American King James Version - AKJV - 1999
Joshua 7
1
But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.
Reference
People
Curse
Joshua 22:20
Parallel theme
Ecclesiastes 9:18
Jonah 1:7
Ezra 9:6
References Israel
1 Chronicles 21:7
References Lord
Joshua 22:18
Joshua 22:16
2 Chronicles 24:18
2 Samuel 24:1
Daniel 9:7
2
And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.
Reference
📍 Beth-aven
3
And they returned to Joshua, and said to him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labor thither; for they are but few.
Reference
4
So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.
Reference
5
And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even to Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: why the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.
Reference
📍 Shebarim
6
And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust on their heads.
Reference
7
And Joshua said, Alas, O LORD God, why have you at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelled on the other side Jordan!
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 116:11
Exodus 17:3
Matthew 17:17
Matthew 17:20
References God
Exodus 16:3
References Lord
Hebrews 12:5
2 Kings 3:10
Numbers 14:3
9
For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what will you do to your great name?
Reference
Parallel theme
Exodus 32:12
Psalm 83:4
John 12:28
Deuteronomy 9:28
Joel 2:17
Ezekiel 20:9
Numbers 14:13
11
Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.
Reference
12
Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except you destroy the accursed from among you.
Reference
Curse
Deuteronomy 7:26
Joshua 6:18
Parallel theme
Isaiah 59:2
Numbers 14:45
References Israel
Judges 2:14
13
Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus said the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the middle of you, O Israel: you can not stand before your enemies, until you take away the accursed thing from among you.
Reference
14
In the morning therefore you shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the LORD takes shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the LORD shall take shall come by households; and the household which the LORD shall take shall come man by man.
Reference
15
And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he has: because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has worked folly in Israel.
Reference
16
So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken:
17
And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken:
Reference
Parallel theme
Numbers 26:20
18
And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.
Reference
Parallel theme
Numbers 32:23
19
And Joshua said to Achan, My son, give, I pray you, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession to him; and tell me now what you have done; hide it not from me.
Reference
Glory
1 Samuel 6:5
Jeremiah 13:16
Parallel theme
1 Samuel 14:43
Prayer
Daniel 9:4
References God
John 9:24
2 Chronicles 30:22
20
And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:
Reference
Sin
Psalm 38:18
21
When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the middle of my tent, and the silver under it.
Reference
22
So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it.
23
And they took them out of the middle of the tent, and brought them to Joshua, and to all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD.
24
And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them to the valley of Achor.
Reference
📍 Valley of Achor
25
And Joshua said, Why have you troubled us? the LORD shall trouble you this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.
Reference
Parallel theme
Deuteronomy 17:5
Leviticus 24:14
References Israel
Joshua 6:18
1 Chronicles 2:7
Leviticus 20:2
26
And they raised over him a great heap of stones to this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Why the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, to this day.
Reference
📍 Valley of Achor
Parallel theme
Isaiah 65:10
Hosea 2:15
Joshua 7:24
Lamentations 3:53
2 Samuel 18:17
References Lord
Deuteronomy 13:17
Resurrection
Joshua 8:29
Summary of Joshua 7
Joshua chapter 7 describes Israel's victory at Jericho followed by a quick loss at Ai. The chapter explains that the disobedience of one person led to the problems of the whole nation and introduces the reader to Achan, who took some of the things left at Jericho that the Lord had commanded Israel to leave behind. His trespass was discovered when the children of Israel lost the battle at Ai, and the chapter ends with Achan and his belongings being judged.
Following the conquest of Jericho, Israel appeared to be on the verge of total victory. Joshua sent messengers with gifts to Ai, a small city nearby nestled between Beth-aven and Bethel to the east. The spies returned with the opinion that a few thousand soldiers would be more than enough for a city so small and insignificant compared to Jericho. Joshua sent out around three thousand soldiers according to their suggestion, and the men of Ai attacked them. The enemy killed about thirty-six of Israel's soldiers and chased the remainder of them to Shebarim and struck them down along the way.
The people of Israel were horrified at the sight of their friends' mangled bodies. Their strength was crushed, and the entire nation was stunned. The success at Jericho was so overwhelming that the people of Israel failed to grasp the gravity of what had just occurred.
