The document recounts the sin of Achan, who, despite being an Israelite, took items devoted to God from the city of Jericho, which resulted in God's anger against the entire nation. His individual transgression is imputed to all of Israel, leading to collective consequences such as defeat in battle and a call for communal accountability. The narrative emphasizes the significance of individual actions within a community and the resulting moral obligations of its members to uphold divine commands.

1. JOSHUA 7 COMME TARY
EDITED BY GLE PEASE
Achan’s Sin
1 But the Israelites were unfaithful in regard to
the devoted things[a]; Achan son of Karmi, the
son of Zimri,[b] the son of Zerah, of the tribe of
Judah, took some of them. So the Lord’s anger
burned against Israel.
BAR ES, "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_7:21. The nation as a nation was in
covenant with God, and is treated by Him not merely as a number of individuals living
together for their own purposes under common institutions, but as a divinely-
constituted organic whole. Hence, the sin of Achan defiled the other members of the
community as well as himself. and robbed the people collectively of holiness before God
and acceptableness with Him. Israel had in the person of Achan broken the covenant
Jos_7:11; God therefore would no more drive out the Canaanites before them.
The accursed thing - Rather “in that which had been devoted or dedicated.” Achan
in diverting any of these devoted things to his own purposes, committed the sin of
sacrilege, that of Ananias and Sapphira. Act_5:2-3.
Achan or Achar - (the marginal reference) the “n” and “r” being interchanged,
perhaps for the sake of accommodating the name to ‫עכר‬ ‛âkar, “trouble” Jos_7:25. Zabdi
is generally identified with the Zimri of 1Ch_2:6. Zerah was twin brother of Pharez and
son of Judah Gen_38:30. In this genealogy, as in others, several generations are
omitted, most likely those which intervened between Zerah and Zabdi, and which
covered the space between the migration of Jacob’s household to Egypt and the Exodus.
(Num_26:5, see the note).

2. CLARKE,"The children of Israel committed a trespass - It is certain that one
only was guilty; and yet the trespass is imputed here to the whole congregation; and the
whole congregation soon suffered shame and disgrace on the account, as their armies
were defeated, thirty-six persons slain, and general terror spread through the whole
camp. Being one body, God attributes the crime of the individual to the whole till the
trespass was discovered, and by a public act of justice inflicted on the culprit the
congregation had purged itself of the iniquity. This was done to render every man
extremely cautious, and to make the people watchful over each other, that sin might be
no where tolerated or connived at, as one transgression might bring down the wrath of
God upon the whole camp. See on Jos_7:12 (note).
The accursed thing - A portion of the spoils of the city of Jericho, the whole of
which God had commanded to be destroyed.
For Achan, the son of Carmi, etc. - Judah had two sons by Tamar: Pharez and
Zarah. Zarah was father of Zabdi, and Zabdi of Carmi, the father of Achan. These five
persons extend through a period of 265 years; and hence Calmet concludes that they
could not have had children before they were fifty or fifty-five years of age. This Achan,
son of Zabdi, is called, in 1Ch_2:6, Achar, son of Zimrie; but this reading is corrected
into Achan by some MSS. in the place above cited.
GILL, "But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed
thing,.... Or concerning it, with respect to it, by taking part of what was devoted to
another use, and forbidden theirs: this was done, not by the whole body of the people,
only by one of them; but it not being discovered who it was, it was imputed to the whole,
on whom it lay to find out the guilty person and punish him, or else the whole must
suffer for it: this chapter begins with a "but", and draws a vail over the fame and glory of
Joshua, observed in Jos_6:27,
for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe
of Judah, took of the accursed thing; of what was devoted to the Lord and to
sacred uses; this he had taken to himself out of the spoil of the city of Jericho, for his
own use, contrary to the command of God: his descent is particularly described, that it
might be known of what family and tribe he was; and it is traced up to Zerah, who was a
son of Judah, Gen_38:30,
and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel; because
of the sin of Achan.
HE RY, "The story of this chapter begins with a but. The Lord was with Joshua,
and his fame was noised through all that country, so the foregoing chapter ends, and it
left no room to doubt but that he would go on as he had begun conquering and to
conquer. He did right, and observed his orders in every thing. But the children of Israel
committed a trespass, and so set God against them; and then even Joshua's name and
fame, his wisdom and courage, could do them no service. If we lose our God, we lose our
friends, who cannot help us unless God be for us. Now here is,
I. Achan sinning, Jos_7:1. Here is only a general mention made of the sin; we shall
afterwards have a more particular account of it from his own mouth. The sin is here said

3. to be taking of the accursed thing, in disobedience to the command and in defiance of
the threatening, Jos_6:18. In the sacking of Jericho orders were given that they should
neither spare any lives nor take any treasure to themselves; we read not of the breach of
the former prohibition (there were none to whom they showed any mercy), but of the
latter: compassion was put off and yielded to the law, but covetousness was indulged.
The love of the world is that root of bitterness which of all others is most hardly rooted
up. Yet the history of Achan is a plain intimation that he of all the thousands of Israel
was the only delinquent in this matter. Had there been more in like manner guilty, no
doubt we should have heard of it: and it is strange there were no more. The temptation
was strong. It was easy to suggest what a pity it was that so many things of value should
be burnt; to what purpose is this waste? In plundering cities, every man reckons himself
entitled to what he can lay his hands on. It was easy to promise themselves secrecy and
impunity. Yet by the grace of God such impressions were made upon the minds of the
Israelites by the ordinances of God, circumcision and the passover, which they had lately
been partakers of, and by the providences of God which had been concerning them, that
they stood in awe of the divine precept and judgment, and generously denied themselves
in obedience to their God. And yet, though it was a single person that sinned, the
children of Israel are said to commit the trespass, because one of their body did it, and
he was not as yet separated from them, nor disowned by them. They did it, that is, by
what Achan did guilt was brought upon the whole society of which he was a member.
This should be a warning to us to take heed of sin ourselves, lest by it many be defiled or
disquieted (Heb_12:15), and to take heed of having fellowship with sinners, and of being
in league with them, lest we share in their guilt. Many a careful tradesman has been
broken by a careless partner. And it concerns us to watch over one another for the
preventing of sin, because others' sins may redound to our damage.
JAMISO , "Jos_7:1. Achan’s trespass.
the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing — There
was one transgressor against the cherem, or ban, on Jericho, and his transgression
brought the guilt and disgrace of sin upon the whole nation.
Achan — called afterwards “Achar” (“trouble”) (1Ch_2:7).
Zabdi — or Zimri (1Ch_2:6).
Zerah — or Zarah, son of Judah and Tamar (Gen_38:30). His genealogy is given
probably to show that from a parentage so infamous the descendants would not be
carefully trained in the fear of God.
CALVI , "Verse 1
1.But the children of Israel committed, etc Reference is made to the crime, and
indeed the secret crime, of one individual, whose guilt is transferred to the whole
people; and not only so, but punishment is at the same time executed against several
who were innocent. But it seems very unaccountable that a whole people should be
condemned for a private and hidden crime of which they had no knowledge. I
answer, that it is not new for the sin of one member to be visited on the whole body.
Should we be unable to discover the reason, it ought to be more than enough for us
that transgression is imputed to the children of Israel, while the guilt is confined to
one individual. But as it very often happens that those who are not wicked foster the
sins of their brethren by conniving at them, a part of the blame is justly laid upon

4. all those who by disguising become implicated in it as partners. For this reason Paul,
(1 Corinthians 5:4) upbraids all the Corinthians with the private enormity of one
individual, and inveighs against their pride in presuming to glory while such a
stigma attached to them. But here it is easy to object that all were ignorant of the
theft, and that therefore there is no room for the maxim, that he who allows a crime
to be committed when he can prevent it is its perpetrator. I certainly admit it not to
be clear why a private crime is imputed to the whole people, unless it be that they
had not previously been sufficiently careful to punish misdeeds, and that possibly
owing to this, the person actually guilty in the present instance had sinned with
greater boldness. It is well known that weeds creep in stealthily, grow apace and
produce noxious fruits, if not speedily torn up. The reason, however, why God
charges a whole people with a secret theft is deeper and more abstruse. He wished
by an extraordinary manifestation to remind posterity that they might all be
criminated by the act of an individual, and thus induce them to give more diligent
heed to the prevention of crimes.
othing, therefore, is better than to keep our minds in suspense until the books are
opened, when the divine judgments which are now obscured by our darkness will be
made perfectly clear. Let it suffice us that the whole people were infected by a
private stain; for so it has been declared by the Supreme Judge, before whom it
becomes us to stand dumb, as having one day to appear at his tribunal. The stock
from which Achan was descended is narrated for the sake of increasing, and, as it
were, propagating the ignominy; just as if it were said, that he was the disgrace of
his family and all his race. For the writer of the history goes up as far as the tribe of
Judah. By this we are taught that when any one connected with us behaves himself
basely and wickedly, a stigma is in a manner impressed upon us in his person that
we may be humbled — not that it can be just to insult over all the kindred of a
wicked man, but first, that all kindred may be more careful in applying mutual
correction to each other, and secondly, that they may be led to recognize that either
their connivance or their own faults are punished.
A greater occasion of scandal, fitted to produce general alarm, was offered by the
fact of the crime having been detected in the tribe of Judah, which was the flower
and glory of the whole nation. It was certainly owing to the admirable counsel of
God, that a pre-eminence which fostered the hope of future dominion resided in that
tribe. But when near the very outset this honor was foully stained by the act of an
individual, the circumstance might have occasioned no small disturbance to weak
minds. The severe punishment, however, wiped away the scandal which might
otherwise have existed; and hence we gather that when occasion has been given to
the wicked to blaspheme, the Church has no fitter means of removing the
opprobrium than that of visiting offences with exemplary punishment.
TRAPP, " 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.

5. Ver. 1. But the children of Israel committed.] All were involved, because of the same
body politic: and every man is bound to be his brother’s keeper, to see that the law
be not only observed but preserved: since one sinner may destroy much good.
[Ecclesiastes 9:18] Propter contagionem peccati. (a)
For Achan, the son of Carmi, &c.] He was well descended, but became a stain to his
ancestors by his covetousness, which was the worse in him, because he had, of his
own, oxen, asses, sheep, &c. [Joshua 6:24 Proverbs 6:30] The devil knew his temper,
felt which way his pulse beat, and accordingly fitted him with an object, set a prize
before him: hence he is called "the tempter" [Matthew 4:3]
And the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel.] Who all
smarted for this one man’s sin: as the neck is seared and rowled oft for the rheum
that runneth down into the eyes: and as a vein is opened in the arm to turn the
course of the blood, or to ease the pain of the head.
PETT, "Verse 1
Chapter 7 The Sin of Achan and Failure at Ai.
Because of the sin of Achan, when they advanced on Ai, the children of Israel were
smitten and put to flight by ‘the men of Ai’. This gave Joshua and the elders of the
people great concern, both for Israel and for the name of YHWH. This was
expressed by Joshua in prayer to God, and when YHWH informed him of the
reason for it, He also gave him directions for discovering the guilty person, and for
the man’s punishment. Joshua followed these directions, and the person was
discovered, and confessed, upon which he and all he had, with the things he had
taken, were burnt with fire.
Joshua 7:1
‘But the children of Israel committed a trespass with regard to what was devoted,
for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of
Judah, took of what was devoted, and the anger of Yahweh was kindled against the
children of Israel.’
Before the story of Israel’s first defeat in the land we are given the reason for it. God
had been disobeyed in the most dreadful way. Achan had secretly stolen from
YHWH something from Jericho, something in other words that had been ‘devoted’
to Him by the whole of Israel, and the result was that there was ‘a devoted thing’ in
the camp of Israel for which the whole of Israel had to take blame. This was the
principle of community responsibility whereby the many must share the guilt of the
one (from our standpoint it would be on the grounds that his failure was due to their
wider failure in failing to provide the right moral background). It was their
responsibility to ensure that it did not happen and that YHWH received His due.
Thus the trespass was committed by the whole of Israel.

6. BE SO , "Joshua 7:1. But the children of Israel — That is, one of them. It is a
usual form of speech in the Holy Scriptures, to ascribe that to many indefinitely,
which properly belonged only to one or two of the same body or society. Thus
(Matthew 26:8) we find that to be ascribed to all the disciples which was done by
Judas alone: see John 12:4. Committed a trespass in the accursed thing — Offended
God by taking some of the spoils which were devoted to destruction, or
appropriated to God’s treasury, with a curse upon him who took them. Achan, the
son of Carmi — He is called Achar, (1 Chronicles 2:7,) a word that signifies, He
troubled. It is probable that as he had troubled Israel, (Joshua 7:25,) they changed
his name thus in after-times. Zabdi — Called also Zimri, 1 Chronicles 2:6. Zerah —
Or Zarah, who was Judah’s immediate son, (Genesis 38:30,) who went with his
father into Egypt when he was very young. And thus, for making up the two
hundred and fifty-six years that are supposed to come between that and this time,
we must allow Achan to be now an old man, and his three ancestors to have
begotten each his son at about sixty years of age; which at that time was not
incredible nor unusual. Against the children of Israel — Why did God punish the
whole society for this one man’s sin? All of them were punished for their own sins,
whereof each had a sufficient proportion; but God took this occasion to inflict the
punishment upon the society. 1st, Because divers of them might be guilty of this sin,
either by coveting to do what he actually did, or by concealing his fault, which, it is
probable, could not be unknown to others, or by not sorrowing for it, and
endeavouring to purge themselves from it: 2d, To make sin the more hateful, as
being the cause of such dreadful judgments: and, 3d, To oblige all the members of
every society to be more circumspect in ordering their own actions, and more
diligent to prevent the miscarriage of their brethren.
WHEDO , "1. But the children of Israel committed a trespass — Many have found
great difficulty here. There was but one personal sinner. How can the whole nation,
then, be charged with sin? Calvin, dissatisfied with the many different explanations,
advises that “we suspend our decisions till when the books are opened, and the
judgments, now holden in darkness, are clearly explained.” It is certain that the
crime of one had robbed the nation of that innocence which is pleasing to God. Such
are the relations of human society that a community is punished for the sins of a
part of its constituents. ational punishments are inflicted in this life because
nations do not exist after death. It follows, therefore, that while a nation may suffer
from the sin of an individual, that suffering is temporal, and not eternal, to those
who are not personally involved in the guilt. [“The Scriptures teach that a nation is
one organic whole, in which the individuals are merely members of the same body,
and are not atoms isolated from one another and the whole. The State is there
treated as a divine institution, founded upon family relationships, and intended to
promote the love of all to one another, and to the invisible Head of all. As all, then,
are combined in a fellowship established by God, the good or evil deeds of an
individual affect beneficially or injuriously the whole society.” — Keil. All this is
simply an admonitory form in which Jehovah places the divine administration of
justice. Each man who suffers is worthy of death for his own sin, and no wrong is
done to any. See note on Matthew 23:35.]

7. In the accursed thing — In appropriating to private use that which had been
solemnly consecrated to God, or devoted to destruction. See note, Joshua 6:17-18.
Achan — Called in 1 Chronicles 2:7, Achar, the troubler of Israel.
Son of Carmi — His genealogy is thus traced out in view of the method of his
detection. Compare Joshua 7:16-18. He seems to have been a descendant of Judah in
the fifth generation.
And the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel — The entire
community has become infected with the guilt of one of its members.
Verses 1-26
THE TRESPASS A D PU ISHME T OF ACHA , Joshua 7:1-26.
[After the fall of Jericho the prestige of Israel was exceedingly great. The name of
Jehovah was a terror to the idolatrous nations of the land, and the chosen people,
glorying in his matchless power and their own wondrous triumphs, were in danger
of forgetting that his wrath burns against every appearance of evil, and would fall
as fiercely on an offender in the camp of Israel as on the armies of the aliens. Hence
the severe and solemn lesson taught by the sin and punishment of Achan.]
COFFMA , "Verse 1
THE DEFEAT AT AI
Contrasting sharply with the previous chapter, this one reveals a shocking setback
to Israel's progress, namely, the defeat at Ai. Many Bible students have been
impressed with the manner in which the experiences of Joshua parallel those of the
early church in the Book of Acts.
(1) The glorious success of Pentecost was soon followed by the shameful episode of
Ananias and his wife Sapphira. Here the great success at Jericho is quickly followed
by the shameful defeat at Ai.
(2) Secret sin was, in both cases, the cause of the sudden reversal of fortune - that of
Achan here, and that of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts.
(3) The capital punishment of the offenders was immediately enforced - that of
Achan by Joshua, and that of Ananias and Sapphira by the Lord.
(4) The punishment in each case was executed in the presence of all of God's
congregation.
(5) The original success of God's people was at once resumed in both cases.
(6) Greed, or covetousness on the part of the offenders was the cause of the trouble
in both cases.

8. "But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the devoted thing; for Achan, the
son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the
devoted thing: and the anger of Jehovah was kindled against the children of Israel."
Matthew Henry, and others, have pointed out that, "This chapter begins with a
"BUT."[1] That word, with all that is entailed, echoes like a sour note in a
symphony throughout the entire O.T. This also is echoed in the writings of the ew
Testament. The name "Herod" in Matthew 2:1, is exactly the same kind of change
as that noted here.
We are amazed at Jamieson's comment on Achan's ancestry, which he called
"infamous."[2] Yes, it is true enough that his ancestry is here traced back to the
incestuous union between Judah and Tamar, but apparently Jamieson overlooked
the fact that this is also the ancestry of the Lord Jesus Christ! Therefore, we must
look to something else besides the ancestry of Achan to discover the cause of his sin.
There is no problem with the genealogy of Achan here, which contains only five
names to cover the period reaching all the way back to Judah and Tamar. "In this
genealogy (as in many others in the Bible) several generations are omitted."[3]
One of the significant things here is the fact that the sin of a SI GLE person could
bring down the wrath of God upon the WHOLE congregation of Israel.
COKE, "The Israelites are put to flight near Ai: the Lord raises up the prostrate
Joshua, and tells him, that some of the accursed thing had been taken; commands
him to inquire for the guilty person, and to condemn him when found; Achan is
found guilty, is stoned, and all belonging to him burnt in the fire.
Before Christ 1451.
Verse 1
Ver. 1. But the children of Israel— Though there was but one guilty, the historian
attributes to the whole society, whereof Achan was a member, the criminal action
which he had committed. This is the style of Scripture, and it is the language of
reason. See Calmet. A people, properly speaking, is only one moral person. The
common interest, which connects all the members of it together, warrants the
imputing to the whole nation what is done by the individuals who compose it, unless
it be expressly disavowed.
Committed a trespass in the accused thing— They committed a trespass, by keeping
back somewhat desecrated; or, as the LXX has it, by setting apart something of the
curse; of the booty which was made in the sacking of Jericho; though this was
forbidden under pain of incurring the most rigorous effects of the divine
malediction.
For Achan, the son of Carmi, &c.— He is called Achar, 1 Chronicles 2:7. This latter

9. name, which signifies trouble, was evidently given him in allusion to the reproof that
Joshua gave him previous to his being stoned, of having troubled Israel, ver. 25.
Zabdi is the same who, in 1 Chronicles 2:6 is called Zimri. Zerah, the son of Judah,
came into Egypt with his father very young. It is not said that he had any children
there; and we cannot suppose him to be less than seventy years old when he became
father of Zabdi. If, as Bonfrere thinks, Zabdi was as old when Carmi was born, and
Carmi as old when he begat Achan, the latter must have been above fifty at the
taking of Jericho; an age at which many men begin to be over-attached to the things
of the world, and set too high a value upon them.
And the anger of the Lord was kindled, &c.— The crime of one member of this
body drew down marks of the divine indignation on all the Israelites, (who in other
respects, doubtless, deserved it,) in order to stir them up to search out the guilty,
and inflict upon him the just punishment of the danger to which he had exposed
them. We may further observe, 1. That there were, perhaps, many Israelites guilty,
in their desires, of the crime of Achan, and who would actually have committed it,
had they dared; and others who knew it, but had given themselves no concern on
that account, and had not even deigned to inform Joshua of it. 2. That by chastising
the whole body for the faults of one, or of several individuals, God proposed to
render all the Israelites more circumspect, more attentive to each other's conduct,
and more careful to remove from sinners every occasion of doing evil. 3. That by
this severity he designed to render sin more odious to the whole nation.
CO STABLE, ""But" very significantly introduces this chapter. Chapter6 is a
record of supernatural victory, but chapter7 describes a great defeat.
Even though Achan was the individual who sinned, and even though his sin was
private, God regarded what he did as the action of the whole nation. This was so
because he was a member of the community of Israel and his actions affected the
rest of the Israelites. The Hebrew word translated "unfaithfully" (maal) means
"treacherously" or "secretly."
Achan had not just taken some things that did not belong to him. This would have
been bad in itself. He stole what was dedicated to God, and he robbed the whole
nation of its innocence before God. The Lord"s blazing anger against Israel fell on
Achan and literally consumed him ( Joshua 7:25; cf. Hebrews 12:29).
K&D, "At Jericho the Lord had made known to the Canaanites His great and holy
name; but before Ai the Israelites were to learn that He would also sanctify Himself on
them if they transgressed His covenant, and that the congregation of the Lord could only
conquer the power of the world so long as it was faithful to His covenant. But
notwithstanding the command which Joshua had enforced upon the people (Jos_6:18),
Achan, a member of the tribe of Judah, laid hands upon the property in Jericho which
had been banned, and thus brought the ban upon the children of Israel, the whole
nation. His breach of trust is described as unfaithfulness (a trespass) on the part of the
children of Israel in the ban, in consequence of which the anger of the Lord was kindled
against the whole nation. ‫ל‬ ַ‫ע‬ ַ‫מ‬ ‫ל‬ ַ‫ע‬ ָ‫,מ‬ to commit a breach of trust (see at Lev_5:15),

10. generally against Jehovah, by purloining or withholding what was sanctified to Him,
here in the matter of the ban, by appropriating what had been banned to the Lord. This
crime was imputed to the whole people, not as imputatio moralis, i.e., as though the
whole nation had shared in Achan's disposition, and cherished in their hearts the same
sinful desire which Achan had carried out in action in the theft he had committed; but as
imputatio civilis, according to which Achan, a member of the nation, had robbed the
whole nation of the purity and holiness which it ought to possess before God, through
the sin that he had committed, just as the whole body is affected by the sin of a single
member.
(Note: In support of this I cannot do better than quote the most important of the
remarks which I made in my former commentary (Keil on Joshua, pp. 177-8, Eng.
trans.): “However truly the whole Scriptures speak of each man as individually an
object of divine mercy and justice, they teach just as truly that a nation is one organic
whole, in which the individuals are merely members of the same body, and are not
atoms isolated from one another and the whole, since the state as a divine institution
is founded upon family relationship, and intended to promote the love of all to one
another and to the invisible Head of all. As all then are combined in a fellowship
established by God, the good or evil deeds of an individual affect injuriously or
beneficially the welfare of the whole society. And, therefore, when we regard the state
as a divine organization and not merely as a civil institution, a compact into which
men have entered by treaty, we fail to discover caprice and injustice in consequences
which necessarily follow from the moral unity of the whole state; namely, that the
good or evil deeds of one member are laid to the charge of the entire body. Caprice
and injustice we shall always find if we leave out of sight this fundamental unity, and
merely look at the fact that the many share the consequences of the sin of one.”)
Instead of Achan (the reading here and in Jos_22:20) we find Achar in 1Ch_2:7, the
liquids n and r being interchanged to allow of a play upon the verb ‫ר‬ ַ‫כ‬ ָ‫ע‬ in Jos_7:25.
Hence in Josephus the name is spelt Acharos, and in the Cod. Vat. of the lxx Achar,
whereas the Cod. Al. has Achan. Instead of Zabdi, we find Zimri in 1Ch_2:6, evidently a
copyist's error. Zerah was the twin-brother of Pharez (Gen_38:29-30). Matteh, from ‫ה‬ ָ‫ט‬ָ‫,נ‬
to spread out, is used to denote the tribe according to its genealogical ramifications;
whilst shebet (from an Arabic root signifying “uniform, not curled, but drawn out
straight and long with any curvature at all”) was applied to the sceptre or straight staff of
a magistrate or ruler (never to the stick upon which a person rested), and different from
matteh not only in its primary and literal meaning, but also in the derivative meaning
tribe, in which it was used to designate the division of the nation referred to, not
according to its genealogical ramifications and development, but as a corporate body
possessing authority and power. This difference in the ideas expressed by the two words
will explain the variations in their use: for example, matteh is used here (in Jos_7:1 and
Jos_7:18), and in Jos_22:1-14, and in fact is the term usually employed in the
geographical sections; whereas shebet is used in Jos_7:14, Jos_7:16, in Jos_3:12; Jos_
4:2, and on many other occasions, in those portions of the historical narratives in which
the tribes of Israel are introduced as military powers.
BI, "But the children of Israel committed a trespass
Corporate responsibility

11. This is here attributed to the whole people, which was really the act of but one man or
one family.
This is not because of any guilty participation in this trespass by others; there is no
intimation that any others of the people were involved in a like crime. Nor is there any
implication that others were privy to the crime of Achan, and by concealment of the fact
became its abettors and sharers in its guilt. In all probability his act was not known or
suspected beyond the limits of his own family. Nevertheless, Israel was one people, and
it is here dealt with as one corporate body. There was criminality in the midst of them.
And it was necessary that it should be disavowed and punished, in order that the people
might be freed from all complicity and connection with it. (W. H. Green, D. D.)
Destruction a duty
Many a thing which is attractive in itself ought to be destroyed; and if it ought to be
destroyed, it ought not to be preserved. The contents of a saloon, or of a gambling-
house, books and pictures which are harmful in themselves, which are, by their owners
or by the public authorities, devoted to destruction, ought to be destroyed. To preserve
any portion of them, under such circumstances, would be a wrong on the part of him
whose duty it was to destroy them. To preserve a private letter which is entrusted to one
to destroy is not in itself an act of theft, but it is an inexcusable breach of trust; and if no
one else in the world is ever harmed by it, the one who preserves the letter is the worse
for so doing. The destroying of that which ought to be destroyed is as clearly one’s duty
in its place, as the preserving of that which ought to be preserved. (H. C. Trumbull.)
PULPIT, "THE DEFEAT BEFORE AI.—
Joshua 7:1
Committed a trespass in the accursed thing. The word ‫ַל‬‫ע‬ָ‫מ‬, here used, signifies
originally to cover, whence ‫ִיל‬‫ע‬ְ‫מ‬ a garment. Hence it comes to mean to act
deceitfully, or perhaps to steal (cf. the LXX. ἐνοσφίσαντο, a translation rendered
remarkable by the fact that it is the very word used by St. Luke in regard to the
transgression of Ananias and Sapphira. But the LXX. is hare rather a paraphrase
than a translation). It is clearly used here of some secret act. But in Le Joshua 5:15 it
is used of an unwitting trespass, committed ‫ָה‬‫ג‬ָ‫ג‬ ְ‫ִשׁ‬‫בּ‬, in error of fact, but not of
intention. Achan . Called Achar in 1 Chronicles 2:7, no doubt from a reference to
the results of his conduct. He had "troubled Israel" ( ‫ַר‬‫כ‬ָ‫ע‬(,1 Chronicles 2:25, and
the valley which witnessed his punishment obtained the name of Achor. The copies
of the LXX. vary between the two forms, the Vatican Codex having Achar; the
Alexandrian, Achan. Zabdi. Zimri in 1 Chronicles 2:6. Such variations of reading
are extremely common, and are increased in our version by the varieties of English
spelling adopted among our translators (see Shemuel for Samuel in 1 Chronicles
6:33). The LXX. has Zambri here. Took of the accursed thing. Commentators have
largely discussed the question how the sin of Achan could be held to extend to the
whole people. But it seems sufficient to reply by pointing out the organic unity of the

12. Israelitish nation. They were then, as Christians are now, the Church of the living
God. And if one single member of the community violated the laws which God
imposed on them, the whole body was liable for his sin, until it had purged itself by
a public act of restitution (see Deuteronomy 21:1-8). So St. Paul regards the
Corinthian Church as polluted by the presence of one single offender, until he was
publicly expelled from its communion (see 1 Corinthians 5:2, 1 Corinthians 5:6, 1
Corinthians 5:7). The very words "body politic" applied to a state imply the same
idea—that of a connection so intimate between the members of a community that
the act of one affects the whole. And if this be admitted to be the case in ordinary
societies, how much more so in the people of God, who were under His special
protection, and had been specially set apart to His service? In the history of Achan,
moreover, we read the history of secret sin, which, though unseen by any earthly
eye, does nevertheless pollute the offender, and through him the Church of God, by
lowering his general standard of thought and action, enfeebling his moral sense,
checking the growth of his inner and devotional life, until, by a resolute act of
repentance and restitution towards God, the sin is finally acknowledged and put
away. "A lewd man is a pernicious creature. That he damnes his own soule is the
least part of his misehiefe; he commonly drawes vengeance upon a thousand, either
by the desert of his sinne, or by the infection" (Bp. Hall).
EBC, "ACHA 'S TRESPASS.
Joshua 7:1-26.
A VESSEL in full sail scuds merrily over the waves. Everything betokens a
successful and delightful voyage. The log has just been taken, marking an
extraordinary run. The passengers are in the highest spirits, anticipating an early
close of the voyage. Suddenly a shock is felt, and terror is seen on every face. The
ship has struck on a rock. ot only is progress arrested, but it will be a mercy for
crew and passengers if they can escape with their lives.
ot often so violently, but often as really, progress is arrested in many a good
enterprise that seemed to be prospering to a wish. There may be no shock, but there
is a stoppage of movement. The vital force that seemed to be carrying it on towards
the desired consummation declines, and the work hangs fire. A mission that in its
first stages was working out a beautiful transformation, becomes languid and
advances no further. A Church, eminent for its zeal and spirituality, comes down to
the ordinary level, and seems to lose its power. A family that promised well in
infancy and childhood fails of its promise, its sons and daughters waver and fall. A
similar result is often found in the undertakings of common life. Something
mysterious arrests progress in business or causes a decline. In "enterprises of great
pith and moment," "the currents turn awry, and lose the name of action."
In all such cases we naturally wonder what can be the cause. And very often our
explanation is wide of the mark. In religious enterprises, we are apt to fall back on
the sovereignty and inscrutability of God. "He moves in a mysterious way, His

13. wonders to perform." It seems good to Him, for unknown purposes of His own, to
subject us to disappointment and trial. We do not impugn either His wisdom or His
goodness; all is for the best. But, for the most part, we fail to detect the real reason.
That the fault should lie with ourselves is the last thing we think of. We search for it
in every direction rather than at home. We are ingenious in devising far-off theories
and explanations, while the real offender is close at hand - "Israel hath sinned."
It was an unexpected obstacle of this kind that Joshua now encountered in his next
step towards possessing the land. Let us endeavour to understand his position and
his plan. Jericho lay in the valley of the Jordan, and its destruction secured nothing
for Joshua save the possession of that low-lying valley. From the west side of the
valley rose a high mountain wall, which had to be ascended in order to reach the
plateau of Western Palestine. Various ravines or passes ran down from the plateau
into the valley; at the top of one of these, a little to the north of Jericho, was Bethel,
and farther down the pass, nearer the plain, the town or village of Ai. o remains of
Ai are now visible, nor is there any tradition of the name, so that its exact position
cannot be ascertained. It was an insignificant place, but necessary to be taken, in
order to give Joshua command of the pass, and enable him to reach the plateau
above. The plan of Joshua seems to have been to gain command of the plateau about
this point, and thereby, as it were, cut the country in two, so that he might be able to
deal in succession with its southern and its northern sections. If once he could
establish himself in the very centre of the country, keeping his communications open
with the Jordan valley, he would be able to deal with his opponents in detail, and
thus prevent those in the one section from coming to the assistance of the other.
either Ai nor Bethel seemed likely to give him trouble; they were but insignificant
places, and a very small force would be sufficient to deal with them.
Hitherto Joshua had been eminently successful, and his people too. ot a hitch had
occurred in all the arrangements. The capture of Jericho had been an unqualified
triumph. It seemed as if the people of Ai could hardly fail to be paralysed by its fate.
After reconnoitering Ai, Joshua saw that there was no need for mustering the whole
host against so poor a place - a detachment of two or three thousand would be
enough. The three thousand went up against it as confidently as if success were
already in their hands. It was probably a surprise to find its people making any
attempt to drive them off. The men of Israel were not prepared for a vigorous
onslaught, and when it came thus unexpectedly they were taken aback and fled in
confusion. As the men of Ai pursued them down the pass, they had no power to rally
or retrieve the battle; the rout was complete, some of the men were killed, while
consternation was carried into the host, and their whole enterprise seemed doomed
to failure.
And now for the first time Joshua appears in a somewhat humiliating light. He is
not one of the men that never make a blunder. He rends his clothes, falls on his face
with the elders before the ark of the Lord till even, and puts dust upon his head.
There is something too abject in this prostration. And when he speaks to God, it is
in the tone of complaint and in the language of unbelief. ''Alas, O Lord God,
wherefore hast Thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the

14. hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt
on the other side Jordan! O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs
before their enemies! For 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?" Thus Joshua almost throws the blame on
God. He seems to have no idea that it may lie in quite another quarter. And very
strangely, he adopts the very tone and almost the language of the ten spies, against
which he had protested so vehemently at the time: "Would God that we had died in
the land of Egypt, or would God we had died in this wilderness! And wherefore
hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our
children should be a prey?" What has become of all your courage, Joshua, on that
memorable day? Is this the man to whom God said so lately, "Be strong, and of
good courage; as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. I will not fail thee nor
forsake thee"? Like Peter on the waters, and like so many of ourselves, he begins to
sink when the wind is contrary, and his cry is the querulous wail of a frightened
child! After all he is but flesh and blood.
ow it is God's turn to speak. "Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy
face?" Why do you turn on Me as if I had suddenly changed, and become forgetful
of My promise? Alas, my friends, how often is God slandered by our complaints!
How often do we feel and even speak as if He had broken His word and forgotten
His promise, as if He had induced us to trust in Him, and accept His service, only to
humiliate us before the world, and forsake us in some great crisis! o wonder if God
speak sharply to Joshua, and to us if we go in Joshua's steps. o wonder if He refuse
to be pleased with our prostration, our wringing of our hands and sobbing, and calls
us to change our attitude. ''Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?"
Then comes the true explanation - "Israel hath sinned." Might you not have divined
that this was the real cause of your trouble? Is not sin directly or indirectly the
cause of all trouble? What was it that broke up the joy and peace of Paradise? Sin.
What brought the flood of waters over the face of the earth to destroy it? Sin. What
caused the confusion of Babel and scattered the inhabitants over the earth in hostile
races? Sin. What brought desolation on that very plain of Jordan, and buried its
cities and its people under an avalanche of fire and brimstone? Sin. What caused the
defeat of Israel at Hormah forty years ago, and doomed all the generation to perish
in the wilderness? Sin. What threw down the walls of Jericho only a few days ago,
gave its people to the sword of Israel, and reduced its homes and its bulwarks to the
mass of ruins you see there? Again, sin. Can you not read the plainest lesson? Can
you not divine that this trouble which has come on you is due to the same cause with
all the rest? And if it be a first principle of Providence that all trouble is due to sin,
would it not be more suitable that you and your elders should now be making
diligent search for it, and trying to get it removed, than that you should be lying on
your faces and howling to me, as if some sudden caprice or unworthy humour of
mine had brought this distress upon you?
''Behold, the Lord's ear is not heavy that it cannot hear, nor His arm shortened that
it cannot save. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God."

15. What a curse that sin is, in ways and forms, too, which we do not suspect! And yet
we are usually so very careless about it. How little pains we take to ascertain its
presence, or to drive it away from among us! How little tenderness of conscience we
show, how little burning desire to be kept from the accursed thing! And when we
turn to our opponents and see sin in them, instead of being grieved, we fall on them
savagely to upbraid them, and we hold them up to open scorn. How little we think if
they are guilty, that their sin has intercepted the favour of God, and involved not
them only, but probably the whole community in trouble! How unsatisfactory to
God must seem the bearing even of the best of us in reference to sin! Do we really
think of it as the object of God's abhorrence? As that which destroyed Paradise, as
that which has covered the earth with lamentation and mourning and woe, kindled
the flames of hell, and brought the Son of God to suffer on the cross? If only we had
some adequate sense of sin, should we not be constantly making it our prayer -
''Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if
there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting"?
The peculiar covenant relation in which Israel stood to God caused a method to be
fallen on for detecting their sin that is not available for us. The whole people were to
be assembled next morning, and inquiry was to be made for the delinquent in God's
way, and when the individual was found condign punishment was to be inflicted.
First the tribe was to be ascertained, then the family, then the man. For this is God's
way of tracking sin. It might be more pleasant to us that He should deal with it more
generally, and having ascertained, for example, that the wrong had been done by a
particular tribe or community, inflict a fine or other penalty on that tribe in which
we should willingly bear our share. For it does not grieve us very much to sin when
every one sins along with us. ay, we can even make merry over the fact that we are
all sinners together, all in the same condemnation, in the same disgrace. But it is a
different thing when we are dealt with one by one. The tribe is taken, the family is
taken, but that is not all; the household that God shall take shall come man by man!
It is that individualizing of us that we dread; it is when it comes to that, that
"conscience makes cowards of us all." When a sinner is dying, he becomes aware
that this individualizing process is about to take place, and hence the fear which he
often feels. He is no longer among the multitude, death is putting him by himself,
and God is coming to deal with him by himself. If he could only be hid in the crowd
it would not matter, but that searching eye of God - who can stand before it? What
will all the excuses or disguises or glosses he can devise avail before Him who "sets
our iniquities before Him, our secret sins in the light of His countenance"? " either
is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight; for all things are naked, and
opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." Happy, in that hour, they
who have found the Divine covering for sin: ''Blessed is he whose transgression is
forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not
iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile."
But before passing on to the result of the scrutiny, we find ourselves face to face
with a difficult question. If, as is here intimated, it was one man that sinned, why
should the whole nation have been dealt with as guilty? Why should the historian, in
the very first verse of this chapter, summarise the transaction by saying: "But the

16. children of Israel committed a trespass in the devoted thing: for Achan, the son of
Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zevsihy of the tribe of Judah, took of the
devoted thing; and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of
Israel"? Why visit the offence of Achan on the whole congregation, causing a
peculiarly humiliating defeat to take place before an insignificant enemy,
demoralizing the whole host, driving Joshua to distraction, and causing the death of
six-and-thirty men?
In dealing with a question of this sort, it is indispensable that we station ourselves at
that period of the world's history; we must place before our minds some of the ideas
that were prevalent at the time, and abstain from judging of what was done then by
a standard which is applicable only to our own day.
And certain it is that, what we now call the solidarity of mankind, the tendency to
look on men rather as the members of a community than as independent
individuals, each with an inalienable standing of his own, had a hold of men's minds
then such as it has not to-day, certainly among Western nations. To a certain extent,
this principle of solidarity is inwoven in the very nature of things, and cannot be
eliminated, however we may try. Absolute independence and isolation of individuals
are impossible. In families, we suffer for one another's faults, even when we hold
them in abhorrence. We benefit by one another's virtues, though we may have done
our utmost to discourage and destroy them. In the Divine procedure toward us, the
principle of our being a corporate body is often acted upon. The covenant of Adam
was founded on it, and the fall of our first parents involved the fall of all their
descendants. In the earlier stages of the Hebrew economy, wide scope was given to
the principle. It operated in two forms: sometimes the individual suffered for the
community, and sometimes the community for the individual. And the operation of
the principle was not confined to the Hebrew or to other Oriental communities.
Even among the Romans it had a great influence. Admirable though Roman law
was in its regulation of property, it was very defective in its dealings with persons.
''Its great blot was the domestic code. The son was the property of the father,
without rights, without substantial being, in the eye of Roman law. . . . The wife
again was the property of her husband, an ownership of which the moral result was
most disastrous."*
*See Mozley's "Ruling Ideas in the Early Ages," p. 40.
We are to remember that practically the principle of solidarity was fully admitted in
Joshua's time among his people. The sense of injustice and hardship to which it
might give rise among us did not exist. Men recognised it as a law of wide influence
in human affairs, to which they were bound to defer.
Hence it was that when it became known that one man's offence lay at the
foundation of the defeat before Ai, and of the displeasure of God toward the people
at large, there was no outcry, no remonstrance, no complaint of injustice. This could
hardly take place if the same thing were to happen now. It is hard to reconcile the
transaction with our sense of justice. And no doubt, if we view the matter apart and

17. by itself, there may be some ground for this feeling. But the transaction will assume
another aspect if we view it as but a part of a great whole, of a great scheme of
instruction and discipline which God was developing in connection with Israel. In
this light, instead of a hardship it will appear that in the end a very great benefit
was conferred on the people.
Let us think of Achan's temptation. A large amount of valuable property fell into
the hands of the Israelites at Jericho. By a rigorous law, all was devoted to the
service of God. ow a covetous man like Achan might find many plausible reasons
for evading this law. "What I take to myself (he might say) will never be missed.
There are hundreds of Babylonish garments, there are many wedges of gold, and
silver shekels without number, amply sufficient for the purpose for which they are
devoted. If I were to deprive another man of his rightful share, I should be acting
very wickedly; but I am really doing nothing of the kind. I am only diminishing
imperceptibly what is to be used for a public purpose. obody will suffer a whit by
what I do, - it cannot be very wrong."
ow the great lesson taught very solemnly and impressively to the whole nation was,
that this was just awfully wrong. The moral benefit which the nation ultimately got
from the transaction was, that this kind of sophistry, this flattering unction which
leads so many persons ultimately to destruction, was exploded and blown to shivers.
A most false mode of measuring the criminality of sin was stamped with deserved
reprobation. Every man and woman in the nation got a solemn warning against a
common but ruinous temptation. In so far as they laid to heart this warning during
the rest of the campaign, they were saved from disastrous evil, and thus, in the long
run, they profited by the case of Achan.
That sin is to be held sinful only when it hurts your fellow-creatures, and especially
the poor among your fellow-creatures, is a very common impression, but surely it is
a delusion of the devil. That it has such effects may be a gross aggravation of the
wickedness, but it is not the heart and core of it. And how can you know that it will
not hurt others? ot hurt your fellow countrymen, Achan? Why, that secret sin of
yours has caused the death of thirty-six men, and a humiliating defeat of the troops
before Ai. More than that, it has separated between the nation and God. Many say,
when they tell a lie, it was not a malignant lie, it was a lie told to screen some one,
not to expose him, therefore it was harmless. But you cannot trace the consequences
of that lie, any more than Achan could trace the consequences of his theft, otherwise
you would not dare to make that excuse. Many that would not steal from a poor
man, or waste a poor man's substance, have little scruple in wasting a rich man's
substance, or in peculating from Government property. Who can measure the evil
that flows from such ways of trifling with the inexorable law of right, the damage
done to conscience, and the guilt contracted before God? Is there safety for man or
woman except in the most rigid regard to right and truth, even in the smallest
portions of them with which they have to do? Is there not something utterly fearful
in the propagating power of sin, and in its way of involving others, who are perfectly
innocent, in its awful doom? Happy they who from their earliest years have had a
salutary dread of it, and of its infinite ramifications of misery and woe!

