Joshua 7:1
in Joshua 7The 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 apart. So the anger of the LORD burned against the Israelites.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the devoted thing; for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the devoted thing: and the anger of Jehovah was kindled against the children of Israel.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Joshua 7
Commentary
3 notes on this verseBut also we should not let it be passed over without comment that by one sinner wrath comes upon all the people.…But let us also see what sort of sin this person did. He stole, it says, "a tongue of gold" and placed it in his own tent. I do not think so great a force of sin was in that theft of a little gold that it defiled the innumerable church of the Lord. But let us see if a deeper understanding does not reveal the enormity and severity of the sin.
This site's exposition
committed a trespass in the
The accursed thing first occurs at 6:18, in the warning Joshua gave before the city fell, that taking it would make the camp of Israel a curse. Here the sentence opens with the children of Israel committing the trespass, plural, and only afterward names the one man who took anything. Achan is traced four generations back to Zerah of Judah, and the chapter prints the same line again at verse 18, so a reader can place him in the tribe that receives the first and largest portion in chapter 15. The anger is kindled while the camp still knows nothing.
The record, by era
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Committed a trespass - (compare Lev 5:15 note), “acted treacherously and committed a breach of faith.” This suitably describes the sin of Achan, who had purloined and hidden away that which had been dedicated to God by the ban Jos 6:19. The “trespass” was the act of one man, yet is imputed to all Israel, who also share in the penalty of it Jos 7:5. This is not to be explained as though all the people participated in the covetousness which led to Achan’s sin Jos 7:
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּמְעֲל֧וּ | vaiyimalu | and they acted unfaithfully | H4603 → | 36 times |
| בְנֵֽי־ | venei- | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| מַ֖עַל | maal | unfaithfulness | H4604 → | 28 times |
| בַּחֵ֑רֶם | bacherem | in the devoted thing[s] | H2764 → | 38 times |
| וַיִּקַּ֡ח | vaiyikach | and he took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| עָכָ֣ן | ʾakhan | Achan | H5912 → | 6 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| כַּרְמִי֩ | karmi | Carmi | H3756 → | |
| בֶן־ | ven- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| זַבְדִּ֨י | zavdi | Zabdi | H2067 → | 6 times |
| בֶן־ | ven- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| זֶ֜רַח | zerach | Zerah | H2226 → | 21 times |
| לְמַטֵּ֤ה | lemateh | of [the] tribe of | H4294 → | 252 times |
| יְהוּדָה֙ | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| מִן־ | min- | some of | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַחֵ֔רֶם | hacherem | the devoted thing[s] | H2764 → | 38 times |
| וַיִּֽחַר־ | vaiyichar- | and it burned | H2734 → | |
| אַ֥ף | ʾaf | [the] anger of | H639 → | 276 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| בִּבְנֵ֥י | bivnei | on [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
וַיִּמְעֲל֧וּand they acted unfaithfully
vaiyimaluH4603 →36 times
בְנֵֽי־[the] people of
venei-H1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֛לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
מַ֖עַלunfaithfulness
maalH4604 →28 times
בַּחֵ֑רֶםin the devoted thing[s]
bacheremH2764 →38 times
וַיִּקַּ֡חand he took
vaiyikachH3947 →966 times
עָכָ֣ןAchan
ʾakhanH5912 →6 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
כַּרְמִי֩Carmi
karmiH3756 →
בֶן־[the] son of
ven-H1121 →4930 times
זַבְדִּ֨יZabdi
zavdiH2067 →6 times
בֶן־[the] son of
ven-H1121 →4930 times
זֶ֜רַחZerah
zerachH2226 →21 times
לְמַטֵּ֤הof [the] tribe of
lematehH4294 →252 times
יְהוּדָה֙Judah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
מִן־some of
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַחֵ֔רֶםthe devoted thing[s]
hacheremH2764 →38 times
וַיִּֽחַר־and it burned
vaiyichar-H2734 →
אַ֥ף[the] anger of
ʾafH639 →276 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
בִּבְנֵ֥יon [the] people of
bivneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
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
Joshua 22:20Was 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!’”
it leads to
- Joshua 7:5
And 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…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Joshua 7:24
Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the cloak, the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his oxen and donkeys and sheep, his tent, and everything else…
- 1 Corinthians 10:6
These things took place as examples to keep us from craving evil things as they did.
- Joshua 7:5
Through
Joshua 22:18And now, would you turn away from the LORD? If you rebel today against the LORD, tomorrow He will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.
it leads to
- Numbers 16:22
But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You be angry with the whole congregation?”
- Numbers 16:22
Through
Ecclesiastes 9:18Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.
it leads to
- Joshua 7:11–12
Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant that I commanded them, and they have taken some of what was devoted to destruction. Indeed, they have stolen and lied, and they have put these…
- 2 Timothy 4:3–4
For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires.
- 2 Timothy 2:16–18
But avoid irreverent, empty chatter, which will only lead to more ungodliness,
- Ecclesiastes 9:16
And I said, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.”
- Joshua 7:11–12
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Joshua

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 7.6-7.
