Text -- Joshua 7:1-21 (NET)

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.” 7:14 In the morning you must approach in tribal order. The tribe the Lord selects must approach by clans. The clan the Lord selects must approach by families. The family the Lord selects must approach man by man. 7:15 The one caught with the riches must be burned up along with all who belong to him, because he violated the Lord’s covenant and did such a disgraceful thing in Israel.’” 7:16 Bright and early the next morning Joshua made Israel approach in tribal order and the tribe of Judah was selected. 7:17 He then made the clans of Judah approach and the clan of the Zerahites was selected. He made the clan of the Zerahites approach and Zabdi was selected. 7:18 He then made Zabdi’s family approach man by man and Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, was selected. 7:19 So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, honor the Lord God of Israel and give him praise! Tell me what you did; don’t hide anything from me!” 7:20 Achan told Joshua, “It is true. I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel in this way: 7:21 I saw among the goods we seized a nice robe from Babylon, two hundred silver pieces, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels. I wanted them, so I took them. They are hidden in the ground right in the middle of my tent with the silver underneath.”

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Jos 7:1

¹ tn Heb “But the sons of Israel were unfaithful with unfaithfulness concerning what was set apart [to the Lord].”

² tn 1 Chr 2:6 lists a “Zimri” (but no Zabdi) as one of the five sons of Zerah (cf. also 1 Chr 7:17, 18).

³ tn Heb “took from what was set apart [to the Lord].”

⁴ tn Heb “the anger of the Lord burned against the sons of Israel.”

sn This incident illustrates well the principle of corporate solidarity and corporate guilt. The sin of one man brought the Lord’s anger down upon the entire nation.

NET Notes: Jos 7:2

¹ map For location see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.

² map For the location of Bethel see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

NET Notes: Jos 7:3

¹ tn Heb “and they returned to Joshua and said to him.”

² tn Heb “Don’t let all the people go up.”

³ tn Heb “Let about two thousand men or about three thousand men go up to defeat Ai.”

⁴ tn Heb “all the people for they are small.”

NET Notes: Jos 7:5

¹ tn The meaning and correct translation of the Hebrew word שְׁבָרִים (shÿvarim) is uncertain. The translation “fissures” is based on usage of the plural form of the noun in Ps 60:4 HT (60:2 ET), where it appears to refer to cracks in the earth caused by an earthquake. Perhaps deep ravines or gorges are in view, or the word is a proper noun (“all the way to Shebarim”).

² sn The precise geographical location of the Israelite defeat at this “steep slope” is uncertain.

³ tn Or “army’s.”

⁴ tn Heb “and the heart of the people melted and became water.”

NET Notes: Jos 7:6

¹ sn Tearing one’s clothes was an outward expression of extreme sorrow (see Gen 37:34; 44:13).

² tn Or “elders.”

³ tn Heb “and fell on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel.”

⁴ sn Throwing dirt on one’s head was an outward expression of extreme sorrow (see Lam 2:10; Ezek 27:30).

NET Notes: Jos 7:7

¹ tn Heb “said.”

NET Notes: Jos 7:8

¹ tn Heb “turned [the] back.”

NET Notes: Jos 7:9

¹ tn Heb “and cut off our name.”

² tn Heb “What will you do for your great name?”

NET Notes: Jos 7:10

¹ tn Heb “said.”

² tn Heb “Why are you falling on your face?”

NET Notes: Jos 7:11

¹ tn Heb “They have violated my covenant which I commanded them.”

² tn Heb “what was set apart [to the Lord].”

³ tn Heb “and also they have stolen, and also they have lied, and also they have placed [them] among their items.”

NET Notes: Jos 7:12

¹ tn Heb “they turn [the] back before their enemies because they are set apart [to destruction by the Lord].”

² tn The second person pronoun is plural in Hebrew, indicating these words are addressed to the entire nation.

³ tn Heb “what is set apart [to destruction by the Lord] from your midst.”

NET Notes: Jos 7:13

¹ tn Heb “what is set apart [to destruction by the Lord] [is] in your midst.”

² tn Heb “remove what is set apart [i.e., to destruction by the Lord] from your midst.”

NET Notes: Jos 7:14

¹ tn Heb “by your tribes.”

² tn Heb “takes forcefully, seizes.”

³ tn Heb “houses.”

⁴ tn Heb “by men.”

NET Notes: Jos 7:15

¹ tn Heb “with what was set apart [to the Lord].”

² tn Heb “burned with fire.”

NET Notes: Jos 7:16

¹ tn Heb “by tribes.”

NET Notes: Jos 7:17

¹ tn See the note on “Zabdi” in 1 Chr 7:1.

² tn Heb “and he selected Zabdi.” The Lord is the apparent subject. The LXX supports reading a passive (Niphal) form here, as does the immediate context.

NET Notes: Jos 7:18

¹ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Zabdi) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² tn Heb “by men.”

NET Notes: Jos 7:19

¹ tn Heb “give glory to.”

NET Notes: Jos 7:20

¹ tn Heb “like this and like this I did.”

NET Notes: Jos 7:21

¹ tn Heb “Shinar,” a reference to Babylon (cf. Gen 10:10; 11:2; 14:1). Many modern translations retain the Hebrew name “Shinar” (cf. NEB, NRSV) but some use the more familiar “Babylon” (cf. NIV, NLT).

² tn Heb “shekels.”