18. How well fitted for us, especially when we are exposed to temptation, is that prayer
of the psalmist: "Who can understand his errors? cleanse Thou me from secret
faults. Keep back Thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have
dominion over me: then shall I be perfect, and I shall be clear of great
transgression."
CHAPTER XV.
ACHA 'S PU ISHME T.
Joshua Ch. 7.
"BE sure your sin will find you out." It has an awful way of leaving its traces
behind it, and confronting the sinner with his crime. ''Though he hide himself in the
top of Carmel, I will search and take him out thence; and though he be hid from My
sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite
him" (Amos 9:3). ''For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret
thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil " (Ecclesiastes 12:14).
When Achan heard of the muster that was to take place next morning, in order to
detect the offender, he must have spent a miserable night. Between the
consciousness of guilt, the sense of the mischief he had done, the dread of detection,
and the foreboding of retribution, his nerves were too much shaken to admit the
possibility of sleep. Weariedly and anxiously he must have tossed about as the hours
slowly revolved, unable to get rid of his miserable thoughts, which would ever keep
swimming about him like the changing forms of a kaleidoscope, but with the same
dark vision of coming doom.
At length the day dawns, the tribes muster, the inquiry begins. It is by the sure,
solemn, simple, process of the lot that the case is to be decided. First the lot is cast
for the tribes, and the tribe of Judah is taken. That must have given the first pang to
Achan. Then the tribe is divided into its families, and the family of the Zarhites is
taken; then the Zarhite famity is brought out man by man, and Zabdi, the father of
Achan, is taken. May we not conceive the heart of Achan giving a fresh beat as each
time the casting of the lot brought the charge nearer and nearer to himself? The
coils are coming closer and closer about him; and now his father's family is brought
out, man by man, and Achan is taken. He is quite a young man, for his father could
only have been a lad when he left Egypt. Look at him, pale, trembling, stricken with
shame and horror, unable to hide himself, feeling it would be such a relief if the
earth would open its jaws and swallow him up, as it swallowed Korah. Look at his
poor wife; look at his father; look at his children. What a load of misery he has
brought on himself and on them! Yes, the way of transgressors is hard.
Joshua's heart is overcome, and he deals gently with the young man. "My son, give,
I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto Him; and tell

19. me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me." There was infinite kindness in
that word "my son." It reminds us of that other Joshua, the Jesus of the ew
Testament, so tender to sinners, so full of love even for those who had been steeped
in guilt. It brings before us the Great High Priest, who is touched with the feeling of
our infirmities, seeing He was in all things tempted like as we are, yet without sin. A
harsh word from Joshua might have set Achan in a defiant attitude, and drawn
from him a denial that he had done anything amiss. How often do we see this! A
child or a servant has done wrong; you are angry, you speak harshly, you get a flat
denial. Or if the thing cannot be denied, you get only a sullen acknowledgment,
which takes away all possibility of good arising out of the occurrence, and embitters
the relation of the parties to each other.
But not only did Joshua speak kindly to Achan, he confronted him with God, and
called on him to think how He was concerned in this matter. "Give glory to the Lord
God of Israel." Vindicate Him from the charge which I and others have virtually
been bringing against Him, of proving forgetful of His covenant. Clear Him of all
blame, declare His glory, declare that He is unsullied in His perfections, and show
that He has had good cause to leave us to the mercy of our enemies. o man as yet
knew what Achan had done. He might have been guilty of some act of idolatry, or of
some unhallowed sensuality like that which had lately taken place at Baal-peor; in
order that the transaction might carry its lesson, it was necessary that the precise
offence should be known. Joshua's kindly address and his solemn appeal to Achan
to clear the character of God had the desired effect. "Achan answered Joshua, and
said, Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I
done: when 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."
The confession certainly was frank and full; but whether it was made in the spirit of
true contrition, or whether it was uttered in the hope that it would mitigate the
sentence to be inflicted, we cannot tell. It would be a comfort to us to think that
Achan was sincerely penitent, and that the miserable doom which befell him and his
family ended their troubles, and formed the dark introduction to a better life.
Where there is even a possibility that such a view is correct we naturally draw to it,
for it is more than our hearts can well bear to think of so awful a death being
followed by eternal misery.
Certain it is that Joshua earnestly desired to lead Achan to deal with God in the
matter. "Make confession," he said, "unto Him." He knew the virtue of confession
to God. For ''he that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and
forsaketh them shall have mercy" (Proverbs 28:13). ''When I kept silence; my bones
waxed old through my roaring all the day. ... I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and
mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord;
and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin" (Psalms 32:3; Psalms 32:5). It is a
hopeful circumstance in Achan's case that it was after this solemn call to deal with
God in the matter that he made his confession. One hopes that the sudden

20. appearance on the scene of the God whom he had so sadly forgotten, led him to see
his sin in its true light, and drew out the acknowledgment, - ''Against Thee, Thee
only, have I sinned." For no moral effect can be greater than that arising from the
difference between sin covered and sin confessed to God. Sin covered is the fruitful
parent of excuses, and sophistries, and of all manner of attempts to disguise the
harsh features of transgression, and to show that, after all, there was not much
wrong in it.
Sin confessed to God shows a fitting sense of the evil, of the shame which it brings,
and of the punishment which it deserves, and an earnest longing for that forgiveness
and renewal which, the gospel now shows us so clearly, come from Jesus Christ. For
nothing becomes a sinner before God so well as when he breaks down. It is the
moment of a new birth when he sees what miserable abortions all the refuges of lies
are, and, utterly despairing of being able to hide himself from God in his filthy rags,
unbosoms everything to Him with whom "there is mercy and plenteous redemption,
and who will redeem Israel from all his transgressions."
It is a further presumption that Achan was a true penitent, that he told so frankly
where the various articles that he had appropriated were to be found. ''Behold, they
are hid in the midst of my tent." They were scalding his conscience so fearfully that
he could not rest till they were taken away from the abode which they polluted and
cursed. They seemed to be crying out against him and his with a voice which could
not be silenced. To bring them away and expose them to public view might bring no
relaxation of the doom which he expected, but it would be a relief to his feelings if
they were dragged from the hiding hole to which he had so wickedly consigned
them. For the articles were now as hateful to him as formerly they had been
splendid and delightful. The curse of God was on them now, and on him too on their
account. Is there anything darker or deadlier than the curse of God?
And now the consummation arrives. Messengers are sent to his tent, they find the
stolen goods, they bring them to Joshua, and to all the children of Israel, and they
lay them out before the Lord. We are not told how the judicial sentence was arrived
at. But there seems to have been no hesitation or delay about it. "Joshua and all the
children of Israel 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. And Joshua said. Why hast thou troubled us? the Lord shall trouble thee
this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and they burned him with fire, after
they had stoned them with stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones
unto this day. So the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the
name of that place was called. The valley of Achor, unto this day."
It seems a terrible punishment, but Achan had already brought defeat and disgrace
on his countrymen, he had robbed God, and brought the whole community to the
brink of ruin. It must have been a strong lust that led him to play with such
consequences. What sin is there to which covetousness has not impelled men? And,
strange to say, it is a sin which has received but little check from all the sad

21. experience of the past. Is it not as daring as ever today? Is it not the parent of that
gambling habit which is the terror of all good men, sapping our morality and our
industry, and disposing tens of thousands to trust to the bare chance of an unlikely
contingency, rather than to God's blessing on honest industry? Is it not sheer
covetousness that turns the confidential clerk into a robber of his employer, and
uses all the devices of cunning to discover how long he can carry on his infamous
plot, till the inevitable day of detection arrive and he must fly, a fugitive and a
vagabond, to a foreign land? Is it not covetousness that induces the blithe young
maiden to ally herself to one whom she knows to be a moral leper, but who is high in
rank and full of wealth? Is it not the same lust that induces the trader to send his
noxious wares to savage countries and drive the miserable inhabitants to a deeper
misery and degradation than ever? Catastrophes are always happening: the ruined
gambler blows out his brains; the dishonest clerk becomes a convict, the unhappy
young wife gets into the divorce court, the scandalous trader sinks into bankruptcy
and misery. But there is no abatement of the lust which makes such havoc. If the old
ways of indulging it are abandoned, new outlets are always being found. Education
does not cripple it; civilization does not uproot it; even Christianity does not always
overcome it. It goeth about, if not like a roaring lion, at least like a cunning serpent
intent upon its prey. Within the Church, where the minister reads out "Thou shalt
not covet," and where men say with apparent devoutness, "Lord, have mercy upon
us, and incline our hearts to keep this law" - as soon as their backs are turned, they
are scheming to break it. Still, as of old, "love of money is the root of all evil, which
while some coveted after they erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through
with many sorrows."
Achan's sin has found him out, and he suffers its bitter doom. All his visions of
comfort and enjoyment to be derived from his unlawful gain are rudely shattered.
The pictures he has been drawing of what he will do with the silver and the gold and
the garment are for ever dispersed. He has brought disaster on the nation, and
shame and ruin on himself and his house. In all coming time, he must stand in the
pillory of history as the man who stole the forbidden spoil of Jericho. That
disgraceful deed is the only thing that will ever be known of him. Further, he has
sacrificed his life. Young though he is, his life will be cut short, and all that he has
hoped for of enjoyment and honour will be exchanged for a horrible death and an
execrable memory. O sin, thou art a hard master! Thou draggest thy slaves, often
through a short and rapid career, to misery and to infamy!
evertheless, the hand of God is seen here. The punishment of sin is one of the
inexorable conditions of His government. It may look dark and ugly to us, but it is
there. It may create a very different feeling from the contemplation of His love and
goodness, but in our present condition that feeling is wholesome and necessary. As
we follow unpardoned sinners into the future world, it may be awful, it may be
dismal to think of a state from which punishment will never be absent; but the
awfulness and the dismalness will not change the fact. It is the mystery of God's
character that He is at once infinite love and infinite righteousness. And if it be
unlawful for us to exclude His love and dwell only on His justice, it is equally
unlawful to exclude His justice and dwell only on His love. ow, as of old, His

22. memorial is, ''The Lord, the Lord God merciful and gracious, longsuffering and
abundant in mercy and truth, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that
will by no means clear the guilty."
But if it be awful to contemplate the death, and the mode of death of Achan, how
much more when we think that his wife and his sons and his daughters were stoned
to death along with him! Would that not have been a barbarous deed in any case,
and was it not much more so if they were wholly innocent of his offence?
To mitigate the harshness of this deed, some have supposed that they were privy to
his sin, if not instigators of it. But of this we have not a tittle of evidence, and the
whole drift of the narrative seems to show that the household suffered in the same
manner and on the same ground as that of Korah ( umbers 16:31-33). As regards
the mode of death, it was significant of a harsh and hard-tempered age. either
death nor the sufferings of the dying made much impression on the spectators. This
callousness is almost beyond our comprehension, the tone of feeling is so different
now. But we must accept the fact as it was. And as to the punishment of the wife and
children, we must fall back on that custom of the time which not only gave to the
husband and father the sole power and responsibility of the household, but involved
the wife and children in his doom if at any time he should expose himself to
punishment. As has already been said, neither the wife nor the children had any
rights as against the husband and father; as his will was the sole law, so his
retribution was the common inheritance of all. With him they were held to sin, and
with him they suffered. They were considered to belong to him just as his hands and
his feet belonged to him. It may seem to us very hard, and when it enters, even in a
modified form, into the Divine economy we may cry out against it. Many do still,
and ever will cry out against original sin, and against all that has come upon our
race in consequence of the sin of Adam.
But it is in vain to fight against so apparent a fact. Much wiser surely it is to take the
view of the Apostle Paul, and rejoice that, under the economy of the gospel, the
principle of imputation becomes the source of blessing infinitely greater than the
evil which it brought at the fall. It is one of the greatest triumphs of the Apostle's
mode of reasoning that, instead of shutting his eyes to the law of imputation, he
scans it carefully, and compels it to yield a glorious tribute to the goodness of God.
When his theme was the riches of the grace of God, one might have thought that he
would desire to give a wide berth to that dark fact in the Divine economy - the
imputation of Adam's sin. But instead of desiring to conceal it, he brings it forward
in all its terribleness and universality of application; but with the skill of a great
orator, he turns it round to his side by showing that the imputation of Christ's
righteousness has secured results that outdo all the evil flowing from the imputation
of Adam's sin. "Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to
condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men
unto justification of life. For as through the one man's disobedience the many were
made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one shall the many be made
righteous. Moreover the law entered that the offence might abound; but where sin
abounded, grace did much more abound: that, as sin reigned in death, even so might

23. grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord"
(Romans 5:18-21).
Very special mention is made of the place where the execution of Achan and his
family took place. "They brought them unto the valley of Achor, . . . and they raised
over him a great heap of stones, . . . wherefore the name of that place is called, The
valley of Achor, unto this day." Achor, which means trouble seems to have been a
small ravine near the lower part of the valley in which Ai was situated, and
therefore near the scene of the disaster that befell the Israelites. It was not an old
name, but a name given at the time, derived from the occurrence of which it had just
been the scene. It seemed appropriate that poor Achan should suffer at the very
place where others had suffered on his account. It is subsequently referred to three
times in Scripture. Later in this book it is given as part of the northern boundary of
the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:7); in Isaiah (Isaiah 65:10) it is referred to on account
of its fertility; and in Hosea (Hosea 2:15) it is introduced in the beautiful allegory of
the restored wife, who has been brought into the wilderness, and made to feel her
poverty and misery, but of whom God says, "I will give her vineyards from thence,
and the valley of Achor for a door of hope." The reference seems to be to the evil
repute into which that valley fell by the sin of Achan, when it became the valley of
trouble. For, by Achan's sin, what had appeared likely to prove the door of access
for Israel into the land was shut; a double trouble came on the people - partly
because of their defeat, and partly because their entrance into the land appeared to
be blocked. In Hosea's picture of Israel penitent and restored, the valley is again
turned to its natural use, and instead of a scene of trouble it again becomes a door of
hope, a door by which they may hope to enter their inheritance. It is a door of hope
for the penitent wife, a door by which she may return to her lost happiness. The
underlying truth is, that when we get into a right relation to God, what were
formerly evils become blessings, hindrances are turned into helps. Sin deranges
everything, and brings trouble everywhere. The ground was cursed on account of
Adam: not literally, but indirectly, inasmuch as it needed hard and exhausting toil,
it needed the sweat of his face to make it yield him a maintenance. "We know" says
the Apostle, "that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until
now." "For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of
Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also shall be delivered out of
the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God."
o man can tell all the "trouble" that has come into the world by reason of sin. As
little can we know the full extent of that deliverance that shall take place when sin
comes to an end. If we would know anything of this we must go to those passages
which picture to us the new heavens and the new earth: "In the midst of the street of
it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve
manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were
for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of
God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him: and they shall
see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night
there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth
them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever."

24. MACLARE , "ACHA ’S SI , ISRAEL’S DEFEAT
Joshua 7:1 - Joshua 7:12.
This passage naturally parts itself into-1. The hidden sin [Joshua 7:1]; 2. The
repulse by which it is punished [Joshua 7:2 - Joshua 7:5]; 3. The prayer of
remonstrance [Joshua 7:6 - Joshua 7:9]; and 4. The answer revealing the cause
[Joshua 7:10 - Joshua 7:12]. We may briefly note the salient points in these four
divisions, and then consider the general lessons of the whole.
I. Observe, then, that the sin is laid at the doors of the whole nation, while yet it was
the secret act of one man. That Is a strange ‘for’ in verse 1-the people did it; ‘for’
Achan did it. Observe, too, with what bitter particularity his descent is counted
back through three generations, as if to diffuse the shame and guilt over a wide
area, and to blacken the ancestors of the culprit. ote also the description of the sin.
Its details are not given, but its inmost nature is. The specification of the
‘Babylonish garment,’ the ‘shekels of silver,’ and the ‘wedge of gold,’ is reserved for
the sinner’s own confession; but the blackness of the deed is set forth in its principle
in Joshua 7:1. It was a ‘breach of trust,’ for so the phrase ‘committed a trespass’
might be rendered. The expression is frequent in the Pentateuch to describe Israel’s
treacherous departure from God, and has this full meaning here. The sphere in
which Achan’s treason was evidenced was ‘in the devoted thing.’ The spoil of
Jericho was set aside for Jehovah, and to appropriate any part of it was sacrilege.
His sin, then, was double, being at once covetousness and robbing God. Achan, at
the beginning of Israel’s warfare for Canaan, and Ananias, at the beginning of the
Church’s conquest of the world, are brothers alike in guilt and in doom. ote the
wide sweep of ‘the anger of the Lord,’ involving in its range not only the one
transgressor, but the whole people.
II. All unconscious of the sin, and flushed with victory, Joshua let no grass grow
under his feet, but was prepared to push his advantage to the utmost with soldierly
promptitude. The commander’s faith and courage were contagious, and the spies
came back from their perilous reconnaissance of Ai with the advice that a small
detachment was enough for its reduction. They had not spied the mound in the
middle of Achan’s tent, or their note would have been changed. Three thousand, or
three hundred, would have been enough, if God had been with them. The whole
army would not have been enough since He was not. The site of Ai seems to have
been satisfactorily identified on a small plateau among the intricate network of wild
wadys and bare hills that rise behind Jericho. The valley to the north, the place
where the ambush lay at the successful assault, and a great mound, still bearing the
name ‘Et Tel’ {the heap}, are all there. The attacking force does not seem to have
been commanded by Joshua. The ark stayed at Gilgal, The contempt for the
resistance likely to be met makes the panic which ensued the more remarkable.
What turned the hearts of the confident assailants to water? There was no serious
fighting, or the slaughter would have been more than thirty-six. ‘There went up . . .
about three thousand and they’-did what? fought and conquered? Alas, no, but
‘they fled before the men of Ai,’ rushing in wild terror down the steep pass which
they had so confidently breasted in the morning, till the pursuers caught them up at
some ‘quarries,’ where, perhaps, the ground was difficult, and there slew the few

25. who fell, while the remainder got away by swiftness of foot, and brought back their
terror and their shame to the camp. As the disordered fugitives poured in, they
infected the whole with their panic. Such unwieldy undisciplined hosts are
peculiarly liable to such contagious terror, and we find many instances in Scripture
and elsewhere of the utter disorganisation which ensues. The whole conquest hung
in the balance. A little more and the army would be a mob; and the mob would
break into twos and threes, which would get short shrift from the Amorites.
Ill. Mark, then, Joshua’s action in the crisis. He does not try to encourage the
people, but turns from them to God. The spectacle of the leader and the elders prone
before the ark, with rent garments and dust-bestrewn hair, in sign of mourning,
would not be likely to hearten the alarmed people; but the defeat had clearly shown
that something had disturbed the relation to God, and the first necessity was to
know what it was. Joshua’s prayer is perplexed, and not free from a wistful,
backward look, nor from regard to his own reputation; but the soul of it is an
earnest desire to know the ‘wherefore’ of this disaster. It traces the defeat to God,
and means really, ‘Show me wherefore Thou contendest with me.’ o doubt it runs
perilously near to repeating the old complaints at Kadesh and elsewhere, which are
almost verbally reproduced in its first words. But the same things said by different
people are not the same; and Joshua’s question is the voice of a faith struggling to
find footing, and his backward look is not because he doubts God’s power to help,
or hankers after Egypt, but because he sees that, for some unknown reason, they
have lost the divine protection. His reference to himself betrays the crushing weight
of responsibility which he felt, and comes not from carefulness for his own good
fame so much as from his dread of being unable to vindicate himself, if the people
should turn on him as the author of their misfortunes. His fear of the news of the
check at Ai emboldening not only the neighbouring Amorites {highlanders} of the
western Palestine, but the remoter Canaanites {lowlanders} of the coast, to make a
combined attack, and sweep Israel out of existence, was a perfectly reasonable
forecast of what would follow. The naive simplicity of the appeal to God, ‘What wilt
Thou do for Thy great name?’ becomes the soldier, whose words went the shortest
way to their aim, as his spear did. We cannot fancy this prayer coming from Moses;
but, for all that, it has the ring of faith in it, and beneath its blunt, simple words
throbs a true heart.
IV. The answer sounds strange at first. God almost rebukes him for praying. He
gives Joshua back his own ‘wherefore’ in the question that sounds so harsh,
‘Wherefore art thou thus fallen upon thy face?’ but the harshness is only apparent,
and serves to point the lesson that follows, that the cause of the disaster is with
Israel, not with God, and that therefore the remedy is not in prayer, but in active
steps to cast out ‘the unclean thing.’ The prayer had asked two things,-the
disclosure of the cause of God’s having left them, and His return. The answer lays
bare the cause, and therein shows the conditions of His return. ote the indignant
accumulation of verbs in Joshua 7:11, describing the sin in all its aspects. The first
three of the six point out its heinousness in reference to God, as sin, as a breach of
covenant, and as an appropriation of what was specially His. The second three
describe it in terms of ordinary morality, as theft, lying, and concealment; so many
black sides has one sin when God’s eye scrutinises it. ote, too, the attribution of the
sin to the whole people, the emphatic reduplication of the shameful picture of their

26. defeat, the singular transference to them of the properties of ‘the devoted thing’
which Achan has taken, and the plain, stringent conditions of God’s return.
Joshua’s prayer is answered. He knows now why little Ai has beaten them back. He
asked, ‘What shall I say?’ He has got something of grave import to say. So far this
passage carries us, leaving the pitiful last hour of the wretched troubler of Israel
untouched. What lessons are taught here?
First, God’s soldiers must be pure. The conditions of God’s help are the same to-day
as when that panic-stricken crowd ignominiously fled down the rocky pass, foiled
before an insignificant fortress, because sin clave to them, and God was gone from
them. The age of miracles may have ceased, but the law of the divine intervention
which governed the miracles has not ceased. It is true to-day, and will always be
true, that the victories of the Church are won by its holiness far more than by any
gifts or powers of mind, culture, wealth, eloquence, or the like. Its conquests are the
conquests of an indwelling God, and He cannot share His temples with idols. When
God is with us, Jericho is not too strong to be captured; when He is driven from us
by our own sin, Ai is not too weak to defeat us. A shattered wall keeps us out, if we
fight in our own strength. Fortifications that reach to heaven fall flat before us when
God is at our side. If Christian effort seems ever fruitless, the first thing to do is to
look for the ‘Babylonish garment’ and the glittering shekels hidden in our tents.
ine times out of ten we shall find the cause in our own spiritual deficiencies. Our
success depends on God’s presence, and God’s presence depends on our keeping His
dwelling-place holy. When the Church is ‘fair as the moon,’ reflecting in silvery
whiteness the ardours of the sun which gives her all her light, and without such
spots as dim the moon’s brightness, she will be ‘terrible as an army with banners.’
This page of Old Testament history has a living application to the many efforts and
few victories of the churches of to-day, which seem scarce able to hold their own
amid the natural increase of population in so-called Christian lands, and are so
often apparently repulsed when they go up to attack the outlying heathenism.
‘His strength was as the strength of ten,
Because his heart was pure,’
is true of the Christian soldier.
Again, we learn the power of one man to infect a whole community and to inflict
disaster on it. One sick sheep taints a flock. The effects of the individual’s sin are not
confined to the doer. We have got a fine new modern word to express this solemn
law, and we talk now of ‘solidarity,’ which sounds very learned and ‘advanced.’ But
it means just what we see in this story; Achan was the sinner, all Israel suffered. We
are knit together by a mystical but real bond, so that ‘no man,’ be he good or bad,
‘liveth to himself,’ and no man’s sin terminates in himself. We see the working of
that unity in families, communities, churches, nations. Men are not merely
aggregated together like a pile of cannon balls, but are knit together like the myriad
lives in a coral rock. Put a drop of poison anywhere, and it runs by a thousand
branching veins through the mass, and tints and taints it all. o man can tell how
far the blight of his secret sins may reach, nor how wide the blessing of his modest
goodness may extend. We should seek to cultivate the sense of being members of a
great whole, and to ponder our individual responsibility for the moral and religious
health of the church, the city, the nation. We are not without danger from an
exaggerated individualism, and we need to realise more constantly and strongly that

27. we are but threads in a great network, endowed with mysterious vitality and power
of transmitting electric impulses, both of good and evil.
Again, we have one more illustration in this story of the well-worn lesson,-never too
threadbare to be repeated, until it is habitually realised,-that God’s eye sees the
hidden sins. obody saw Achan carry the spoil to his tent, or dig the hole to hide it.
His friends walked across the floor without suspicion of what was beneath. o
doubt, he held his place in his tribe as an honourable man, and his conscience traced
no connection between that recently disturbed patch on the floor and the helter-
skelter flight from Ai; but when the lot began to be cast, he would have his own
thought, and when the tribe of Judah was taken, some creeping fear would begin to
coil round his heart, which tightened its folds, and hissed more loudly, as each step
in the lot brought discovery nearer home; and when, at last, his own name fell from
the vase, how terribly the thought would glare in on him,-’And God knew it all the
while, and I fancied I had covered it all up so safely.’ It is an awful thing to hear the
bloodhounds following up the scent which leads them straight to our lurking-place.
God’s judgments may be long in being put on our tracks, but, once loose, they are
sure of scent, and cannot be baffled. It is an old, old thought, ‘Thou God seest me’;
but kept well in mind, it would save from many a sin, and make sunshine in many a
shady place.
Again, we have in Achan a lesson which the professing Christians of great
commercial nations, like England, sorely need. I have already pointed out the
singular parallel between him and Ananias and Sapphira. Covetousness was the sin
of all three. It is the sin of the Church to-day. The whole atmosphere in which some
of us live is charged with the subtle poison of it. Men are estimated by their wealth.
The great aim of life is to get money, or to keep it, or to gain influence and notoriety
by spending it. Did anybody ever hear of church discipline being exercised on men
who committed Achan’s sin? He was stoned to death, but we set our Achans in high
places in the Church. Perhaps if we went and fell on our faces before the ark when
we are beaten, we should be directed to some tent where a very ‘influential member’
of Israel lived, and should find that to put an end to his ecclesiastical life had a
wonderful effect in bringing back courage to the army, and leading to more
unmingled dependence on God. Covetousness was stoned to death in Israel, and
struck with sudden destruction in the Apostolic Church. It has been reserved for the
modern Church to tolerate and almost to canonise it; and yet we wonder how it
comes that we are so often foiled before some little Ai, and so seldom see any walls
falling by our assault. Let us listen to that stern sentence, ‘I will not be with you any
more, except ye destroy the devoted thing from among you.’
2 ow Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which

28. is near Beth Aven to the east of Bethel, and told
them, “Go up and spy out the region.” So the men
went up and spied out Ai.
BAR ES, "Ai, Bethel - See Gen_12:8 note. (Modern travelers place the former at
Khan Haiy, in the neighborhood of Deir Diwan.)
CLARKE,"Sent men from Jericho to Ai - This is the place called Hai, Gen_12:8.
It was in the east of Beth-el, north of Jericho, from which it was distant about ten or
twelve miles. From Jos_7:4, Jos_7:5 it appears to have been situated upon a hill, and
belonged to the Amorites, as we learn from Jos_7:7. It is very likely that it was a strong
place, as it chose to risk a siege, notwithstanding the extraordinary destruction of
Jericho which it had lately witnessed.
GILL, "And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai,.... Which was the next city of
importance, though not so large as Jericho, and was, as the Jews say (l), three miles
distant from it; Abarbinel says (m) four miles, and so Bunting (n); Jerom (o) says, that
in his times very few ruins of it appeared, only the place was shown where it stood:
which is beside Bethaven; a name by which Bethel in later times was called, Hos_
4:15; but here it is manifestly a distinct place from it; just hard by or near to this place,
as Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it, was the city of Ai: Bethaven seems to have been the
suburbs of it, or however was very near unto it:
on the east side of Bethel; near to which Abraham built an altar, as did Jacob also,
and which in former times was called Luz, Gen_12:8; and was well known in later ages
by the name of Bethel; it was reckoned about a mile from Ai: the situation of this city is
so particularly described to distinguish it from another city of this name, Ai of the
Amorites, Jer_49:3; and is here called "that Ai", that well known Ai, as Kimchi observes:
and spake unto them; at the time he sent them, when he gave them their orders to go
thither:
saying, go up and view the country; the mountainous part of it; for they were now
in a plain, where Jericho was seated; and observe what place was most proper to attack
next, and which the best way of coming at it:
and the men went up and viewed Ai; what a sort of a city it was, how large, and
what its fortifications, and what avenues were to it: by this it appears that Ai was built

29. upon a hill, or at least was higher than Jericho and its plains; and with this agrees what a
traveller says (p) of it, it is a village full of large ruins (in this he differs from Jerom) and
from hence are seen the valley of Jericho, the dead sea, Gilgal, and Mount Quarantania,
and many other places towards the east.
HE RY 2-5, " The camp of Israel suffering for the same: The anger of the Lord was
kindled against Israel; he saw the offence, though they did not, and takes a course to
make them see it; for one way or other, sooner or later, secret sins will be brought to
light; and, if men enquire not after them, God will, and with his enquiries will awaken
theirs. man a community is under guilt and wrath and is not aware of it till the fire
breaks out: here it broke out quickly. 1. Joshua sends a detachment to seize upon the
next city that was in their way, and that was Ai. Only 3000 men were sent, advice being
brought him by his spies that the place was inconsiderable, and needed no greater force
for the reduction of it, Jos_7:2, Jos_7:3. Now perhaps it was a culpable assurance, or
security rather that led them to send so small a party on this expedition; it might also be
an indulgence of the people in the love of ease, for they will not have all the people to
labour thither. Perhaps the people were the less forward to go upon this expedition
because they were denied the plunder of Jericho; and these spies were willing they
should be gratified. Whereas when the town was to be taken, though God by his own
power would throw down the walls, yet they must all labour thither and labour there
too, in walking round it. It did not bode well at all that God's Israel began to think much
of their labour, and contrived how to spare their pains. It is required that we work out
our salvation, though it is God that works in us. It has likewise often proved of bad
consequence to make too light of an enemy. They are but few (say the spies), but, as few
as they were, they were too many for them. It will awaken our care and diligence in our
Christian warfare to consider that we wrestle with principalities and powers. 2. The
party he sent, in their first attack upon the town, were repulsed with some loss (Jos_7:4,
Jos_7:5): They fled before the men of Ai, finding themselves unaccountably dispirited,
and their enemies to sally out upon them with more vigour and resolution than they
expected. In their retreat they had about thirty-six men cut off: no great loss indeed out
of such a number, but a dreadful surprise to those who had no reason to expect any
other in any attack than clear, cheap, and certain victory. And now, as it proves, it is well
there were but 3000 that fell under this disgrace. Had the body of the army been there,
they would have been no more able to keep their ground, now they were under guilt and
wrath, than this small party, and to them the defeat would have been much more
grievous and dishonourable. However, it was bad enough as it was, and served, (1.) To
humble God's Israel, and to teach them always to rejoice with trembling. Let not him
that girdeth on the harness boast as he that putteth if off. (2.) To harden the Canaanites,
and to make them the more secure notwithstanding the terrors they had been struck
with, that their ruin, when it came, might be the more dreadful. (3.) To be an evidence of
God's displeasure against Israel, and a call to them to purge out the old leaven. And this
was principally intended in their defeat. 3. The retreat of this party in disorder put the
whole camp of Israel into a fright: The hearts of the people melted, not so much for the
loss as for the disappointment. Joshua had assured them that the living God would
without fail drive out the Canaanites from before them, Jos_3:10. How can this event
be reconciled to that promise? To every thinking man among them it appeared an
indication of God's displeasure, and an omen of something worse, and therefore no
marvel it put them into such a consternation; if God turn to be their enemy and fight
against them, what will become of them? True Israelites tremble when God is angry.

30. JAMISO , "Jos_7:2-26. The Israelites smitten at Ai.
Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai — After the sacking of Jericho, the next step
was to penetrate into the hills above. Accordingly, spies went up the mountain pass to
view the country. The precise site of Ai, or Hai, is indicated with sufficient clearness
(Gen_12:8; Gen_13:3) and has been recently discovered in an isolated tell, called by the
natives Tell-el-Hajar, “the mount of stones,” at two miles’, or thirty-five minutes’
distance, east southeast from Beth-el [Van De Velde].
Beth-aven — (“house of vanity”) - a name afterwards given derisively (Hos_4:15;
Hos_5:8; Hos_10:5), on account of its idolatries, to Beth-el, “house of God,” but here
referred to another place, about six miles east of Beth-el and three north of Ai.
CALVI , "2.And Joshua sent men from Jericho, etc To examine the site of the city
and reconnoiter all its approaches was an act of prudence, that they might not, by
hurrying on at random through unknown places, fall into an ambuscade. But when
it would be necessary shortly after to advance with all the forces, to send forward a
small band with the view of taking the city, seems to betray a want of military skill.
Hence it would not have been strange that two or three thousand men, on a sudden
sally were panic-struck and turned their backs. And it was certainly expedient for
the whole body that twenty or thirty thousand should have spread in all directions
in foraging parties. We may add, that even the act of slaying, though no resistance
were offered, was of itself sufficient to wear out a small body of troops. Therefore,
when the three thousand or thereabouts were repulsed, it was only a just
recompense for their confidence and sloth. The Holy Spirit, however, declares that
fewness of numbers was not the cause of the discomfiture, and ought not to bear the
blame of it. The true cause was the secret counsel of God, who meant to show a sign
of his anger, but allowed the number to be small in order that the loss might be less
serious. And it was certainly a rare display of mercy to chastise the people gently
and without any great overthrow, with the view of arousing them to seek an instant
remedy for the evil. Perhaps, too, the inhabitants of Ai would not have dared to
make an attack upon the Israelites had they advanced against the city in full force.
The Lord therefore opened a way for his judgment, and yet modified it so as only to
detect the hidden crime under which the people might otherwise have been
consumed as by a lingering disease.
But although there is nothing wonderful in the defeat of the Israelites, who fought
on disadvantageous terms on lower ground, it was, however, perfectly obvious that
they were vanquished by fear and the failure of their courage before they came to
close quarters; for by turning their backs they gave up the higher ground and
retired to the slope of a valley. The enemy, on the other hand, showed how
thoroughly they despised them by the confidence and boldness with which they
ventured to pursue the fugitives at full speed in the direction of their camp. In the
camp itself, such was the trepidation that all hearts melted. I admit, indeed, that
there was cause for fear when, after having gained so many victories as it were in
sport, they saw themselves so disgracefully defeated. In unwonted circumstances we
are more easily disturbed. But it was a terror from heaven which dismayed them
more than the death of thirty men and the flight of three thousand.

