1Achan's trespass. 2The Israelites are smitten by the men of Ai. 6Joshua's complaint. 10God instructeth him what to do. 16Achan is taken by lot. 19His confession. 24He and all that belonged to him are destroyed in the valley of Achor.
1BUT 1the children of Israel committed a trespass in 2the accursed thing: fora3Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of 4Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the 5accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled 6against the children of Israel.
1 Understand one of the children of Israel, namely, Achan. Compare Judges 12 on verse 7.
2 That is, against the law of God, touching the banned things.
a Joshua 22:20; 1 Chron. 2:7.
3 At 1 Chron. 2:7 he is called Achar, that is, the troubler.
4 He is also called Zimri, 1 Chron. 2:6.
5 See Joshua 6:18, 19.
6 For one man’s sin, God is incensed against the entire congregation of the Israelites. See Joshua 22:20.
2And Joshua sent men from Jericho to 7Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.
7Ai was situated upon a hill three leagues westward from Jericho, in that part of the land of Canaan, which fell to the tribe of Benjamin. There was likewise another Ai, in the tribe of Gad, which the Ammonites had taken, against which Jeremiah prophesies, Jer. 49:3.
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 8Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.
8 This place was first so called after this defeat of the Israelites. Shebarim signifies breakings, or shiverings, because the Israelites’ army was broken there and hewn asunder.
6¶And Joshua 9rent 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, 10and put dust upon their heads.
9 As a sign of great sorrow and anguish of heart. See Gen. 37:29.
10 This the Israelites were wont to do for a sign of sorrow and astonishment, 1 Sam. 4:12; 2 Sam. 13:19; Jonah 3:6; Micah 1:10.
7And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore 11hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the 12Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!
11 Hebr. passing made pass. Here Joshua seems somewhat to start aside through human frailty by reason of the damage sustained.
12 Understand among these all the seven nations that possessed the land which the Lord had promised to give unto the Israelites.
813O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies!
13 Hebr. In me, Lord. See Gen. 43 on verse 20.
9For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environb us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and 14what wilt thou do unto thy great name?
b surround, encompass
14 As if he had said, How wilt Thou preserve Thy great and glorious Name, when the Canaanites shall say that Thou hast not now any more the power to defend us and to subdue them, as Thou in times past hast done many times?
10¶And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore 15liest thou thus upon thy face?
15 Hebr. properly: art thou falling down.
1116Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed 17my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the 18accursed thing, and have also 19stolen, and 20dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.
16 That is, one among the Israelites, namely, Achan.
17 That is, My commandment, whereunto they have obliged themselves in the covenant to observe the same. See Joshua 6:18.
18 Namely, which I commanded to be banned, Joshua 6:18.
19 Namely, that which ought to have been brought into the treasury of the Lord, Joshua 6:19.
20 Other, denied, renounced.
12Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because 21they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy 22the accursed from among you.
21 That is, they are fallen into the punishment or judgment which I intended to bring those banned nations, because they have transgressed in the banned thing.
22 That is, him who has deserved to be banned, because he has transgressed in the banished thing. So also verse 13.
13Up, 23sanctify 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.
23 That is, cause the people to purify themselves, and to suit themselves unto holiness, by the ceremonies appointed by God, Exod. 19:10.
14In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the LORD 24taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the LORD shall take shall come by 25households; and the household which the LORD shall take shall come 26man by man.
24 Hebr. caught or taken, namely, by the lot, which the Lord directs, Prov. 16:33. See 1 Sam. 14:41; Jonah 1:7.
25 Hebr. houses.
26 Hebr. with men.
15And it shall be, that he that is taken 27with the accursed thing shall be burnt 28with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought 29folly in Israel.
27 That is, with the banned thing, or stolen goods.
28 Namely, after that he shall have been stoned to death. See Num. 15:30, 35.
29 That is, a notorious crime, or abomination. Thus the rape of Dina was called, Gen. 34:7, and the abusing of the Levite’s wife, Judges 20:6.
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 30the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites 31man by man; and Zabdi was taken:
30 That is, the tribe, or each family thereof.
31 Hebr. by men, that is, according to the households of the fathers, not everyone head by head, as verse 18.
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, 32give, 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.
32 Hebr. put. When Achan confessed his trespass committed, he gave the honor to God that He had justly pointed to him.
20And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and 33thus and thus have I done:
33 Namely, as the Lord has spoken, verse 11.
21When I saw among the spoils a 34goodly 35Babylonish garment, and 36two hundred shekels of silver, and a 37wedge 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 38it.
34 Or, beautiful stately.
35 Hebr. a cloak of Shinar. See Gen. 10:10.
36 This is half the price for which Abraham bought the double cave of Ephron, 200 common shekels making 50 Rix-dollars.
37 A long and broad piece of gold, in fashion of a tongue, whatever it may have been.
38 Namely, under the Babylonian garment.
22¶So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, 39it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it.
39 Namely, the goods. Or, the garment.
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 40before the LORD.
40 That is, before the tent of the congregation where the ark (which was the holy place of God’s presence) was; for, this entire action was made in a general assembly of the people.
24And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan 41the 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 42the valley of Achor.
41 That is, grandchild. See verse 1.
42 That is, the valley of trouble, afterwards so called, from this history, verse 26.
25And Joshua said, Why hast thou 43troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned 44him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.
43 Of the word to trouble, see 1 Kings 18 on verse17.
44 Namely, Achan; understand hereby also all his, as verse 26.
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 45called, 46The valley of Achor, unto this day.
45 Other, he called, namely, Joshua.
46 That is, the valley of trouble; because all the people of Israel were here troubled and grieved for Achan’s theft; and because he also was therein troubled by a terrible judgment, verse 25.