Joshua tore his clothes and fell before the ark of the Lord until evening. Joshua and the elders of Israel mourned and covered their heads with dust, and Joshua prayed that the Lord would not make them a byword among the people of Canaan. If the people failed completely at this point, the neighboring nations and their enemies would be emboldened and attack them.
God told Joshua to get up, telling him that Israel had sinned. They had violated the covenant of the Lord by removing some of the things of Jericho that had been assigned to the Lord. The people of Israel had failed to separate themselves from the things of the world and were thus powerless before their enemies. God told Joshua that someone had taken some of the things of Jericho, and the nation had become guilty because of the one man.
One of the messages of Joshua 7 is that Israel's faith in God was bound up with a sense of national unity. There was no room for complacency or thinking that just because they had succeeded at one task, they would automatically succeed at the others. The defeat at Ai had shown them that something was amiss.
God told Joshua to sanctify the people and that he would determine who had taken possession of the things of Jericho. Joshua brought the people together and began narrowing things down until it was obvious which tribe, family, and household had committed the trespass. He narrowed it down to Achan, the son of Carmi.
Joshua spoke to Achan and told him to bring glory to the Lord God of Israel by confessing what he had done. Achan told him that he had seen a precious Babylonish garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold worth fifty shekels. He had coveted the things and carried them off with him despite the prohibition.
He had seen the things of Jericho, been attracted to them, and taken them despite knowing what he was doing. Achan had hidden them beneath the earth in his tent with the silver beneath it. His confession aligned with what God had said regarding the trespass. Joshua sent messengers to Achan's tent and dug up the things that he had taken, and they brought them up to Joshua and the people of Israel and laid them before the Lord.
The rest of the chapter talks of the punishment for Achan and his family. The people of Israel stoned him and burned the things he had taken and the man and his household with them, making a heap of stones over them. The valley was called the valley of Achor, the valley of trouble, for the trouble that Achan had brought upon the house of Israel.
Achan's punishment is hard to stomach because, in addition to himself, the reader must wonder about the rest of his family and the belongings that he took with him. The chapter deals in the context of a covenant between God and the people of Israel. One man's trespass had affected the whole nation, and it was a necessary lesson before they could move forward in their battles with the daughters of Canaan.
The contrast with Joshua 6 is that the victory at Jericho was complete and utter because Israel obeyed the voice of Joshua and God. Their disobedience at Ai, however, meant that the whole nation was punished. It was the transgression of one man that caused the problems, but the entire nation suffered for it.
There is also a lesson to be learned about hidden sins. Achan did not think that what he was doing was wrong, for he stole the things and hid them in his tent. But not long afterward, the sins were discovered because the Lord had brought the matter to light. It was only when the people of Israel lost the battle at Ai that the fault was discovered.
There is a lesson here for the importance of being obedient even to the slightest edicts that God brings. Joshua had sent messengers with gifts to Ai, and when the spies came back saying that only a few thousand men were necessary for the task, they did not realize that there was something wrong in their camp. Not only did they need more men for the task, but they had to contend with the fact that the whole camp was defiled by the trespass of one of their own.
The defeat at Ai was the turning point of the war. The Valley of Achor marked Israel's turning point, for from this point onwards, they would march towards victory after victory. Israel had been given specific instructions as to what could be taken from Jericho and what could not. Achan, however, gave into temptation and took some of the things of Jericho. Israel suffered because of the sins of one man, and thirty-six men were slain because of the trespass of one. It is this disobedience that God is speaking out against in Joshua 7. The people of Israel had been victorious before in Jericho but failed at Ai because of their failure to obey the voice of Joshua and the Lord.
The chapter ends with the Lord turning away from Israel, and it is important to remember that while the immediate issue was dealt with, the troubles continued. Israel would have to fight at Ai again but would succeed after dealing with the problem.
Following the conquest of Jericho, Israel appeared to be on the verge of total victory. Joshua sent messengers with gifts to Ai, a small city nearby nestled between Beth-aven and Bethel to the east. The spies returned with the opinion that a few thousand soldiers would be more than enough for a city so small and insignificant compared to Jericho. Joshua sent out around three thousand soldiers according to their suggestion, and the men of Ai attacked them. The enemy killed about thirty-six of Israel's soldiers and chased the remainder of them to Shebarim and struck them down along the way.