31. K&D 2-5, "The anger of God, which Achan had brought upon Israel, was manifested
to the congregation in connection with their attempt to take Ai. This town was situated
near Bethaven, on the east of Bethel. Bethel was originally called Luz (see at Gen_28:19),
a place on the border of Ephraim and Benjamin (Jos_16:2; Jos_18:13). It is frequently
mentioned, was well known at a later time as the city in which Jeroboam established the
worship of the calves, and was inhabited again even after the captivity (see v. Raumer,
Pal. pp. 178, 179). It has been preserved, in all probability, in the very extensive ruins
called Beitin (see Robinson, Pal. ii. pp. 126ff.), about four hours' journey on horseback to
the north of Jerusalem, and on the east of the road which leads from Jerusalem to
Sichem (Nablus).
(Note: The statement of the Onomasticon of Eusebius s. v. Aggai' agree with this:
Κεሏται Βαιθᆱλ ᅊπίοντων εᅶς Αᅶλίαν ᅊπᆵ Νεηεµιαήας πόλεως ᅚν λαιοሏς τᇿς ᆇδοሞ ᅊµφᆳ τᆵ
δωδέκατον ᅊπ ʆ Αᅶλίας σηµεሏον. Also s. v. Βαιθήλ: καᆳ νሞν ᅚστᆳ κώµη, Αᅶλίας ᅎποθεν
σηµείοις ιβ ́ (twelve Roman miles are four or five hours' journey).)
No traces have ever been discovered of Bethaven. According to Jos_18:12-13, the
northern boundary of the tribe of Benjamin, which ran up from Jericho to the
mountains on the west, passed on to the desert of Bethaven, and so onwards to Luz
(Bethel). If we compare with this the statement in 1Sa_13:5, that the Philistines who
came against Israel encamped at Michmash before (in front of) Bethaven, according to
which Bethaven was on the east or north-east of Michmash (Mukhmas), the desert of
Bethaven may very possibly have been nothing more than the table-land which lies
between the Wady Mutyah on the north and the Wadys Fuwar and Suweinit (in
Robinson's map), or Wady Tuwâr (on Van de Velde's map), and stretches in a westerly
direction from the rocky mountain Juruntel to Abu Sebah (Subbah). Bethaven would
then lie to the south or south-east of Abu Sebah. In that case, however, Ai (Sept. Gai or
Aggai, Gen_12:8) would neither be found in the inconsiderable ruins to the south of the
village of Deir Diwan, as Robinson supposes (Pal. ii. pp. 312ff.), nor on the site of the
present Tell el Hajar, i.e., stone hill, three-quarters of an hour to the S.E. of Beitin, on
the southern side of the deep and precipitous Wady Mutyah, as Van de Velde imagines;
but in the ruins of Medinet Chai or Gai, which Krafft
(Note: Topograph. v. Jerusalem, p. ix.)
and Strauss
(Note: Sinai u. Golgoth. pp. 326-7.)
discovered on the flat surface of a mountain that slopes off towards the east, about forty
minutes on the eastern side of Geba (Jeba), where “there are considerable ruins
surrounded by a circular wall, whilst the place is defended on the south by the valley of
Farah, and on the north by the valley of Es Suweinit, with steep shelving walls of rock”
(Strauss: vid., C. Ritter Erdk. xvi. pp. 526-7). On the advice of the men who were sent
out to explore the land, and who described the population on their return as small (“they
are but few”), Joshua did not send the whole of the fighting men against Ai, but only
about 3000 men. As there were not more than 12,000 inhabitants (Jos_8:25), there
could hardly have been 3000 fighting men, who might easily have been beaten by 3000
Israelitish warriors. But when the Israelites attacked the town they fled before its
inhabitants, who slew about thirty-six men, and pursued them before the gate, i.e.,
outside the town, to the stone quarries, and smote them on the sloping ground. The
Shebarim, from sheber, a breach or fracture, were probably stone quarries near the slope

32. on the east of the town. Nothing more can be decided, as the country has not been
thoroughly explored by travellers. On account of this repulse the people lost all their
courage. “The hearts of the people melted” (see Jos_2:15): this expression is
strengthened still further by the additional clause, “and became as water.”
ELLICOTT, "(2) Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai.—Why Ai should be the next
town selected for attack after Jericho, is a question which perhaps we cannot
answer with certainty. But we may observe that the next step after the capture of Ai,
before the further conquest of the country, was to set up the Ten Commandments in
Mount Ebal, in the heart of the country, and to pronounce there the blessing and the
curse which are the sanction of the law of God. It may well be that the course of the
first military operations was directed to this end. The capture of Ai would put the
Israelites in possession of the main road running north and south through Palestine,
and enable them to reach the centre immediately. Thus the character of the war,
which was no mere human enterprise, is maintained; and it is probable that the
Divine reason for the movement is that which we are intended to observe. For the
first mention of Ai, see Genesis 12:8. It is noticeable that there Abram fitst pitched
his tent after his return to Canaan out of Egypt. (See also on Joshua 8:1.) ote also
that Beth-aven and Bethel are distinct, although adjacent, places. The one is not a
later name of the other, as has been sometimes supposed, although one is “the house
of vanity” (i.e., perhaps of idols) and the other “the house of God.”
TRAPP, "Joshua 7:2 And 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.
Ver. 2. To Ai.] Called elsewhere Hai, and Aija; [Genesis 12:8 ehemiah 11:31] by
the Septuagint, Gae; by Sulpitius, Geth.
Which is beside Bethavon, on the east side of Bethel.] This Bethel, when Jeroboam
had defiled it with his idolatry, is in scorn called Bethaven, the house of vanity.
[Hosea 4:15; Hosea 10:5; 2 Kings 23:13] Har hamishca, Mount Olivet, is for the like
cause called in derision Har hamaschith, the Mount of Corruption.
PETT, "Verse 2
‘And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side
of Bethel, and spoke to them saying, “Go up and spy out the land.” And the men
went up and spied out Ai.’
Meanwhile scouts were sent through the gap in the mountains to discover the next
obstacle before them and they came across Ai. It was not seen to be very large. Only
three military units were seen as necessary to take it (Joshua 7:3), thus, say, one
hundred and fifty men (taking a normal unit as possibly around fifty). Military
units were split into ‘tens’, ‘hundreds’ and thousands’ (Judges 20:10). We might
translate ‘families, wider families, sub-clans’ for in ancient days these number
words rather indicated tribal and sub-tribal units. It was only later that they would

33. finally indicate the numerical value given to them today (and even then military
units do not tend to reach the number indicated. For example a Roman ‘legion’ and
‘century’ never attained these numbers in practise. The names were simply
technical). Thus there would be units of a few (the family - a ‘ten’), larger units over
this (the wider family group - a ‘hundred’), and even larger units (the sub-clan - a
‘thousand’). See the divisions in Joshua 7:17-18.
Ai had quite possibly been deliberately set up and inhabited as a semi-permanent
township, and as an established forward post for Bethel. This establishment as a
reinforced defence post, making use of its ancient walls, may well have been directly
in anticipation of Israel’s invasion, which was expected fairly shortly from the
Jordan valley, for this invasion must have been anticipated for some time as news
filtered through of the approach of this fierce marauding people who were
advancing in such numbers. It possibly contained specially trained fighting
men/farmers, with their families, under a martial leader called its ‘king’. But its
importance for Israel lay in the fact that it stood between the Israelite army and the
final ascent to Bethel and the hill country.
Bethaven was used as a synonym for Bethel in Hosea 4:15; Amos 5:5. It meant
‘house of iniquity’ (seen by the prophets as a more suitable term for a Bethel taken
up with idolatry), but from the description here it was probably an outer sub-town
of Bethel. (See Joshua 18:12. 1 Samuel 13:5; 1 Samuel 14:23 may have been another
Bethaven).
Ai always carries the definite article ‘ha ay’ - ‘the ruin’. The present ‘city’ was thus
seemingly a small township, established within the ruins of what was once a great
city, making use of the ancient walls. Its total population was small. They were ‘but
few’ (Joshua 7:3), at the most a few hundred, including women and children. It had
its own ‘king’ and cattle (compare Genesis 19:20 with Genesis 14:2 for a parallel
king over another very small town). How permanent the settlement was we do not
know. They may well have moved here from Bethel some time before, occupying it
in readiness to face the Israelite menace. Its identification is not certain.
Et-Tel is the more popular preference (being nearest to Jericho and having a name
meaning ‘the mound’), but Tel isya (sometimes spelt usieh) is also suggested and
has a number of things in its favour. The former has revealed no evidence of long
term occupation at this period, but if its occupation was for defensive purposes in
view of the approaching Israelites, such evidence would not be expected, especially
as it was then unoccupied until a hundred or so years later. Ravages of weather and
predators would soon remove any evidence of limited occupation. The latter has
evidence of such occupation and the contours of the land around would allow a
large number of men to be hidden. In the former case Bethel would be Tel Beitin, in
the latter case Birah.
That it was described as containing ‘few’ demonstrates that its population was
much less than that of Jericho, which itself was (because of the size of the mound
alone) less than two thousand.

34. Bethel. If Tel Beitin was Bethel the city dated back to the Middle Bronze age. Both
Abraham and Jacob were at times in the vicinity of Bethel (Genesis 12:8; Genesis
13:3; Genesis 31:13; Genesis 35:7). Both saw it as religiously important. Jacob even
appropriated its name for the place where he had his vision and looked on it as a
sanctuary. The Middle Bronze age city was prosperous but destroyed about 1550
BC. It was rebuilt with well built late Bronze age houses, until this in turn was
disastrously destroyed in late 13th century BC, to be followed by an Iron age city
which marked a definite cultural change. It is tempting to see this as being as a
result of occupation by Israel (either here or in Judges 1:22-24) but archaeology is
difficult to apply with certainty. They were tumultuous times, and we are not sure
whether this site was Bethel or not. As the Amarna letters reveal it would be a
mistake to think of Canaan as a land at peace until the Israelites arrived.
It may be significant that Bethel is not said to have been taken by Joshua although
its army was defeated by him along with that of Ai (Joshua 8:17). So we are faced
with two possibilities. One is that it was captured along with Ai. The great
conflagration that destroyed it then being the reason why it was lumped with Ai in
grim humour as ‘the ruin’. The other is that Joshua may have been satisfied with
rendering Bethel powerless by defeating and decimating its army without at this
stage taking the city itself. At this time occupation was not a priority. Immobilising
the enemy was. It is not likely that he slew its king at this time (Joshua 12:16) or he
would have been dealt with as the king of Ai was dealt with.
BE SO , "Verse 2-3
Joshua 7:2-3. Go up and view the country — They were not to go into the city of Ai,
but into the country belonging to it, that they might understand the state of the
place and people. Let two or three thousand go up and smite Ai — There was no
little self-confidence and presumption in this counsel: Ai, it appears, was strong by
its situation, and guarded by twelve thousand men; so that there was no probability
of taking it with two or three thousand. God, however, wisely permitted this advice
to be followed, that Achan’s sin might be brought to light and punished, and the
people in general, who were evidently lifted up through their late success, might be
awakened, humbled, and reformed, and that with as little mischief and reproach as
might be. For if the defeat of these few caused such consternation in Joshua and the
elders, and probably in all the host, it is easy to guess what dread it would have
caused if the whole army had been defeated.
WHEDO , "Verse 2
2. [From Jericho to Ai — A distance of about fifteen miles, and an ascent of more
than 3,000 feet above the plain of the Jordan valley. See map below. Ai, which is
beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel — This precise statement, together with
that of Joshua 8:11-12, that there was a valley on the north, and another on the
west, capable of concealing five thousand men, would seem to have been sufficient to
enable travelers easily to identify the precise location of Ai. But after all their search
such men as Robinson, Stanley, and Tristram failed to reach any satisfactory
conclusion. Robinson and Tristram assigned as the probable site a place with ruins

35. just south of Deir Duwan, and about an hour distant (south-east) from Bethel; but
in the spring of 1866 Captain Wilson and Lieutenant Anderson spent several days in
examining every hill-top and almost every acre of ground for several miles east,
north, and south of Bethel, and the result was the identification, beyond any
reasonable doubt, of Ai with Et-Tel, an eminence a little south-east of Bethel,
covered with heaps of stones and ruins. In Joshua 8:28, where it is said, “Joshua
made it a heap forever,” the Hebrew word for heap is Tel, ( ‫),תל‬ which strikingly
confirms this identification. See further notes on Joshua 8:11-12 ; Joshua 8:28.
Whether Ai was rebuilt or not, the name occurs again in the history of Israel. “Men
of Ai” returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel, (Ezra 2:28,) and the name is
probably to be recognized in the Aiath of Isaiah 10:38, and Aija of ehemiah 11:31.]
Bethel — house of God — was a well-known city and holy place in Central
Palestine, and was originally called Luz. It was named by Jacob on awakening from
that sleep in which he had a vision of the opened heavens. Genesis 28:19, note. Here
also God blessed him when he had returned from Padan-aram. After the conquest
Bethel was the gathering place of the people to ask counsel of God. Here was an
altar for sacrifices. Jeroboam chose Bethel as one of the seats of the false worship
which he instituted. It is about twelve miles north of Jerusalem, and its ruins are
still pointed out under the scarcely altered name of Beitin. [Bethaven was in the
mountains of Benjamin, east of Bethel, and westward from Michmash. 1 Samuel
13:5. The name means house of nothingness, or vanity, and was, perhaps, so called
from the idolatry practised there. Its site has not been discovered, but Capt. Wilson
suggests its identity with the ruins called Khur-bet An, westward from Michmash,
and not far from Et-Tel.]
Go up and view the country — As in the case of Jericho, spies were probably, sent to
reconnoitre Ai, and not an armed company.
COFFMA , ""And 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 spy out the land.
And the men went up and spied out Ai. And 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; make not all the people to toil thither; for they are but few. So there
went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the
men of Ai. And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty-six men; and they chased
them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them at the descent; and
the hearts of the people melted, and became as water."
At this point, we should summarize what is called the "big problem" with this
narrative. It is clear enough, of course, except that the scholars cannot pinpoint the
location of Ai with any degree of certainty. We have frequently noted in our study of
the O.T., that problems of this kind are no problem at all for believers. Frankly, it
does not make the slightest difference exactly where Ai was located. Even, if men
should never know, it would not challenge the historicity and utmost accuracy of
this account in any manner whatever. As Francis Schaeffer stated in his dedication
of a recent book of his:

36. "The Bible is what it claims to be, the written Word of God without error in all that
it teaches concerning history and the cosmos."[4]
evertheless, out of regard for those who are much concerned about such things, we
include here an analysis of the problem and proposed solutions as summarized by
Blair.[5] We have abbreviated and paraphrased this material from Blair:
The problem is that the place scholars have chosen as the location of Ai was,
according to the findings of archeologists, utterly destroyed not later than 2,500
B.C., long before the times of Joshua. They also believe that it was not resettled until
long after Joshua's time. This would make Ai no place at all when Joshua took it!
PROPOSED SOLUTIO S:
(1) The archeologists are simply mistaken in their calculations, and this is by no
means an unlikely thing.
(2) Joshua was written so long after the events recorded (by imposters, of course)
that they included errors in their book. This alleged solution is unchristian and
absolutely impossible for believers to accept.
(3) Albright said that the capture of Ai was probably the capture of Bethel, the
principal fortification of which was at Ai, on the ancient ruins mentioned in the
above paragraph. His reason for this allegation was that there is no mention of the
capture of Bethel in Joshua, although the architectural evidence shows that Bethel
fell about the same time of the fall of other cities that fell in Israel's conquest of
Canaan.
(4) L. H. Vincent identified Ai with Bethel, as the fortified military outpost of
Bethel, under the king of Bethel, called the king of Ai (Joshua 8:12), since he was
indeed the ruler of Ai. This explanation also includes the supposition that only the
military were at Ai, and that no permanent settlement was there, and this would
account for no ruins having been found at Ai that can be dated in the times of
Joshua.
To us, this "problem" is too remote chronologically to be of any great concern to
Christians. All studies in the O.T. are perplexed by the names of places that have
been changed, and re-changed, one or more times, and by many conflicting opinions
about where this or that "place" was located. This is especially observable in a
study of those forty-two places where Israel encamped during the forty years in the
wilderness. Some of the questions pertaining to that far-off period are, at the very
best, answerable only by conjectural solutions. The question here is certainty of that
nature.
What information that exists seems to us to favor the solution presented in (4)
above. J. A. Thompson, for example, said that, "If Ai was only a military outpost,
there may not have been any substantial buildings there, and so nothing tangible
would remain."[6]

37. "Achan ..." This name appears as "Achar" in 1 Chronicles 2:7; but we are not told,
whether or not Achan had two names, or if the Hebrews merely nicknamed him
"Achar" (by changing only one letter) because the latter name means "trouble."[7]
COKE, "Ver. 2. Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai.— To forward the conquest of
the land of Canaan, Joshua made the fertile plain of Jericho the centre of his camp,
whence he sent detachments to seize upon the neighbouring towns, till the Israelites
should see themselves masters of an extent of country sufficient to be divided among
the tribes: the event, however, did not take place till about six years after. See
Usher's Annals. As soon as he had established the best order he could in his camp,
he immediately detached two or three thousand men against the king of Ai, whose
capital was about ten or twelve miles distant from Jericho. Ai or Hai has been
already spoken of in the history of Abraham. On comparing what Joshua here says
of it, with what is mentioned Genesis 12:8 it appears to have been on the north of
Jericho, and east of Beth-el, which lay at but a very small distance. Masius places Ai
three leagues from Jericho, and one league from Bethel. It was situated upon a hill,
ver. 5 and belonged to the Amorites, ver. 7.
Beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el— This town, not far from Beth-el, gave
its name to a neighbouring desart. It was certainly, as well as Beth-el, upon the
confines of the tribe of Benjamin, toward the north. See chap. Joshua 18:12. The
prophet Hosea gives Beth-el itself the name of Beth-aven, in an allegorical sense,
because Beth-aven signifies a house of iniquity; and Beth-el well deserved this
odious appellation when the impious Jeroboam placed there his golden calves. This
puts it beyond doubt, that these two towns have been confounded together, and that
Beth-el was the same as Beth-aven.
PULPIT, "Joshua 7:2
Ai. ‫ַי‬‫ע‬ or ‫ַי‬‫ע‬ָ‫ה‬ "the ruins" (cf. Iim and Ije-abarim, the ruins or heaps of Abarim,
umbers 33:44, umbers 33:45; and Iim, Joshua 15:29. Probably it is the same as
‫ַוּים‬‫ע‬ָ‫ה‬ which we find mentioned in conjunction with Bethel in Joshua 18:22, Joshua
18:23. It becomes ‫ָא‬‫יּ‬ַ‫ע‬ in ehemiah 11:31, and the feminine form is found in Isaiah
10:28. The latter, from the mention of Michmash in the route of Sennacherib
immediately afterwards, is probably the same as Ai. Robinson and Hell—the former
very doubtfully—place it at Turmus Aya, an eminence crowned with ruins above
Deir Duwan. But Vandevelde contests this, and places it at Tell-el-Hajar, i.e; the
Tell or heap of ruins; and G. Williams and Capt. Wilson have independently fixed
on the same spot, though they call it et-Tel, or "the heap," and suppose the "el-
Hajar" to have been added in answer to the question, "what heap?" This situation
seems best to suit the requirements of the narrative. For it is "on the southern brow
of the Wady-el-Mutyah" (Vandevelde), near that "wild entanglement of hill and
valley at the head of the Wady Harith," which "climbs into the heart of the
mountains of Benjamin till it meets the central ridge of the country at Bethel". Its
situation, unlike that of Turmus Aya, is calculated to give cover to an ambush of
5,000 men, and it also answers to the conditions in its nearness to Michmash, from

38. which Turmus Aya is more than three hours' journey distant. The Tell is "covered
with heaps of ruins". Conder, however, identifies Ai with Haiyan, two miles from
Bethel, in the same Wady, but why, he gives no hint. A fortress so situated was one
which Joshua could not leave in his rear, and so its capture was a matter of
necessity. By its position, if not from the number of its inhabitants, it was necessarily
a very strong one. Ai is mentioned as early as Genesis 12:8, and we find that it was
inhabited down to the Captivity, for the "men of Bethel and Ai" are mentioned in
Ezra 2:28. See also ehemiah 11:31, above cited. The name Ai, or ruins, found so
early, implies that the aboriginal inhabitants had built a city in that almost
inaccessible situation. Lieut. Conder gives a very vivid description of the site et-Tel
in 'Palestine Exploration Fund Quarterly Statement,' April, 1874. There are, he
says, "huge mounds of broken stone and shingle ten feet high. The town," he adds,
"must have been pounded small, and the fury of its destruction is still evidenced by
its completeness.'' He continues: "The party for the ambush, following the ancient
causeway from Bethel to Jordan (which we have recovered throughout its entire
length) as far as Michmash, would then easily ascend the great wady west of Ai, and
arrive within a quarter of a mile of the city without having ever come in sight of it.
Here, hidden by the knoll of Burjums and the high ground near it, a force of almost
any magnitude might wait unsuspected. The main body in the meanwhile, without
diverging from the road, would ascend the gently sloping valley and appear before
the town on the open battlefield which stretches away to its east and south. From the
knoll the figure of Joshua would be plainly visible to either party, with his spear
stretched against the sky" [see Joshua 8:18). But the site still eludes investigation.
Lieut. Kitchener, Mr. Birch, Mr. Guest, would place it at Kh-Haiy, or the rock
Rimmon. When those who have visited the country are so divided in opinion,
nothing but silence remains for those who have not. Beth-avern (cf. 1 Samuel 14:23).
This place has not yet been identified. It was close by Ai, and not far from Bethel, as
the transference of its name to Bethel by Hosea (Hosea 4:15; Hosea 5:8; Hosea 10:5)
shows. It could not have been a place of any importance, or the historian would not
have found it necessary to explain where it was. Hosea has perhaps derived his
knowledge of it from this passage. Some writers have identified it with Bethel. But
this is obviously incorrect, since the literal rendering of the Hebrew here places Ai
"in the immediate proximity of Beth-aven, eastward of Bethel." The LXX. omits all
reference to Beth-aven. But there are many various readings. Bethel Formerly Luz
(Genesis 28:19; Genesis 35:7; 1:23). The last-cited passage seems to prove that
Bethel was not among, the cities taken during Joshua's campaign; though this is
extraordinary in the face of the fact that the inhabitants of Luz gave their assistance
to the men of Ai in the battle (see Joshua 8:17, where, however, it is remarkable that
the LXX. omits all reference to Bethel). We may observe that there is no mention of
the capture of Bethel, or the destruction of the inhabitants, and that this exactly
agrees with 1:22-26. This is an undesigned coincidence well worthy of note. We may
also remark on the exact conformity between the situation of Bethel as described
here and in Genesis 12:8. The city to which the name Bethel was attached was not
the place of Abraham's altar, as we learn from the passage just cited, but was in its
immediate neighbourhood. The ruins which now mark its site are of a later date
than the events recorded in Scripture. Its modern name is Beitin. Go up and view
the country. Rather, spy (or reconnoitre); literally, foot the country. Joshua does not

39. refuse to avail himself of human expedients because he is under Divine guidance (see
also Joshua 2:1-24). The reasons for this reconnoitring expedition are made clear
enough by the passage quoted from Lieut. Condor's survey above.
CO STABLE, "2. Defeat at A1ch7
At Jericho, Israel learned God"s strength. At Ai, she learned her own weakness. She
could only conquer her enemies as she remained faithful to God"s covenant.
"We are never in greater danger than right after we have won a great victory."
[ ote: Henry Jacobsen, Claiming God"s Promises: Joshua , p62.]
"The pinching of the [east-west] ridge route by Ai ... makes it a natural first line of
defense for the Hill Country around Bethel. Therefore, tactically speaking, the
strategic importance of the region and routes around Bethel ... and Bethel"s natural
eastern approach from Jericho via Ai explain Joshua"s choice of this region and this
site as his first objective in the Hill Country. This basic fact cannot be ignored in
any discussion of the identification of the location of Ai.
"In the Bible the site of Ai (HaAi in Hebrew means the ruin or the heap of stones) is
linked with Bethel. The most prominent ruin in the entire area east of the Bethel
Plateau is called in Arabic et-Tell ... at the junction of the two main natural routes
from Jericho to the Hill Country. ... The site of et-Tell has no equal in the region
both in terms of strategic importance and in terms of surface debris indicating an
ancient city.
"Excavations at et-Tell have revealed a large city from the Early Bronze Age 3150-
2200 B.C.] in the millennium prior to Joshua"s conquest. A small village later than
Joshua"s conquest (later than both the early and the late dates for the conquest)
does not provide the answer to the question of the lack of remains at et-Tell.
Therefore, although the setting of et-Tell fits perfectly the detailed geographical
information in Joshua 8 , 9 , an archaeological problem exists due to the lack of
remains from the period of Joshua at the site." [ ote: Monson, pp168-69. For a
review of excavations in search of Ai and the problem of the lack of archaeological
evidence for Ai"s existence at et-Tell in Joshua"s day, see Ziony Zevit, "The
Problem of Ai," Biblical Archaeology Review11:2 (March-April1985):58-69. See
also Archer, "Old Testament ...," p111.]
One scholar argued for et-Tell being the Ai of Abraham"s time, el-Maqatir being
the Ai of Joshua"s time, and still another close site being the Ai of ehemiah"s time
( Ezra 2:28; ehemiah 7:32). El-Maqatir is less than a mile west of et-Tell. [ ote:
Peter Briggs, "Testing the Factuality of the Conquest of Ai arrative in the Book of
Joshua ," a paper presented at the annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological
Society, Colorado Springs, Colo, ov15 , 2001.]
Verses 2-5
The spies who reconnoitered Ai based their advice on the numbers of these

40. Canaanites and the Israelites.
"East of Ai . . . one route descends due east to the pass across Wadi Makkuk. This
pass affords the last crossing before the wadi deepens into a major canyon and
obstacle. From there on, the unified stream bed of the wadi cuts a twisted path
through the uplifted limestone resulting in rocky scarps of up to200 meters or660
feet before continuing east through the rough chalk wilderness. The difference
between this rugged region and the pass just west of it is very dramatic. It may
reflect what the Biblical writer states in Joshua 7:5 when he says that the defenders
of the Hill Country pursued the Israelites as far as the broken/fractured area
(shebarim), striking them down along the descent [from the pass]. (If this first
attack came from the route southeast of Ai, the word shebarim may point to the
same type of broken terrain, but the descent would refer to the steep slope off the
eastern side of the uplifted limestone where this route to Jericho turns due east.)"
[ ote: Monson, p168.]
The spies in umbers 13 , 14lacked faith in God because they did not believe that
the Israelites were strong enough to defeat their enemies. They failed to reckon on
God"s help. The spies in Joshua 7 lacked faith in God because they believed the
Israelites were strong enough to defeat their enemies. They disregarded the need for
God"s help. The fact that the people"s hearts melted ( Joshua 7:5; cf. Joshua 2:11)
hints that Israel may have been trusting in her own strength rather than in the
Lord.
"It is strange indeed that the description which was originally used for the
Canaanites about to be defeated now describes the heart of the Israelites ..." [ ote:
Davis and Whitcomb, p54.]
BI 2-5, "They fled before the men of Ai.
The true measure of strength
In every estimate of work to be done by men, or by money, the moral element ought to
be taken into account as an important factor. Napoleon’s thought was that “God is on the
side of the heaviest battalions.” But Napoleon did not consider the relative weight of
battalions by God’s method of weighing them. One man’s strength may be as “the
strength of ten, because his heart is pure”; and where two thousand righteous men
would be more than sufficient for a work of God, twenty thousand wrong-hearted men
may fail. The true measure of the strength of any local Church is in the number and
power of its godly men and women, not in the show of its men and women of wealth and
intellect and social standing. One good teacher in a Sunday-school has more real power
there than a score of unworthy ones. And it is with money as with men. The need of the
Church in both the home and the foreign field to-day is not so much mere money, but
better gifts. Ten dollars with a blessing will count for more in God’s work than ten
thousand dollars without a blessing. It is not true that one man’s money is as good as
another’s, nor that money gained by one means is as good as money gained by another.
(H. C. Trumbull.)

41. Joshua’s lesson after the defeat at Ai
Jericho, according to the Divine promise, had fallen before Israel. It was evident that
this remarkable event had happened through the direct interposition of the power of
God. It is scarcely to be wondered at that such a triumph bred self-confidence. And,
flushed with their recent and easily-gained success, the victors were in haste to add to
their laurels by the conquest of Ai. Sere was an unlooked-for catastrophe. The Lord’s
chosen people discomfited and dispersed in their second battle, a ground of insulting
and contemptuous rejoicing given to the idolatrous Canaanites. And thus the Divine
purpose stood, apparently, in danger of disgraceful frustration. Such thoughts were
evidently jostling each other, like a medley crowd, in the mind of Joshua. And, confused
beyond the possibility of calm reflection by their influence, he casts himself in despair
before the ark of the Lord. With what wonderful illuminating power must the answer
have come to him, “Get thee up; wherefore liest thou upon thy face”! What a call to
common-sense action on the lines of faith is here! A little reflection might have shown to
Joshua that the fault, whatever it was, could not lie at Jehovah’s door. In place of useless
whimpering over the past, vigorous examination was needed to remove the lurking evil.
Sanctification, as before Jericho, was urgently required. And as for the honour of the
name of the Lord, it was never in danger. This first defeat would give caution to the
warriors of Israel, while, under the improved conditions about to be set up, it would act
as an unfailing lure to the victors of Ai. Now this leaf out of the life of a good servant of
God is well fitted to teach us many useful lessons.
I. A lesson as to the right treatment of a divine mystery. It is easy to conceive of Joshua
as emulating the example of a rationalist, had the prototype of that much-belauded
school existed in his time. In that case he would have called the leaders of his army
together, and subjected them to severe cross-examination. He would have proposed a
long list of questions as to the condition of the arms of the people, the manner of their
leadership and its blunders, the time and apparent causes of the panic. And having
exhausted his critical powers in the vain endeavour to discover some adequate cause for
the catastrophe, he would have proceeded to distribute blame all round. At the same
time, sapiently shaking his head over the problem, he would decide to “rest and be
thankful” without further efforts at the conquest of the country. Or he would set himself
to prove conclusively that after all the success at Jericho was due to accident, or purely
natural causes, and that the whole scheme of Canaan conquest was based on a mistake.
In this he might, not improbably, easily find scientific heads to help him. There would be
sages who would invoke the aid of the discoveries of their time to show that the Jordan
was divided, and the walls of Jericho fell from the operation of ordinary physical laws.
The phenomena were special, but not supernaturally so. Or Joshua might have chosen a
third course, and abandoned himself to surly grumbling or useless repining at the hard
lot of a popular leader under a so-called “theocracy.” Joshua’s primitive faith—or, as
some would say, simplicity—was far wiser and more useful. And just as, turn the
compass as yea may, the needle will point to the pole, so, let circumstances be what they
might, Joshua’s trust always drew him towards God’s oracle. The man of the world
might call it childish, fatalistic credulity. At all events the issue proved it to be the right,
the wisest thing to do. In like manner our true wisdom lies in taking our difficulties to
God. Second causes, in the shape of natural law, human ignorance or frailty, have their
sphere in the economy of the Divine government, but God is supreme over all.
II. It is not always safe to trust our zeal for the divine honour. Doubtless Joshua thought
with Elijah in later times, “I have been very zealous for the Lord of hosts,” while he was
really only fathering Israel’s sin upon Jehovah. And similar mistakes are not
unfrequently made by godly men, and often with the best intentions. There are some

42. facts which exist, and some which are threatened, which seem to reflect upon the nature
and government of God. And in order, as it is supposed, to conserve Jehovah’s honour,
infinite effort is expended to cast doubt upon the facts or to qualify the declarations.
Could we but touch the bottom of such “zeal for God” we might be surprised to discover
that after all there is more in it which—unconsciously, it is true—tends to conserve
human weakness and sin rather than the glory of our Divine Ruler. A similar remark
applies to very much in our own estimate of the success of the gospel. Often we hear, and
perhaps oftener are tempted to indulge in our hearts, doubts as to the power of the
glorious gospel. Progress is so slow that men are quick to discover that the machinery of
evangelical ministry has become obsolete, and its teachings effete. But the lesson ought
rather to be earnest inquiry as to our fitness or otherwise for the success we crave. Is the
cause in ourselves, or our easily improvable methods? Or does the hidden mischief lie in
those with whom we work? There needs but the removal of “the accursed thing” for
success to return to us, and our despondent dirge shall then speedily become a song of
victory.
III. The narrative, moreover, suggests to us the sight method of regarding afflictions. It
is wise here to have a fixed belief in an overruling Providence, but we must not allow this
to hinder our full cognisance of second causes. And it will be well for us if in any special
trial, while we are ready, with all submission, to bow to the Divine decree, we carefully
ask what there is in us of indiscretion or sin which has procured, or been accessory to,
our sufferings; and then, in earnest reliance upon Divine grace, let us seek altogether to
remove it.
IV. Sanctification for God’s service often involves the searching out and removal of
hidden and unsuspected sins. There was only one Achan in the camp, and his offence
was known only to himself and God. Nevertheless, no success can rest on the arms of
Israel until he is found out and destroyed. Let us not forget the important lesson which
this is so well fitted to teach. Sin comes to us in such insidious ways, and uses agents so
dear to us, that it succeeds in taking up its abode in our hearts before we are aware of its
presence. Have we an Achan in the camp? If so, let us seek to extirpate the evil. (J.
Dann.)
Israel defeated at Ai
I. The divine displeasure at human sin. This was not a new lesson to the Israelites. At
Sinai, at Kadesh, at Peor, it had been taught them; but, under new temptations, they
needed renewed instruction. Sin unrepented and unforsaken provokes God’s changeless
displeasure. Such displeasure is a part of eternal justice. We magnify the grace of God,
but grace is only a fragment of His character; it co-exists with justice.
II. The many may be punished for the sins of one. God does not deal with men as
individuals only. There is a corporate unity of the family, the Church, the State, which
He regards; and, as the good deeds of one benefit all, the sins of one bring evil upon all.
In this matter, God’s thought is often not as ours. No modern leader, after the sack of a
city, would be surprised to find an Achan in every tent. Might not, then, the one have
been pardoned for the sake of the self-restraint of the many? At least, might not the
guilty one have suffered all the consequences of his crime, without involving his
innocent fellows? Such questions we are not competent to decide. Only a far-seeing
Wisdom, which can fully fathom motives and forecast all the results of individual sins,
can tell when to be gracious and forgiving, and when to punish. The war against the
idolatrous races of Palestine was not to degenerate into pillage, a school for covetousness

43. and selfishness for the victors; and so, at the beginning, such a lesson was needed as
would make each afraid of private transgression, and also watchful of others.
III. The defeat at ai illustrates the difference between human sagacity and divine
guidance. The Israelites were so strangely unteachable that they did not clearly
distinguish between the two. The victory at Jericho was clearly not theirs, but God’s.
But, in the flush of victory, this was forgotten. Israel rejoiced in her own success.
Prosperity brought presumption, out of which grew the ill-advised expedition against Ai.
It is easy for the Church to repose confidence in the stability and strength of her own
organisation, and in smoothly-running ecclesiastical machinery, to find the sure augury
of her success. Then some spiritual Ai must needs recall us to the truth that the victories
of the kingdom of heaven are “not by might nor by power,” but by the Spirit of the Lord
of hosts.
IV. There is great danger in underestimating the power of an adversary. The easy
success at Jericho made Israel over-confident. A Southern historian of the rebellion has
recorded his opinion that the first battle at Bull Run was a serious misfortune to the
Southern cause. It led to mistaken confidence. Great numbers of volunteers left the
Southern army and returned home, believing the war ended. Thoughtful writers at the
North agree that it helped the Northern cause, for it taught us not to despise the enemy,
and set clearly before us the magnitude of the conflict. And this has its parallel in the
conflicts of the spiritual life. After Jericho, Ai. There is no commoner mistake than the
belief that following some great victory will be peaceful conquest, the rest of Canaan.
There is no earthly Canaan.
V. It is folly to trust in past experiences. The three thousand men who went up against
Ai were full of confidence which grew out of the successes at the Jordan and at Jericho.
They assumed the presence and guidance of God because of His past deliverances. They
knew what had happened; from this they formed a doctrine of probabilities of what
would happen. They learned the truth of the maxim, “It is a part of probability that many
improbable things will happen.” We cannot measure our present relation to God by the
past. The past may give us ground for hope, but there is no science of spiritual
probabilities. “There are factors in” the spiritual life which can change,, the face of things
to any extent, and which hide from all calculations of the probable. Christian progress is
by “forgetting the things that are behind.” Have we a living faith to-day? (Sermons by
the Monday Club.)
The diseases that stop England’s mercies
In this chapter you have a treatise concerning Achan’s sin, branching itself into three
parts; one concerning the commission of the sin, the second concerning the discovery of
it, and the third concerning the punishment thereof. Oh, what unexpected ways and
means hath God to bring out men’s sin to light. Three thousand men flee before the men
of Ai, and thirty-six men are slain, and this was made the means of discovery of Achan’s
sin; who would have thought that there should have been such a discovery as this? The
work was hindered by this defeat, and that sets them on work to search out the cause,
and shows—
1. That afflictions should set us on work, to search out our sins, and the cause of
them.
2. That sins shall not always be pocketed up, but shall be discovered, though never

44. so secret.
3. That God hath strange ways to discover men’s sins. First, where God is in a way of
mercy towards His people, there sin does make a stoppage in His proceedings; so
here God was in a way of mercy towards His people, carrying of them into the land of
Canaan, but in the way they sin, Achan plays the thief; mark what a stoppage this
made in the way of mercy; so you have it in Jos_24:20, Jer_28:9. Sins committed
when God is in a way of mercy are a slighting of mercy. Again, those mercies that
come unto God’s people come unto them in the way of a promise, and therefore if
men do not keep the condition, God takes Himself free, and will turn Himself out of
the way of His mercy. You have an expression to this purpose (Num_14:34). God
never gives His people any mercy, but He gives it them in a way of mercy. He does
not think it enough to give them that which is mercy, but He will give it them in a
way of mercy. But now if God should be in a way of mercy towards His people, and
they sin against Him, and He should go on to give them the mercy, they would be
hardened in their sin, and so it would not come unto them in the way of mercy.
Therefore, if God be in a way of mercy towards His people, and they sin against Him,
He will break off the course of His mercy, and go another way, and there shall be a
stoppage made in these proceedings. Why should this be, that so small a sin should
turn the great God of heaven out of the way of His mercy? Achan commits but a
small sin, and what a mighty stop is made in the way of mercy! For answer three
things—
1. There is nothing between God and us. I may boldly say thus much, that men sin a
great sin in saying their sin is small.
2. Sometimes what falls short in the greatness of the sin is made up in the number of
sins. It may be that the number of your little sins amount to the greatest sin.
3. God will make good His name to the utmost, and His name is, “A jealous God.”
But what evil and hurt is in this, if final stoppage be not made? Is it nothing in your
ears, and in your hearts, that the Lord should turn out of a way of mercy? If there be
a stoppage made in England’s mercy, though but present, there is an obstruction in
all your comforts: you arc sensible of the obstructions of your body, will you not be
sensible of State obstructions, of Church obstructions? Again, when a man does not
rely and live upon God’s all-sufficiency, when God hath appeared in that way.
Abusing of God’s instruments which He raiseth up for to do His work by, doth
exceedingly provoke and make a stoppage in the mercy of God. Carrying on the work
of reformation, and the great affairs of the Church, upon the shoulders of human
prudence, will make a stoppage in the way of mercy. As prayer and humiliation do
exceedingly further the work of God in the hands of His people, so the falling and
slacking of the hands in these two works doth make a stop in mercy, and hath done
in our mercy. An unthankful receiving of the mercies that God’ hath given us, and a
slight beholding of the great works He hath done before us lately, is another sin that
hath made a stoppage in our mercy. The last sin that makes a stop in England’s
mercy is a worldly disposition, whereby a man hangs back unto the great work of
God, and the glorious reformation that is news-doing. I shall show you it is a hard
thing to appease God’s anger when it is gone out. It must be done, and that quickly. I
shall show you what you shall do, that you may do it. Therefore it is an exceeding
hard thing and very difficult to appease God’s anger. If the sea break over the banks,
and there are but few to stop it, it is hard to do; if fire hath taken two or three houses
in a street, and but few to quench it, it is hard to do: the fire of God’s anger is broken
out, and there are but few to quench it: it is a hard thing, therefore. Again, God

