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Joshua 7:1

in Joshua 7

The 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.

This verse in Joshua 7

Commentary

3 notes on this verse

A commentator

Origen of Alexandria

HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 7.6-7 · Written before 253.

But 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
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 words

Every 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.

  • וַיִּמְעֲל֧וּand they acted unfaithfully

    vaiyimaluH460336 times

  • בְנֵֽי־[the] people of

    venei-H11214930 times

  • יִשְׂרָאֵ֛לIsrael

    yisraelH34782507 times

  • מַ֖עַלunfaithfulness

    maalH460428 times

  • בַּחֵ֑רֶםin the devoted thing[s]

    bacheremH276438 times

  • וַיִּקַּ֡חand he took

    vaiyikachH3947966 times

  • עָכָ֣ןAchan

    ʾakhanH59126 times

  • בֶּן־[the] son of

    ben-H11214930 times

  • כַּרְמִי֩Carmi

    karmiH3756

  • בֶן־[the] son of

    ven-H11214930 times

  • זַבְדִּ֨יZabdi

    zavdiH20676 times

  • בֶן־[the] son of

    ven-H11214930 times

  • זֶ֜רַחZerah

    zerachH222621 times

  • לְמַטֵּ֤הof [the] tribe of

    lematehH4294252 times

  • יְהוּדָה֙Judah

    yehudahH3063819 times

  • מִן־some of

    min-H44801188 times

  • הַחֵ֔רֶםthe devoted thing[s]

    hacheremH276438 times

  • וַיִּֽחַר־and it burned

    vaiyichar-H2734

  • אַ֥ף[the] anger of

    ʾafH639276 times

  • יְהוָ֖הYahweh

    yahwehH30686520 times

  • בִּבְנֵ֥יon [the] people of

    bivneiH11214930 times

  • יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Israel

    yisraelH34782507 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each 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 22:20

    Was 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.

  • Through

    Joshua 22:18

    And 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?”

  • Through

    Ecclesiastes 9:18

    Wisdom 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.”

Where this verse is studied

About Joshua

Achan Is Stoned to Death — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
Achan Is Stoned to Death — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

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.