Text -- Joshua 7:7-26 (NET)

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.” 7:22 Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent. The things were hidden right in his tent, with the silver underneath. 7:23 They took it all from the middle of the tent, brought it to Joshua and all the Israelites, and placed it before the Lord. 7:24 Then Joshua and all Israel took Achan, son of Zerah, along with the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, daughters, ox, donkey, sheep, tent, and all that belonged to him and brought them up to the Valley of Disaster. 7:25 Joshua said, “Why have you brought disaster on us? The Lord will bring disaster on you today!” All Israel stoned him to death. (They also stoned and burned the others.) 7:26 Then they erected over him a large pile of stones (it remains to this very day) and the Lord’s anger subsided. So that place is called the Valley of Disaster to this very day.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

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.”

NET Notes: Jos 7:22

¹ tn Heb “Look, [it was] hidden in his tent, and the silver was beneath it.”

NET Notes: Jos 7:23

¹ tn Heb “poured out,” probably referring to the way the silver pieces poured out of their container.

NET Notes: Jos 7:24

¹ tn Or “Trouble” The name is “Achor” in Hebrew, which means “disaster” or “trouble” (also in v. 26).

NET Notes: Jos 7:25

¹ tn Or “trouble.” The word is “achor” in Hebrew (also in the following clause).

² tc Heb “and they burned them with fire and they stoned them with stones.” These words are somewhat parenthetical in nature and are omitted in the LXX; they may represent a later scribal addition.

NET Notes: Jos 7:26

¹ tc Heb “to this day.” The phrase “to this day” is omitted in the LXX and may represent a later scribal addition.