45. seems to be engaged in the way of tits wrath. Oh, it is a hard thing to turn God from
His anger! But it must be done, and done quickly. There are six things that Joshua
did here, when they fled before the men of Ai.
1. He was very sensible of God’s stroke that was given to them, for he says, Lord,
would we had been contented in the wilderness.
2. He was humbled under God’s hand, for it is said, he rent his clothes, and fell down
upon the earth.
3. And he prayed, and cried mightily unto God, as you read in the chapter.
4. And he put away the evil of their doings.
5. And he punished Achan, the offender.
6. tie made a holy resignation. And there must be a concurrence of all these six
things if we would bring God back into the way of His mercy towards England. (W.
Bridge, M. A.)
Sources of weakness
1. Here is a Church with all the outward elements of strength, prosperity, and
efficiency. The mass of members are orderly and in good standing. But it has a “name
to live while it is dead.” God frowns upon it. And why? There are notoriously
unworthy members in it—perhaps rich and influential—and they are tolerated year
after year. And there is not spiritual life and conscience enough in the body to cast
them out I And so the whole Church is cursed for their sake!
2. Here is a city numbering 800,000 strong, with hundreds of Churches and able
pastors, and scores of thousands of respectable members, and education and schools
and wealth, and all the elements that should insure social virtue and general thrift,
and God’s abundant and abiding blessing. But there is a moral blot upon it. There is
an “accursed thing” winked at. A handful of corrupt officials are suffered to rule it
and curse it. Gambling, drinking, crime, are suffered to run riot. There is power in
the mass, in the Christian element, to put it down, stamp it out. But it is not invoked.
And so the whole city has to suffer the shame and ignominy and loss. The pulpit, the
Church, virtue, law, are all shorn of their strength. For God will not wink at such
things, if His people do; and so “Ichabod” is written on that city.
3. Here is a community in which a horrible crime has been committed—a man shot
down in cold blood for his fidelity to truth or virtue or the public welfare. The blood
of that man God will require of that entire community, unless they exhaust every
resource of law and society to bring the guilty to punishment! We may narrow the
circle to the individual, and the principle will still apply. One sin in the heart will
neutralise a thousand virtues in the life. One secret offence will make a man a coward
in the face of the world. One moral weakness will spoil a whole character. (J. M.
Sherwood, D. D.)
Defeat through miscalculation
This old story of the battle at Ai is paralleled in all its essential features in every age and
country. Some unrecognised weakness, some unforeseen turn of events, confuses the

46. most careful calculations and neutralises the most elaborate preparations. Probably the
splendid military strategy of Napoleon was never more clearly illustrated than in his plan
of the battle of Waterloo; and yet a little strip of sunken road, which was overlooked in
the preliminary survey of the engineers, threw all his calculations into disarray and lost
him the battle and the empire of Europe. Some unnoticed defect in the machinery
negatives the skill of the captain and the seamanship of the crew of the Atlantic steamer.
It was only an insignificant bubble of air, overlooked in the foundry when the steel was
wrought, but it resulted in weakness in the core of the main shaft, and in the supreme
hour of trial there is failure and disaster. Some lack of fibre in character, and the time
comes when the man who supposed himself sufficient for anything finds himself
unequal to the emergency. And these unforeseen interferences and checks are nowhere
so common and so potential as in the department of religious life. A low type of piety is
not necessarily or probably the result of a resolution to be satisfied with a certain level of
spiritual attainment. I believe that at heart the majority of Christian men and women
desire and attempt to be and do the best and most possible, but there is some defect of
will, some infirmity of temper, some unwillingness to surrender to God what may be
considered an unimportant particular, and so long as that hindrance is in the way, our
prayers and struggles for better and larger growth are unavailing, and the influence of
that obstacle continually makes itself more and more felt for evil. And what is true of the
individual Christian life is true also of the life and progress of the Christian Church as a
whole. That Church has made great advances and won not a few triumphs at various
periods and in certain directions. At the same time it is true that the Church ought to
have accomplished greater things, ought to be doing far more than it is to-day. It is
God’s Church, and He abides in it, and that of itself is a warrant for imperial greatness.
What conquest is too vast to be expected when the Lord of hosts marshals the forces that
are enlisted to win it? With such portents and prophecies of triumph, why should there
be any discouragement, or half-heartedness, or laggard marches, or unwilling hands, or
partial successes? Why was not the promise fulfilled long ago, that “the kingdoms of this
world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ”? A great deal is said in
our time about the need of a working Church. There is another need quite as great—the
need of a Church through which God Can work. It is not the method and spirit of the
working of the Church, so much as the way and the extent in which and to which it is
wrought upon of the Divine Spirit that determines its efficiency. It is the folly of the
Church of this age that it spends so much ingenuity in devising machinery and too little
time in preparing the way of the Lord and making His paths straight. No wisdom, nor
eloquence, nor marvel of contrivance can make good the lack of a devoted and
submissive spirit that waits and waits and still waits with the inquiry: “Lord, what wilt
Thou have me to do?” Let us have that in the Church, a singleness of union with God,
and then, through the membership, the converting energy from on high will flow
unhindered, and men be reached and transformed. (E. S. Atwood.)
Hindered by sin
1. As a matter of fact, there are unexplained checks in human progress. We wonder
why we do not advance more surely and quickly.
2. Such checks bring Divine providence under criticism and suspicion (Jos_7:6-9).
This is an easy refuge for men. Providence has had to sustain many a slander. It
seems the handiest of all things to blame the mysteriousness of the Divine way. Who
ever says, “The fault must be within the house itself; let every man in the house be
examined; somebody is to blame for this mystery—who is it?” But it is easier to sit

47. down under the supposed comforting doctrine that all this is meant for our good; it
is chastisement; it is part of the mysterious process of human education At the same
time it must be remembered that the sufferer himself may not be personally guilty.
Certainly Joshua was no criminal in this case; yet Joshua suffered more than any
other man. Here we may find the mysteriousness of the Divine action. This is not an
action of mere virtue, as it is socially understood and limited; it is the very necessity
of God: He cannot touch “the accursed thing”; He cannot smile upon fraud. A new
light is thus thrown upon sovereignty and God’s elective laws. God elects
righteousness, pureness, simplicity, nobleness. He will forsake Israel if Israel forsake
Him. The Lord gives the reason why we are stopped. We must go to Heaven to find
out why we are not making more money, more progress, more solidity of position. (J.
Parker, D. D.)
3 When they returned to Joshua, they said, “ ot
all the army will have to go up against Ai. Send
two or three thousand men to take it and do not
weary the whole army, for only a few people live
there.”
BAR ES, "The total population of Ai was about twelve thousand Jos_8:25. It could
therefore hardly muster three thousand warriors.
GILL, "And they returned unto Joshua, and said unto him, let not all the
people go up,.... After they had reconnoitred the place, they came back to their general,
and gave it as their opinion, that there was no need for the whole army to go up against
the city:
but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; such a number
they judged were sufficient to take it:
and make not all the people to labour thither; carrying their tents, bearing their
armour, and going up hill:
for they are but few; the inhabitants of Ai, men and women making but twelve
thousand; Jos_8:25.

48. JAMISO , "Let not all the people go up, ... for they are but few — As the
population of Ai amounted to twelve thousand (Jos_8:25), it was a considerable town;
though in the hasty and distant reconnoiter made by the spies, it probably appeared
small in comparison to Jericho; and this may have been the reason for their proposing
so small a detachment to capture it.
ELLICOTT, "(3) Make not all the people to labour thither.—In these words we see,
by a sort of side-glance, the (not unnatural) comment of Israel on the seven days’
march round Jericho. They thought it useless labour, and were unable to appreciate
the lesson which it taught. Again our attention is directed to the peculiar character
of the warfare. It was not that kind of war which men would naturally have been
disposed to wage. But the narrative is consistent throughout. (See ote on Joshua
2:1.)
TRAPP, "Joshua 7:3 And 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.
Ver. 3. Let not all the people go up.] But better they had, as it happened, in some
respects. God’s holy hand was in it, and his holy will must be done and suffered.
PETT, "Verse 3
‘And they returned to Joshua, and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up, but
let about two or three eleph men go up and smite Ai, and do not make all the people
toil up to it, for they are but few.” ’
The scouts did not see Ai as a large obstacle. They recommended only sending three
units up to deal with it in view of its very small population. It was a long hard climb
of over a thousand metres in height (three thousand feet) and over twenty four
kilometres (fifteen miles) in distance.
WHEDO ,"3. Let not all the people go up — The spies set a very low estimate upon
the military strength of the city. Disasters often happen to armies from this cause.
For they are but few — That is, comparatively. But the character of the few, and
their excellent position for defence, were left out of the account. Their numbers were
probably underrated also, for after the conquest of the city the slain numbered
twelve thousand. Joshua 8:25.
COKE, "Ver. 3. Let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai— There
was a little presumption in this counsel; Ai was well situated, strong, and guarded
by twelve thousand men; so that there was no probability (humanly speaking) of
carrying it with two or three thousand men. God, nevertheless, permitted Joshua to
listen to this bold piece of advice, and he followed it. Had not this been the case,
either the inhabitants of Ai would not have ventured to sally from their city; or if, in
going out against the Israelites, they had beaten a more considerable detachment of

49. them, the crime of Achan would have cost the nation too many citizens, and his
punishment would have thrown it into too great a consternation.
4 So about three thousand went up; but they were
routed by the men of Ai,
CLARKE,"About three thousand men - The spies sent to reconnoitre the place
(Jos_7:3) reported that the town was meanly garrisoned, and that two or three thousand
men would be sufficient to take it. These were accordingly sent up, and were repulsed by
the Amorites.
GILL, "So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men,....
Joshua detached from the army the largest number proposed, that there might be
strength enough to take the place; and those he sent under proper officers to Ai, who
went up to the very gate of the city, as appears from Jos_7:5,
and they fled before the men of Ai; for upon their appearing at the gate of their city,
they came out with all their forces against them, and as soon as they did, the children of
Israel durst not face them, but without engaging with them fled at once: God having
forsaken them, their courage failed, the dread of their enemies falling on them.
JAMISO , "they fled before the men of Ai — An unexpected resistance, and the
loss of thirty-six of their number diffused a panic, which ended in an ignominious rout.
ELLICOTT, "(4) They fled before the men of Ai.—A very natural reaction from
overweening confidence to utter dismay is exhibited in this incident and its effect
(Joshua 7:5), “the heart of the people melted and became as water.” The
demoralisation of Israel was a suitable penalty for their assumption, quite apart
from its supernatural cause. It was absolutely necessary that the character of the
conquest of Canaan should be vindicated, at whatever cost.
TRAPP, "Joshua 7:4 So there went up thither of the people about three thousand
men: and they fled before the men of Ai.

50. Ver. 4. And they fled before the men of Ai.] Their sins having betrayed them into
the hands of divine justice, the victory was abandoned, and sent away to the enemy;
as that noble General Trajan told Valens, the Arrian emperor, when he had been
defeated by the Goths in the very first battle, as these Israelites also were. (a)
PETT, "Verse 4
‘So there went up there of the people about three eleph men, and they fled before
the men of Ai.’
The three units soon discovered that Ai was tougher than they had expected. The
men there were experienced fighting men, ever being the first to meet invasion that
came over the Jordan and through the hills. Thus the self-confidence of the Israelite
contingents was badly dented for they were soundly beaten and had to flee.
BE SO , "Verse 4
Joshua 7:4. They fled before the men of Ai — ot having courage, it seems, to strike
a stroke, a plain evidence that God had forsaken them, and an instructive event, to
show them what they were when God left them; that they did not gain their victories
by their own valour, but that it was God that gave the Canaanites into their hands.
And may we not hence conclude, however little it may be thought of, that victory or
superiority in war between different nations, depends more upon the will of God
than upon any other circumstance; and that a nation that goes to battle loaded with
its crimes, has but little reason to hope for final victory or lasting success!
COKE, "Verse 4-5
Ver. 4, 5. And they fled, &c.— The garrison of Ai, observing the Israelites to be so
few in number, made a sally. The latter, left by God, immediately lost courage, took
flight, and left thirty-six of their comrades on the spot. The enemy pursued and beat
them as far as to Shebarim. Some think this was a place betwixt Ai and Jericho; for
schebarim in the Hebrew signifies, people defeated, broken, routed; while others,
following the LXX, and taking the word in an appellative sense, translate, they
pursued them from before the gate, till they were entirely routed, &c. It is certain,
that the runaways carried the alarm into the camp of Israel, and the consternation
there was general. The historian describes it in very strong and lively terms.
REFLECTIO S.—The last chapter left Israel triumphant, and Joshua's name great
and glorious: this begins with a dire But, which stops the current of their victories,
and casts them into the deepest distress; the cause of which always is sin. I. We have
an account of the sin committed; Achan the son of Carmi, of the house of Judah,
had transgressed the divine command, and secretly taken of the devoted things, and
thereby had brought the host under the displeasure of God. One sinner thus
destroys much good; the community he belonged to are defiled by him, and suffer
for him. ote; (1.) Covetousness is among the most rooted evil tempers of the fallen
mind. (2.) We must separate ourselves from sinners, if we would not share their
judgments. 2. The effects of God's displeasure quickly appeared: though the sin was
committed so secretly that no eye saw him, it was not hid from God; and he takes
such ways to bring the crime to light, as shall shew his just indignation against it.

51. Let not the guilty think of being concealed or excused; God will find them out, and
visit them to their confusion. Confident now of success, those who were sent to view
the city of Ai report the conquest easy, and that the people need not to be fatigued
by a general march: a detached party of two or three thousand men being thought
sufficient, these are accordingly sent; but, seized with a panic at the gate of the city,
they fly before their pursuers, and, with the loss of six and thirty men, escape to the
camp, and fill it with terror and confusion. God had evidently forsaken them; and,
though the loss was small, justly were they alarmed at a defeat which portended
more dreadful consequences. ote; (1.) Though the greatest difficulties vanish when
God is our helper, the least attempt will prevail the moment he leaves us to
ourselves. (2.) Whenever we provoke God, we may expect to suffer for it. (3.) Fear
and terror of conscience are the natural consequences of guilt, and the present
wages of sin.
5 who killed about thirty-six of them. They chased
the Israelites from the city gate as far as the stone
quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At
this the hearts of the people melted in fear and
became like water.
BAR ES, "Shebarim - Rather, perhaps, “the stone quarries.” The smallness of the
slaughter among the Israelites indicates that they fled early, probably without real
conflict in battle.
CLARKE,"They chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim -
They seem to have presumed that the men of Ai would have immediately opened their
gates to them, and therefore they marched up with confidence; but the enemy appearing,
they were put to flight, their ranks utterly broken, and thirty-six of them killed. ‫שברים‬
Shebarim signifies breaches or broken places, and may here apply to the ranks of the
Israelites, which were broken by the men of Ai; for the people were totally routed,

52. though there were but few slain. They were panic-struck, and fled in the utmost
confusion.
The hearts of the people melted - They were utterly discouraged; and by this gave
an ample proof that without the supernatural assistance of God they could never have
conquered the land.
GILL, "And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men,.... In the
pursuit of them, which were but few, but a sufficient rebuke of Providence; their loss was
but small, but their shame and disgrace great:
for they chased them from before the gate; the gate of the city of Ai:
even unto Shebarim; not that there was a place of this name before, but it was so
called from hence, because there they were broken, as Kimchi observes; and the Targum
and Jarchi render it,"until they were broken,''their lines broken, not being able to retreat
in order, but were scattered, and fled to their camp as they could: Gussetius (q) thinks it
was the; name of a place, but not so called for the above reason, but because there lay
broken pieces of the rock scattered about:
and smote them in the going down; the hill from Ai; "Morad", rendered "going
down", may taken for the proper name of a place, and which, Kimchi says, was a place
before Ai, in which there was a declivity and descent, and in that place they smote them
when they fled:
wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water; that is, the
whole body of the people, when this little army returned defeated, their spirits failed
them, their courage was lost, their nerves were loosed, and they became languid, faint,
and feeble; not that their loss was so great, but that they perceived God had forsaken
them, and what the issue of this would be they dreaded.
JAMISO , "chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim — that
is, unto the “breakings” or “fissures” at the opening of the passes.
and smote them in the going down — that is, the declivity or slope of the deep,
rugged, adjoining wady.
wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water — It is
evident that the troops engaged were a tumultuary, undisciplined band, no better skilled
in military affairs than the Bedouin Arabs, who become disheartened and flee on the loss
of ten or fifteen men. But the consternation of the Israelites arose from another cause -
the evident displeasure of God, who withheld that aid on which they had confidently
reckoned.
TRAPP, "Joshua 7:5 And 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.
Ver. 5. And the men of Ai smote of them.] ot in fight, but in flight; for they stood

53. not out the first shock.
“ A cane non magno saepe tenetur aper. ”
Even unto Shebarim,] i.e., A place of breakings or shiverings: this made them "sick
at heart," according to Amos 6:6. {See Trapp on "Amos 6:6"}
Wherefore the hearts of the people melted.] They were not more discomfited than
discouraged: because they saw that God was displeased, and for the time departed.
A little water in a leaden vessel is very heavy: so is a small affliction from an
offended Father. "Be not thou a terror to me," saith Jeremiah, [Jeremiah 17:17] and
then I care not greatly what befalleth me.
PETT, "Verse 5
‘And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty six men, for they chased them from
in front of the gate even to the quarries (or Shebarim), and smote them on the
descent, for which reason the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.’
The men of Israel reached the gates of the city no doubt full of confidence, and
probably, after Jericho, expecting some remarkable event in their favour. But they
were to receive a dreadful shock. For the armed men of Ai, realising that they would
be somewhat exhausted after the hot climb, sallied out in force and smote them,
driving them from in front of the entrance to their ‘city’ and down the descending
way, during which they killed thirty six of them, for they chased them some
considerable way. Shebarim means ‘that which is broken’, thus possibly quarries.
There is probably also a hint here that the men of Israel were ‘broken’.
On hearing of the defeat the hearts of the people of Israel were filled with fear and
they lost all courage. So quickly can men’s confidence be dented when something
goes wrong. They had anticipated an easy victory and had instead lost thirty six
men. After the victory of Jericho they could not understand it. or could Joshua.
At this point we may stop and ask what the people of Ai would now do. They now
knew that it was the intention of Israel to enter the hill country. They also knew that
the force that they had defeated was only a small part of Israel’s striking force.
ews would certainly have reached them of the much larger force encamped at
Gilgal. They must thus have known that Israel would soon be back in much larger
numbers. Contact would certainly be made with Bethel and it would seem from
subsequent descriptions that Bethel supplied a large contingent of armed men to
assist them. It would be in both their interests. This is the only real explanation of
why the king of Ai was willing to leave the city to attack the large force that later
arrived in the valley. He would hardly have done it with a ‘few’ men unless he was
confident of a backup force that he could instantly call on. Without it he would have
remained within the walls of Ai.
BE SO , "Joshua 7:5. The men of Ai smote thirty-six men — A dear-bought

54. victory to them, whereby Israel was awakened and reformed, and they hardened to
their own ruin. They smote them in the going down — That is, till they came to the
plains of Jericho, Ai standing upon a hill. The hearts of the people melted, and
became as water — Soft and weak, and full of fluctuation and trembling. They were
undoubtedly struck with this panic from God; for otherwise there was no sufficient
reason for it.
WHEDO ,"5. About thirty and six men — The disaster, though shameful, was
much lighter than might have been expected to attend such a rout.
Even unto Shebarim — That is, the stone quarries or ruins, the situation of which
cannot be determined. Captain Wilson suggests that it may be identical with some
extensive ruins northeast of Bethel, called Deir Sheba.
In the going down — Or, the declivity. Hebrews, Morad. Perhaps the descent into
the wady, (note, Joshua 7:2,) which is hemmed in on both sides with precipitous
cliffs, is meant. Both the ruins (shebarim) and the declivity (morad) were evidently
well known places in the time of the writer of this book but not of sufficient
importance to survive in the memory of many generations.
The hearts of the people melted — This dismay was not on account of the magnitude
of the disaster to the arms of Israel, but because it betokened the withdrawal of their
Great Ally, Jehovah. Well may a nation tremble when it sees itself forsaken of God!
PULPIT, "Joshua 7:5
Unto Shebarim. LXX; καὶ ἕως συνέτριψαν αὐτούς, as though we had ‫ָרוּם‬‫ב‬ ְ‫שׁ‬ (or, as
Masius suggests, ‫ים‬ ִ‫ִיר‬‫ב‬ ְ‫ַשׁ‬‫ה‬ ) from ‫ַר‬‫ב‬ ָ‫שׁ‬ to break in pieces. So the Syriac and Chaldee
versions. But this is quite out of the question. The Israelites were not annihilated,
for they only lost about 36 men. or is Shebarim a proper name, as the Vulgate
renders it. It has the article, and must be rendered either with Keil, the stone
quarries (literally, the crushings or breakings), or with Gesenius, the ruins, which,
however, is less probable, since Ai (see above)has a similar signification. Munsterus
mentions a view that it was so called in consequence of the slaughter of the
Israelites. But this is very improbable. In the going down. Ai stood in a strong
position on the mountains. The margin "in Morad "is therefore not to be preferred.
It means, as the Israelites and their antagonists descended from the gates. The
hearts of the people melted and became as water. This was not cowardice, but awe.
The people had relied upon the strong hand of the Lord, which had been so
wonderfully stretched out for them. From Joshua downwards, every one felt that,
for some unknown reason, that support had been withdrawn.

55. 6 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown
to the ground before the ark of the Lord,
remaining there till evening. The elders of Israel
did the same, and sprinkled dust on their heads.
BAR ES, "On these signs of mourning, compare the marginal references and Lev_
10:6; Num_20:6; 1Sa_4:12.
CLARKE,"Joshua rent his clothes, etc. - It was not in consequence of this slight
discomfiture, simply considered in itself, that Joshua laid this business so much to
heart; but
1. Because the people melted, and became as water, and there was little hope that
they would make any stand against the enemy; and
2. Because this defeat evidently showed that God had turned his hand against them.
Had it not been so, their enemies could not have prevailed.
Put dust upon their heads - Rending the clothes, beating the breast, tearing the
hair, putting dust upon the head, and falling down prostrate, were the usual marks of
deep affliction and distress. Most nations have expressed their sorrow in a similar way.
The example of the distressed family of King Latinus, so affectingly related by Virgil, may
be adduced in illustration of many passages in the history of the patriarchs, prophets,
apostles, etc.
Regina ut testis venientem prospicit hostem -
Purpureos moritura manu discindit amictus -
Filia prima manu flavos Lavinia crines,
Et roseas laniata genas. -
It scissa veste Latinus -
Canitiem immundo perfusam pulvere turpans.
Aen. lib. xii., ver. 594.
“The queen, who saw the foes invade the town,
And brands on tops of burning houses thrown,
She raves against the gods, she beats her breast,
And tears, with both her hands, her purple vest.
The sad Lavinia rends her yellow hair,
And rosy cheeks; the rest her sorrow share.
Latinus tears his garments as he goes,
Both for his public and his private woes;

56. With filth his venerable beard besmears,
And sordid dust deforms his silver hairs.”
Dryden.
GILL, "And Joshua rent his clothes,.... As was usual in those ancient times, on
hearing bad news, and as expressive of grief and trouble (r); see Gen_37:29,
and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord, until the
eventide; in a posture of adoration and prayer, in which he continued till even; how
long that was cannot be said, since the time is not mentioned when the army returned
from Ai; very probably it was some time in the afternoon: this was done before the ark of
the Lord, the symbol of the divine Presence, not in the most holy place, where that
usually was, and into which Joshua might not enter, but in the tabernacle of the great
court, over against where the ark was:
he and the elders of Israel; either the elders of the people in the several tribes, or
rather the seventy elders, which were the sanhedrim or council, and which attended
Joshua, and assisted him as such:
and put dust upon their heads; another rite or ceremony used in times of mourning
and distress, and that very anciently, before Joshua's time and after, see Job_2:12; and
among various nations; so when Achilles bewailed the death of Patroclus, he is
represented by Homer (s) taking with both his hands the black earth, and pouring it on
his head; so Aristippus among the Athenians is said (t) to sprinkle dust on his head in
token of mourning on a certain account.
HE RY, "We have here an account of the deep concern Joshua was in upon this sad
occasion. He, as a public person, interested himself more than any other in this public
loss, and is therein an example to princes and great men, and teaches them to lay much
to heart the calamities that befal their people: he is also a type of Christ, to whom the
blood of his subjects is precious, Psa_72:14. Observe,
I. How he grieved: He rent his clothes (Jos_7:6), in token of great sorrow for this
public disaster, and especially a dread of God's displeasure, which was certainly the
cause of it. Had it been but the common chance of war (as we are too apt to express it), it
would not have become a general to droop thus under it; but, when God was angry, it
was his duty and honour to feel thus. One of the bravest soldiers that ever was owned
that his flesh trembled for fear of God, Psa_119:120. As one humbling himself under the
mighty had of God, he fell to the earth upon his face, not thinking it any disparagement
to him to lie thus low before the great God, to whom he directed this token of reverence,
by keeping his eye towards the ark of the Lord. The elders of Israel, being interested in
the cause and influenced by his example, prostrated themselves with him, and, in token
of deep humiliation, put dust upon their heads, not only as mourners, but as penitents;
not doubting but it was for some sin or other that God did thus contend with them
(though they knew not what it was), they humbled themselves before God, and thus
deprecated the progress of his wrath. This they continued until even-tide, to show that it
was not the result of a sudden feeling, but proceeded from a deep conviction of their
misery and danger if God were any way provoked to depart from them. Joshua did not

57. fall foul upon his spies for their misinformation concerning the strength of the enemy,
nor upon the soldiers for their cowardice, though perhaps both were blameworthy, but
his eye is up to God; for is there any evil in the camp and he has not done it? His eye is
upon God as displeased, and that troubles him.
JAMISO , "Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth ... before the ark
... he and the elders — It is evident, from those tokens of humiliation and sorrow, that
a solemn fast was observed on this occasion. The language of Joshua’s prayer is thought
by many to savor of human infirmity and to be wanting in that reverence and submission
he owed to God. But, although apparently breathing a spirit of bold remonstrance and
complaint, it was in reality the effusion of a deeply humbled and afflicted mind,
expressing his belief that God could not, after having so miraculously brought His
people over Jordan into the promised land, intend to destroy them, to expose them to
the insults of their triumphant enemies, and bring reproach upon His own name for
inconstancy or unkindness to His people, or inability to resist their enemies. Unable to
understand the cause of the present calamity, he owned the hand of God.
K&D, "Joshua and the elders of the people were also deeply affected, not so much at
the loss of thirty-six men, as because Israel, which was invincible with the help of the
Lord, had been beaten, and therefore the Lord must have withdrawn His help. In the
deepest grief, with their clothes rent (see at Lev_10:6) and ashes upon their heads, they
fell down before the ark of the Lord (vid., Num_20:6) until the evening, to pour out their
grief before the Lord. Joshua's prayer contains a complaint (Jos_7:7) and as question
addressed to God (Jos_7:8, Jos_7:9). The complaint, “Alas, O Lord Jehovah, wherefore
hast Thou brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites,
to destroy us?” almost amounts to murmuring, and sounds very much like the complaint
which the murmuring people brought against Moses and Aaron in the desert (Num_
14:2-3); but it is very different from the murmuring of the people on that occasion
against the guidance of God; for it by no means arose from unbelief, but was simply the
bold language of faith wrestling with God in prayer - faith which could not comprehend
the ways of the Lord - and involved the most urgent appeal to the Lord to carry out His
work in the same glorious manner in which it had been begun, with the firm conviction
that God could neither relinquish nor alter His purposes of grace. The words which
follow, “Would to God that we had been content (see at Deu_1:5) to remain on the other
side of the Jordan,” assume on the one hand, that previous to the crossing of the river
Israel had cherished a longing for the possession of Canaan, and on the other hand, that
this longing might possibly have been the cause of the calamity which had fallen upon
the people now, and therefore express the wish that Israel had never cherished any such
desire, or that the Lord had never gratified it. (On the unusual form ָ ְ‫ר‬ ַ‫ב‬ ֲ‫ע‬ ֵ‫ה‬ for ָ ְ‫ר‬ ַ‫ב‬ ֱ‫ע‬ ֶ‫,ה‬ see
Ges. §63, anm. 4, and Ewald, §41, b.) The inf. abs. ‫יר‬ ִ‫ב‬ ֲ‫ע‬ ַ‫ה‬ (with the unusual i in the final
syllable) is placed for the sake of emphasis after the finite verb, as in Gen_46:4, etc. The
Amorites are the inhabitants of the mountains, as in Gen_46:4, etc.
BI 6-9, "Joshua . . . fell . . . before the ark of the Lord.
Joshua’s plea before the ark
The ark was the centre of mercy to Israel, and the glory of the tabernacle, their refuge in
trouble, their security in danger, and their deliverance in distress. Here they mourned,
and made supplication, where the cause only could be known, where relief only could

58. come. From hence had proceeded all their pardons, their conquests, and possessions.
But for the ark and the mercy-seat above, its propitiatory covering, Israel had been a lost
people, and long had perished in want or conflict. No such seat of grace and habitation
of mercy in At. The God of glory was still in the sanctuary of His people, though an
accursed thing was in the camp. And where but to God in Christ, the true ark of the
covenant and token of His gracious presence, can the afflicted, the oppressed, or the
convicted go? This is their peculiar privilege, their constant need, and their never-failing
resource. The pleadings of Joshua are a fine specimen and example of a true
supplicatory spirit. It was before the ark, that grand and expressive type of Christ.
Nothing in the worship of the spiritual sanctuary, no act of prayer or praise, no
penitential pleadings or humiliations, can be acceptable, but as offered in the name, and
through the mediation, of our Divine and glorious peace-maker, the Lord Jesus. Though
the fears and apprehensions of unbelief mingle some infirmity with the pleadings of this
great intercessor for Israel, yet there is impressive beauty and strength in his
expressions, but in none so much as those which discover a mind tenderly affected for
the glory of God, the honour of His name, and the prevalence of His truth. “What wilt
Thou do unto Thy great name?” Oh! this was the grand point, the highest consideration,
and beyond which pleading could not go. This failing, no other could avail. And still here
is all the force of pleading, as from it all the cause of prevailing. This name, with all its
glory and honour, is in Christ known to the Church and published to the world, a name
ever dear to God, and dearer than a thousand worlds. This will prevail above all the
distresses of the Church, all the triumphs of her enemies. Peace and pardon, and every
blessing of providence, grace and glory, are insured to the believer, so that he who rests
here can never perish or be conquered. (W. Seaton.)
Deep affliction
When Achilles heard of the death of Patrocius his grief was so great that he cast himself
on the ground as one that could not be comforted.
“With both his hands black dust he gathers now,
Casts on his head and soils his comely brow,
Foul ashes cling his perfumed tunic round,
His noble form lies stretched upon the ground.”
Here we have a grief similarly expressed, but more pathetic and noble. Joshua shows
here again that he was a perfect leader. In all the affliction of the people he is afflicted.
All the feeling of dismay in the camp is concentrated, as it were, in him. His great
capacity for leadership gives him greater capacity for suffering. Thus is it always. He who
is most interested in the cause of Christ, he whose heart is most enthusiastic, will be
most east down by defeat. The man whose soul is most sensitive to sin, most fully alive
to the commandments of God and the demands of truth, has the keenest sensibility, and
therefore suffers most in a region of rebellion. That is to say, the more real spiritual life
there is in the soul, the more suffering must there be. The sorrow of Jesus is the deepest
because the love of Jesus is the highest. Joshua’s sorrow, it is very plain, was sincere and
unfeigned. There was no acting here. And his grief was as unselfish as it was sincere. His
chief sorrow is for the people. Their fate, their prospects, are his chief concern. Joshua’s
perplexity is very great. This indeed is the biggest element in his trouble, and two
parallel questions manifest it—“What shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before
their enemies?” (verse 8), and “What wilt Thou do unto Thy great name?” (verse 9). If

59. things continue as they are, and lead to their natural issues, in regard to Thy ways. What
shall I say? What conclusion am I to come to? What construction am I to put on this
event? Joshua makes no allowance for defeat. The chances of the glorious game of war
have no place in his reckoning. Joshua cannot reconcile this defeat, unimportant though
it may seem to some, with three grand facts wherein lay his chief confidence. The fact of
the Divine presence—“Is God with us after all?” he might ask. The fact of the Divine
promise—“Has God indeed spoken?” The fact of the Divine power—“Is God able to give
unbroken victory?” The sad fact of defeat seemed to go in the face of these other facts.
But to Joshua these other facts were as patent as that over which he mourned; hence his
consternation. He is dumbfounded. And surely this noble sorrow, this believing
consternation of Joshua, should be a reproof to many. We believe that there are
individuals and congregations who would be more perplexed and confounded by a
spiritual victory than by a spiritual disaster. But Joshua had a second question, which is
the expression of a still deeper cause of perplexity. His first question, “What shaft I say?”
rose from his faith in God. His second question, “What wilt Thou do unto Thy great
name?” arose from his fidelity to God. Thus Joshua’s second question becomes a
powerful plea before God, commanding His attention and drawing forth a reply. And it
is well to notice here for our encouragement in any spiritual emergency that in the very
trouble of Joshua’s soul there exists the germ of good hope. Joshua, just because he
knows, feels, and owns his trouble before God, is every moment helping forward the
solution of the difficulty. To know that we are beaten may be a bad thing in ordinary
warfare; hence Napoleon’s complaint against the British troops; but it is not so in the
spiritual fight; rather is it essential to continued success. Let us imitate Joshua in his
godly sorrow. But trouble came upon Israel as well as upon their leader. As a single grain
of colouring matter will tinge gallons of water, so one sin will affect a whole people.
Achan’s transgression influenced for evil the whole of that nation. His little leaven
leavened the whole lump. No man can confine the effects of any sin within the small
compass of his own personal experience. Just as in the heart of a rich city a collection of
squalid and filthy dens may spread disease and death in its finest mansions, so the
wicked, wherever found, become centres of spiritual infection, and no soul near them is
safe; hence, just as men wisely seek in self-defence to improve the physical conditions of
the poorest dwellings, so should we, if for no other motive than the preservation of our
own spiritual health, labour in all directions, and in every possible way, to improve and
elevate the masses. And if this principle holds in the body politic, much more powerfully
does it manifest itself in the body mystic, i.e., the Church of the living God. Here the
influence of sin is most acutely and quickly felt. Hence the constant care that should be
manifested in casting out every particle of the leaven of sin. He who takes heed to his
own heart and life, keeping them clean and pure in the sight of God, edifies the brethren,
and is health and strength and joy to all the body of Christ. He who is careless and sinful,
must, like Achan, be a troubler of the house of God. Yes, and he himself must be
miserable. What joy had Achan in all his ill-gotten gains? The rust of gold, like some
strong Satanic acid, ate into his soul, to his unspeakable torture. Every transgressor
sooner or later will find, like Achan, that in every sin lies its own punishment, and
therefore escape is impossible. And Achan’s act had an evil influence upon the
Canaanites as well as on himself and Israel. The effect of this defeat at Ai would be to
harden their hearts, to make them persist in their rebellion. How often does the success
of the wicked turn out their destruction. Applying these things to the work of the Lord in
our days, we are reminded by the effect of Achan’s sin on these Canaanites of the evil
that is brought on the world through the unfaithfulness of professing Christians. We
must remember that not only the honour of the Master and the prosperity of the Church
are connected with our faithfulness, but also, to no inconsiderable extent, the spiritual

60. state of the world around. Therefore let us take heed as we name the name of Christ to
depart from all iniquity, and perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. (A. B. Mackay.)
CALVI , "6.And Joshua rent his clothes, etc Although it was easy to throw the
blame of the overthrow or disgrace which had been sustained on others, and it was
by no means becoming in a courageous leader to be so much cast down by the loss of
thirty men, especially when by increasing his force a hundred-fold it would not have
been difficult to drive back the enemy now weary with their exertions, it was not,
however, without cause that Joshua felt the deepest sorrow, and gave way to feelings
bordering on despair. The thought that the events of war are doubtful — a thought
which sustains and reanimates the defeated — could not be entertained by him,
because God had promised that they would always be victorious. Therefore when
the success did not correspond to his hopes, the only conclusion he could draw was,
that they had fought unsuccessfully merely because they had been deprived of the
promised assistance of God.
Accordingly, both he and the elders not only gave themselves up to sorrow and
sadness, but engage in solemn mourning, as used in the most calamitous
circumstances, by tearing their garments and throwing dust on their heads. That
mode of expressing grief was used also by the heathen, but was specially
appropriate in the pious worshippers of God in suppliantly deprecating his wrath.
The rending of the garments and other accompanying acts contained a profession of
repentance, as may also be inferred from the annexed prayer, which, however, is of
a mixed nature, dictated partly by faith and the pure spirit of piety, and partly by
excessive perturbation. In turning straightway to God and acknowledging that in
his hand, by which the wound was inflicted, the cure was prepared, they are
influenced by faith; but their excessive grief is evidently carried beyond all proper
bounds. Hence the freedom with which they expostulate, and hence the preposterous
wish, Would God we had remained in the desert! (70)
It is not a new thing, however, for pious minds, when they aspire to seek God with
holy zeal, to obscure the light of faith by the vehemence and impetuosity of their
affections. And in this way all prayers would be vitiated did not the Lord in his
boundless indulgence pardon them, and wiping away all their stains receive them as
if they were pure. And yet while in thus freely expostulating, they cast their cares
upon God, though this blunt simplicity needs pardon, it is far more acceptable than
the feigned modesty of hypocrites, who, while carefully restraining themselves to
prevent any confident expression from escaping their lips, inwardly swell and
almost burst with contumacy.
Joshua oversteps the bounds of moderation when he challenges God for having
brought the people out of the desert; but he proceeds to much greater intemperance
when, in opposition to the divine promise and decree, he utters the turbulent wish,
Would that we had never come out of the desert! That was to abrogate the divine

61. covenant altogether. But as his object was to maintain and assert the divine glory,
the vehemence which otherwise might have justly provoked God was excused.
We are hence taught that saints, while they aim at the right mark, often stumble and
fall, and that this sometimes happens even in their prayers, in which purity of faith
and affections framed to obedience ought to be especially manifested. That Joshua
felt particularly concerned for the divine glory, is apparent from the next verse,
where he undertakes the maintenance of it, which had been in a manner assigned to
him. What shall I say, he asks, when it will be objected that the people turned their
backs? And he justly complains that he is left without an answer, as God had made
him the witness and herald of his favor, whence there was ground to hope for an
uninterrupted series of victories. Accordingly, after having in the loftiest terms
extolled the divine omnipotence in fulfillment of the office committed to him, it had
now become necessary for him, from the adverse course of events, to remain
ignominiously silent. We thus see that nothing vexes him more than the disgrace
brought upon his calling. He is not concerned for his own reputation, but fears lest
the truth of God might be endangered in the eyes of the world. (71) In short, as it
was only by the order of God that he had brought the people into the land of
Canaan, he now in adversity calls upon him as author and avenger, just as if he had
said, Since thou has brought me into these straits, and I am in danger of seeming to
be a deceiver, it is for thee to interfere and supply me with the means of defense.
ELLICOTT, "(6) Joshua rent his clothes . . .—The words of Joshua and his
behaviour on this occasion are consistent with all that we read of him, and confirm
the notion that he was not a man of a naturally daring and adventurous spirit, but
inclined to distrust his own powers; and yet utterly indomitable and unflinching in
the discharge of his duty—a man of moral rather than physical courage.
TRAPP, "Joshua 7:6 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.
Ver. 6. And Joshua rent his clothes.] In token that his heart was rent with grief and
anguish.
“ Sic faciles motus mens generosa capit. ”
Baron Marshal of France and other profane men derided the Earl of Essex’s
prayers and tears at his death, as more befitting a silly minister than a stout
warrior: (a) as if the fear of God’s wrath were not a Christian man’s fortitude.
Joshua was man good enough, and yet, &c.
Until the eventide.] So long they continued their fast. Let our fasts be, according to
that old canon, Usque dum stellae in caelo appareant, till the stars appear in the sky.
The Turks hold out their fasts so long, in the hottest and longest days of summer,
not tasting so much as a cup of water. (b)

62. PETT, "Verse 6
‘And Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of
YHWH until the evening, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust on their heads.’
Meanwhile Joshua was desperately concerned to discover what had gone wrong.
The tearing of clothes in a formal way was an ancient method of expressing grief
and distress (compare Genesis 37:29; Genesis 44:13; 2 Samuel 1:11). As was dust on
their heads (Job 2:12). Joshua knew that something was amiss. He could not
understand why YHWH had not acted for them. So he and the leading men of Israel
spent the remainder of the day prostrated before ‘the Ark of YHWH’. Why had the
God of battle failed them? While the Ark had not been taken up the ascent it was
probably outside and uncovered in view of the battle to take place.
BE SO , "Joshua 7:6. And Joshua rent his clothes — In testimony of great sorrow
for the loss felt, the consequent mischief feared, and the sin which he suspected. The
outward marks of sorrow exhibited on this occasion by Joshua and the elders, are
well known to have been usually shown in those ages when people were afflicted
with grief on account of any great calamity, or the commission of any extraordinary
crime. Fell to the earth upon his face — In deep humiliation and fervent
supplication. Before the ark of the Lord — ot in the sanctuary, but with his face
toward it. Until the even-tide — Continuing the whole day in fasting and prayer.
And put dust upon their heads — Which was still a higher expression of great grief,
and of a deep sense of their unworthiness to be relieved.
WHEDO , "6. Joshua rent his clothes — This was an expressive oriental symbol of
intense sorrow, fear, anger, or despair. The loose, flowing, outer robe was well
adapted to this action, and this alone was rent. Joshua felt that the defeat had a deep
significance, and must have a moral cause; hence he goes to God to inquire.
Fell to the earth… before the ark — Over the cover of the ark was the Divine
Presence. Ask Judaism the direct way to God, and she points to the mercy-seat
between the cherubim.
Put dust upon their heads — The eastern nations are noted for using actions, rather
than words, in expression of strong emotion. Dust or ashes sprinkled upon the head
indicates deep mourning and true penitence.
COFFMA , ""And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face
before the ark of Jehovah until the evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put
dust upon their heads. And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord Jehovah, wherefore hast thou
at all brought this people over the Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the
Amorites, to cause us to perish? would that we had been content and dwelt beyond
the Jordan! Oh, Lord, what shall I say, after that Israel hath turned their backs
before their enemies! For the Canaanites, and all the inhabitants of the land will
hear of it, and will compass us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and
what wilt thou do for thy great name?"