The people of Israel were horrified at the sight of their friends' mangled bodies. Their strength was crushed, and the entire nation was stunned. The success at Jericho was so overwhelming that the people of Israel failed to grasp the gravity of what had just occurred.
Joshua tore his clothes and fell before the ark of the Lord until evening. Joshua and the elders of Israel mourned and covered their heads with dust, and Joshua prayed that the Lord would not make them a byword among the people of Canaan. If the people failed completely at this point, the neighboring nations and their enemies would be emboldened and attack them.
God told Joshua to get up, telling him that Israel had sinned. They had violated the covenant of the Lord by removing some of the things of Jericho that had been assigned to the Lord. The people of Israel had failed to separate themselves from the things of the world and were thus powerless before their enemies. God told Joshua that someone had taken some of the things of Jericho, and the nation had become guilty because of the one man.
One of the messages of Joshua 7 is that Israel's faith in God was bound up with a sense of national unity. There was no room for complacency or thinking that just because they had succeeded at one task, they would automatically succeed at the others. The defeat at Ai had shown them that something was amiss.
God told Joshua to sanctify the people and that he would determine who had taken possession of the things of Jericho. Joshua brought the people together and began narrowing things down until it was obvious which tribe, family, and household had committed the trespass. He narrowed it down to Achan, the son of Carmi.
Joshua spoke to Achan and told him to bring glory to the Lord God of Israel by confessing what he had done. Achan told him that he had seen a precious Babylonish garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold worth fifty shekels. He had coveted the things and carried them off with him despite the prohibition.
He had seen the things of Jericho, been attracted to them, and taken them despite knowing what he was doing. Achan had hidden them beneath the earth in his tent with the silver beneath it. His confession aligned with what God had said regarding the trespass. Joshua sent messengers to Achan's tent and dug up the things that he had taken, and they brought them up to Joshua and the people of Israel and laid them before the Lord.
The rest of the chapter talks of the punishment for Achan and his family. The people of Israel stoned him and burned the things he had taken and the man and his household with them, making a heap of stones over them. The valley was called the valley of Achor, the valley of trouble, for the trouble that Achan had brought upon the house of Israel.
Achan's punishment is hard to stomach because, in addition to himself, the reader must wonder about the rest of his family and the belongings that he took with him. The chapter deals in the context of a covenant between God and the people of Israel. One man's trespass had affected the whole nation, and it was a necessary lesson before they could move forward in their battles with the daughters of Canaan.
The contrast with Joshua 6 is that the victory at Jericho was complete and utter because Israel obeyed the voice of Joshua and God. Their disobedience at Ai, however, meant that the whole nation was punished. It was the transgression of one man that caused the problems, but the entire nation suffered for it.
There is also a lesson to be learned about hidden sins. Achan did not think that what he was doing was wrong, for he stole the things and hid them in his tent. But not long afterward, the sins were discovered because the Lord had brought the matter to light. It was only when the people of Israel lost the battle at Ai that the fault was discovered.
There is a lesson here for the importance of being obedient even to the slightest edicts that God brings. Joshua had sent messengers with gifts to Ai, and when the spies came back saying that only a few thousand men were necessary for the task, they did not realize that there was something wrong in their camp. Not only did they need more men for the task, but they had to contend with the fact that the whole camp was defiled by the trespass of one of their own.
The defeat at Ai was the turning point of the war. The Valley of Achor marked Israel's turning point, for from this point onwards, they would march towards victory after victory. Israel had been given specific instructions as to what could be taken from Jericho and what could not. Achan, however, gave into temptation and took some of the things of Jericho. Israel suffered because of the sins of one man, and thirty-six men were slain because of the trespass of one. It is this disobedience that God is speaking out against in Joshua 7. The people of Israel had been victorious before in Jericho but failed at Ai because of their failure to obey the voice of Joshua and the Lord.
The chapter ends with the Lord turning away from Israel, and it is important to remember that while the immediate issue was dealt with, the troubles continued. Israel would have to fight at Ai again but would succeed after dealing with the problem.