Joshua 7:24-26

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. ¹  7:25 Joshua said, “Why have you brought disaster ²  on us? The Lord will bring disaster on you today!” All Israel stoned him to death. (They also stoned and burned the others.) ³  7:26 Then they erected over him a large pile of stones (it remains to this very day ⁴ ) and the Lord’s anger subsided. So that place is called the Valley of Disaster to this very day.

Hosea 2:15

2:15 From there I will give back her vineyards to her,

and turn the “Valley of Trouble” ⁵  into an “Opportunity ⁶  for Hope.”

There she will sing as she did when she was young, ⁷ 

when ⁸  she came up from the land of Egypt.

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

² tn Or “trouble.” The word is “achor” in Hebrew (also in the following clause).

³ 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.

⁴ tc Heb “to this day.” The phrase “to this day” is omitted in the LXX and may represent a later scribal addition.

⁵ tn Heb “Valley of Achor,” so named because of the unfortunate incident recorded in Josh 7:1-26 (the name is explained in v. 26; the Hebrew term Achor means “disaster” or “trouble”). Cf. TEV, CEV “Trouble Valley.”

⁶ tn Heb “door” or “doorway”; cf. NLT “gateway.” Unlike the days of Joshua, when Achan’s sin jeopardized Israel’s mission and cast a dark shadow over the nation, Israel’s future return to the land will be marked by renewed hope.

⁷ tn Heb “as in the days of her youth” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).

⁸ tn Heb “as in the day when” (so KJV, NASB).