63. The distress of Joshua is certainly understandable. A stunning defeat of Israel by a
garrison that the Israelites themselves had evaluated as so small that they would
need no more than a relative handful of men to take it that such an outpost should
be able to put Israel to flight, that was indeed a disaster. Skilled commander that he
was, Joshua, knew what a boon this would be to Israel's enemies, and he feared that
it would result in a massive counter-attack against Israel by the whole population of
Canaan.
Some have criticized Joshua for sending out spies, apparently without Divine
instructions to do so, and for going forward with the attack without specific
instructions such as he had received prior to the victory at Jericho, and even for the
humiliation of himself in this episode of falling on his face before the ark and casting
dust on his head. We do not find that the Lord rebuked Joshua for any of these,
and, therefore, we shall dissent from the views of critical commentators. The only
thing that appears to us as detrimental to the attack on Ai was the seeming over-
confidence that did not send enough men to take it in the first place. or can we buy
that report of the spies. Later on, when Israel took Ai, they put to death 12,000 men
(Joshua 8:25); and from that we know that the spies simply failed in their mission.
"John Calvin made some severe remarks on Joshua's folly and want of faith here,
but it may be paralleled by most Christians in adversity."[8]
COKE, "Ver. 6. And Joshua rent his clothes— All the outward marks of sorrow
exhibited by Joshua and the elders on this occasion are well known; they were
customary, and have been so in much later times. The history of the Patriarchs
supplies frequent instances of the custom of rending the clothes on the receipt of bad
news. At this day, it is usual among the Jews, in the feast of expiations, to cast
themselves on the ground before the chest which contains the book of the law; and,
in memory of what Joshua did on the present occasion, the reader of the synagogue
still prostrates himself every year on the same day before this same chest. See
Buxtorf. Syntag. Jude 1:25; Jude 1:25. With respect to the custom of putting dust
upon the head, we know that it was one of the greatest signs of affliction amongst
the Jews, in which the Gentiles imitated them, as might be easily shewn in the
history of the inevites, and divers passages taken from prophane antiquity; among
others, from Virgil, where king Latinus, using the same marks of mourning with
Joshua, appears tearing his clothes, and covering his head with dust. See AEneid.
12: ver. 609, &c.
CO STABLE, "Verses 6-9
Even Joshua had lost the divine perspective temporarily. His complaining lament
sounds like Israel"s murmuring in the wilderness (cf. Exodus 16:3; umbers 14:2-3;
et al.). However, he also had a concern for the continuing honor of Yahweh ( Joshua
7:9; cf. Exodus 32:11-12; umbers 14:13; Deuteronomy 9:28). As Moses, Joshua
desired above everything that God would receive glory. Unfortunately he did not yet
possess the stability and objectivity that characterized Moses" later years because
he had not yet walked with God as closely or as long as Moses had.
"Joshua had fallen on his face once before, when he confronted the divine

64. messenger ( Joshua 5:14). That was in the humility of worship. This is in the
humility of defeat and shame." [ ote: Butler, p84.]
PULPIT, "Joshua 7:6
And Joshua rent his clothes. A token of grief usual among the Jews (see Genesis
37:29, 84; Genesis 44:13, etc. Knobel cites Le Genesis 21:10); and though Joshua
was not the high priest, yet from his peculiar position he might be expected to adopt
somewhat of the high priest's demeanour, and at least not to display this outward
sign of grief without the strongest reason. The words "before the ark" are omitted
in the LXX. And put dust on their heads. A sign of still more abject humiliation. The
head, the noblest part of man, was thus placed beneath the dust of the ground from
whence he was taken (see 1 Samuel 4:12; 2 Samuel 1:2; 2 Samuel 13:19; 2 Samuel
15:32; 1 Kings 20:38; Job 2:12; Lamentations 2:10). It was a common custom among
the Greeks. (See Lucian, De Luetu, 12). Homer mentions the custom (Iliad, 18).
Pope's translation runs thus:—
"Cast on the ground, with furious hands he spread
The scorching ashes o'er his graceful head.
His purple garments and his golden hairs,
Those he deforms with dust, and these he tears."
Lines 26-30.
7 And Joshua said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord, why
did you ever bring this people across the Jordan
to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to
destroy us? If only we had been content to stay on
the other side of the Jordan!

65. CLARKE,"Alas, O Lord God - Particles of exclamations and distress, or what are
called interjections, are nearly the same in all languages: and the reason is because they
are the simple voice of nature. The Hebrew word which we translate alas is ‫אהה‬ ahah.
The complaint of Joshua in this and the following verses seems principally to have arisen
from his deep concern for the glory of God, and the affecting interest he took in behalf of
the people: he felt for the thousands of Israel, whom he considered as abandoned to
destruction: and he felt for the glory of God, for he knew should Israel be destroyed
God’s name would be blasphemed among the heathen; and his expostulations with his
Maker, which have been too hastily blamed by some, as savouring of too great freedom
and impatience are founded on God’s own words, Deu_32:26, Deu_32:27, and on the
practice of Moses himself, who had used similar expressions on a similar occasion; see
Exo_5:22, Exo_5:23; Num_14:13-18.
GILL, "And Joshua said, alas! O Lord God,.... What a miserable and distressed
condition are we in! have pity and compassion on us; who could have thought it, that
this would have been our case?
wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us
into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us: who are mentioned either for the
whole people of the land of Canaan; or rather, because the people of Israel were now in
that part of the country which they inhabited: these words discover much weakness,
diffidence, and distrust, and bear some likeness to the murmurs of the children of Israel
in the wilderness; but not proceeding from that malignity of spirit theirs did, but from a
concern for the good of the people and the glory of God, they are not resented by him:
would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan; in
which he seems to cast the blame, not upon the Lord but upon himself and the people,
who were not content to dwell on the other side, but were desirous of a larger and better
country; and now ruin seemed to be the consequent of that covetous disposition and
discontented mind.
HE RY 7-9, " How he prayed, or pleaded rather, humbly expostulating the case with
God, not sullen, as David when the Lord had made a breach upon Uzzah, but much
affected; his spirit seemed to be somewhat ruffled and discomposed, yet not so as to be
put out of frame for prayer; but, by giving vent to his trouble in a humble address to
God, he keeps his temper and it ends well. 1. Now he wishes they had all taken up with
the lot of the two tribes on the other side Jordan, Jos_7:7. He thinks it would have been
better to have staid there and been cut short than come hither to be cut off. This savours
too much of discontent and distrust of God, and cannot be justified, though the surprise
and disappointment to one deeply concerned for the public interest may in part excuse
it. Those words, wherefore hast thou brought us over Jordan to destroy us? are too like
what the murmurers often said (Exo_14:11, Exo_14:12; Exo_16:3; Exo_17:3; Num_14:2,
Num_14:3); but he that searches the heart knew they came from another spirit, and
therefore was not extreme to mark what he said amiss. Had Joshua considered that this
disorder which their affairs were put into no doubt proceeded from something amiss,
which yet might easily be redressed, and all set to rights again (as often in his
predecessor's time), he would not have spoken of it as a thing taken for granted that they
were delivered into the hands of the Amorites to be destroyed. God knows what he does,
though we do not; but this we may be sure of, he never did nor ever will do us any

66. wrong. 2. He speaks as one quite at a loss concerning the meaning of this event (v. 8):
“What shall I say, what construction can I put upon it, when Israel, thy own people, for
whom thou hast lately done such great things and to whom thou hast promised the full
possession of this land, when they turn their backs before their enemies” (their necks, so
the word is), “when they not only flee before them, but fall before them, and become a
prey to them? What shall we think of the divine power? Is the Lord's arm shortened? Of
the divine promise? Is his word yea and nay? Of what God has done for us? Shall this be
all undone again and prove in vain?” Note, The methods of Providence are often intricate
and perplexing, and such as the wisest and best of men know not what to say to; but they
shall know hereafter, Joh_13:7. 3. He pleads the danger Israel was now in of being
ruined. He gives up all for lost: “The Canaanites will environ us round, concluding that
now our defence having departed, and the scales being turned in their favour, we shall
soon be as contemptible as ever we were formidable, and they will cut off our name from
the earth,” Jos_7:9. Thus even good men, when things go against them a little, are too
apt to fear the worst, and make harder conclusions than there is reason for. But his
comes in here as a plea: “Lord, let not Israel's name, which has been so dear to thee and
so great in the world, be cut off.” 4. He pleads the reproach that would be cast on God,
and that if Israel were ruined his glory would suffer by it. They will cut off our name,
says he, yet, as if he had corrected himself for insisting upon that, it is no great matter
(thinks he) what becomes of our little name (the cutting off of that will be a small loss),
but what wilt thou do for thy great name? this he looks upon and laments as the great
aggravation of the calamity. He feared it would reflect on God, his wisdom and power,
his goodness and faithfulness; what would the Egyptians say? Note, Nothing is more
grievous to a gracious soul than dishonour done to God's name. This also he insists upon
as a plea for the preventing of his fears and for a return of God's favour; it is the only
word in all his address that has any encouragement in it, and he concludes with it,
leaving it to this issue, Father, glorify thy name. The name of God is a great name, above
every name; and, whatever happens, we ought to believe that he will, and pray that he
would, work for his own name, that this may not be polluted. This should be our concern
more than any thing else. On this we must fix our eye as the end of all our desires, and
from this we must fetch our encouragement as the foundation of all our hopes. We
cannot urge a better plea than this, Lord, What wilt thou do for thy great name? Let
God in all be glorified, and then welcome his whole will.
TRAPP, "Joshua 7:7 And 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!
Ver. 7. Alas! O Lord God, wherefore, &c.] This expostulation, though of a good
intention, is not altogether sinless, but savoureth somewhat of human frailty and
weakness of faith; some gravel goeth along with this pure water.
PETT, "Verses 7-9
‘And Joshua said, “Alas! O Lord YHWH, why have you at all brought this people
over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to cause us to perish?
Would that we had been content and dwelt beyond Jordan. Oh YHWH, what shall I
say after that Israel have turned their backs on their enemies? For the Canaanites

67. and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and will surround us, and cut off
our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?” ’
Joshua’s prayer covered a number of points:
· Firstly as to why YHWH had brought them over the Jordan in order to
destroy them. So quickly does faith dissipate when something goes wrong.
· Secondly as to what he was to say to the people in view of what had
happened. How was he to explain defeat?
· And thirdly as to the effect this would all have on YHWH’s own reputation
when the surrounding peoples heard that Israel had been defeated and had turned
their backs on Amorites. It would encourage them and bolster them up to attack the
Israelites in order to destroy them. And then where would YHWH’s name be?
ote the reference to the Amorites and then the Canaanites. Both names could be
used to describe all the inhabitants of the land, but as here could distinguish the
mountain dwellers from those who dwelt in the plains. The reference to the
Amorites is particularly poignant. It was Amorites whom they had destroyed on the
other side of the Jordan, a place which now looked increasingly attractive, but was
second best. But at this point Joshua was ready to settle for second best. However
we must recognise that his prayer was intended to challenge YHWH about His
covenant promises. It was not all negative. And we must recognise that he was in a
state of total confusion. He just did not know what to make of it.
ote also his concern for the name of YHWH. With His people blotted out where
would He be? There would be none to honour His name (see Isaiah 49:3).
BE SO , "Joshua 7:7. Wherefore hast thou brought this people over Jordan? —
In this and the two following verses, Joshua shows the infirmity of human nature,
and how apt even pious men are to forego their trust in God, and to think of him
and his actions according to their own weakness. Because three thousand men had
fled before Ai, Joshua seems ready to conclude that all God’s promises were about
to be rendered of none effect; not considering the wisdom, power, and truth of the
Almighty. To deliver us into the hand of the Amorites — Here his expressions fall
far short of that reverence, modesty, and submission which he owed to God, and
they are recorded as instances, that the holy men of God of old were subject to like
passions and infirmities with other men.
WHEDO , "7. Alas,… wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan
— This is not the language of distrust, but of distress. It is the tearful wail of a great
soul in deepest humiliation and gloom. Joshua unburdens his troubled mind, and
reasons with God only as one having the utmost confidence in him can reason. The
urgency of his expostulation and the importunity of his plea evince faith in God. He
cannot think that such miracles as the passage of the Jordan and the conquest of
Jericho are to lead the chosen nation to destruction.
Amorites — See note on Joshua 2:10.

68. Would to God we had been content — “To all human view it would have been better
for us to have remained on the other side of Jordan, and we shall be strongly
prompted to wish that that had been the case, for it will be inferred from the event
that thy sole purpose in bringing us hither was to deliver us into the hands of the
Amorites.” — Bush.
COKE,"Ver. 7. And Joshua said, Alas! O Lord God, wherefore, &c.— The heart-
felt emotion and humiliation in which Joshua appears, thus prostrate on the ground,
with his face directed towards the sanctuary, and addressing God in the following
prayer, are no way unbecoming of his high character. The greatest men are the most
susceptible of the feelings of humanity and compassion. Without attempting to deny
absolutely that Joshua testified some weakness, and too much dejection, in the
prayer which he addresses to God, his sentiments seem capable of a very noble turn:
his expressions are not the bursts of complaint; the Scriptures nowhere reproach
him with any thing like it; they are an acknowledgment of his ignorance respecting
the causes of that fatal blow which struck the whole camp of Israel with terror; as
much as if he had said, that he knew not what to think of the event which astonished
the people, and therefore instantly ventured to beg of God to discover to him the
reason of it. Let us hear himself speak, and we shall better explain our idea on the
subject. "O Lord, I am astonished, confounded, and dismayed at what I see; unable
to comprehend why, after miraculously opening the passage of the Jordan to thy
people, and giving them an entrance into this Promised Land, thou permittest them
to be overpowered by the devoted Canaanites: better, as it seems, had we, contented
with our former conquests, remained on the other side of the flood. What shall I say
to the insults of the enemy? How henceforth shall I persuade the defeated Israelites
to depend upon victory? Inflated by their success, the Canaanites will fall upon us
from every quarter, will encompass us round, and hew us in pieces: still more deeply
afflicting, the glory of thy great name will be obscured in the sight of these faithless
nations, who will triumph to see our expectations deceived, and the miraculous
displays of thy mighty power rendered useless." In all this discourse, as we see, it is
a concern for God's glory that most nearly affects Joshua. He speaks as Moses had
spoken on similar occasions; or, to express it more properly, he forms his own
language on that of God himself. Deuteronomy 32:26-27. ote; A gracious soul is
ever more solicitous about God's glory than his own interests; let them stand or fall,
if God be exalted, he asks no more.
PULPIT, "Joshua 7:7
Wherefore hast thou at all brought. The LXX. seems in some way to have read ‫עבד‬
for ‫;עבר‬ they translate "why did thy servant cross?" But their rendering is a clear
grammatical blunder, for the Masorites remark that the ‫ה‬ is to be preserved. Would
to God we had been content. Calvin makes some severe remarks on Joshua's folly
and want of faith under this reverse. But it may be paralleled by the conduct of most
Christians in adversity. How few are there who can bear even temporal calamity
calmly and patiently, even though they have abundant reason to know that temporal
affliction is not only no sign of the displeasure of God, but the reverse! And when,

69. through allowing secret sin to lurk within the soul, the Christian is overcome and
brought to shame by his spiritual enemies, how much more seldom it is that he has
the courage to gird up the loins of his soul and renew the conflict, in full confidence
that victory will be his in the end! How much more frequently does he despair of
victory, wish he had never undertaken the Christian profession, give up his belief in
the protecting care and guidance of God, and desist, at least for a time, from the
good fight of faith, to his own serious injury and to the detriment of God's Church!
"It is not," adds Calvin, "a new thing for pious minds, when they aspire to seek God
with holy zeal, to obscure the light of faith by the vehemence and impetuosity of
their affections. And in this way all prayers would be rendered valueless, did not the
Lord in His boundless indulgence pardon them, and, wiping away all their stains,
receive them as if they were pure. And yet while in thus freely expostulating they
cast all their care upon God, this blunt simplicity, though it needs pardon, is yet far
more acceptable than the feigned modesty and self restraint of the hypocrites."
8 Pardon your servant, Lord. What can I say, now
that Israel has been routed by its enemies?
GILL, "O Lord, what shall I say,.... For the comfort and encouragement of the
people of Israel, in vindication of thy power and faithfulness, and against the charge of
weakness in thyself, unfaithfulness to thy promises, and unkindness to thy people,
brought by our enemies:
when Israel hath turned their backs before their enemies? or after they have
done it; what is to be said now, this being the case? he speaks as a man confounded, and
at the utmost loss how to account for the power, the providence, and promises of God.
K&D 8-9, "The question which Joshua addresses to God he introduces in this way:
“Pray (‫י‬ ִ contracted from ‫י‬ ִ‫ע‬ ְ ), Lord, what shall I say?” to modify the boldness of the
question which follows. It was not because he did not know what to say, for he
proceeded at once to pour out the thoughts of his heart, but because he felt that the
thought which he was about to utter might involve a reproach, as if, when God permitted
that disaster, He had not thought of His own honour; and as he could not possibly think
this, he introduced his words with a supplicatory inquiry. What he proceeds to say in
Jos_7:8, Jos_7:9, does not contain two co-ordinate clauses, but one simple thought:
how would God uphold His great name before the world, when the report that Israel had

70. turned their back before them should reach the Canaanites, and they should come and
surround the Israelites, and destroy them without a single trace from off the face of the
earth.
(Note: Calovius has therefore given the correct interpretation: “When they have
destroyed our name, after Thou hast chosen us to be Thy people, and brought us
hither with such great wonders, what will become of Thy name? Our name is of little
moment, but wilt Thou consult the honour of Thine own name, if Thou destroyest
us? For Thou didst promise us this land; and what people is there that will honour
Thy name if ours should be destroyed?”)
In the words, “the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land,” there is involved the
thought that there were other people living in Canaan beside the Canaanites, e.g., the
Philistines. The question, “What wilt Thou do with regard to Thy great name?”
signifies, according to the parallel passages, Exo_32:11-12; Num_14:13., Deu_9:28,
“How wilt Thou preserve Thy great name, which Thou hast acquired thus far in the sight
of all nations through the miraculous guidance of Israel, from being misunderstood and
blasphemed among the heathen?” (“what wilt Thou do?” as in Gen_26:29).
BE SO , "Verse 8-9
Joshua 7:8-9. What shall I say? — In answer to the reproaches of our insulting
enemies? When Israel — God’s people, which he hath singled out of all nations for
his own. Turneth their backs — Unable to make any resistance. What wilt thou do
unto thy great name? — Which will upon this occasion be blasphemed, and charged
with inconstancy, and with inability to resist them, or to do thy people that good
which thou didst intend them. The name of God is a great name, above every name.
And whatever happens, we ought to pray that this may not be polluted. This should
be our concern more than any thing else: on this we should fix our eye: and we
cannot urge a better plea than this, “Lord, what wilt thou do for thy great name?”
Let God in all be glorified, and then welcome his whole will!
WHEDO , "8. What shall I say — Joshua, as the Lord’s agent and captain, is
perplexed to show a reason for the unexpected defeat.
When Israel turneth — Or, inasmuch as Israel has turned. How is such defeat
possible to a people in covenant with Jehovah?
SIMEO , "ISRAEL DISCOMFITED BY THE ME OF AI [ ote: Fast-day
Sermon for disappointments and defeats in war.]
Joshua 7:8. O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their
enemies!
U I TERRUPTED prosperity is not to be expected in this changeable and sinful
world. Even the most favoured of mankind must have some trials; nor is there any
season when they can presume to say, “My mountain standeth strong; I shall not be
moved.” If at any time Joshua and Israel might adopt this language, it was

71. immediately after they had entered on the possession of the promised land, and had
received an earnest of the complete enjoyment of it by the miraculous destruction of
the walls of Jericho. Yet behold, scarcely had they tasted the first-fruits of God’s
mercy, before a cup of bitterness was put into their hands; which made them regret
that they had ever attempted the conquest of the land.
In an attack upon Ai, a detachment of Israelites had been defeated with the loss of
thirty-six men: and this filled them all with such terror and dismay, that the whole
nation, not excepting Joshua himself, gave way to despondency. Of this we have an
account in the passage before us: to elucidate which, we shall notice,
I. The discomfiture of Israel—
Their mode of proceeding to the attack of Ai was far from right—
[Having so easily vanquished a much larger and stronger city, they held Ai in
contempt, and concluded of course that God must interpose for them just as he had
done in the former case. Hence they say, “Let us send only about two or three
thousand thither, and not make all the people to labour thither.” ow in this they
were guilty of very great presumption. To confide in God was right; but to expect
his aid, whilst they neglected to use their own endeavours, was highly
presumptuous. And what excuse had they; what plea? one, except that they did
not choose to fatigue themselves with the march. They did not even consult God
respecting it; but acted purely from their own conceit. What was this, but to tempt
God? And how could they hope to succeed, when acting in such a way?
However favoured any man may have been with divine succour and protection, if he
presume upon it, and enter into temptation without necessity, and conceive that
because his spiritual enemies appear weak, he shall of necessity overcome them; if
he neglect to use the proper means of grace, such as searching the Scriptures and
prayer to God, he shall fall: God will leave him to himself, that he may learn by
bitter experience his own weakness, and “no more be high-minded, but fear [ ote:
This is taught us in Philippians 2:12-13 which says, “Work, &c. and God will render
your efforts effectual: but work, not with self-confidence, but with fear and
trembling, because all your strength is in God; and if by pride or negligence you
provoke him to withhold his aid, you can never succeed.”]”— — —]
But their discomfiture was owing to another cause—
[God had forbidden that any one should take to himself any of the spoils of Jericho:
but one man, (how astonishing was it that only one amongst all the hosts of Israel
was found to transgress the command!) tempted by the sight of a costly Babylonish
garment and some silver, and a wedge of gold, secreted them for his own use [ ote:
ver. 21.]. This sin was imputed to the whole nation, and visited upon them all. God
had declared, that, if any such iniquity were committed, the whole camp of Israel, as
well as the guilty individual, should be accursed [ ote: Joshua 6:18.]; and now the
curse was inflicted upon all; so that if the whole host of Israel had gone against Ai,

72. they would have been discomfited, even as the small detachment was. To this the
failure of the expedition is ascribed by God himself [ ote: ver. 11, 12.].
And to what are we to ascribe the calamities inflicted on our nation, the reverses
experienced, and the losses sustained, in this long-protracted war? Is it not to our
sins, which have incensed God against us? We all acknowledge the greatness of our
national sins, but forget to notice our own personal iniquities; whereas, if we saw
every thing as God sees it, we should probably see, that our own personal guilt has
contributed in no small degree to bring down the divine judgments upon us.
Because we are mere individuals, we think that our transgressions can have had but
little influence in matters of this kind: but did not Saul’s violation of the covenant he
had made with the Gibeonites, occasion, many years afterwards, a famine of three
years’ continuance [ ote: 2 Samuel 21:1.]? And did not David’s numbering of the
people occasion a pestilence, to the destruction of seventy thousand of his subjects
[ ote: 2 Samuel 24:10-15.]? But these offenders, it may be said, were kings; whereas
we are obscure individuals. And was not Achan an obscure individual? Yet behold,
how one single act of sin, an act too which would not have been considered as very
heinous amongst ourselves, stopped in a moment the course of Israel’s victories, and
turned them into shameful defeat! Let this point be duly considered in reference to
ourselves; and let us learn, that abstinence from sin is an act no less of patriotism,
than of piety.]
The defeat coming so unexpectedly, we do not wonder at,
II. Joshua’s distress—
His conduct on this occasion was by no means unexceptionable—
[The manner in which he complained to God reflected even upon the Deity himself;
“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?” Alas! alas! Is this Joshua, that thus
accuses the Most High God of cruelty and treachery? Lord, what is man! What will
not the best of men do, if left by thee to the workings of their own corruption! Such
had been the language of the murmuring Israelites on many occasions: but we
readily confess that Joshua, though he spake their sentiments, was by no means
actuated by their rebellious spirit: yet he was wrong in entertaining for a moment
such a thought. His distrust of God also was highly unbecoming; “Would to God we
had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!” What, dost thou so readily
relinquish the possession of Canaan, because of this single check? Thou art afraid
that “all the inhabitants of the land, hearing of this defeat, will be emboldened to
environ you around, and to cut off the name of Israel from the earth:” but hast thou
so soon forgotten all the wonders that God has wrought in order to bring thee into
Canaan, and all that he has promised in relation to the ultimate possession of it? “Is
God’s hand shortened, that he cannot save, or his ear heavy, that he cannot hear?”
“Has he at last forgotten to be gracious, and shut up his loving-kindness in
displeasure?” Alas! Joshua, “this is thine infirmity.” But it is an infirmity incident
to the best of men under great and unexpected misfortunes. We are but top apt to

73. give way to murmuring and desponding thoughts, both in relation to our temporal
and spiritual concerns, when we should be rather encouraging ourselves with the
recollection of past mercies, and pleading with God his promises of more effectual
aid — — —]
Yet on the whole there was much in it to be admired—
[We cannot but highly applaud the concern he expressed for the loss of so many
lives. Common generals would have accounted the loss of thirty-six men as nothing:
but “the blood of Israel was precious in the sight” of Joshua. We might have
expected that he would have blamed the spies for deceiving him in relation to the
strength of the city; and have punished the soldiers for cowardice: but he viewed the
hand of God, rather than of man, in this disaster: and this led to (what also we much
admire) his humiliation before God on account of it. This was very deep: “he rent
his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until the
even-tide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads [ ote: ver. 6.].”
He had seen on many occasions now Moses and Aaron had succeeded in averting
the divine displeasure from the people; and, in concert with the elders, he now tried
the same means: and we may confidently say, that, if all the hosts of Israel had been
defeated, this was the sure way to retrieve their affairs. But his tender regard for the
honour of God was that which eminently distinguished him on this occasion; “O
Lord, what wilt thou do unto thy great name [ ote: ver. 9.]?” This was the plea
which Moses had often used [ ote: Exodus 32:12; umbers 14:15-16.], and to which
God had paid especial regard [ ote: Ezekiel 20:9.]: and the man that feels it in his
soul, and urges it in sincerity and truth, can never be ultimately foiled.
O that such were the disposition and conduct of our whole nation at this time! But
alas! we hear of numbers slaughtered, without any emotion. We have fasts
appointed; but how few are there who observe them with such humiliation as that
before us! It is true, the honour of God’s name, I fear, is but little interested in our
success: perhaps it is rather interested in the destruction of such an ungrateful and
rebellious people as we are. But in relation to his Church and the advancement of
religion amongst us, his honour is concerned; because he has bestowed on us
advantages equal, if not superior, to any that are enjoyed elsewhere on the face of
the whole earth. Here then we may, and should, plead the honour of his name: he
expects us to lay to heart the abounding of iniquity in the midst of us; and takes it ill
at our hands that there are so few who “mourn for the afflictions of Joseph [ ote:
Amos 6:6.],” and “cry for the abominations of Israel [ ote: Ezekiel 9:4.].” Let,
however, the example of Joshua and the elders be impressed upon our minds, and
serve as a pattern for our future imitation.]
Improvement—
[Let us not confine our attention to public calamities, but turn it to those afflictions
which are personal and domestic. In this history we may behold the source and
remedy of all the evil that can come upon us.

74. That God, in some particular case, may afflict his people, as he did Job, for the
magnifying of his own power, and the furtherance of their welfare, we acknowledge:
but yet we never can err in tracing our afflictions to sin, as their procuring cause:
and, if only they be the means of discovering and mortifying our corruptions, we
shall have reason to number them amongst the richest mercies we ever received—
— —
Let us then inquire of the Lord, “Wherefore he contendeth with us?” Let us set
ourselves diligently to search out our iniquities; and let us beg of God to discover
them to us, that no one sin may remain unrepented of and unmortified.
If in any thing we have been overcome by our spiritual enemies, let us not reflect
upon God, as though he had tempted us to sin; nor, on the other hand, let us distrust
him, as though he were either unable or unwilling to deliver us: but let us humble
ourselves before him, remembering that he is still full of compassion and mercy; and
relying on that gracious invitation, “Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal
your backslidings, and love you freely.”]
9 The Canaanites and the other people of the
country will hear about this and they will
surround us and wipe out our name from the
earth. What then will you do for your own great
name?”
BAR ES, "What wilt thou do unto thy great name? - i. e. “after the Canaanites
have cut off our name what will become of Thy Name?” This bold expostulation, that of
one wrestling in sore need with God in prayer, like the similar appeals of Moses in earlier
emergencies (Compare the marginal references), is based upon God’s past promises and
mercies. What would be said of (God by the pagan if now He permitted Israel to be
destroyed?
GILL, "For the Canaanites,.... Those that dwell on the east and on the west of the
land, see Jos_11:3; who were one of the seven nations:

75. and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it; of this defeat; not only the
Amorites, among whom they now were, and the Canaanites before mentioned, but the
Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, and the Jebusites:
and shall environ us round; come with all their forces from all parts of the land, and
surround us, so that there will be no escaping for us:
and cut off our name from the earth; utterly destroy us, that we shall be no more a
nation and people, and the name of an Israelite no more be heard of, see Psa_83:4,
and what wilt thou do unto thy great name? this, though mentioned last, was
uppermost in the heart of Joshua, and was reserved by him as his strongest argument
with God to appear for them and save them; since his own glory, the glory of his
perfections, his wisdom, goodness, power, truth, and faithfulness, was so much
concerned in their salvation.
CALVI , "9.For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants, etc He mentions another
ground of fear. All the neighboring nations, who, either subdued by calamities or
terrified by miracles, were quiet, will now resume their confidence and make a
sudden attack upon the people. It was indeed probable, that as the divine power had
crushed their spirit and filled them with dismay, they would come boldly forward to
battle as soon as they knew that God had become hostile to the Israelites. He
therefore appeals to God in regard to the future danger, entreating him to make
speedy provision against it, as the occasion would be seized by the Canaanites, who,
though hitherto benumbed with terror, will now assume the aggressive, and easily
succeed in destroying a panic-struck people.
It is manifest, however, from the last clause, that he is not merely thinking of the
safety of the people, but is concerned above all for the honor of the divine name,
that it may remain inviolable, and not be trampled under foot by the petulance of
the wicked, as it would be if the people were ejected from the inheritance so often
promised. We know the language which God himself employed, as recorded in the
song of Moses, (Deuteronomy 32:26)
“I would scatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them cease
among men; were it not that I feared the wrath (pride) of the enemy, lest their
adversaries should behave themselves strangely, and lest they should say, Our hand
is high, and the Lord has not done all this.”
The very thing, then, which God declares that he was, humanly speaking, afraid of,
Joshua wishes now to be timelessly prevented; otherwise the enemy, elated by the
defeat of the people, will grow insolent and boast of triumphing over God himself.
TRAPP, "Joshua 7:9 For 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?

76. Ver. 9. And what wilt thou do unto thy great name?] This was Joshua’s chief care, -
lest God should suffer in the glory of his power and truth. It is the ingenuity of
saints, to study God’s share more than their own, and to desire far more that God
may be glorified than themselves gratified; they drown all self-respects in his
honour, and can believe, when things are at worst, that Christ’s cause shall prevail.
There are many golden sayings of Luther sounding to this sense, in his epistles to
Melancthon especially, such as a man would fetch upon his knees from Rome or
Jerusalem, saith one.
WHEDO , "Verse 9
9. And cut off our name — Our enemies will be encouraged to make a combined
assault, and destroy our communications with eastern Palestine.
And what wilt thou do unto thy great name? — That is, with regard to thy great
name. Exalted and true views of God are necessary to elevate man and restore in
him the image of God. Reverence for him is the basis of all true holiness. The
preservation of the glory of God’s name in order that monotheism should finally be
the religion of the earth was, according to God’s plan, the very mission of Israel.
Joshua therefore appropriately argues, Will God defeat that plan, and upset the
whole of Israel’s future history? It does not detract from this prayer to say that the
successive arguments used to move God are eminently human — such as a man
would address to his fellow. Moses, in his entreaty, for his nation, uses the same
argument. umbers 14:13-19; Deuteronomy 9:28.
10 The Lord said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are
you doing down on your face?
BAR ES, "God’s answer is given directly, and in terms of reproof. Joshua must not
lie helpless before God; the cause of the calamity was to be discovered.
CLARKE,"Wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? - It is plain there was
nothing in Joshua’s prayer or complaint that was offensive to God, for here there is no
reprehension: Why liest thou thus? this is no time for complaint; something else is
indispensably necessary to be done.

77. GILL, "And the Lord said unto Joshua, get thee up,.... From the ground where
he lay prostrate, with his face to it: this he said, not as refusing his supplication to him,
but rather as encouraging and strengthening him; though chiefly he said this in order to
instruct him, and that he might prepare for what he was to do:
wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? in this manner, so distressed and
dejected; or for this thing, as the Targum, for this defeat of the army; something else is
to be done besides prayer and supplication.
HE RY, "We have here God's answer to Joshua's address, which, we may suppose,
came from the oracle over the ark, before which Joshua had prostrated himself, v. 6.
Those that desire to know the will of God must attend with their desires upon the lively
oracles, and wait at wisdom's gates for wisdom's dictates, Pro_8:34. And let those that
find themselves under the tokens of God's displeasure never complain of him, but
complain to him, and they shall receive an answer of peace. The answer came
immediately, while he was yet speaking (Isa_65:24), as that to Daniel, Dan_9:20, etc.
I. God encourages Joshua against his present despondencies, and the black and
melancholy apprehensions he had of the present posture of Israel's affairs (Jos_7:10):
“Get thee up, suffer not thy spirits to droop and sink thus; wherefore liest thou thus
upon thy face?” No doubt Joshua did well to humble himself before God, and mourn as
he did, under the tokens of his displeasure; but now God told him it was enough, he
would not have him continue any longer in that melancholy posture, for God delights
not in the grief of penitents when they afflict their souls further than as it qualifies them
for pardon and peace; the days even of that mourning must be ended. Arise, shake
thyself from the dust, Isa_53:2. Joshua continued his mourning till eventide (Jos_7:6),
so late that they could do nothing that night towards the discovery of the criminal, but
were forced to put it off till next morning. Daniel (Dan_9:21), and Ezra (Ezr_9:5, Ezr_
9:6), continued their mourning only till the time of the evening sacrifice; that revived
them both: but Joshua went past that time, and therefore is thus roused: “Get thee up,
do not lie all night there.” Yet we find that Moses fell down before the Lord forty days
and forty nights, to make intercession for Israel, Deu_9:18. Joshua must get up because
he has other work to do than to lie there; the accursed thing must be discovered and cast
out, and the sooner the better; Joshua is the man that must do it, and therefore it is time
for him to lay aside his mourning weeds, and put on his judge's robes, and clothe himself
with zeal as a cloak. Weeping must not hinder sowing, nor one duty of religion jostle out
another. Every thing is beautiful in its season. Shechaniah perhaps had an eye to this in
what he said to Ezra upon a like occasion. See Ezr_10:2-4.
JAMISO 10-15, "the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up — The answer of the
divine oracle was to this effect: the crisis is owing not to unfaithfulness in Me, but sin in
the people. The conditions of the covenant have been violated by the reservation of spoil
from the doomed city; wickedness, emphatically called folly, has been committed in
Israel (Psa_14:1), and dissimulation, with other aggravations of the crime, continues to
be practiced. The people are liable to destruction equally with the accursed nations of
Canaan (Deu_7:26). Means must, without delay, be taken to discover and punish the
perpetrator of this trespass that Israel may be released from the ban, and things be
restored to their former state of prosperity.

