Joshua 7

Joshua 7 belongs to the narrative of the conquest of Canaan in the first half of the Book of Joshua and immediately follows the fall of Jericho in Joshua 6. It recounts Achan's violation of the command that everything in Jericho be devoted to the LORD and the resulting defeat in the attack on Ai. The story continues with the conquest of Ai in Joshua 8.

Outline

• Verse 1 Achan, a descendant of Zerah of the tribe of Judah, takes of the accursed thing, and the LORD's anger is kindled against Israel.
• Verses 2–5 On the spies' advice, about three thousand men go up against Ai but are routed; about thirty-six are killed, and the hearts of the people melt and become as water.
• Verses 6–9 Joshua tears his clothes and, together with the elders, falls on his face before the ark of the LORD in lament.
• Verses 10–15 The LORD reveals that Israel has transgressed the covenant and taken of the accursed thing. He commands that the offender be identified by tribe, family, household, and man, and then burned.
• Verses 16–21 Through successive selections, Achan is singled out. He confesses that he coveted a Babylonish garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, and hid them in the earth inside his tent.
• Verses 22–26 After the hidden items are recovered, Achan and all that belongs to him are stoned and burned in the Valley of Achor, and a great heap of stones is raised over him.

Key Verses

• Joshua 7:12 "Neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you." One man's sin is treated as a matter affecting the whole community and God's presence with his people.
• Joshua 7:21 "I saw … then I coveted them, and took them." This verse is frequently cited to illustrate sin progressing in stages: seeing, coveting, and taking.

People and Places

• Joshua: The leader of Israel.
• Achan: The son of Carmi. In 1 Chronicles 2 he is called "Achar."
• Jericho: The city that fell in chapter 6.
• Ai: A city east of Bethel, beside Beth-aven.
• Shebarim: The place to which the men of Ai chased the fleeing Israelites.
• Valley of Achor: The place where Achan was executed. "Achor" means "trouble," forming a wordplay with "Why hast thou troubled us?" in verse 25.
• Ark of the Covenant: Called "the ark of the LORD" in the text.

Interpretive Notes

• The "accursed thing" (Hebrew herem) refers to something wholly devoted to God and set apart so that no one may possess it. Verse 12 states that Israel, having taken it, had itself become accursed ("because they were accursed").
• Verses 1 and 11 describe one man's act by saying that "Israel hath sinned." Many interpreters read this as reflecting the biblical view of corporate responsibility.
• The punishment of Achan's children along with him (vv. 24–25) is often discussed in light of Deuteronomy 24:16. Some interpreters hold that the family must have known about the items hidden in the tent, while others explain the punishment in terms of ancient notions of collective responsibility. The text does not directly state whether the family was complicit.
• The "Babylonish garment" in verse 21 is, in Hebrew, "a mantle of Shinar," that is, a garment produced in Shinar (the region of Babylon); the phrase does not refer to a mountain or other place name.
• Hosea 2:15 promises to give "the valley of Achor for a door of hope," reusing this place as a symbol of restoration. The New Testament account of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5) is also often compared with this chapter, since both involve concealing what had been dedicated.

In the Korean Church

• The chapter is frequently preached as a warning against hidden sin and covetousness. It is also common to call someone who brings trouble on a community an "Achan."