Joshua 7:1-5

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 Jericho ⁵  to Ai (which is located near Beth Aven, east of Bethel ⁶ ) 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 fissures ¹¹  and defeated them on the steep slope. ¹²  The people’s ¹³  courage melted away like water. ¹⁴ 

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

[7:1]  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).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[7:5]  ¹¹ 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”).

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

[7:5]  ¹³ tn Or “army’s.”

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