Joshua 22:20
in Joshua 22Was not Achan son of Zerah unfaithful regarding what was set apart for destruction, bringing wrath upon the whole congregation of Israel? Yet it was not only Achan who perished because of his sin!’”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the devoted thing, and wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity.
KJV
Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity.
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This verse in Joshua 22
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
that ye must turn away
on Joshua 22:18-20
The argument is corporate, that a rebellion today brings wrath tomorrow on the whole congregation. Verse 19 makes an offer before it repeats the threat, that if the eastern land is unclean they may cross over and take possession among the western tribes, and that offer concedes the sanctuary sits on one side of the river only. The concession is the exact fear the eastern tribes are about to describe in verses 24 and 25. Achan is the proof text at verse 20, one man who took of the accursed thing and did not perish alone in his iniquity.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Nay, we are all concerned to reprove our neighbour when he does amiss, lest we bear sin for him, Lev. xix. (4.) The offer they make is very fair and kind (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Did not Achan the son of Zerah,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The quality of the deputies evinced the deep solicitude that was felt on the occasion to maintain the purity of the divine worship throughout Israel. In the presumptive belief that the two tribes and a half had really built an altar, the deputies expressed astonishment at their so soon falling into such a heinous crime as that of violating the unity of divine worship (Ex 20:24;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Did not Achan the son of Zerah - Your sin will not be merely against yourselves; your transgressions will bring down the wrath of God upon all the people; this was the case in the transgression of Achan; he alone sinned, and yet God on that account turned his face against the whole congregation, so that they fell before their enemies.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
If the land of Your posession is impure. Since the Holy blessed is He, did not choose to rest His Presence there.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הֲל֣וֹא׀ | halo' | ¿ not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| עָכָ֣ן | ʾakhan | Achan | H5912 → | 6 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| זֶ֗רַח | zerach | Zerah | H2226 → | 21 times |
| מָ֤עַל | maal | did he act unfaithfully | H4603 → | 36 times |
| מַ֙עַל֙ | maal | unfaithfulness | H4604 → | 28 times |
| בַּחֵ֔רֶם | bacherem | in the devoted thing[s] | H2764 → | 38 times |
| וְעַֽל־ | veal- | and towards | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| עֲדַ֥ת | ʾadat | [the] congregation of | H5712 → | 149 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| הָ֣יָה | hayah | it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| קָ֑צֶף | katzef | anger | H7110 → | |
| וְהוּא֙ | vehu' | and he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | [was] a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֶחָ֔ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| גָוַ֖ע | gava' | did he die? | H1478 → | |
| בַּעֲוֹנֽוֹ׃ פ | baavono | for iniquity his | H5771 → |
הֲל֣וֹא׀¿ not
halo'H3808 →5168 times
עָכָ֣ןAchan
ʾakhanH5912 →6 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
זֶ֗רַחZerah
zerachH2226 →21 times
מָ֤עַלdid he act unfaithfully
maalH4603 →36 times
מַ֙עַל֙unfaithfulness
maalH4604 →28 times
בַּחֵ֔רֶםin the devoted thing[s]
bacheremH2764 →38 times
וְעַֽל־and towards
veal-H5921 →5755 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
עֲדַ֥ת[the] congregation of
ʾadatH5712 →149 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
הָ֣יָהit was
hayahH1961 →3559 times
קָ֑צֶףanger
katzefH7110 →
וְהוּא֙and he
vehu'H1931 →1879 times
אִ֣ישׁ[was] a man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
אֶחָ֔דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
גָוַ֖עdid he die?
gava'H1478 →
בַּעֲוֹנֽוֹ׃ פfor iniquity his
baavonoH5771 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Corinthians 10:6These things took place as examples to keep us from craving evil things as they did.
it leads to
- Jude 1:7
In like manner, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, who indulged in sexual immorality and pursued strange flesh, are on display as an example of those who sustain the punishment of eternal…
- 2 Peter 2:6
if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, reducing them to ashes as an example of what is coming on the ungodly;
- 1 Corinthians 10:11
Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.
- Hebrews 4:11
Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following the same pattern of disobedience.
- Numbers 11:4
Meanwhile, the rabble among them had a strong craving for other food, and again the Israelites wept and said, “Who will feed us meat?
- Jude 1:7
Through
Joshua 7:1The Israelites, however, acted unfaithfully regarding the things devoted to destruction. Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set…
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 9:18
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.
- 1 Chronicles 2:6–7
The sons of Zerah: Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Dara—five in all.
- Ecclesiastes 9:18
Through
Joshua 7:5And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of them, chasing them from the gate as far as the quarries and striking them down on the slopes. So the hearts of the people…
it leads to
- Joshua 2:11
When we heard this, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in the heavens above and on the earth below.
- Joshua 2:11
About Joshua
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.