9; Ex. 6:14. 2. Son of Hezron, 1 Chr. 4:1. Called Chelubai, 1 Chr. 2:9, and Caleb, v. 18. 3. Father of Achan, Josh. 7:1, 18; 1 Chr. 2:7.

  • Sin

    [nave] SIN. Index of Sub-Topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-Topics; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to, Defining, and Illustrating; Confession of; Consequences of, Entailed Upon Children; Conviction of; Forgiveness of; Fruits of; Kn...

  • Nation

    [nave] NATION Sins of, Isa. 30:1, 2. Chastised, Isa. 14:26, 27; Jer. 5:29; 18:6-10; 25:12-33; Ezek. 2:3-5; 39:23, 24; Dan. 7:9-12; 9:3-16; Hos. 7:12; Joel 1:1-20; Amos 9:9; Zeph. 3:6, 8. Perish, Psa. 9:17; Isa. 60:12. National a...
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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The writer now recorded the fulfillment of God's instructions to Moses that Israel should destroy the Midianites (25:16-18). In this account, the aftermath of the battle receives more attention than the battle itself. Evident...
  • The closest example of this ever happening in Israel that Scripture records occurs in Judges 20 in the case of Gibeah, a city in Benjamin. The circumstances were not exactly the same, but the other Israelites did discipline t...
  • As I have explained previously, the date of the Exodus was about 1446 B.C. (cf. 1 Kings 6:1).7Israel spent 40 years in the wilderness (Exod. 16:35; Num. 14:33-34). Thus Israel crossed the Jordan River and entered the land abo...
  • Joshua reveals that God hates sin because He loves people. (This is the message statement.) Of course He also hates sin because it offends His holiness. However in Joshua I believe the emphasis is on God's concern for the Isr...
  • I. The conquest of the land chs. 1-12A. Preparations for entering Canaan chs. 1-21. God's charge to Joshua 1:1-92. Joshua's charge to Israel 1:10-183. The spying out of Jericho ch. 2B. Entrance into the land 3:1-5:121. Passag...
  • In one sense verses 1-9 are a preamble to the whole book. They contain the basic principles that were to guide Joshua and Israel so they could obtain all that God had promised their forefathers.1:1 The first word of the book ...
  • As preparation for entering Canaan, Joshua sent spies to reconnoiter the area Israel would enter."Although Joshua had received a promise from the Lord of His almighty help in the conquest of Canaan, he still thought it necess...
  • At Jericho, Israel learned God's strength. At Ai, she learned her own weakness. She could only conquer her enemies as she remained faithful to God's covenant."We are never in greater danger than right after we have won a grea...
  • When the people had dealt with the sin of Achan as God had commanded, Israel was ready to engage the enemy again.8:1-2 In view of Israel's defeat God's encouraging words were necessary to strengthen Joshua's resolve (cf. 1:9)...
  • The writer referred to Canaan as "the land of the sons of Israel"first here in Scripture (v. 22). The Anakim were the mighty warriors that the 10 spies had feared (Num. 13:28). Israel destroyed most of these."The hardening of...
  • The writer identified 31 kings in the order in which Joshua defeated them."Many of the same names appear in the Amarna letters, thus confirming the historicity of our text."158"The description was not complete. Shechem is not...
  • Aharoni, Yohanan. "The Province-List of Judah."Vetus Testamentum9 (1959):225-46.Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. Revised ed. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1977.Albright, William Foxwel...
  • This chapter continues the story begun in chapter 19. The emphasis in chapter 19 was on moral degeneracy and that of chapter 20 is Israel's political disorganization. One man's sin in chapter 19 resulted in over 65,000 deaths...
  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • The Philistines, as we have already seen in Judges, were Israel's primary enemy to the west at this time. Samson, too, fought the Philistines (Judg. 13-16).52There are about 150 references to the Philistines in 1 and 2 Samuel...
  • "In the short pericope 13:7b-15a obedience was the stone on which Saul stumbled; here it is the rock that crushes him."147Chapter 15 records one of the battles Saul had with the Amalekites, Israel's enemy to the south (cf. 14...
  • Baale-judah (v. 2) may have been the later name of Kiriath-jearim (cf. Josh. 15:9-10).76This was where the ark had evidently rested since the Israelites had moved it from Bethshemesh in Samuel's days (1 Sam. 6; cf. Ps. 132:6-...
  • 16:1-2 The Lord instructed Ezekiel to make the detestable practices of the people of Jerusalem known to them. He prophesied to the exiles, but his message presented the people of Jerusalem as the primary object of his attenti...
  • 18:1-2 The Lord told Ezekiel to ask the people what they meant when they used a proverb that implied that the present generation of Israelites was suffering because of the sins of their forefathers (cf. Jer. 31:29). They were...
  • The prophet used several clever wordplays in this poem to describe the desolation that God would bring on Judah. He selected towns and villages near his own hometown in Judah's Shephelah whose names were similar to the coming...
  • Chapter 8 not only contains two major messages from the Lord (vv. 1-17, 18-23) but 10 minor messages, "a decalogueof divine words,"155that make up the two major ones. "Thus says the Lord"introduces each of these minor message...
  • 5:1-2 "But"introduces another sacrificial act that looked just as generous as Barnabas' (4:37). However in this case the motive was quite different. Ananias' Jewish name means "Yahweh is gracious,"and Sapphira's Aramaic name ...
  • Three groups of people mourn Babylon's destruction in these verses: kings (vv. 9-10; cf. Ezek. 26:15-18), merchants (vv. 11-13, 15-17a; cf. Ezek. 27:36), and sea people (vv. 17b-19; cf. Ezek. 27:29-36).18:9 World government l...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • Joshua 7:1-12This passage naturally parts itself into,1. The hidden sin (Joshua 5:1); 2. The repulse by which it is punished (Joshua 5:2-5); 3. The prayer of remonstrance (Joshua 5:6-9); 4. The answer revealing the cause (Jos...
  • God almost rebukes him for praying. He gives Joshua back his own wherefore' in the question that sounds so harsh, Wherefore art thou thus fallen upon thy face?' but the harshness is only apparent, and serves to point the less...
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