78. K&D, "the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up — The answer of the divine
oracle was to this effect: the crisis is owing not to unfaithfulness in Me, but sin in the
people. The conditions of the covenant have been violated by the reservation of spoil
from the doomed city; wickedness, emphatically called folly, has been committed in
Israel (Psa_14:1), and dissimulation, with other aggravations of the crime, continues to
be practiced. The people are liable to destruction equally with the accursed nations of
Canaan (Deu_7:26). Means must, without delay, be taken to discover and punish the
perpetrator of this trespass that Israel may be released from the ban, and things be
restored to their former state of prosperity.
CALVI , "10.And the Lord said unto Joshua, etc God does not reprimand Joshua
absolutely for lying prostrate on the ground and lamenting the overthrow of the
people, since the true method of obtaining pardon from God was to fall down
suppliantly before him; but for giving himself up to excessive sorrow. The censure,
however, ought to be referred to the future rather than to the past; for he tells him
to put an end to his wailing, just as if he had said, that he had already lain too long
prostrate, and that all sloth must now be abandoned, as there was need of a
different remedy. But he first shows the cause of the evil, and then prescribes the
mode of removing it. He therefore informs him that the issue of the battle was
disastrous, because he was offended with the wickedness of the people, and had cast
off their defense.
We formerly explained why the punishment of a private sacrilege is transferred to
all; because although they were not held guilty in their own judgment or that of
others, yet the judgment of God, which involved them in the same condemnation,
had hidden reasons into which, though it may perhaps be lawful to inquire soberly,
it is not lawful to search with prying curiosity. At the same time we have a rare
example of clemency in the fact, that while the condemnation verbally extends to all,
punishment is inflicted only on a single family actually polluted by the crime. What
follows tends to show how enormous the crime was, and accordingly the particle ‫גם‬
is not repeated without emphasis; as they might otherwise have extenuated its
atrocity. Hence, when it is said that they have also transgressed the covenant, the
meaning is, that they had not sinned slightly. The name of covenant is applied to the
prohibition which, as we saw, had been given; because a mutual stipulation had
been made, assigning the spoils of the whole land to the Israelites, provided He
received the first fruits. Here, then, he does not allude to the general covenant, but
complains that he was defrauded of what had been specially set apart; and he
accordingly adds immediately after, by way of explanation, that they had taken of
the devoted thing, and that not without sacrilege, inasmuch as they had stolen that
which he claimed as his own. The term lying is here used, as in many other passages,
for frustrating a hope entertained, or for deceiving. The last thing mentioned,
though many might at first sight think it trivial, is set down, not without good cause,
as the crowning act of guilt, namely, that they had deposited the forbidden thing
among their vessels. Persons who are otherwise not wholly wicked are sometimes
tempted by a love of gain; but in the act of hiding the thing, and laying it up among

79. other goods, a more obstinate perseverance in evil doing is implied, as the party
shows himself to be untouched by any feelings of compunction. In the last part of
the 12th verse, the term anathema is used in a different sense for execration;
because it was on account of the stolen gold that the children of Israel were cursed,
and almost devoted to destruction.
TRAPP, "Joshua 7:10 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore
liest thou thus upon thy face?
Ver. 10. Get thee up: wherefore liest thou? &c., ] q.d., It is well to pray thus, but it is
not all; something else is to be done. Ora et labora, pray and search, pray and fight,
up and be doing, for "I will surely be with thee." [Exodus 14:14] Our Edward I,
A.D. 1299, leading his army forth against the Scots, his horse, as he was putting foot
in the stirrup, threw him to the earth, and striking with the hinder heels, brake two
of his ribs: who nevertheless upon the same horse proceeded in person to the battle,
and overthrew them at Falkirk: (a) so did Joshua, the men of Ai; being rather
wakened than weakened by his late loss: and this was the fruit of prayer.
PETT, "Verse 10-11
Joshua 7:10-11 a
‘And YHWH said to Joshua, “Get yourself up. Why do you lie on your face? Israel
has sinned.” ’
After they had been at prayer for some while and evening came YHWH spoke to
Joshua. Perhaps it was by a voice that could be heard, or possibly it was by words
impressed on the brain, but either way the message was clear. It was no good
praying. Israel had sinned. Until that was dealt with prayer would be in vain. What
was required was not prayer but action.
Joshua 7:11 b
“Yes, they have even transgressed my covenant which I commanded them, yes, they
have even taken of what was devoted, yes, they have also stolen, and also
dissembled, and also they have even put it among their own stuff.”
Why had YHWH not responded in accordance with the covenant? Because Israel
had broken it. They had disobeyed YHWH their Overlord. He had ‘commanded the
covenant’, they had received it. ow they had broken it. otice the growth in the
level of crime. Taken what was devoted (a breach of the covenant), stolen it (a
further breach of the covenant), lied about it (another breach), and appropriated it
for selfish use (the final breach of covetousness). When the covenant had been so
torn apart how could they expect Him to act on their behalf? This was a reminder
that God required obedience. Without that men can expect nothing. Serving God is
not a soft option.
“Taken of what was devoted.” This must in itself have made Joshua’s heart grow icy
cold. Such a crime was almost beyond imagination. That which had been made holy

80. to YHWH had been taken by profane hands. That which all knew to be YHWH’s
own possession had been misappropriated by a man. And it had been hidden in the
camp. That meant that the camp itself was profaned. The only place for such a thing
was in the Tabernacle under the care of the priests.
We must remember that Achan knew what he was doing. He knew the seriousness
of the sin. He knew that what he was doing put him beyond the pale. But it was just
that in a moment o madness he believed that God would do nothing about it, and
this was partly a fault in the community which in one way or another had given this
impression. But God is not mocked. What a man sows, he reaps.
The crime affected the whole of Israel for in the end sin is a community affair. If the
community was thinking and behaving rightly, and had right attitudes, the
individuals would have too. Laxness in the community leads to laxness in
individuals. Thus each shares in the others sin. In this case also it is difficult to
believe that no one was aware of Achan’s sin. And yet they did nothing about it. The
Israelites would not have thought this through but their doctrine of corporate
responsibility was based on it.
“Dissembled.” This suggests that he had been challenged about it, and had lied. It is
probable that such a challenge would be officially made to all participators in the
‘devoting’ because the offence would be so serious.
BE SO , "Verses 10-12
Joshua 7:10-12. Wherefore liest thou upon thy face? — This business is not to be
done by inactive supplication, but by vigorous endeavours for reformation. Israel
hath sinned — Some or one of them. They have transgressed my covenant — That
is, broken the conditions of my covenant, which they promised to perform, whereof
this was one, not to meddle with the accursed thing. And have also stolen — Taken
what I had reserved for myself, Joshua 6:19. And dissembled also — Covered the
fact with deep dissimulation. Probably Joshua after the destruction of Jericho, had
made inquiry whether the silver and gold, &c., were brought into the treasury, and
whether they had destroyed all the other things as God commanded; and they all
answered in the affirmative. Possibly, too, Achan might be suspected of purloining
something, and, being accused, had denied it. Among their own stuff — Converted it
to their own use, and added obstinacy to their crime. Because they were accursed —
By having a man among them who is fallen under my curse. Thus they have put
themselves out of my protection, and therefore are liable to the same destruction
which belongs to the Canaanites. Except ye destroy the accursed — ow they knew
that such a crime had been committed among them, they would have been as guilty
as Achan if they had not punished it.
WHEDO , "Verse 10
10. Get thee up — The tone of this answer indicates the divine indignation at
Israel’s sin, and implies that entreaty for Jehovah’s favour, before putting away
that sin, is impertinence, and an offence to him, as sacrifices and supplications of
impenitent sinners always are. Proverbs 15:8. Israel is here viewed as an

81. unrepentant sinner; Joshua is the head of Israel, hence the tone of anger in which he
is addressed. The spirit of God’s reply is, “This is no time for prayer, but for
purifying the camp. Look for the cause of your defeat not in my sovereignty but in
your sin.”
COFFMA , ""And Jehovah said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore art thou
fallen upon thy face? Israel hath sinned; yea, they have even transgressed my
covenant which I commanded them: yea, they have even taken of the devoted thing,
and have also stolen, and dissembled also; and they have even put it among their
own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel cannot stand before their enemies,
because they are become accursed: I will not be with you any more, except ye
destroy the devoted thing from among you. Up, sanctify the people, and say,
Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: for thus saith Jehovah the God of Israel,
There is a devoted thing in the midst of thee, O Israel; thou canst not stand before
thine enemies, until ye take away the devoted thing from among you. In the morning
therefore ye shall be brought near by your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe that
Jehovah taketh shall come near by families; and the family which Jehovah shall
take shall come near by households; and the household which Jehovah shall take
shall come near man by man. And it shall be that he that is taken with the devoted
thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath; because he hath transgressed
the covenant of Jehovah, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel."
Whatever the extent of God's displeasure with Joshua, the Lord ordered him to get
up! It appears that Joshua should have been able, apart from Divine revelation, to
have figured out what was wrong. Could he not have remembered the defeat at
Kadesh-Barnea? In any event, the Lord gave specific instructions for overcoming
the disaster. A large part of this chapter is taken up with instructions for the casting
of lots to determine where the guilt lay, and this is a good place to glance at the large
number of instances in the Bible when the Lord's people, acting upon heavenly
instructions, had resort to that manner of making decisions.
Here is a list of occasions:
The division of Canaan among the twelve tribes ( umbers 26:55).
The choice of the Levitical cities (Joshua 21:4ff).
Regarding spoil or captives in war (Joel 3:3).
To determine guilt in the case of Achan (here in Joshua 7).
To determine guilt in the case of Jonathan (1 Samuel 14:42). ... and in the case of
Jonah (Jonah 1:7).
To choose men for a mission (Judges 20:10).
To make appointments (Acts 1:26).

82. By Haman to choose "the day" (Esther 3:7).[9]
There was the utmost confidence among ancient peoples as to the efficacy of such a
method, especially, as here, when God Himself had instructed the use of the device.
"The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of Jehovah"
(Proverbs 16:33).
Although Joshua 7:15 mentions only burning with fire, the execution of Achan also
involved "stoning." See in Joshua 7:25. The reason for the stoning, which probably
came before the burning was that all of Israel might participate in the execution.
COKE, "Ver. 10. And the Lord said unto Joshua— This answer, full of gentleness,
justifies what we have just been observing, that there was no asperity or murmuring
in Joshua's remonstrance; "Arise," saith the Lord, "cease to afflict thyself: I am
about to discover to thee this mystery of the flight of the Israelites; and thy fears
shall subside." Le Clerc, and the authors of the Universal History, are of opinion,
that God answered Joshua by Eleazar, invested with the Urim and Thummim.
CO STABLE, "Verses 10-15
God reminded Joshua that he should not look for the reason for Israel"s defeat in
God but in Israel.
"The first three clauses [in Joshua 7:11] describe the sin in its relation to God, as a
grievous offense; the three following according to its true character, as a great,
obstinate, and reckless crime." [ ote: Keil and Delitzsch, p79.]
Israel resorted to the casting of lots when no eyewitness could testify against a
criminal (cf. 1 Samuel 14:41-42; Jonah 1:7; Proverbs 18:18). Probably the high
priest used the Urim and Thummim to identify Achan (cf. umbers 27:21).
The burning of a criminal after his stoning was one way of emphasizing the
wickedness of his crime ( Leviticus 20:14; cf. Deuteronomy 13:15-16). It was a
"disgraceful thing" ( Joshua 7:15) to steal something under the ban (devoted to
God).
BI 10-15, "Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?
Get thee up
To trust God is manifestly our duty. We are commanded to put our trust in Him. Trust in
God is also a crowning means of safety and prosperity. Exceedingly great and precious
promises are made to confidence in God. Watch over and cherish your trust in God.
Cherish it by the study of the promises of your God. Cherish it by intercourse with God;
and make this trust in God strong by giving it plenty of work to do. The more you
exercise this principle, the stronger will it become. Trust in God is a manifest duty. But
there are other obligations. We are under obligations to personal exertion. To trust is
one duty; to exert ourselves is another: and although some persons would think that
these two things cannot work together, they not only can, but they do work together in

83. the experience and in the life of every man who is really walking with his God. Joshua, as
you know, was leading the people forward to the entire conquest of Canaan. God has
shown Israel’s captain marvellous deliverances, and, as is common in our own life, after
these wonderful deliverances there comes a check. And so entirely does this prostrate
him, that God his helper has to rebuke him, and say to him in the language of rebuke,
“Get thee up: wherefore liest thou upon thy face?” Now, it strikes me that there are not a
few who are in the position of Joshua.
1. In the first place, there is the doubter, depressed and paralysed by his doubts. I say
to that man, “Get up—get thee up, and inquire—get thee up, and call upon God—get
thee up and search the book of God—get thee up and think, and meditate—get thee
up and converse with sober, intelligent, wise, kind-hearted, Christlike disciples.”
Follow out your beliefs, and speak of that which you know. Then deal with your
doubts. Do not let these doubts tarry. Do not let them become normal and
constitutional. Regard them as a something to be taken away from your heart if
possible.
2. We might, also, address these words to those who have fainted under the struggles
of life. The words of those who have fainted in the day of adversity are such words as
these, “All things are against me.” “I shall one day fall by the hand of mine enemy.”
“Verily, I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.” Well,
under depressing thoughts like these, those who have become weary in the struggle
of life sink into prostration; and we say to such, “Get thee up.” Out of most troubles
there is a present way of escape, and a future way out of them all. Your trouble may
be poverty. Why conclude that God means you to be poor all your days? Get up, and
look if there be a way out of that poverty. Your trouble may be bodily weakness and
sickness. Why conclude that you are to be an invalid all your days? Get thee up, and
look. See if there be a way of escape from this bodily infirmity. Out of many of our
troubles there is, I say, a way of escape; but we require to get up, and to look for the
way of escape. All that we require in such circumstances is strength to wait. The
working together of the various events of life is of course a process. That very idea of
working together involves a succession of effects and of results. The good must come.
3. Perhaps, too, there is that class of person known by the common name of
backslider. It is a serious thing to go back. But the man who has gone back is not in a
hopeless state. He ought not to despair. Thanks be to God, I can appeal to your hope.
I can in the name of God say, “Return unto the Lord, and He will return to you.” He
will heal your backsliding; He will love you freely; He will be as the dew to you, and
you shall revive as the corn and grow as the vine. Only, only, return to the Lord.
4. Those who are hindered and disheartened in their godly enterprises, as were
many of the companions of Nehemiah, in connection with the work of rebuilding the
city and rebuilding the temple. Now God sent Haggai to say to the people, in
substance, just what He said to Joshua, “Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon
thy face?”—for by His prophet God spake thus: “Is it time for you to dwell in coiled
houses while God’s house lies waste?” “Get thee up: wherefore liest thou upon thy
face?” Now, just see that self-prostration and inertness are wrong. For, in the first
place, it is God who speaks to us thus: “Get thee up”; God, whose power is almighty;
God, whose resources are unsearchable riches; God, who is ever working to keep us
up, and to lift us up, and who, when He has helped us ten thousand times, has His
hands stretched out to help us still; God, who proffers His interposition to the weak
and to the needy. And He speaks, observe, to our will, and to our hearts. By the use
of these words He is seeking to work confidence, resolution, and determination. “Get

84. thee up.” He is appealing to our hopes, that He may comfort us by hope. There is no
evil for which there is no remedy. The position, therefore, of a man of God is not that
of prostration. Even when he is confessing his sins, his position is not that of
prostration. Prostration is not his posture. His right position is to stand up like a
man before God. Oh! do not thus lie prostrate on your faces. Do not yield to your
despondency and despair. I speak to you men of God, and I may say to you, “All is
right. All is right in Heaven concerning you: and if there be things wrong down here,
Heaven can set them right.” It may be, too, that there is some accursed thing that is
producing your present perplexities and your present difficulties. I know not what
that accursed thing may be. Perhaps it is sinful trust in yourselves; perhaps it is
undue reliance on your fellow-creatures; perhaps you have done wrong ill
endeavouring to obtain an instrumentality to assist you that is not holy, and that is
not heaven-approved. What the accursed thing may be a little honest inquiry will
soon discover. By the power of God, I say, get rid of it; but, even before you get rid of
it, get up. You cannot see the accursed thing while you are thus spiritually prostrate.
You cannot see what you ought to do while you are thus spiritually prostrate.
Whatever may be the cause of your present difficulty and depression, it is your duty
to get up, and stand before God upright as a man. (S. Martin.)
God’s voice to the desponding
I. Despondency sometimes overtakes the greatest men.
1. Examples: Jacob, Elijah, David, &c.
2. The causes of despondency are numerous: remorse, disappointment, forebodings,
failure, &c.
II. Despondency must be struggled against: “Get thee up.”
1. Regrets for the past are useless. What is done cannot be undone.
2. There is urgent work to do. Resolute, earnest activity is required.
3. Despondency exhausts strength and unfits for work. Despair unstrings nerves,
relaxes muscles, prostrates energies.
4. Effort will shake off the oppressive load, and give fresh energy to your soul.
(Homilist.)
Israel hath sinned, . . . stolen and dissembled.—
The sinfulness of sin
I. The successive stages of sin. “When Achan longed, he ought to have resisted; when he
planned, he ought to have stopped before taking; when he had taken, he should have
cast it away instead of stealing; when he had stolen, he should have freely confessed it;
and when it was buried he ought to have dug it up again.”
II. The aggravated guilt of sin.
1. It was a transgression of righteousness: “Israel hath sinned.”
2. It was a transgression of the law of gratitude. Achan ignored the covenant

85. altogether.
3. It was a transgression of God’s word: “Which I commanded them.”
4. It was the transgression of good faith. Under the specific condition of not
touching the spoil, the victory had been granted, and Achan had “even taken of the
cherem.”
5. It was a transgression of honesty and truth: “They have stolen and dissembled
also.”
6. It was a transgression of Achan’s own conscience. Had he not felt it wrong to put
the devoted things “among his own stuff,” he would not have hidden them.
III. The wide-reaching evil of sin.
IV. The connection between sin and unbelief. Achan had no real faith—
1. In Divine omniscience. Had he really believed that God saw him, he could not have
taken of the spoil.
2. In Divine punishment. Had he been convinced that he would have been “devoted,”
he would have resisted the temptation.
3. In the Divine Word. To disbelieve in the punishment was to disbelieve Him who
had threatened to destroy. (F. G. Marchant.)
Secret sin
We have a mournful interest in sin. Three characteristics of sin are seen in Achan—
1. Sin is secret; that is, from men, not from God.
2. Sin is gradual. Captivates the senses: “I saw.” Captivates the desires: “I coveted.”
Captivates the soul: “I took.”
3. Sin is the herald of a curse: “The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked.”
Note its effects.
I. On Joshua—the leader.
1. Changed the hero into a coward. His heart became as water.
2. Changed the man of faith to a doubter (verse 7).
3. This in spite of his Divine call and his great ability. So secret sin affects the leaders
of the Church to-day.
II. On Israel—the church.
1. Changed victors into victims. They fled from before At. Sin is weakness as well as
wicked ness. Sin deters the progress of the Church.
2. This in spite of the Divine covenant. That covenant was to give the land to the true
sons of Abraham- the faithful: “If ye be willing and obedient,” &c.
3. This, too, in spite of previous victory at Jericho. They won at Jericho, for they
were all sanctified. They failed at Ai, for there was sin in the camp. One secret sinner
may ruin a Church’s worth.
III. On achan—the sinner. Did not sin gain for him much spoil? Yes—and more. He got

86. gold and brave apparel, but he also got for his secret sin—
1. Public shame.
2. Public punishment. Sad as are the effects on others, the secret sinner feels them
most of all.
The remedy is—
1. Not inactive grief: “Wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?” (verse 10).
2. Active search for hidden sin (verse 13).
3. Entire sanctification of all (verse 13). (James Dunk.)
Secret sin discovered
Sin as a rule is committed under a false and pernicious impression, namely—
(1) That it will never be known, or
(2) if found out, in some way punishment will be avoided.
If sinners did not deceive themselves on these points there would not be half the sin in
the world there is.
I. There is and can be no secret thing in God’s universe. Every sin, though no human eye
or ear takes cognisance of it, is seen as soon as conceived by the all-seeing eye. That sin a
secret when high Heaven knows it all!
II. There is in sin itself the element of exposure and retribution. Sin, like every other
natural and moral force, works out certain results, physical, spiritual, and moral, and
those results are not under man’s control; they are the developments of law. The
transgressor is impotent. He cannot stay the Almighty Hand, which, by means of the law
of cause and effect, has its firm grip upon him. He is no longer master of himself, much
less of his secret. And a thousand influences are working upon him and closing in upon
him, all tending to disclosure and final retribution.
III. All the laws of God’s universe are put in requisition to expose sin and bring it in due
time to punishment.
1. His physical laws. They even cry out against sin, as in the case of the inebriate, the
glutton, the adulterer, &c. The heavens and the earth conspire to track and fasten
guilt upon the murderer.
2. His moral law. Under its flashes and thunder peals many a guilty soul has quaked
and been driven to confession or suicide. Conscience, echoing God’s law, makes
cowards of sinners; makes life an insupportable burden, drives them from home and
makes them wanderers on the earth, as Cain was.
3. His providential law. A thousand agencies and forces are set to work to expose and
punish transgression as soon as it is committed. Earth, air and water, science, art,
and human law, all furnish evidence to point out and convict the criminal and bring
him to judgment. (J. M. Sherwood, D. D.)
The punishment of sin

87. 1. How necessary to Christian success is the presence of God.
2. When that presence is withheld, there is generally a cause.
3. When the presence of God is withheld, the Christian should be humbled and make
inquiry before God.
4. Sin is the cause of the Divine displeasure, and must be searched out.
5. Mark the progress of sin. He who parleys with sin is half-way towards embracing
it.
6. Behold the fatal termination of sin. (J. G. Breay, B. A.)
Sin a reproach and hindrance
Sin, that accursed thing which God hates is a hindrance and a reproach to any people,
viewed either as a nation or as individuals.
I. Let us look at the sin of the jews, as a nation, in persisting to despise and reject Jesus
of Nazareth. Now, what a shame and reproach are the Jews exposed to for their sin in
rejecting Christ, the anointed of God! From what rich blessings also are they excluded in
consequence of their not admitting Jesus Christ to be the Son of God and the Saviour of
the world! What an accursed thing, too, is the sin of idolatry to any nation! Those people
who are ignorant of the one living and true God, through Jesus Christ whom He hath
sent, and who are bowing down to stocks and to stones, are in the lowest state of misery
and degradation. But further. Those nations which are professedly Christian nations are
frequently seen to encourage some great evil, which operates against their prosperity,
and which is a reproach to them. In no country which is called a Christian country
should any laws be enacted which are likely to be detrimental to the religion of Christ.
Now, whenever this is the case, it is a reproach to any people, and a great hindrance to
their prosperity and comfort.
II. We come now to A closer application of our subject, and to consider it in reference.
To individuals. You are all Christians by profession. But remember, “He is not a Jew
which is one outwardly.” Are ye living in the commission of gross sins and scandalous
vices, while ye claim, in virtue of your baptism, to be the children of God, and heirs
according to the promise? Ye are a reproach to the Lord’s people, and a cause to them of
much sorrow and anguish of heart. Remember that a day is coming when He, who is at
present waiting, on thy true repentance, to be gracious unto thee and to save thee, will
appear as thy terrible adversary to destroy thee. But further. May not sin, the accursed
thing, in some degree be found among the real servants of God as well as among His
enemies? How important, then, and necessary is it that believers should be continually
aiming to mortify the remains of inbred corruption, and to be fortifying themselves
against the inroads of sin by following after righteousness and holiness of life. (W.
Battersby, M. A.)
Neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from
among you.
God’s part in the war
I. Success in war is a blessing which is given by God. By this I mean that it does not

88. depend only on the armaments which are fitted out, or the perfection of our war
machinery, or the number of our troops, or the sagacity of our leaders, or the power of
our enemy, whether we shall be successful in the end. It is clearly told us in Scripture—
so clearly that there is no excuse for the man who disbelieves it—that God keeps the
ultimate results of war entirely in His own hand. Perhaps there is no other department
of human affairs in which Jehovah has so frequently in Scripture asserted His
prerogative as that of war. “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong.” And
once more we find that Jehovah retains for Himself the name of Commander over all the
armies of the earth.
II. So long as we cherish sin, we cannot expect God to grant us success in war. I do not
mean to say that success is always given to the holiest—that victory is the guarantee of
rectitude and defeat the sign of sin; for God ofttimes tries His people by afflictions, and
permits the wicked for a time to prosper. We are not sufficient judges of these things.
But the only ground on which we can well expect the blessing of success from God is,
surely, that of walking uprightly before Him; and when we cherish sin wilfully and
consciously within our breasts, neither this nor any other blessing can we expect
Jehovah to bestow upon us. It was the sin of one man in the camp. It is the same with us.
For public and national sins we are indeed called to mourn this day. They form a long
black roll. They are too many for enumeration. But we have also our private, our
individual sins to mourn. They are concerned in our disasters. There has been a
vainglorious boasting—a self-sufficient confidence in the prowess of our soldiers, and
the irresistible force of our arms, as if we could not fail. We thought we were presenting
to the world an unequalled spectacle. We have not been relying, as a nation, upon the
help and sufficiency of Jehovah. Until we come to a more fitting state of heart—till our
self-confidence be less—till our recognition of Jehovah be more—till we feel that we are
less than nothing and vanity—till we feel that all our sufficiency is of God—we can by no
means look that the Omnipotent should scatter our foes before us and humble them in
the dust. (J. E. Cumming, D. D.)
Covetousness in the Church
I. A heinous transgression was committed. Some pursue the acquisition of wealth with
quiet plodding industry, not appearing to be the subjects of much excitement, but
associating greediness with wariness and caution, never permitting themselves to swerve
from the contemplation of the end, or the employment of the means for attaining to it.
Others, again, in the emphatic language of Scripture, have “hasted to be rich.” The
appetite has been suddenly and uncontrollably kindled, either by a combination of
internal suggestions or by the fatal facilities and opportunities which of late have been so
signally multiplied. It must, however, here be remembered that there are other forms of
covetousness besides that which consists in the craving and the pursuit of wealth. The
love of fame, the love of power, and the love of sensual pleasure—all these constitute
covetousness; and such covetousness also we conceive to have intruded itself much into
the hearts of the professing people of God.
II. A mournful consequence was incurred.
1. Observe the consequence, as relating to the individual himself. God, by virtue of
His essential omniscience, was aware of the perpetration of the sin; notwithstanding
its concealment He saw it done, and He instantly arranged a series of events, by
which, in the most impressive manner, there might be immediate detection, and
then condign and adequate punishment. There is nothing but what is naked and

89. manifest before the eyes of Him with whom we have to do; and as God knows the sin,
so also God punishes the sin. Sometimes He punishes covetousness, when it is
remarkably revolting in its operations, by judgments similar to the one which is
recorded here—the abrupt termination of life, either by the hands of men or by
judgments from His own power, which cannot be misapprehended or mistaken. Or,
frequently, God punishes covetousness by mental anxiety and dissatisfaction; by the
loss of that for which they have craved, so that it becomes to them as though it had
never been; by social disgrace, contempt and dishonour; by the ruin of bodily and
intellectual health, and by an abandonment to remorse and despair. Always God
punishes covetousness, when it constitutes and is cherished to the last as a master
passion, by an exclusion from His favour, and from the abodes of His celestial glory.
Ye professing Christians see to it that, under the cloak of your religion, you hide
nothing and cherish nothing of a spirit which is deadly wherever it is indulged. And
let us all endeavour, with constant anxiety, to remember that “God will not be
mocked”; and that “it is a fearful thing” to fall into His hands.
2. Again, we are also to trace the consequences, as relating to the community to
which the individual belonged. For important reasons, the welfare of the whole
people of Israel was affected by the individual transgression. You will now be
prepared for the statement we have simply to advance—that the prosperity of the
Christian Church has been much checked, and that its progress has been grievously
retarded, by the covetousness and by the worldly conformity of those who have
professed to be connected with it.
III. A momentous duty was required. It was that the people should “put away the
accursed thing” from them.
1. There is comprehended here uncompromising separation from all that is polluted
and pernicious.
2. There must also be devoted engagement in direct effort for the advancement of
the Divine glory. There ought to be, throughout the whole of the Christian Church,
one spirit of devoted, unwearied, and incessant activity in the proclamation of the
unsearchable riches of Christ. And, in connection with personal labour, there must
be pecuniary contribution. The property which has been vouchsafed to man as a
stewardship is to be taken away from the service of mammon, and devoted to the
service of the Saviour, is to be taken away from the service of Satan and devoted to
the service of God, and of souls, and of salvation. There must also be prayerfulness—
incessant and persevering prayerfulness—prayer involving matters as wide as the
universe can supply; that our own souls may be spiritually established, and may
prosper; that the souls of our fellow-saints may be aroused, revived, and preserved.
(James Parsons.)
11 Israel has sinned; they have violated my
covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They
have taken some of the devoted things; they have

90. stolen, they have lied, they have put them with
their own possessions.
BAR ES, "Also stolen, and dissembled also - The anger of God and the
heinousness of Israel’s sin are marked by the accumulation of clause upon clause. As a
climax they had even appropriated to their own use the consecrated property purloined
from God.
CLARKE,"Israel hath sinned - It is impossible that God should turn against his
people, if they had not turned away from him. They have taken of the accursed thing,
notwithstanding my severe prohibition. They have also stolen, supposing, if not seen by
their brethren, I should either not see or not regard it. They have dissembled - pretended
to have kept strictly the command I gave them; and have put it among their own stuff -
considered it now as a part of their own property.
GILL, "Israel hath sinned,.... For though one only had committed the sin, others
might have known of it, and connived at it; however, there was sin committed among
them, and it must be discovered, the guilt charged, and punishment inflicted:
and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them; not
the law given on Mount Sinai, called the covenant, though in general that was now
broken, inasmuch as they then promised to hear and obey all that the Lord should say
unto them, Exo_24:7; but it particularly means the command given, Jos_6:18; that they
should take nothing of that which was devoted the Lord, and thereby make the camp of
Israel a curse, and trouble it; and which shows that that was not a command given by
Joshua of himself, but what he had from the Lord:
for they have even taken of the accursed thing; somewhat of that which was
devoted to sacred uses:
and have also stolen; taken it away, not openly, but by stealth, as being conscious
they ought not to have done what they did, and so sinned both against God and their
own consciences:
and dissembled also; or "lied" (u); pretended they had not taken any of the accursed
thing when they had; and it is probable that the people in general, each of the tribes,
families, and houses, were examined by proper officers, whether they had taken any of
the spoil, or not, to themselves, and they all denied they had, and he that had taken it
among the rest; and perhaps was particularly asked the question, which he answered in
the negative:

91. and they have put it even amongst their own stuff; their household stuff, mixed
them with their own goods that they might not be known; or put them "in their own
vessels" (w), for their own use and service.
HE RY, " He informs him of the true and only cause of this disaster, and shows him
wherefore he contended with them (Jos_7:11): Israel hath sinned. “Think not that God's
mind is changed, his arm shortened, or his promise about to fail; no, it is sin, it is sin,
that great mischief-maker, that has stopped the current of divine favours and has made
this breach upon you.” The sinner is not named, though the sin is described, but it is
spoken of as the act of Israel in general, till they have fastened it upon the particular
person, and their godly sorrow have so wrought a clearing of themselves, as theirs did,
2Co_7:11. Observe how the sin is here made to appear exceedingly sinful. 1. They have
transgressed my covenant, an express precept with a penalty annexed to it. It was
agreed that God should have all the spoil of Jericho, and they should have the spoil of
the rest of the cities of Canaan; but, in robbing God of his part, they transgressed this
covenant. 2. They have even taken of the devoted thing, in contempt of the curse which
was so solemnly denounced against him that should dare to break in upon God's
property, as if that curse had nothing in it formidable. 3. They have also stolen; they did
it clandestinely, as if they could conceal it from the divine omniscience, and they were
ready to say, The Lord shall not see, or will not miss so small a matter out of so great a
spoil. Thus thou thoughtest I was altogether such a one as thyself. 4. They have
dissembled also. Probably, when the action was over, Joshua called all the tribes, and
asked them whether they had faithfully disposed of the spoil according to the divine
command, and charged them, if they knew of any transgression, that they should
discover it, but Achan joined with the rest in a general protestation of innocency, and
kept his countenance, like the adulterous woman that eats and wipes her mouth, and
says, I have done no wickedness. Nay, 5. They have put the accursed thing among their
own goods, as if they had as good a title to that as to any thing they have, never
expecting to be called to an account, nor designing to make restitution. All this Joshua,
though a wise and vigilant ruler, knew nothing of, till God told him, who knows all the
secret wickedness that is in the world, which men know nothing of God could at this
time have told him who the person was that had done this thing, but he does not, (1.) To
exercise the zeal of Joshua and Israel, in searching out the criminal. (2.) To give the
sinner himself space to repent and make confession. Joshua no doubt proclaimed it
immediately throughout the camp that there was such a transgression committed, upon
which, if Achan had surrendered himself, and penitently owned his guilt, and prevented
the scrutiny, who knows but he might have had the benefit of that law which accepted of
a trespass-offering, with restitution, from those that had sinned through ignorance in
the holy things of the law? Lev_5:15, Lev_5:16. But Achan never discovering himself till
the lot discovered him evidenced the hardness of his heart, and therefore he found no
mercy.
III. He awakens him to enquire further into it, by telling him, 1. That this was the only
ground for the controversy God had with them, this, and nothing else; so that when this
accursed thing was put away he needed not fear, all would be well, the stream of their
successes, when this one obstruction was removed, would run as strong as ever. 2. That
if this accursed thing were not destroyed they could not expect the return of God's
gracious presence; in plain terms, neither will I be with you any more as I have been,
except you destroy the accursed, that is, the accursed person, who is made so by the
accursed thing. That which is accursed will be destroyed; and those whom God has
entrusted to bear the sword bear it in vain if they make it not a terror to that wickedness

92. which brings these judgments of God on a land. By personal repentance and
reformation, we destroy the accursed thing in our own hearts, and, unless we do this, we
must never expect the favour of the blessed God. Let all men know that it is nothing but
sin that separates between them and God, and, if it be not sincerely repented of and
forsaken, it will separate eternally.
ELLICOTT, "(11) They have also transgressed my covenant.—The law is again
brought prominently forward in this scene. “The words of the covenant, the ten
commandments,” are first of all a pledge that Jehovah is the God of Israel. “I am
Jehovah, thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt.” And He brought
them out that He might bring them in—and He made them the executioners of His
wrath against the idolaters. They must have no other gods but Him, and they must
not treat the things that had been defiled by association with idolatry as their own
spoil. The words which specially apply to this case are to be found in Deuteronomy
7:25-26 : “The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not
desire (see Joshua 7:21) the silver or gold that is on them. . . . either shalt thou
bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it.”
The whole spoil of Canaan was not so treated; but concerning that of Jericho there
had been express orders, possibly because the city was especially defiled with
idolatry. God had proclaimed it abomination. It was ahêrem—devoted or
accursed—and no Israelite was to appropriate any of it, under penalty of becoming
chêrem himself, and making his household chêrem. This Achan had done.
TRAPP, "Joshua 7:11 Israel 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.
Ver. 11. Israel hath sinned.] See Joshua 7:1.
For they have even taken of the accursed thing, &c.] God aggravateth Achan’s sin
by the several circumstances, laying open how many transgressions were wrapped
up in that sin of his, as Leviticus 16:21. This Achan himself should have done, and
so prevented the Lord; [1 Corinthians 11:31] which because he did not, God did it
for him: as because the scholar will not parse his lesson, scan his verses, the master
will do it for him to his cost.
WHEDO , "Verse 11
11. Israel hath sinned — For the sense in which the sin of an individual is that of a
nation, see note on Joshua 7:1. Jehovah then rehearses the aggravated character of
that sin. It was a treacherous violation of covenant obligations into which they had
entered, (Exodus 19:8; Exodus 24:7;) it was a sacrilege, inasmuch as a consecrated
thing had been put to a private use; it was theft, because the appropriation had been
made clandestinely; it was a lie, acted if not spoken. “The first three clauses describe
the sin in its relation to God; the following three refer to the actual nature of the sin

93. itself, as theft, concealment, and misappropriation to their own use of the stolen
goods.” — Keil.
PULPIT, "Israel hath sinned. A simple but satisfactory explanation. It is not God
who changes. It is we who frustrate His counsels of love and protection against our
enemies. We have here another assertion of the principle that if one member suffer
all the members suffer with it. Achan's sin was the sin of all Israel. So the sin of one
man is still the sin of the whole Church. And have also stolen. The accusation is
cumulative. Israel, which was all involved in the sin of one among their number, had
This is strongly brought out by the fivefold repetition of ‫ַם‬‫גּ‬ in the original.
12 That is why the Israelites cannot stand against
their enemies; they turn their backs and run
because they have been made liable to destruction.
I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy
whatever among you is devoted to destruction.
BAR ES, "Accursed - Compare Jos_6:17-18.
CLARKE,"Because they were accursed - From this verse it appears that the
nature of the execration or anathema was such, that those who took of the thing doomed
to destruction fell immediately under the same condemnation. The inhabitants of
Jericho and all that they had were accursed: therefore they and all their substance were
to be destroyed. The Israelites took of the accursed thing, and therefore became accursed
with it. This was certainly understood when the curse was pronounced: Every man who
touches this property shall be involved in the same execration. Achan therefore was
sufficiently aware of the risk he ran in taking any part of the anathematized thing; and
when viewed in this light, the punishment inflicted on him will appear to be perfectly
just and proper.
GILL, "Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their
enemies,.... Being forsaken of God for the sin committed among them:
but turned their backs before their enemies: had not courage to face them, but

94. fled as soon as they appeared:
because they were accursed; of God for the accursed thing that had been taken, as
was threatened would be their case, should they take any of it; Jos_6:18,
neither will I be with you any more, until ye take away the accursed thing
from among you; that is, until they had put to death the person who had taken of the
accursed thing, and made himself thereby accursed, and even all the camp of Israel; till
this was done, the Lord would not be with them to protect and defend them, and give
them success against their enemies.
HE RY, "
JAMISO , "
TRAPP, "Joshua 7:12 Therefore 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.
Ver. 12. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand.] Sin is that great discord
maker, hell-hag, cut-throat, troubler, mother of all mischief: and that was a very
good answer of an English captain at the loss of Calais, when a proud Frenchman
tauntingly asked, When will ye fetch Calais again? the reply was, Quando peccata
vestra erunt nostris graviora, When your sins shall weigh down ours.
either will I be with you any more.] That God which, for ten righteous men, would
have spared the five wicked cities, would not be content to drown that one sin of
Achan among the righteous.
PETT, "Verse 12
“That is why the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies; they turn
their backs before their enemies because they are become devoted. I will not be with
you any more until you remove the devoted thing from among you.”
Because the devoted thing was among them they too were devoted to destruction.
Thus they received no assistance against their enemies. Indeed that was why they
had turned their backs on them. The only way to change the situation was to remove
the devoted thing from the camp, and this would include all who were directly
affected by it. Achan had brought his family into his sin. Some of them no doubt
knew about it but did nothing. But all would suffer for his sin. We need to
remember that in the end our sins and attitudes directly affect others.
“I will not be with you any more until you remove the devoted thing from among
you.” ‘You’ is in the plural. Here YHWH changes his approach to speak as though
directly to the people, both to make the words more vivid and to remove any
suggestion that Joshua is himself in view. Such sudden changes in person occur
fairly regularly elsewhere.

