Joshua 7:1-17

Context

Achan Sins and is Punished

7:1 But the Israelites disobeyed the command about the city’s riches.¹ Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi,² son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, stole some of the riches.³ The Lord was furious with the Israelites.⁴

7:2 Joshua sent men from Jericho⁵ to Ai (which is located near Beth Aven, east of Bethel⁶) 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,⁷ “Don’t send the whole army.⁸ About two or three thousand men are adequate to defeat Ai.⁹ Don’t tire out the whole army, for Ai is small.”¹⁰

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 fissures¹¹ and defeated them on the steep slope.¹² The people’s¹³ courage melted away like water.¹⁴

7:6 Joshua tore his clothes;¹⁵ he and the leaders¹⁶ of Israel lay face down on the ground before the ark of the Lord until evening¹⁷ and threw dirt on their heads.¹⁸ 7:7 Joshua prayed,¹⁹ “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 retreated²⁰ 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 us²¹ from the earth. What will you do to protect your great reputation?”²²

7:10 The Lord responded²³ to Joshua, “Get up! Why are you lying there face down?²⁴ 7:11 Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenantal commandment!²⁵ They have taken some of the riches;²⁶ they have stolen them and deceitfully put them among their own possessions.²⁷ 7:12 The Israelites are unable to stand before their enemies; they retreat because they have become subject to annihilation.²⁸ I will no longer be with you,²⁹ unless you destroy what has contaminated you.³⁰ 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,³¹ O Israel! You will not be able to stand before your enemies until you remove what is contaminating you.”³² 7:14 In the morning you must approach in tribal order.³³ The tribe the Lord selects³⁴ must approach by clans. The clan the Lord selects must approach by families.³⁵ The family the Lord selects must approach man by man.³⁶ 7:15 The one caught with the riches³⁷ must be burned up³⁸ 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 order³⁹ 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 Zabdi⁴⁰ was selected.⁴¹

[7:1] ¹tn Heb “But the sons of Israel were unfaithful with unfaithfulness concerning what was set apart [to the Lord].”

[7:1] ²tn 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).

[7:1] ³tn Heb “took from what was set apart [to the Lord].”

[7:1] ⁴tn Heb “the anger of the Lord burned against the sons of Israel.”

[7:2] ⁵map For location see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.

[7:2] ⁶map For the location of Bethel see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[7:3] ⁷tn Heb “and they returned to Joshua and said to him.”

[7:3] ⁸tn Heb “Don’t let all the people go up.”

[7:3] ⁹tn Heb “Let about two thousand men or about three thousand men go up to defeat Ai.”

[7:3] ¹⁰tn Heb “all the people for they are small.”

[7:5] ¹¹tn 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”).

[7:5] ¹²sn The precise geographical location of the Israelite defeat at this “steep slope” is uncertain.

[7:5] ¹³tn Or “army’s.”

[7:5] ¹⁴tn Heb “and the heart of the people melted and became water.”

[7:6] ¹⁵sn Tearing one’s clothes was an outward expression of extreme sorrow (see Gen 37:34; 44:13).

[7:6] ¹⁶tn Or “elders.”

[7:6] ¹⁷tn Heb “and fell on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel.”

[7:6] ¹⁸sn Throwing dirt on one’s head was an outward expression of extreme sorrow (see Lam 2:10; Ezek 27:30).

[7:7] ¹⁹tn Heb “said.”

[7:8] ²⁰tn Heb “turned [the] back.”

[7:9] ²¹tn Heb “and cut off our name.”

[7:9] ²²tn Heb “What will you do for your great name?”

[7:10] ²³tn Heb “said.”

[7:10] ²⁴tn Heb “Why are you falling on your face?”

[7:11] ²⁵tn Heb “They have violated my covenant which I commanded them.”

[7:11] ²⁶tn Heb “what was set apart [to the Lord].”

[7:11] ²⁷tn Heb “and also they have stolen, and also they have lied, and also they have placed [them] among their items.”

[7:12] ²⁸tn Heb “they turn [the] back before their enemies because they are set apart [to destruction by the Lord].”

[7:12] ²⁹tn The second person pronoun is plural in Hebrew, indicating these words are addressed to the entire nation.

[7:12] ³⁰tn Heb “what is set apart [to destruction by the Lord] from your midst.”

[7:13] ³¹tn Heb “what is set apart [to destruction by the Lord] [is] in your midst.”

[7:13] ³²tn Heb “remove what is set apart [i.e., to destruction by the Lord] from your midst.”

[7:14] ³³tn Heb “by your tribes.”

[7:14] ³⁴tn Heb “takes forcefully, seizes.”

[7:14] ³⁵tn Heb “houses.”

[7:14] ³⁶tn Heb “by men.”

[7:15] ³⁷tn Heb “with what was set apart [to the Lord].”

[7:15] ³⁸tn Heb “burned with fire.”

[7:16] ³⁹tn Heb “by tribes.”

[7:17] ⁴⁰tn See the note on “Zabdi” in 1 Chr 7:1.

[7:17] ⁴¹tn 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.