Joshua 7

King James Version

Full text for Joshua Chapter 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.

2And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which [is] beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.

3And they returned to Joshua, and said unto 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 labour thither; for they [are but] few.

4So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.

5And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them [from] before the gate [even] unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.

6¶ And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.

7And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou 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 dwelt on the other side Jordan!

8O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies!

9For 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 wilt thou do unto thy great name?

10¶ And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?

11Israel hath 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.

12Therefore 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 ye destroy the accursed from among you.

13Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, [There is] an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.

14In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, [that] the tribe which the LORD taketh 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.

15And it shall be, [that] he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.

16¶ So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken:

17And 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:

18And 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.

19And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide [it] not from me.

20And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:

21When 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 midst of my tent, and the silver under it.

22So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, [it was] hid in his tent, and the silver under it.

23And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD.

24And 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 unto the valley of Achor.

25And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.

26And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

After the victory at Jericho, Israel suffered a defeat at Ai, causing Joshua great distress. The LORD revealed that this setback was due to a trespass: Achan had secretly taken accursed spoils from Jericho, violating God's command. Following divine instruction, Achan was identified and confessed his sin. He was subsequently stoned and burned with his family and possessions in the Valley of Achor, thus appeasing the LORD's anger.

Medium Summary

Following the conquest of Jericho, the children of Israel faced an unexpected defeat at Ai, where thirty-six men were slain, causing their hearts to melt. Joshua and the elders mourned before the LORD, questioning the purpose of their crossing the Jordan. The LORD revealed that Israel had sinned by taking of the accursed thing from Jericho, which was why they could not stand before their enemies. God commanded Joshua to sanctify the people and identify the transgressor through a process of casting lots by tribe, family, and household. Achan of the tribe of Judah was divinely identified, and he confessed to taking a Babylonish garment, silver, and gold, which he had hidden in his tent. Consequently, Achan, his family, and all his possessions were brought to the Valley of Achor, where they were stoned and burned, turning away the fierce anger of the LORD from Israel.

Long Summary

After the miraculous fall of Jericho, the children of Israel committed a significant trespass against the LORD's command concerning the accursed things. Achan, from the tribe of Judah, secretly took spoils that were forbidden, kindling the LORD's anger against the entire nation. Unaware of this sin, Joshua sent a small contingent to attack Ai, expecting an easy victory, but the men of Israel were routed, suffering thirty-six casualties, which caused widespread dismay and fear among the people. In deep anguish, Joshua and the elders prostrated themselves before the Ark of the LORD, lamenting their defeat and questioning God's purpose, fearing that the Canaanites would destroy Israel and dishonor God's great name. The LORD then commanded Joshua to rise, revealing that Israel's defeat stemmed directly from their transgression of His covenant by taking, stealing, and dissembling with the accursed thing. God declared He would not be with them until the accursed thing was removed from their midst. Instructions were given to sanctify the people and identify the culprit through a systematic process of selection by tribe, family, household, and individual. The one found guilty, along with all his possessions, was to be burned with fire for transgressing the covenant and committing folly in Israel. The next morning, Joshua diligently followed these instructions, and through the divine process, Achan, the son of Carmi, was identified. Confronted by Joshua, Achan confessed his sin, admitting he had coveted and taken a Babylonish garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold, which he had hidden in his tent. Messengers confirmed his confession, retrieving the hidden items. Finally, Achan, his sons, daughters, and all his possessions were brought to the Valley of Achor, where all Israel stoned them with stones and burned them with fire, establishing a great heap of stones as a memorial. This act of judgment turned the LORD's fierce anger away from Israel, and the place was named Achor, signifying trouble.

Core Concepts

  • The Accursed Thing (Cherem)This concept refers to items or people devoted to destruction or to God, which were forbidden for personal gain, as seen in Achan's taking of spoils from Jericho. Achan's transgression of this command brought divine wrath upon the entire community.
  • Corporate ResponsibilityThe chapter illustrates that the sin of one individual, Achan, brought judgment and defeat upon the entire nation of Israel, highlighting the principle that the community can suffer for the unconfessed sin within its midst.
  • Divine Anger and Its AtonementThe LORD's anger was kindled against Israel due to their trespass, leading to their defeat. This anger was only appeased and turned away after the sin was identified, confessed, and the transgressor, Achan, and his possessions were put to death according to God's command.
  • Seeking God's CounselAfter the defeat at Ai, Joshua and the elders prostrated themselves before the LORD, seeking understanding and intervention. This demonstrates the importance of prayer and seeking divine guidance in times of crisis.
  • Identification by LotGod provided a specific, systematic method (casting lots by tribe, family, household, and individual) for identifying the hidden transgressor. This demonstrates divine omniscience and the means by which hidden sin could be brought to light.
  • Valley of AchorThis geographical location became the site of Achan's judgment and was named "Achor," meaning "trouble." It serves as a perpetual memorial of the consequences of disobedience and the place where Israel's trouble was resolved.