95. WHEDO , "12. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their
enemies — In the moral government of God there is a causal connexion between
moral and natural evil, between sin and suffering. But how few the national leaders
who have eyes to see the relation which a nation’s righteous character sustains to its
victory in war and its prosperity and greatness in peace! The atheistic apothegm of
apoleon, that Providence always favours the strongest battalions, is still believed
by the statesmen of even Christian nations. God, as the disposer of human events,
finds too little recognition in camps, courts, and cabinets.
either will I be with you any more — This declaration proves that the strong
promise of Joshua 1:5, was conditioned on the fidelity of Israel.
PULPIT, "Therefore. This plain statement disposes of the idea that the repulse
before Ai was simply the result of Joshua's rashness in sending so small a body of
troops. The vivid narrative of the detection of Achan, obviously taken from
contemporary records, precedes the account of the final capture of the city,
although Joshua, who, as we have seen, does not neglect to employ human means,
resolves to take greater precautions before making a second attack. ot a hint is
dropped that the former number of men was insufficient, or that Joshua had been
misled by the information brought by the reconnoitring party. In the mind of the
historian the defect is entirely owing to the existence of secret sin in the Israelitish
camp. Except ye destroy the accursed from among. Dr. Maclear, in the 'Cambridge
Bible for Schools,' calls attention to the fact that 1 Corinthians 5:13 is a quotation
from the LXX. here, substituting, however, τὸν πονηρὸν for το ἀνάθεµα.
13 “Go, consecrate the people. Tell them,
‘Consecrate yourselves in preparation for
tomorrow; for this is what the Lord, the God of
Israel, says: There are devoted things among you,
Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies
until you remove them.
CLARKE,"Up, sanctify the people - Joshua, all the time that God spake, lay

96. prostrate before the ark: he is now commanded to get up, and sanctify the people, i.e.,
cause them to wash themselves, and get into a proper disposition to hear the judgment
of the Lord relative to the late transactions.
GILL, "Up, sanctify the people,.... The word "up" not only signifies getting up from
the ground on which he lay, but to bestir himself, and to be active in what he would now
be enjoined and directed to do, and in the first place to "sanctify the people", that is, by
giving them orders to do it themselves:
and say, sanctify yourselves against tomorrow; either by some ceremonial
ablutions, or by the performance of moral duties, as prayer, repentance, and good works;
or rather, they were to "prepare" themselves, as the Targum and Kimchi interpret it, to
get ready against the morrow, and expect to be thoroughly searched, in order to find out
the person who had taken the accursed thing:
for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, there is an accursed thing in the midst
of thee, O Israel; an accursed person, who had taken of what was devoted to the Lord
for his own use, and so accursed:
thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed
thing from among you; by putting him to death.
HE RY, " He directs him in what method to make this enquiry and prosecution. 1. He
must sanctify the people, now over-night, that is, as it is explained, he must command
them to sanctify themselves, Jos_7:13. And what can either magistrates or ministers do
more towards sanctification? They must put themselves into a suitable frame to appear
before God and submit to the divine scrutiny, must examine themselves, now that God
was coming to examine them, must prepare to meet their God. They were called to
sanctify themselves when they were to receive the divine law (Ex. 19), and now also
when they were to come under the divine judgment; for in both God is to be attended
with the utmost reverence. “There is an accursed thing in the midst of you, and
therefore sanctify yourselves,” that is, Let all that are innocent be able to clear
themselves, and be the more careful to cleanse themselves. The sin of others may be
improved by us as furtherances of our sanctification, as the scandal of the incestuous
Corinthian occasioned a blessed reformation in that church, 2Co_7:11.
CALVI , "13.Up, sanctify the people, etc Although the word ‫קדש‬ has a more
extensive meaning, yet as the subject in question is the expiation of the people, I
have no doubt that it prescribes a formal rite of sanctification. Those, therefore, who
interpret it generally as equivalent to prepare, do not, in my judgment, give it its full
force. ay, as they were now to be in a manner brought into the divine presence,
there was need of purification that they might not come while unclean. It is also to
be observed in regard to the method of sanctifying, that Joshua intimates to the
people a legal purgation. But though the ceremony might be in itself of little
consequence, it had a powerful tendency to arouse a rude people. The external
offering must have turned their thoughts to spiritual cleanness, while their
abstinence from things otherwise lawful reminded them of the very high and
unblemished purity which was required. And they are forewarned of what is to take

97. place, in order that each may be more careful in examining himself. ay, the Lord
proceeds step by step, as if he meant to give intervals for repentance; for it is
impossible to imagine any other reason for descending from tribe to family, and
coming at length to the single individual.
In all this we see the monstrous stupor of Achan. Overcome perhaps by shame, he
doubles his impudence, and putting on a bold front, hesitates not to insult his
Maker. For why, when he sees himself discovered, does he not voluntarily come
forward and confess the crime, instead of persisting in his effrontery till he is
dragged forward against his will? But such is the just recompense of those who
allow themselves to be blinded by the devil. Then when first by the taking of his
tribe and next by that of his family, he plainly perceived that he was urged and held
fast by the hand of God, why does he not then at least spring forward, and by a
voluntary surrender deprecate punishment? It appears, then, that after he had
hardened himself in his wickedness, his mind and all his senses were charmed by the
devil.
Though God does not bring all guilty actions to light at the very moment, nor always
employ the casting of lots for this purpose, he has taught us by this example that
there is nothing so hidden as not to be revealed in its own time. The form of
disclosure will, indeed, be different; but let every one reflect, for himself, that things
which escape the knowledge of the whole world are not concealed from God, and
that to make them public depends only on his pleasure. For though a sin may seem
as it were to have fallen asleep, it is however awake before the door, and will beset
the miserable man till it overtake and crush him.
TRAPP, "Joshua 7:13 Up, 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.
Ver. 13. Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify, &c.] Come before God with the
best preparations you can make. That "God that is holy is to be sanctified in
righteousness." [Isaiah 5:16] And he will be "sanctified of all them that draw nigh
unto him" [Leviticus 10:3]
PETT, "Verse 13
“Get up, sanctify the people and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow, for
thus says YHWH, the God of Israel, there is a devoted thing in your midst, Oh
Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies, until you take away the devoted thing
from among you.’ ”
So Joshua was commanded to rise and do something about it. YHWH would assist
in the search for the devoted thing which was such a curse to them, but they must
first sanctify themselves to prepare for His drawing near. This probably meant
washing their clothes, bathing with water, waiting in their tents until the evening
and abstention from sexual relations and from anything unclean. They were also to

98. be made aware of the seriousness of the situation. It may well also have included
special sacrifices and offerings on their behalf at the Tabernacle.
“YHWH, the God of Israel.” This phrase occurs previously only in Exodus 5:1;
Exodus 32:27. It was used at particularly solemn moments. In Exodus 5:1 it was at
the time of Moses’ very first demand to Pharaoh in YHWH’s name. In Exodus 32:27
it was used in the giving of the command to the Levites to slay Israelites caught in
idolatry when Moses came down from Sinai. It became prominent in the book of
Joshua, in the historical books and especially in Jeremiah.
BE SO , "Joshua 7:13. Sanctify yourselves — ot only wash your clothes and give
yourselves up to religious exercises, meditation, and prayer, as you were required to
do formerly, when called to meet the Lord at Sinai, (see Exodus 19:10,) and lately,
when you were about to be led over Jordan, (Joshua 3:5,) but purify yourselves
from that defilement which you have all in some sort contracted by this accursed
fact, and prepare yourselves to appear before the Lord, expecting his sentence for
the discovery and punishment of the sin. This was enjoined that the guilty person
might be awakened, and brought to a free confession of his fault. And it is a
marvellous thing that he did not on this occasion acknowledge his crime. But this is
to be imputed to the heart-hardening power of sin, which makes men grow worse
and worse; to his pride, which made him loath to take to himself the shame of such a
mischievous and infamous action; and to his vain conceit, whereby he might think
others were guilty as well as he, and that some of them might be taken, and he
escape.
WHEDO , "13. Up… sanctify yourselves — This mode of address indicates the
critical nature of the exigency, which demanded immediate action to prevent further
disaster. There cannot be too great haste in putting ourselves right in the sight of
God. In order to prepare for the scrutiny which the Lord was to exercise upon all
the camp, the entire people were to perform the ablutions and observances required
by the law. Jehovah required these washings whenever he came near to them in
order to impress them with his own holiness. Exodus 19:10-11; see Joshua 3:5, note.
PULPIT, "Sanctify the people. See note on Joshua 3:5. Thou canst not stand before
thine enemies. Observe the singular number here, intensifying the testimony of the
whole history to the fact that Israel was one body before the Lord. And observe,
moreover, how the existence of secret sin, even though unknown to and undetected
by him in whom it lurks, has power to enfeeble the soul in its conflict with its
enemies. Hence we learn the duties Of watchfulness and careful examination of the
soul by the light of God's Word.
14 “‘In the morning, present yourselves tribe by

99. tribe. The tribe the Lord chooses shall come
forward clan by clan; the clan the Lord chooses
shall come forward family by family; and the
family the Lord chooses shall come forward man
by man.
BAR ES, "The Lord taketh - i. e. by lot. The Hebrew word for lot suggests that
small stones, probably white and black ones, were used. These were probably drawn
from a chest (compare the expressions in Jos_18:11; Jos_19:1). The lot was regarded as
directed in its result by God (margin reference); and hence, was used on many important
occasions by the Jews and by other nations in ancient times. For example:
(1), for apportionment, as of Canaan among the twelve tribes Num_26:55; of the
Levitical cities (Jos_21:4 ff); of spoil or captives taken in war Joe_3:3.
(2) for detection of the guilty, as in the case if Achan, Jonathan 1Sa_14:42, and Jonah
Jon_1:7.
(3) for determining the persons to undertake a dangerous or warlike enterprise Jdg_
20:10.
(4) for making appointment to important functions (Lev_16:8 ff; Act_1:26); or for
sharing the duties or privileges of an office among those concerned 1Ch_24:31; Luk_1:9.
The casting of lots before Haman Est_3:7 seems to have been with a view of
determining the lucky day for his undertaking against the Jews. One passage Pro_18:18
perhaps points also to the employment of the lot to decide litigation.
CLARKE,"Ye shall be brought according to your tribes - It has been a subject
of serious inquiry in what manner and by what means the culpable tribe, family,
household, and individual, were discovered. The Jews have many conceits on the
subject; the most rational is, that the tribes being, in their representatives, brought
before the high priest, the stone on the breastplate gave immediate intimation by
suddenly losing its lustre. According to them, this is what is termed consulting God by
Urim and Thummim. It is however most probable that the whole was determined by the
lot; and that God chose this method to detect the guilty tribe, next the family, thirdly the
household, and lastly the individual. This was nearly the plan pursued in the election of
Saul by Samuel. “Now therefore,” says he, “present yourselves before the Lord by your
tribes, and by your thousands. And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to
come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken. When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin
to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish
was taken,” 1Sa_10:19, 1Sa_10:20. If the lot was used in the one case it was doubtless
used in the other also, as the procedure in the main was entirely similar. The same mode
was used to find out who it was that transgressed the king’s command, when it was
found that Jonathan had eaten a little honey, 1Sa_14:40-43. It is well known that the

100. promised land was divided by lot among the Israelites; (see Num_26:55; Num_33:54;
Deu_1:38, etc.); and that the courses of the priests were regulated by lot in the days of
David, 1Ch_24:5, etc. That this was a frequent mode of determining difficult questions,
and appointed by God himself, is evident from Lev_16:8; Psa_51:18; Pro_16:33; Pro_
18:18; Act_1:26.
GILL, "In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your
tribes,.... One or more of every tribe, according to the number of them, were to be
brought the next morning before Joshua and the elders of Israel, the sanhedrim and
council of the nation, and very probably the tabernacle, where they assembled for this
purpose:
and it shall be, that the tribe which the Lord taketh; how a tribe and so a family
or household were taken is differently understood; what some of the Jewish writers say
deserves no regard, as the detention of persons by the ark, or of the dulness of the stones
in the Urim and Thummim: it seems best to understand the whole affair as done by
casting lots (x); so Josephus (y) and Ben Gersom; and they might in this way be said to
be taken by the Lord, because the disposition of the lot is by him, Pro_16:33; now it is
said, that the tribe that should be taken, as Judah was, from what follows:
shall come according to the families thereof; that is, the families in that tribe,
meaning the heads of them, as Kimchi well observes; these were to come to the place
where the lots were cast:
and the family which the Lord shall take shall come by households; on
whatsoever family in the tribe the lot should fall, the heads of households in that family
should appear and have lots cast on them: and the household which the Lord shall take
shall come man by man; that household that should be taken by lot, the men thereof, the
heads of the house, should come each of them and have lots east on them, that the
particular man that sinned might be discovered.
HE RY, "He must bring them all under the scrutiny of the lot (Jos_7:14); the tribe
which the guilty person was of should first be discovered by lot, then the family, then the
household, and last of all the person. The conviction came upon him thus gradually that
he might have some space given him to come in and surrender himself; for God is not
willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Observe, The
Lord is said to take the tribe, and family, and household, on which the lot fell, because
the disposal of the lot is of the Lord, and, however casual it seems, is under the direction
of infinite wisdom and justice; and to show that when the sin of sinners finds them out
God is to be acknowledged in it; it is he that seizes them, and the arrests are in his name.
God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants, Gen_44:16. It is also intimated with
what a certain and unerring judgment the righteous God does and will distinguish
between the innocent and the guilty, so that though for a time they seem involved in the
same condemnation, as the whole tribe did when it was first taken by the lot, yet he who
has his fan in his hand will effectually provide for the taking out of the precious from the
vile; so that though the righteous be of the same tribe, and family, and household, with
the wicked, yet they shall never be treated as the wicked, Gen_18:25.
ELLICOTT, "(14) The tribe which the Lord taketh.—There is nothing in the

101. language of the passage, when closely considered, which would lead us to suppose
that the discovery of the criminal was by casting lots. The parallel passage—viz., the
selection of King Saul from the tribes of Israel (1 Samuel 10:20-21)—shows that the
oracle of God was consulted. “They inquired,” and “the Lord answered.” So it was,
perhaps, in the case of Achan. We seem to see the High Priest of Israel “asking
counsel for Joshua after the judgment of Urim before the Lord,” as it had been
foretold in umbers 27:21; and the elders of Israel standing by, at the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation. The representatives of the tribes enter the sacred
enclosure in succession, and pass before the High Priest, in awful silence, broken
only by the voice of Jehovah, who pronounces it intervals the names of Judah,
Zarhite, Zabdi, Carmi, Achan. It must have been a terrible ordeal. But all present
must have felt that no human partiality, or private animosity, was seeking its victim.
The Judge of all the earth was doing judgment. And when the accusation of Jehovah
was followed by the explicit confession of the criminal, and this again by the
discovery of the stolen spoil of Jericho, which was brought in by the messengers,
and “poured out before the Lord,” and when this discovery was followed by the
execution of the awful sentence, all who were present must have received a lesson,
which it was impossible to forget, as to the reality of the covenant of God. And if, as
seems most probable, the voice of the oracle was uttered from the inner sanctuary,
from between the cherubim, but “heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the
Almighty God, when He speaketh” (Ezekiel 10:5), we learn once more the majesty of
the law given to Israel. The arrest of Jordan, the overthrow of Jericho, and the
discovery of Achan, are all manifestations of power proceeding from the same
source.
TRAPP, "Joshua 7:14 In 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.
Ver. 14. The tribe which the Lord taketh shall come according to their families.]
Christ, at last day, will do, saith a divine, as Joshua here did: there were many
brought together, and all to find out one. So shall all then appear: out of them a
small number deducted that have heard of Christ; out of them, those that have
professed him; and out of them, those that have professed in sincerity; a small few.
PETT, "Verse 14
“In the morning therefore you will be brought near by your tribes, and it shall be
that the tribe which YHWH selects shall come near by families, and the family
which YHWH shall select shall come near by households, and the household which
the Lord shall take shall come near man by man.”
We do not know quite how the method of selection would proceed but in one way or
another they would be brought near before YHWH in the Tabernacle (compare
Exodus 22:8-9; 1 Samuel 10:19-21). This may have been by the use of Urim and
Thummim, or some other method of sacred lot (Proverbs 16:33, compare 1 Samuel
14:41-42), possibly by names written on lots (see also umbers 17:1-8). Or Joshua

102. may have received personal illumination. It was clearly a method that required
gradual application. Presumably the ‘coming near’ was in the person of the leaders,
first of the tribes, then of the sub-tribes in that tribe, then of the wider families, then
of the family household (the ‘thousands, hundreds and tens?’). Once the family
household was reached each member would be required to come near before
YHWH until the culprit was discovered.
The whole of Israel would stand round the Tabernacle watching in awe and waiting
as the decisions were reached and the priest, or Joshua, moved in and out.
BE SO , "Verse 14-15
Joshua 7:14-15. The tribe which the Lord taketh — Which shall be declared guilty
by the lot, which is disposed by the Lord, (Proverbs 16:33,) and which was to be cast
in the Lord’s presence before the ark. Of such use of lots, see 1 Samuel 14:41; 1
Samuel 14:52; Jonah 1:7; Acts 1:26. Shall be burnt with fire — As persons and
things accursed were to be. All that he hath — His cattle and goods, as is noted
Joshua 7:24, according to the law, Deuteronomy 13:16. Wrought folly — So sin is
often called in Scripture, in opposition to the idle opinion of sinners, who commonly
esteem it to be their wisdom. In Israel — That is, among the church and people of
God, who had such excellent laws to direct them, and such an all-sufficient and
gracious God to provide for them, without any such unworthy practices. It was
sacrilege, it was invading God’s rights, and converting to a private use that which
was devoted to his glory, which was to be thus severely punished, for a warning to
all people in all ages to take heed how they rob God.
WHEDO ,"14. Ye shall be brought according to your tribes — God could have
disclosed to Joshua the sinner as well as the sin. by direct revelation, without this
review of the whole camp. But he chose the latter method as far more impressive,
since it awakened the interest of all the people, exhibited the magnitude of the crime,
and clearly set forth the omniscience of Jehovah, and their personal amenability to
him. Representatives of each tribe were to come to the tabernacle, or to pass in
review before the ark.
The tribe which the Lord taketh — The word taketh, as we may see from 1 Samuel
14:42, is the technical term used for decision by lot. “The lot is cast into the lap, but
the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.” Proverbs 16:33. White pebbles and one
black one may have been cast into a sack or urn, and some man from each tribe
appointed to draw them out — the black pebble indicating the tribe, clan, family, or
individual whom the Lord designated. Decision by lot is mentioned frequently in the
Old Testament, and once in the ew. Acts 1:24-26. It recommends itself as a sort of
appeal to the Almighty, free from all influence of passion or bias.
Families… households — The tribes, says Keil, were founded by the twelve sons of
Jacob and the two sons of Joseph, who were placed on an equality with them by
adoption. Whenever Levi was reckoned, Joseph was counted as one tribe; whenever
Levi was omitted, Joseph was counted as two. The tribes were divided into clans, of
which the sons, grandsons, or great grandsons of the twelve were the heads. The

103. clans were again divided into groups of families — Heb, fathers’ houses — taking
their name from the sons, grandsons, etc., of the heads of the clans. This last division
was subdivided into households, composed of individuals. The distinction between
the clans and fathers’ houses was not very definitely preserved.
COKE, "Ver. 14. In the morning, therefore, ye shall be brought, &c.— "Persons
deputed from each tribe to represent it, shall successively come, to appear before
me, and to receive my orders."
And—the tribe which the Lord taketh, shall come, &c.— We see clearly from these
things what was to happen; first, that God would make known the tribe, then the
family of that tribe, then the house or branch of that family, and, lastly, the
particular person of that branch, in whose hands was the accursed thing. But it is
not so easy to determine how this designation was to be made; that is to say, how the
taking was to be. There are only conjectures respecting it, and those of the rabbis
are commonly the least probable. We shall not stop to quote them. Josephus, Rabbi
Levi Ben Gersom, and almost all the Christian interpreters, presume that, upon this
occasion, the tribe, family, house, and particular offender, were determined by lot.
It matters little how it was cast. What Masius observes of it is very clear, who thinks
that twelve tickets were first put into an urn, on each of which was the name of a
tribe; that then they cast as many tickets as there were families in the tribe whose
name was drawn, then as many as there were houses in that family; and, lastly, as
many as there were heads in that house. However this matter may be, it cannot be
denied, either that the method of discovering hidden things by lot was in use among
the Jews (1 Samuel 20:21.) and Pagans, (Jonah 1:7.) or that it was very lawful;
having been ordained by God in more cases than one, (1 Chronicles 5:7; 1
Chronicles 5:26. Leviticus 16:8.) and practised by the apostles; Acts 24:26.
PULPIT, "Taketh, i.e; by lot, as in 1 Samuel 14:42 ( ‫ִילוּ‬‫פ‬ַ‫ה‬ make it fall; cf. 1 Samuel
10:20) (cf. Jonah 1:7; also Proverbs 18:18). According to the families. The gradual
centering of the suspicion upon the offender is one of the most striking features of
the history. The genealogies of the children of Israel were very strictly kept, as the
Books of Chronicles, Ezra, and ehemiah show. Achan's name is carefully given in
the genealogy of Judah in 1 Chronicles if. 7. The subdivision of the tribes into
families (or clans, Keil) and households (or, as we should perhaps say, families) was
for convenience of enumeration, military organisation, and perhaps of assessment.
Oehler, 'Theologie des Allen Testaments,' Sec. 101, takes the same view as Keil. The
tribes, he says, were divided into ‫ָהוֹת‬‫פ‬ ְ‫שׁ‬ִ‫מ‬ or ‫ִים‬‫פ‬ָ‫ל‬ֲ‫א‬ i.e; Geschlechter (LXX. δηµοι, for
which the best English equivalent is clans, as above); these into families or houses
( ‫ים‬ִ‫ָתּ‬‫בּ‬ ), or fathers' hours ( ‫אָבוֹת‬ ‫ֵת‬‫בּ‬); and these again into single heads of a house
( ‫ים‬ ִ‫ָר‬‫ב‬ְ‫ג‬). The principle, he adds of a Mosaic family, is as follows: Every "family"
forms a distinct whole, which as far as possible must be maintained in its integrity.
Each tribe, says Jahn ('Hebrew Commonwealth,' Book II), acknowledged a prince
( ‫יא‬ ִ‫ָשׂ‬‫כ‬ ) as its ruler. As its numbers increased, there arose a subdivision of the tribe
into collections of families. Such a collection was called a house of fathers, a ‫ָה‬‫ח‬ְ‫פ‬ ְ‫שׁ‬ִ‫מ‬
or clan, or a thousand, rut this explanation is not so satisfactory as that given above.
Kurz remarks on the important part family life played among the Hebrews, with

104. whom, in consequence of their descent from Abraham, and the importance they
attached to it, the nation was developed out of the family. See Introduction.
15 Whoever is caught with the devoted things
shall be destroyed by fire, along with all that
belongs to him. He has violated the covenant of
the Lord and has done an outrageous thing in
Israel!’”
BAR ES, "burnt with fire - i. e. after he had been put to death by stoning Jos_
7:25; Lev_20:14.
GILL, "And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be
burnt with fire,.... He that is taken by lot, and the accursed thing found with him, this
should be the death, burning, one of the four capital punishments with the Jews: this
was ordered in this case, because the city of Jericho, accursed or devoted, was burnt with
fire, Jos_6:24,
he and all that he hath; the particulars of which are enumerated, Jos_7:24,
because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord; See Gill on Jos_7:11,
and because he hath wrought folly in Israel; as all sin and every transgression of
the law is, and was the cause of Israel's turning their backs on their enemies; which, as
Abarbinel says, was folly, and made the people of Israel look foolish, mean, and
contemptible: the word has also the signification of a dead carcass, and may possibly
have respect, to the thirty six men whose death he was the occasion of, Jos_7:5, and
therefore justly ought to die himself.
HE RY, "When the criminal was found out he must be put to death without mercy
(Heb_10:28), and with all the expressions of a holy detestation, Jos_7:15. He and all
that he has must be burnt with fire, that there might be no remainders of the accursed
thing among them; and the reason given for this severe sentence is because the criminal
has, (1.) Given a great affront to God: He has transgressed the covenant of the Lord,
who is jealous particularly for the honour of the holy covenant. (2.) He has done a great
injury to the church of God: He has wrought folly in Israel, has shamed that nation

105. which is looked upon by all its neighbours to be a wise and understanding people, has
infected that nation which is sanctified to God, and troubled that nation of which he is
the protector. These being crimes so heinous in their nature, and of such pernicious
consequence and example, the execution, which otherwise would have come under the
imputation of cruelty, is to be applauded as a piece of necessary justice. It was sacrilege;
it was invading God's rights, alienating his property, and converting to a private use that
which was devoted to his glory and appropriated to the service of his sanctuary - this was
the crime to be thus severely punished, for warning to all people in all ages to take heed
how they rob God.
TRAPP, "Joshua 7:15 And 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.
Ver. 15. Shall be burnt with fire.] After that he is first stoned with stones as a
presumptuous offender, [ umbers 15:30; umbers 15:35] who is a kind of
blasphemer, [Ezekiel 20:37] and his sin such, as is not to be expiated by sacrifice.
He and all that he hath.] His children also, as part of his goods, and infected with
the contagion of his sin. Besides, they owed a death to God, who might require that
debt when and how he would; neither could there be any iniquity with the Lord,
since his holy will is not only recta sed regula, right, but the rule of right: neither is
it for silly men to reprehend what they cannot comprehend.
And because he hath wrought folly.] Or, Wickedness, which is folly in the abstract:
like as righteousness is right-wiseness, and a righteous man a right-wise-man, as in
our old English books we find it printed.
In Israel.] Quorum ingentia beneficia, ingentia flagitia, ingentia igitur supplicia:
men’s offences are increased by their obligations.
PETT, "Verse 15
“And it shall be that he who is taken with the devoted thing shall be burnt with fire,
he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of YHWH, and
because he has wrought folly in Israel.”
Anything devoted had to be burnt with fire. By taking the devoted thing the culprit
had made himself and all that he had part of ‘that which was devoted’. Thus all
must be burnt with fire to remove contamination from Israel, and to remove the
devoted thing from the camp of Israel. Sadly that may have included not only all his
possessions but also his close blood relations (Joshua 7:24). They would share his
tent and it is doubtful whether he could have dug a hole and hidden what he did in
the tent without them knowing. They would therefore be seen as guilty through
complicity.

106. ote the two charges. He had broken the covenant of YHWH and he had wrought
folly in Israel. It was wrong both towards God and towards man, both religiously
and morally. ‘Wrought folly in Israel’ was a standard phrase for a heinous and
grievous wrong (Genesis 34:7; Deuteronomy 22:21; Judges 20:10).
While we do not have to defend the actions of God, especially in such a pivotal and
vital situation as this, it should be noted that ‘all that he has’ was open to
interpretation. Joshua and Israel interpreted it to include all blood relations because
that would be the interpretation put on it by the custom of the times, and because
they would be seen as guilty of complicity in the crime, but that is not strictly what
YHWH said. In these cases God’s purpose is often expanded on by man’s own ideas.
However we must recognise that by his action Achan had allied himself with
Jericho, and thus condemned his blood relations just as Rahab had aligned herself
with YHWH, thus saving not only herself but also her blood relations. It is
interesting that his wife or wives were not said to be included, although it may be
she was already dead.
WHEDO , "15. He… shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath — As the
anathema was to be executed by fire, and as the guilty man has made himself and all
his possessions anathema, he is to be destroyed with fire. See note on Joshua 7:24.
The body, rendered lifeless by stoning, (Joshua 7:25,) and not the living man, was to
be burned. Burning alive is not found in the Mosaic law.
Wrought folly in Israel — Folly is a very appropriate name for sin, since every sin
proceeds from real intellectual stupidity, short-sightedness, and fatuity, which the
Greeks expressed by a word signifying missing the mark. In the eye of true reason
the devil himself is a simpleton, and all his followers doltishly reject divine
instruction, and stupidly go down to hell, imagining that God does not see their sins,
and will not punish the guilty.
PULPIT, "He that is taken with the accursed thing; or, according to Keil, "he on
whom the ban falls." He and all that he hath (cf. Joshua 7:24). The opinion that
Achan's family had in some way become participators in his sin would seem
preferable to the idea that his sin had involved them in the ban. The destruction of
their possessions is due to the fact that all the family had come under the ban. Folly
‫ָה‬‫ל‬ָ‫ב‬ְ‫נ‬ used of the heart as well as the head (cf. Genesis 34:7 : Deuteronomy 22:21;
19:23, 19:24, 20:6; 2 Samuel 13:12; Psalms 14:1). The LXX. render by ἀνόµηµα, and
the Vulgate by herae, but Theodotion renders by ἀφροσύνη
16 Early the next morning Joshua had Israel come
forward by tribes, and Judah was chosen.

107. GILL, "So Joshua rose up early in the morning,.... Which showed his readiness
and diligence to obey the command of God; and as there was much work to do, it
required that he should rise early:
and brought Israel by their tribes: before the Lord, at the tabernacle, where he and
the high priest and elders attended; each tribe was thither brought by their
representatives:
and the tribe of Judah was taken: either his stone in the breastplate of the high
priest looked dull, as some say, or rather the lot being cast fell on that tribe.
HE RY 16-18, "We have in these verses,
I. The discovery of Achan by the lot, which proved a perfect lot, though it proceeded
gradually. Though we may suppose that Joshua slept the better, and with more ease and
satisfaction, when he knew the worst of the disease of that body of which, under God, he
was the head, and was put into a certain method of cure, yet he rose up early in the
morning (Jos_7:16), so much was his heart upon it, to put away the accursed thing. We
have found Joshua upon other occasions an early riser; here it shows his zeal and
vehement desire to see Israel restored to the divine favour. In the scrutiny observe, 1.
That the guilty tribe was that of Judah, which was, and was to be, of all the tribes, the
most honourable and illustrious; this was an alloy to their dignity, and might serve as a
check to their pride: many there were who were its glories, but here was one that was its
reproach. Let not the best families think it strange if there be those found in them, and
descending from them, that prove their grief and shame. Judah was to have the first and
largest lot in Canaan; the more inexcusable is one of that tribe it, not content to wait for
his own share, he break in upon God's property. The Jews' tradition is that when the
tribe of Judah was taken the valiant men of that tribe drew their swords, and professed
they would not sheathe them again till they saw the criminal punished and themselves
cleared who knew their own innocency. 2. That the guilty person was at length fastened
upon, and the language of the lot was, Thou art the man, v. 18. It was strange that
Achan, being conscious to himself of guilt, when he saw the lot come nearer and nearer
to him, had not either the wit to make an escape or the grace to make a confession; but
his heart was hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, and it proved to be to his own
destruction. We may well imagine how his countenance changed, and what horror and
confusion seized him when he was singled out as the delinquent, when the eyes of all
Israel were fastened upon him, and every one was ready to say, Have we found thee, O
our enemy? See here, (1.) The folly of those that promise themselves secrecy in sin: the
righteous God has many ways of bringing to light the hidden works of darkness, and so
bringing to shame and ruin those that continue their fellowship with those unfruitful
works. A bird of the air, when God pleases, shall carry the voice, Ecc_10:20. See Psa_
94:7, etc. (2.) How much it is our concern, when God is contending with us, to find out
what the cause of action is, what the particular sin is, that, like Achan, troubles our
camp. We must thus examine ourselves and carefully review the records of conscience,
that we may find out the accursed thing, and pray earnestly with holy Job, Lord, show

108. me wherefore thou contendest with me. Discover the traitor and he shall be no longer
harboured.
JAMISO 16-18, "So Joshua rose up early, and brought Israel by their
tribes — that is, before the tabernacle. The lot being appealed to (Pro_16:33), he
proceeded in the inquiry from heads of tribes to heads of families, and from heads of
households in succession to one family, and to particular persons in that family, until the
criminal was found to be Achan, who, on Joshua’s admonition, confessed the fact of
having secreted for his own use, in the floor of his tent, spoil both in garments and
money [Jos_7:19-21]. How dreadful must have been his feelings when he saw the slow
but certain process of discovery! (Num_32:23).
K&D 16-18, "Execution of the Command. - Jos_7:16-18. Discovery of the guilty man
through the lot. In Jos_7:17 we should expect “the tribe” (shebet) or “the families”
(mishpachoth) of Judah, instead of “the family.” The plural mishpachoth is adopted in
the lxx and Vulgate, and also to be met with in seven MSS; but this is a conjecture rather
than the original reading Mishpachah is either used generally, or employed in a collective
sense to denote all the families of Judah. There is no ground for altering ‫ים‬ ִ‫ר‬ ָ‫ב‬ְ ַ‫ל‬ (man by
man) into ‫ים‬ ִ ָ‫ב‬ ְ‫ל‬ (house by house) in Jos_7:17, according to some of the MSS; the
expression “man by man” is used simply because it was the representative men who
came for the lot to be cast, not only in the case of the fathers' houses, but in that of the
families also.
PETT, "Verse 16
‘So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel near by their tribes,
and the tribe of Judah was selected.’
Joshua always rose early on special occasions. Perhaps it was in order to pray
before acting. Or perhaps he was concerned to obey YHWH as quickly as possible.
(How good it would be if we also were so eager to do God’s will). And he brought
Israel near, by their tribes. Perhaps he had twelve sticks with their tribal names on
and these were tossed in some way by the priest. Perhaps he went through them one
by one saying ‘Is this the one?’ with the priest tossing the Urim and Thummim to
see if it gave a ‘yes’ reply. The method of selection bit by bit demonstrates that it
was not a direct word from God to Joshua. But whichever way it was the lot fell
correctly and Judah was selected.
WHEDO , "16. Early in the morning — In all hot countries during the heated
months early morning is the time for business. ote, Luke 21:38.
By their tribes — Representatively; see Joshua 7:14, note.
And the tribe of Judah was taken — It was indicated by lot that the sinner belonged
to that tribe.

109. COFFMA , ""So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel near by
their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken, and he brought near the family of
Judah; and he took the family of the Zerahites: and he brought near the family of
the Zerahites man by man; and Zabdi was taken: and he brought near 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. And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give,
I pray thee, glory to Jehovah, the God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and
tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me. And Achan answered Joshua
and said, Of a truth I have sinned against Jehovah, the God of Israel, and thus and
thus have I done: When I saw among the spoil a goodly Babylonish mantle, 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."
"Brought Israel near ..." The repeated use of "bring near" for the casting of the lots
indicates that these proceedings, "took place at the sanctuary, the tabernacle of
Israel."[10]
"My son ..." (Joshua 7:19). "This is no mere hypocritical affectation by Joshua, who
really feels for the criminal, (although the Commander is already under orders from
God Himself to execute Achan). In our own times, we have seen a judge melted to
tears at the necessity of condemning a man to death."[11]
"Of a truth I have sinned ..." (Joshua 7:20). It has long been apparent that physical
death as inflicted for punishment in the O.T. did not always mean the eternal
condemnation of those who thus died. Adam Clarke said of this case, "This seems a
very honest and hearty confession, and there is hope that this poor culprit escaped
perdition."[12]
"I saw ... I coveted ... I took ..." Behold here the three steps in the commission of sin,
these being exactly the same steps taken by our mother Eve in the Paradise of Eden.
"Sin always begins in the mind. As a work of art begins in the mind, and then is
externalized, so also does sin."[13] Dummelow pointed out that Achan's confession
is of special interest, because, "Its wording is practically identical with that of the
traditional form of confession which was used by those who brought sin and
trespass-offerings, as enjoined in Leviticus 5:5, and in umbers 5:6.7."[14] Matthew
Henry pointed out that "Sin often begins in the eye."[15] Examples of this which he
cited included those suggested by the following: (1) look not thou upon the wine that
giveth his colour in the cup; (2) nor upon the woman that is fair; (3) nor upon the
kingdoms of this world as Satan showed them to Jesus.
"A goodly Babylonian mantle ..." It is unfortunate that recent translators of the
Bible saw fit to change from the original language here which is, "one fine mantle of
Shinar."[16] The word "Shinar" here, like so many other indications in Joshua,
points squarely at the times of Joshua for the date of this book, because, "Shinar is
the name given to Babylon in the earliest records of the Hebrews."[17]

110. It appears that this exceedingly beautiful mantle from Shinar was the principal
temptation that lay back of Achan's fatal sin. "The very word used of this mantle
here is the one that is used to describe the king's robe in Jonah 3:6."[18] Schaeffer
applied the lesson here as follows: "Christians should beware of affluence, of
prestige, of trying to be a VIP."[19] There were two parts of Achan's sin: (1) simple
greed, or covetousness; and (2) the desire to dress in such a manner as to make
himself stand out above others. The mantle fed that latter desire; and the gold and
silver fed the other. The seriousness of this crime lay, partially at least, in the fact of
Achan's taking what specifically belonged to the Lord and to no one else. In short,
he was robbing God! And here indeed is a lesson that all Christians should note. A
considerable measure of any Christian's wealth, of whatever extent, belongs to God.
Some would say at least one-tenth; but whatever is the right amount, a portion of
every man's money is the Lord's. And what about those who will not give it? Their
sin is exactly the same as Achan's.
Woudstra gave the value of the gold shekel mentioned here as 13.5 times the value of
a silver shekel, thus the wedge of gold would have had the value of about 675 silver
shekels.[20]
COKE, "Ver. 16. So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought, &c.—
Interpreters here ask, How was it possible that Achan should dare to extend his
audacity so far as not to confess his crime as soon as he knew the orders which God
had given to Joshua?—And they answer, that sin had blinded him, and that a proud
shame withheld him. But, waving the discussion of these replies, we apprehend that
the following will be considered as very sufficient; namely, that Achan knew nothing
of the orders which God had given to Joshua, inasmuch as that general
communicated them to no one, and limited himself to hasten the execution of them.
CO STABLE,"Verses 16-26
Even though Achan"s sin carried a punishment that he could not decrease or
postpone, Achan could at least reduce his guilt by confessing his sin. This he did in
response to Joshua"s paternal entreaty ( Joshua 7:19). Confessing one"s sin is one
way to glorify God.
Achan"s confession clearly revealed the process involved in yielding to temptation (
Joshua 7:21). He allowed the sight of something attractive to grow into covetousness.
Then he took the step from covert mental sin to overt physical sin. Finally he sought
to cover his action rather than confessing it. The same progression appears in the
story of the Fall and in the story of David"s sin with Bathsheba ( Genesis 3:6-7;
Genesis 3:10; 2 Samuel 11:2-4; 2 Samuel 11:8). One shekel weighed about four
ounces. Josephus wrote that the mantle from Shinar that Achan took was "a royal
garment woven entirely of gold." [ ote: Josephus, 5:1:10.]
The Israelites punished Achan"s children with him ( Joshua 7:24), evidently
because they had participated in his sin (cf. Proverbs 15:27). [ ote: Woudstra,
p130.] It would have been difficult for Achan to hide the amount of spoil he took
under his tent without his family"s knowledge. The people also destroyed all of

111. Achan"s possessions (cf. Deuteronomy 13:16-17). Achan"s sin was high-handed
defiance against God (cf. umbers 15:30; umbers 15:35).
The heap of stones the people raised over Achan, his family, and his possessions (
Joshua 7:26) memorialized this act of rebellion for the Israelites and their children
(cf. Joshua 8:29; 2 Samuel 18:17). They named the valley in which the execution
took place "Achor" (lit. troubling or disaster) as a further reminder (cf. Hosea 2:15;
Isaiah 65:10). ote the wordplay with Achan"s name.
"Whilst they [the Israelites] learned from his mercies how greatly he was to be
loved, they needed also to learn from his judgments how greatly he was to be
feared." [ ote: Bush, p85.]
Israel"s defeat at Ai graphically illustrates the far-reaching influence of sin. The
private sin of one or a few individuals can affect the welfare of many other people
who do not personally commit that sin.
Achan and his family were to Israel at this time what Ananias and Sapphira were to
the early church ( Acts 5). They were a strong warning of the consequences of sin
among God"s people. adab and Abihu ( Leviticus 10), and Korah and his cohorts (
umbers 16), were similar examples. The fact that God does not judge sin today as
He did on these occasions does not mean He feels any less strongly about it. He
mercifully withholds judgment in most instances. evertheless sin still produces the
same destruction and death.
"God"s first revenges are so much more fearful, because they must be exemplary."
[ ote: J. Hall, Contemplations on the Old and ew Testaments, p99.]
God"s punishment on Achan was not unfair. It is only by God"s mercy that any
sinner lives to old age. God can judge any sinner at any time in his or her life and be
perfectly just. o sinner has any claim on God"s grace. God is no man"s debtor.
"As we read in ch. vii the story of Israel"s first fight and first failure, we shall see
that there were in the main, two causes of defeat: self-confidence, and covetousness;
and these are still prime causes of failure in a Christian life." [ ote: W. Graham
Scroggie, The Land and Life of Rest, p38.]
Chapters1-7 form a unit of text: the Jericho siege narrative. Rahab and Achan open
and close this section respectively forming its "bookends." Rahab was a female
Canaanite prostitute; Achan was an Israelite man. Rahab hid the spies under her
roof; Achan hid stolen loot under his tent. Rahab, her house, and her family were
saved; Achan, his tent, and his family were destroyed. The writer was teaching
theology by the way he constructed his narrative. [ ote: J. Daniel Hays, "An
Evangelical Approach to Old Testament arrative Criticism," Bibliotheca
Sacra166:661 (January-March2009):12.]
PULPIT, "The family of Judah. The expression ‫ת‬ַ‫ַת‬‫פ‬ ְ‫שׁ‬ִ‫מ‬ is remarkable. Many

112. commentators would read ‫ֹת‬ ‫ְח‬‫פ‬ ְ‫שׁ‬ִ‫מ‬, not without some MSS. authority. Keil objects
that the Chaldee and Syriac have the singular. But the LXX. has κατὰ δήµους, and
the Vulgate juxta familias. On the whole it seems more probable that as ‫ַת‬‫ח‬ַ‫פ‬ ְ‫שׁ‬ִ‫מ‬
occurs twice in this passage, it has been so pointed where the same letters occur for
the third time, than that, with Peele, it means tribe (so also Gesenius and Winer); or
that, as others suggest, it is used for omnes or singulas genres. See, however, 13:2,
where it is unquestionably used in the sense of tribe.
BI 16-19, "Achan . . . was taken.
.
Achan’s sin
1. Look at it in itself. It was sacrilege—a robbing God of what He had directed to be
devoted to His glory and appropriated to the use of His sanctuary.
2. View it in its circumstances. It was committed immediately after the offender,
together with the rest of the people of Israel, had solemnly renewed their dedication
to God in the ordinances of circumcision and the Passover, and after the most signal
display of almighty power; and it was committed when God had declared that the
person who should be found guilty of such a sin should be accursed.
3. Look, too, at Achan’s sin in its effects. In consequence of it, God had withdrawn
His favour and His help from His people; they had sustained a humiliating defeat, in
which six-and-thirty of their number had been slain; and had the sin not been
punished, it would have procured the destruction of the whole nation. (W. Cardall,
B. A.)
Achan’s trespass
A vessel in full sail scuds merrily over the waves. Everything betokens a successful and
delightful voyage. The log has just been taken, marking an extraordinary run. The
passengers are in the highest spirits, anticipating an early close of the voyage. Suddenly a
shock is felt, and terror is seen on every face. The ship has struck on a rock. Not only is
progress arrested, but it will be a mercy for crew and passengers if they can escape with
their lives. Not often so violently, but often as really, progress is arrested in many a good
enterprise that seemed to be prospering to a wish. There may be no shock, but there is a
stoppage of movement. The vital force that seemed to be carrying it on towards the
desired consummation declines, and the work hangs fire. In all such cases we naturally
wonder what can be the cause. And very often our explanation is wide of the mark. In
religious enterprises we are apt to fall back on the sovereignty and inscrutability of God.
“He moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform.” It seems good to Him, for
unknown purposes of His own, to subject us to disappointment and trial. We do not
impugn either His wisdom or His goodness; all is for the best. But, for the most part, we
fail to detect the real reason. That the fault should lie with ourselves is the last thing we
think of. We search for it in every direction rather than at home. It was an unexpected
obstacle of this kind that Joshua now encountered in his next step towards possessing
the land. Hitherto Joshua had been eminently successful, and his people too. Not a hitch
had occurred in all the arrangements. The capture of Jericho had been an unqualified
triumph. It seemed as if the people of Ai could hardly fail to be paralysed by its fate. The
men of Israel were not prepared for a vigorous onslaught, and when it came thus

113. unexpectedly they were taken aback and fled in confusion. As the men of Ai pursued
them down the pass, they had no power to rally or retrieve the battle; the rout was
complete, some of the men were killed, while consternation was carried into the host,
and their whole enterprise seemed doomed to failure. And now for the first time Joshua
appears in a somewhat humiliating light. He is not one of the men that never make a
blunder. He rends his clothes, fails on his face with the elders before the ark of the Lord
till even, and puts dust upon his head. There is something too abject in this prostration.
And when he speaks to God, it is in the tone of complaint and in the language of
unbelief. Like peter on the waters, and like so many of ourselves, he begins to sink when
the wind is contrary, and his cry is the querulous wail of a frightened child! After all he is
but flesh and blood. Now it is God’s turn to speak. “Get thee up; wherefore liest thou
thus upon thy face?” Why do you turn on Me as if I had suddenly changed, and become
forgetful of My promise? Then comes the true explanation—“Israel hath sinned.” Might
you not have divined that this was the real cause of your trouble? Is not sin directly or
indirectly the cause of all trouble? What a curse that sin is, in ways and forms, too, which
we do not suspect! And yet we are usually so very careless about it. How little pains we
take to ascertain its presence, or to drive it away from among us! How little tenderness
of conscience we show, how little burning desire to be kept from the accursed thing! And
when we turn to our opponents and see sin in them, instead of being grieved, we fall on
them savagely to upbraid them, and we hold them up to open scorn. How little we think,
if they are guilty, that their sin has intercepted the favour of God, and involved not them
only, but probably the whole community in trouble! How unsatisfactory to God must
seem the bearing even of the best of us in reference to sin! The peculiar covenant relation
in which Israel stood to God caused a method to be fallen on for detecting their sin that
is not available for us. The whole people were to be assembled next morning, and inquiry
was to be made for the delinquent in God’s way, and when the individual was found
condign punishment was to be inflicted. The tribe is taken, the family is taken, but that is
not all; the household that God shall take shall come “man by man.” It is that
individualising of us that we dread; it is when it comes to that, that “conscience makes
cowards of us all.” But before passing on to the result of the scrutiny, we find ourselves
face to face with a difficult question. If, as is here intimated, it was one man that sinned,
why should the whole nation have been dealt with as guilty? We are to remember that
practically the principle of solidarity was fully admitted in Joshua’s time among his
people. The sense of injustice and hardship to which it might give rise among us did not
exist. Men recognised it as a law of wide influence in human affairs, to which they were
bound to defer. Let us think of Achan’s temptation. A large amount of valuable property
fell into the hands of the Israelites at Jericho. By a rigorous law, all was devoted to the
service of God. Now a covetous man like Achan might find many plausible reasons for
evading this law. “What I take to myself (he might say)will never be missed. Nobody will
suffer a whir by what I do—it cannot be very wrong.” Now the great lesson taught very
solemnly and impressively to the whole nation was, that this was just awfully wrong. The
moral benefit which the nation ultimately got from the transaction was, that this kind of
sophistry, this flattering unction which leads so many persons ultimately to destruction,
was exploded and blown to shivers. That sin is to be held sinful only when it hurts your
fellow-creatures, and especially the poor among your fellow-creatures, is a very common
impression, but surely it is a delusion of the devil. That it has such effects may be a gross
aggravation of the wickedness, but it is not the heart and core of it. And how can you
know that it will not hurt others? Not hurt your fellow-countrymen, Achan? Why, that
secret sin of yours has caused the death of thirty-six men and a humiliating defeat of the
troops before At. More than that, it has separated between the nation and God. Many
say, when they tell a lie, it was not a malignant lie; it was a lie told to screen some one,

114. not to expose him, therefore it was harmless. But you cannot trace the consequences of
that lie, any more than Achan could trace the consequences of his theft, otherwise you
would not dare to make that excuse. Is there safety for man or woman except in the most
rigid regard to right and truth, even in the smallest portions of them with which they
have to do? Is there not something utterly fearful in the propagating power of sin, and in
its way of involving others, who are perfectly innocent, in its awful doom? Happy they
who from their earliest years have had a salutary dread of it, and of its infinite
ramifications of misery and woe! (W. G. Blaikie, D. D.)
A great crime
I. The crime of Achan was marked by disobedience. And the remembrance of the solemn
covenant between God and His people rendered the disobedience very aggravated. The
act of Achan was a glaring breach of its conditions.
II. It was also an act of theft, a breach of the eighth commandment. There was, on the
part of Achan, a definite and deliberate breach of trust; as much so as if the crime had
been embezzlement or forgery. And it is very plain that this act was deliberately planned
and carried out. Achan’s action was not that of a man suddenly overcome by temptation.
His act was most deliberate. It was also inexcusable. There was no pressing want or
demand upon him to coerce right principle.
III. Deceit also characterised Achan’s conduct. So is it always. Lying and stealing are
twin brothers, inseparable. The words “committed a trespass” might be more literally
translated, “deceived a deceit.” The whole transaction occurred under cover of a cloud of
guile. He not only stole, but also tried hard to cover his offence with craft.
IV. Achan’s conduct also revealed unbrotherliness. He wished in an underhand way to
get the better of his brethren, and that was bad enough; it showed how utterly selfish he
was. But he had also been warned that such conduct would be visited not only on the
perpetrator himself, but on all the people (Jos_6:18). Accordingly his act was
unbrotherly and unpatriotic. The real enemy of God’s people is not opposing strength
but inner corruption; not the quibbles of the infidel but the carelessness of the Christian.
Achan’s wedge of gold was a more formidable weapon against Israel than all the swords
of the aliens. The grand lessons here taught are, that while the holy are invincible, the
defiled must be defeated; and “He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house.”
V. Still further, Achan’s conduct revealed ingratitude. And this was all the more sad,
because Jehovah was no hard master, eager to gather all to Himself and leave His
servants as little as possible. Each of them will have plenty in good time. There is
sufficient for each and all, and for their children after them. Surely He may well demand
the firstfruits as His due.
VI. Achan’s deed betokened impiety. It was the act of a godless heart. Could Achan have
believed that God spoke true, when He warned the army of the evil that would come
upon them if they disobeyed His command? Nay, he did not believe the Divine word.
Neither did he believe in the Divine knowledge. Whom did Achan conceive the God of
Israel to be? One like the blind and deaf deities of Canaan—a god who could not see and
understand. His act was an invasion of God’s rights before His very face; the alienation
of His property under His very eyes; the devoting to private use that which He had
devoted to His glory, and therefore it amounted to daring and impudent sacrilege. Is
such a sin as Achan’s extinct? Is there no unjust getting in these days? no “getting of
treasures by a lying tongue”? Is there no undue grasping in these days? Has God no

115. claim on any portion of what we possess? (A. B. Mackay.)
Found out
One man spoiled the unity, spoiled the success. It is put in plain English: for the sin of
one man the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and they all suffered. For that
unity, that solidarity, is a reality far more than we think. God counts a great deal upon it.
If one member suffer, the whole body suffers. If there is health, there is general health. If
there is sickness, we are all enfeebled and hurt by that sickness. It is somewhat like what
takes place in connection with our electric telegraph system. Messages and
communications are flying to and fro, say, between the different parts of an army in a
foreign country engaged in foreign campaign, one being in complete accord and close
communication with the other, when suddenly there is a breakdown. Suddenly the
generals in each host cease to be able to communicate with each other. United
movement is impossible: united counsel is impossible. Why? Because, at some one place
the enemy, by means of a spy, has tapped the wire; and all this communication of theirs
is being turned not for them, but against them. At some place the wire is tapped and the
communication is taken off and is used by the enemy. So with Israel. At one point the
tide of the Spirit’s power that was circulating through them all was deflected. By one
unfaithful man the whole tide of God’s energy was shed helplessly down to the earth.
The problem on that day was this. There was one man who had broken the chain. A
leakage was taking place at one point, at one particular man, an ordinary man, a man
who but for his sin would never have been heard of in the world. Oh, see how staring,
glaring, conspicuous a man becomes by sin; not by cleverness, not by intellectuality, not
by wealth, not by culture, not by rank, not by wearing clothes, and taking positions, but
by this dirty thing—sin. Sin makes a man conspicuous who otherwise, as I have said,
would not have been heard of—an ordinary man in the ranks of men. There is that
missing link; there is that break; there is that leakage; there is that sinner. The problem
is, how to find him out—how to have the damage repaired, how to have that man
detected, and either put right or put out. And the problem is intensified thus. The man
knows what he has done, and the man will not tell. We have the same thing still. This
accursed thing is in us, namely, that our heart shall depart from the living God; our heart
shall forget its purpose; our heart shall turn aside to sin, and outwardly we shall brazen
it out with our very Leader and defy Him, and deny so far as we are concerned, that we
are responsible—that the blame lies at our door. There was no confession. The Lord was
not helped in the least. He had to take judgment in hand. Joshua was nonplussed; and if
God Himself had not come, Israel’s history as a successful people would have come to a
close at this very point. We talk in our homely proverb of the difficulty, the impossibility,
of finding a needle in a haystack. That familiar phrase receives a moral illustration here.
What God has to do is to find out the one sinner among these assembled thousands,
when he is keeping as dark as the grave. God could have come and simply taken that
unclean thing, Achan. He could have taken him “neck and crop” without all this process.
God could have gone straight to him, and put His hand upon his shoulder, and hurled
him out into the outer darkness at once. Why take all this time—tribe by tribe, family by
family, man by man? Surely that was mercy. That was in Achan’s interest. He gave the
poor, infatuated fool time, space, place, room to repent; and as he saw Nemesis evidently
on his track he had time to cast himself down before Joshua, and to exclaim, “Stop! I
confess! I am the man.” Had he done so, this story, I am convinced, would have been one
of the brightest stories of mercy in God’s book, instead of one of its darkest, almost
without a ray of light. Achan was taken. That same God is the God of the New Testament

116. Church. I do not know how it may be with you: but this is the kind of preaching I was
brought up under, and I have seen no reason to turn from it—a God of inflexible
righteousness and holiness, who will not allow sin to go unpunished. Now do not stand
up blatantly and ask whether I have ever heard of the Cross and the New Testament. I
have been to the Cross. This story is intensified by the Cross. At the Cross we behold at
once the goodness and the severity of God. At the Cross we learn the exceeding
sinfulness of sin, the dazzling, blinding holiness of God, as well as the mercy that is
intershot through all. Sin is no metaphysical abstraction. It is not a mere arrangement of
the letters of the alphabet. It is not a mere thing of theology or of philosophy. It is a
deep, dark, abominable thing found in the hearts of men; and if God spared not the
angels that sinned, how shall He spare us? No, it was no exaggeration. It was no “trouble
for nothing.” It was no mere cry. God was justified. There was a stone in the machine,
and God found out the stone and took it away; and then the wheels ceased to grate and
jar and move heavily. There is a stone in the machine yet, in the moral machinery of
God’s Church and of God’s world. I may be that stone, and I may be concealing what I
am—concealing it behind the profession of the ministry, concealing it behind preaching
to you on this very subject. You may be concealing it behind the office of the elder. You
may be concealing it behind a great anxiety to keep the table of the Lord and the
communion roll pure; and I say that this is needful, and it is a good sign and a good
thing that the Church should conserve and be anxious about her purity before God and
man; and yet it may be part of the dress that we put on, to look as Achan looked. For
while the judgment processes were going on Achan, very likely, held up his head and
looked round. “It is not I, at any rate”; and the nearer it came the more brazen he looked;
“It is not I.” So our very scrupulosity and care in connection with God’s house and book
and day may belong to the Pharisee within us, the Achan, the hypocrite. God Almighty
alone could have detected this man, and God Almighty Himself had to take the judgment
work in hand. I am speaking to Achan here, and I want to let you know that you will get
all you are working for. The day comes when the sweet gales of mercy no longer shall
blow—when you will hear no more about cleansing blood—when there will be nothing
but “a fearful looking for of judgment and of fiery indignation that shall devour the
adversaries”—when your sin shall be proved on you, and in you, and to you, and before
an assembled world, with no chance for ever of getting its curse and its power lifted
away. It is coming. God will here lead us now to confession, or there to too late
confession and doom beyond remedy. (John McNeill.)
Achan a representative man
There is nothing old in these words. Achan is “taken” every day. Achan is sure to be
“taken.” If we are practising the policy of Achan, the fate of Achan we can never avert.
What a representative man is Achan! Does he not represent those, for example, who are
continually taking great risks? What a life some men lead I But the mystery of it is that
Achan represents also men who have no need to take risks. They have plenty; they have
sweet homes. They need not go out of their own doors for a single pleasure. Yet they
covet just a little more: it is only one acre to complete the estate. Achan committed a sin
which is common to us all, in so far that he felt it extremely difficult to subordinate the
personal to the communal. He might have said—and in so saying he would have talked
good, round English”—What can a wedge of gold matter in all this great heap of wealth?
What is the difference one Babylonish garment more or less? Who will be the worse for
my taking it? Nobody need know. I want a relic of this event, I want a keepsake; this has
been a very wonderful miracle, and I want to keep in my house some memorial of it; I

117. could turn these things into good, moral uses: I could preach sermons upon them, I
could derive lessons from them. It cannot make any difference where thousands of men
are concerned if I take one wedge of gold, two hundred shekels of silver, and a goodly
Babylonish garment—they are all but a handful, and who will miss them? In fact, there
will be no reckoning; things in connection with a battle are done so tumultuously and so
irregularly that none will ever think of looking up such a handful of spoil as I may seize.”
That is the exaggeration of individualism; that is the lie which man is always telling to
himself. It is the falsehood which enables him to cheat the body politic: “What can it
matter if I do not vote? There are thousands of people who want to vote, let them enjoy
themselves, and I will take mine ease. What can it matter if I do not keep the laws of the
company—the municipal or other company? The great majority of the neighbours will
keep them, and as for any little infraction of them of which I may be guilty, it is mere
pedantry to remark upon it. Who cares for the body politic—the body corporate?” We are
being taught to respect that so-called abstraction; but the lesson is a very difficult one to
learn. When shall we come to understand fully that there is a corporate humanity, a
public virtue, a body politic, with its responsibilities, laws, duties—a great training-
school in which individualism is subordinated to the commonwealth? Does not Achan
represent those who create unnecessary mysteries in the course of Divine providence? It
is the concealed man who could explain everything. It is the thief behind the screen who
could relieve all our wonder, perplexity, and distress. We have to search him out by
circumstantial evidence. If he would stand up and say, “Guilty!” he would relieve our
minds of many a distressing thought even about the Divine government. We wonder why
the people are delayed, why the battle goes the wrong way, why the heathen pursues the
chosen man, and beats him down, and scorns his assaults. We speak of God’s mysterious
way. It is a mistake on our part. The silent man, skulking behind the arras, could explain
the whole affair, and relieve Divine providence of many a wonder which grows quickly
into suspicion or distrust. Look at the case in one or two remarkable aspects.
1. Consider Achan, for example, as a solitary sinner. He was the only man in the host
who had disobeyed the orders that were given. “Why arrest a whole army on account
of one traitor? Let the host go on.” So man would say. God will not have it so. He
does not measure by our scale. One sin is a thousand.
2. Think of Achan as a detected sinner. For a time there was no prospect of the man
being found out. But God has methods of sifting which we do not know of.
3. Then look at Achan as a confessing sinner. He did confess his sin, but not until he
was discovered. And the confession was as selfish as the sin.
4. The picture of Achan as a punished sinner is appalling. Who punished the sinful
man? The answer to that inquiry is given in Jos_7:25, and is full of saddest yet
noblest meaning. Who punished the thief? “All Israel stoned him with stones”—not
one infuriated man, not one particularly interested individual, but “all Israel.” The
punishment is social. It is the universe that digs hell—the all rising against the one.
(J. Parker, D. D.)
My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord.—
Kindness to the sinner
There was infinite kindness in that word “my son.” It reminds us of that other Joshua,
the Jesus of the New Testament, so tender to sinners, so full of love even for those who
had been steeped in guilt. It brings before us the great High Priest, who is touched with

118. the feeling of our infirmities, seeing He was in all things tempted like as we are, yet
without sin. A harsh word from Joshua might have set Achan in a defiant attitude, and
drawn from him a denial that he had done anything amiss. How often do we see this! A
child or a servant has done wrong; you are angry, you speak harshly, you get a flat
denial. Or if the thing cannot be denied, you get only a sullen acknowledgment, which
takes away all possibility of good arising out of the occurrence, and embitters the
relation of the parties to each other. But not only did Joshua speak kindly to Achan, he
confronted him with God, and called on him to think how He was concerned in this
matter. “Give glory to the Lord God of Israel.” Vindicate Him from the charge which I
and others have virtually been bringing against Him, of proving forgetful of His
covenant. Clear Him of all blame, declare His glory, declare that He is unsullied in His
perfections, and show that He has had good cause to leave us to the mercy of our
enemies. No man as yet knew what Achan had done. He might have been guilty of some
act of idolatry, or of some unhallowed sensuality like that which had lately taken place at
Baal-peer; in order that the transaction might carry its lesson it was necessary that the
precise offence should be known. Joshua’s kindly address and his solemn appeal to
Achan to clear the character of God had the desired effect. (W. G. Blaikie, D. D.)
Confession of sin to God
God’s omniscience should indeed make us ashamed to commit sin, but it should
embolden us to confess it. We can tell our secrets to a friend that does not know them;
how much more should we do it to Him that knows them already? God’s knowledge
outruns our confessions and anticipates what we have to say. As our Saviour speaks
concerning prayer, “Our heavenly Father knows what you have need of before you ask,”
so I may say of confession, your heavenly Father knows what secret sins you have
committed before you confess. But still He commands this duty of us; and that not to
know our sins but to see our ingenuity. Adam, when he hid himself, to the impiety of his
sin added the absurdity of s, concealment. Our declaring of our sins to God who knows
them without being beholden to our relation; it is like opening a window to receive the
light which would shine in through it howsoever. Now there is no duty by which we give
God the glory of His omniscience so much as by a free confession of our secret iniquities.
Joshua says to Achan, “My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and
make confession unto Him.” (R. South.)
17 The clans of Judah came forward, and the
Zerahites were chosen. He had the clan of the
Zerahites come forward by families, and Zimri
was chosen.

119. CLARKE,"And he brought the family of Judah - Dr. Kennicott observes, “All
Israel came near by Tribes, and one tribe was fixed on; then that tribe came by its
Families, and one family was fixed on; then came that family by its Households, and one
household was fixed on, and then that household, coming Man by Man, one man was
fixed on. Yet according to the present text, in the execution of this command, all Israel
came, and the tribe of Judah was fixed on; secondly came the families of Judah, and the
family of the Zarhites was fixed on; thirdly came the family of the Zarhites Man by Man,
and Zabdi was fixed on; and fourthly came the household of Zabdi Man by Man, and
Achan was fixed on. So that in the third article the word for by households is most
certainly left out; and the fourth article, man by man, is improperly expressed twice.
Instead of ‫לגברים‬ laggebarim, Man by Man, in Jos_7:17, the true word ‫לבתים‬ labbottim, by
Households, is preserved in six Hebrew copies, and the Syriac version. By this method
was discovered Achan, as he is here five times called, though the valley in which he was
stoned is called Achor. He is also called Achar in the text, and in all the versions, in 1Ch_
2:7. He is called Achar in the five places of Joshua in the Syrian version; also in all five in
the Greek of the Vatican MS., and twice in the Alexandrian MS., and so in Josephus.” -
Kennicott’s Observat.
GILL, "And he brought the family of Judah,.... That is, the tribe of Judah, as
Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret it, (z); or rather, the several families in that tribe, even
the heads of them:
and he took the family of the Zarhites: which descended from Zerah the son of
Judah; that was taken by lot:
and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and cast lots on them:
and Zabdi was taken: that part of the family of the Zarhites which sprung from Zabdi,
a son of Zerah.
TRAPP, "Joshua 7:17 And 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:
Ver. 17. And Zabdi was taken.] Yet all this while Achan repenteth not, confesseth
not his fault. The devil had gagged him, and his heart was hardened by the
deceitfulness of that cursed sin of covetousness, the property whereof is first to turn
men’s hearts into earth and mud, and afterwards to freeze and congeal them into
steel and adamant.
PETT, "Verse 17-18
‘And he brought the family of Judah near, and he selected the family of the
Zerahites. And he brought the family of the Zerahites near, man by man, and Zabdi

120. was selected. And he brought near 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 selected.’
We notice here that the same word is used for the ‘family’ of the full tribe of Judah
(some manuscripts, also LXX and Vulgate, have ‘the families’, probably to remove
the difficulty of the original text) and the ‘family’ of the Zerahites, a sub-tribe. This
demonstrates that such terminology was not at this time rigidly fixed. ote also that
Achan is related back through his grandfather to Zerah and Judah. Attention is
drawn to the fact that the selection process had worked perfectly.
Some manuscripts and versions have ‘by households’ after ‘the family of the
Zerahites’ instead of ‘man by man’, but the latter is the more difficult reading and
the former a more obvious correction to tie in with Joshua 7:14.
BE SO , "Verse 17
Joshua 7:17. The family — Either, 1st, The tribe or people, as the word family
sometimes signifies; or, 2d, The families, as Joshua 7:14, the singular number being
put for the plural, the chief of each of their five families, umbers 26:20-21. Man by
man — ot every individual person, as is evident from Joshua 7:18, but every head
of the several houses or lesser families of that greater family of the Zarhites, of
which see 1 Chronicles 2:6.
WHEDO , "16. Early in the morning — In all hot countries during the heated
months early morning is the time for business. ote, Luke 21:38.
By their tribes — Representatively; see Joshua 7:14, note.
And the tribe of Judah was taken — It was indicated by lot that the sinner belonged
to that tribe.
18 Joshua had his family come forward man by
man, and Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri,
the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was
chosen.
BAR ES, "And he brought his household man by man,.... The household of

121. Zabdi, the heads of each house therein:
and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe
of Judah, was taken; the lot fell upon him, and he was laid hold on, and detained.
GILL, "And he brought his household man by man,.... The household of Zabdi,
the heads of each house therein:
and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe
of Judah, was taken; the lot fell upon him, and he was laid hold on, and detained.
TRAPP, "Joshua 7:18 And 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.
Ver. 18. And Achan, the son of Carmi.] Secret sinners are loath to be discovered,
but their sin shall find them out, and iniquity, if unrepented of, be their ruin. "He
that hideth his sins shall not prosper," [Proverbs 28:13] because he putteth God to
his proofs, as Achan, and as those in Jeremiah did. [Jeremiah 2:35]
BE SO , "Joshua 7:18. Achan was taken — Here we learn that, however secretly
we may conceal our wickedness, yet God knoweth it, and sooner or later will bring it
to light and due condemnation. There is nothing secret which shall not be made
manifest, neither any thing hid that shall not be known. God will bring to light the
hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the heart. Reader,
remember this; revere the all-seeing eye of God; stand in awe and sin not.
WHEDO , "18. Achan… was taken — God might have instantaneously revealed
the sinner, but he chose to sift the nation thus gradually in order that the moral
sense of every man might be awakened, and that the conscience of Achan, when he
saw the network of conviction and punishment closing in upon him, might prompt
him to confession. But he remained impenitent till he found himself within the grasp
of the Divine arrest.
19 Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give
glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and honor
him. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it
from me.”

122. BAR ES, "Give glory to the Lord - A form of solemn adjuration by which the
person addressed was called upon before God to declare the truth. The phrase assumes
that the glory of God is always promoted by manifestation of the truth (compare the
marginal references).
CLARKE,"My son, give - glory to the Lord God - The person being now
detected, Joshua wishes him to acknowledge the omniscience of God, and confess his
crime. And doubtless this was designed, not only for the edification of the people, and a
vindication of the righteous judgment of God, but in reference to his own salvation; for
as his life was now become forfeited to the law, there was the utmost necessity of
humiliation before God that his soul might be saved. Give glory to God signifies the same
as, Make a thorough confession as in the presence of God, and disguise no part of the
truth. In this way and in these very words the Jews adjured the man who had been born
blind that he would truly tell who had healed him; for they pretended to believe that
Christ was such a sinner that God would not work a miracle by him. Joh_9:24.
GILL, "And Joshua said unto Achan, my son,.... Treating him in a very humane,
affectionate, and respectable manner, though so great a criminal, being a subject of his,
and of the same religion and nation:
give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, by acknowledging his
omniscience, justice, power, truth, and faithfulness; as in his promises so in his
threatenings:
and make confession unto him; of the sin he had been guilty of; this Joshua might
urge, partly for his own good, who might more reasonably expect the forgiveness of his
sin: so it is said in the Misnah (a), whoever confesses has a part in the world to come, for
so we find concerning Achan, Jos_7:19; and partly for the glory of God, this being the
instance in which he is directed to give it to him; and partly on account of others,
particularly the tribe, family, and household to whom he belonged, who after all might
not be satisfied thoroughly that he was guilty, unless he had confessed it: according to
Maimonides (b), this was but a temporary law on which Achan was put to death; for, he
says, our law condemns no man to death on his own confession, nor on the prophecy of a
prophet, who says that he committed such a theft; and it was not on his confession, but
by the order of God, determining the affair by lot, that he was put to death: the
confession Joshua directs to was not what was made to man, but to God, that is, of the
evil of it, and as committed against God, though the fact itself was to be owned before
man, as follows:
and tell me now what thou hast done, hide it not from me; what were the
particular things he had taken; the lot showed he had taken something, but what that
was, as yet was unknown, and where it was; and this Joshua desires him he would
inform him of and satisfy him about, and without any reserve openly declare the truth.

123. HE RY, " His arraignment and examination, Jos_7:19. Joshua sits judge, and,
though abundantly satisfied of his guilt by the determination of the lot, yet urges him to
make a penitent confession, that his soul might be saved by it in the other world, though
he could not give him any encouragement to hope that he should save his life by it.
Observe, 1. How He accosts him with the greatest mildness and tenderness that could be,
like a true disciple of Moses. He might justly have called him “thief,” and “rebel,” “Raca,”
and “thou fool,” but he call him “son;” he might have adjured him to confess, as the high
priest did our blessed Saviour, or threatened him with the torture to extort a confession,
but for love's sake he rather beseeches him: I pray thee make confession. This is an
example to all not to insult over those that are in misery, though they have brought
themselves into it by their own wickedness, but to treat even offenders with the spirit of
meekness, not knowing, what we ourselves should have been and done if God had put us
into the hands of our own counsels. It is likewise an example to magistrates, in executing
justice, to govern their own passions with a strict and prudent hand, and never suffer
themselves to be transported by them into any indecencies of behaviour or language, no,
not towards those that have given the greatest provocations. The wrath of man worketh
not the righteousness of God. Let them remember the judgment is God's, who is Lord of
his anger. This is the likeliest method of bringing offenders to repentance. 2. What he
wishes him to do, to confess the fact, to confess it to God, the party offended by the
crime; Joshua was to him in god's stead, so that in confessing to him he confessed to
God. Hereby he would satisfy Joshua and the congregation concerning that which was
laid to his charge; his confession would also be an evidence of his repentance, and a
warning to others to take heed of sinning after the similitude of his transgression: but
that which Joshua aims at herein is that God might be honoured by it, as the Lord, the
God of infinite knowledge and power, from whom no secrets are hid; and as the God of
Israel, who, as he does particularly resent affronts given to his Israel, so he does the
affronts given him by Israel. Note, In confessing sin, as we take shame to ourselves, so
we give glory to God as righteous God, owning him justly displeased with us, and as a
good God, who will not improve our confessions as evidences against us, but is faithful
and just to forgive when we are brought to own that he would be faithful and just if he
should punish. By sin we have injured God in his honour. Christ by his death has made
satisfaction for the injury; but it is required that we by repentance show our good will to
his honour, and, as far as in us lies, give glory to him. Bishop Patrick quotes the
Samaritan chronicle, making Joshua to say here to Achan, Lift up thy eyes to the king of
heaven and earth, and acknowledge that nothing can be hidden from him who knoweth
the greatest secrets.
JAMISO , "Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give ... glory to God — a form
of adjuration to tell the truth.
K&D, "When Achan had been discovered to be the criminal, Joshua charged him to
give honour and praise to the Lord, and to confess without reserve what he had done. It
is not ironically, or with dissimulation, that Joshua addresses him as “my son,” but with
“sincere paternal regard.”
(Note: To these remarks Calvin also adds: “This example serves as a lesson to
judges, that when punishing crimes they should moderate their rigour, and not lose
all the feelings of humanity; and, on the other hand, that whilst merciful they should
not be careless or remiss.”)
“Give glory to the Lord:” this is a solemn formula of adjuration, by which a person was

124. summoned to confess the truth before the face of God (cf. Joh_9:24). “And give Him
praise:” the meaning is not, “make confession,” but give praise, as Ezr_10:11 clearly
shows. Through a confession of the truth Achan was to render to God, as the
Omniscient, the praise and honour that were due.
CALVI , "19.And Joshua said unto Achan, etc Although only by lot, which seems
to fall out fortuitously, Achan is completely caught; yet, as God has declared that he
will point out the guilty party, as if with the finger, Joshua interrogates without
having any doubt, and when the discovery is made, urges Achan to confess it. It is
probable, indeed, that this was the usual form of adjuration, as we read in John’s
Gospel, (John 9:24) that the scribes and priests used the same words in adjuring the
blind man whose sight our Savior had restored, to answer concerning the miracle.
But there was a special reason why Joshua exhorted Achan to give God the glory,
because by denying or equivocating he might have impaired the credit of the
decision. The matter had already been determined by lot. Joshua, therefore, simply
orders him to subscribe to the divine sentence, and not aggravate the crime by vain
denials.
He calls him son, neither ironically nor hypocritically, but truly and sincerely
declares that he felt like a father toward him whom he had already doomed to
death. By this example, judges are taught that, while they punish crimes, they ought
so to temper their severity as not to lay aside the feelings of humanity, and, on the
other hand, that they ought to be merciful without being reckless and remiss; that,
in short, they ought to be as parents to those they condemn, without substituting
undue mildness for the sternness of justice. Many by fawning kindness throw
wretched criminals off their guard, pretending that they mean to pardon them, and
then, after a confession has been extracted, suddenly hand them over to the
executioner, while they were flattering themselves with the hope of impunity. But
Joshua, satisfied with having cited the criminal before the tribunal of God, does not
at all flatter him with a vain hope of pardon, and is thus more at liberty to
pronounce the sentence which God has dictated.
ELLICOTT, "(19) Give . . . glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession
unto him; and tell me.—We can hardly read these words of Joshua without being
reminded of his great Antitype. In ew Testament language, to tell Joshua is to “tell
Jesus “—the only way in which confession of sin can bring glory. Joshua could only
pronounce sentence of death on Achan. But “if we confess our sins, He is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The
Hebrew word for “confession” also means “thanksgiving.” Acknowledgment of sin
and mercy are not far apart, in making confession to God. (See Ezra 10:11 for a
parallel to the phrase.)
TRAPP, "Joshua 7:19 And 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.

125. Ver. 19. My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord.] See for explication of this
expression, 1 Samuel 6:5, Jeremiah 13:16, John 9:24. It seemeth to have been a
solemn kind of form among that people, whereby a man was urged to confess his sin
before the Lord, who knoweth all thy business; wherefore reverence his majesty,
and give him the glory of his omniscience; choose rather to tell all openly, than to lie
before him, or to keep a senseless silence, as Judas did. [John 13:21 Matthew 26:24]
And make confession unto him.] That thou mayest have mercy. [Proverbs 28:13 1
John 1:9] In men’s courts the best plea, saith Quintilian, is on feci, ot guilty: but
here, Ego feci, miserere. This, good Joshua knew, and was therefore thus earnest
with Achan to confess his sin, though he knew it, and was resolved he should die for
it.
PETT, "Verse 19
‘And Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give, I pray you, glory to YHWH, the God of
Israel, and make confession to him, and tell me now what you have done. Do not
hide it from me.” ’
This was a stern legal adjuration. To ‘give glory to YHWH’ in such circumstances
was to be open with the truth (compare Jeremiah 13:16; John 9:24). He was to
confess to YHWH by telling the judge. By doing so he would bring glory to YHWH
whose representative the judge was. The whole truth was to be told. othing must
be hidden.
ormally a man could not be adjured to condemn himself. But here Achan was
already condemned because of his selection by YHWH. Whether he confessed or
denied he would be executed. By admitting his fault he would be bringing glory to
the One Who knew about his sin even before he admitted it.
BE SO , "Joshua 7:19. My son — So he calls him, to show that this severe
inquisition and sentence did not proceed from any hatred to his person, which he
loved as a father doth his son, and as a prince ought to do each of his subjects. Give
glory to the Lord God of Israel — As thou hast highly dishonoured him, now take
the blame to thyself, and ascribe unto God the glory of his omniscience in knowing
thy sin; of his justice in punishing it in thee, and others for thy sake; of his
omnipotence, which was obstructed by thee; and of his kindness and faithfulness to
his people, which was eclipsed by thy wickedness; all which will now be evident by
thy sin confessed and punished.
WHEDO , "19. My son — The expression denotes the pity and tenderness of
Joshua’s heart towards the unhappy Achan. He is by the finger of God convicted of
an awful crime, but the crime itself is yet unknown to Joshua. The Scriptures
abundantly show how both God and his ministers may, in certain relations, be
tender towards a criminal, while, in other relations, they must punish with awful
severity his crime.

126. Give… glory to the Lord — This is not a formal judicial oath, but rather a solemn
appeal to the conscience of the sinner, in the presence of the all-seeing God, to
acknowledge his sin. Confession of sin vindicates the Divine administration, and
justifies the infliction of the penalty. Compare Ezra 10:11, which, in the original,
reads “give glory,” instead of “make confession.” in the day of judgment “every
tongue shall confess,” but, as in the case of Achan, no sweet joy of forgiveness will
ensue.
COKE, "Ver. 19. And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, &c.— Compassion and
clemency are the portion of great souls. As soon as the criminal was known, and
brought before Joshua, that merciful and generous leader exhorted him, before all
things, and with all the moderation beseeming a judge, whose decrees passion and
malice should never dictate, to give glory to God; i.e. to use the expression of the
Samaritan Chronicle, to raise his eyes to the King of heaven and earth; and to
confess, that nothing is hidden from him, and that he knoweth the most profound
secrets. To give glory to God, and to confess one's fault, was the same thing; for
Achan could not confess it without paying homage to the omniscience, the power,
and the justice of the Lord.
SIMEO , "ACHA ’S GUILT A D PU ISHME T
Joshua 7:19-20. And 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. And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have
sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done.
THE rise, and progress, and termination of sin, afford as interesting a subject, as
any that can be presented to our view. It is exhibited to us by St. James in few
words, and with remarkable precision: “Man is drawn away of his own lust, and
enticed: then, when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is
finished, bringeth forth death [ ote: James 1:14-15.].” Here we see the whole
process: the inward corruption of the heart is first drawn forth by some enticing
object; the desire of gratification is then formed, and the determination to attain it
fixed. Then comes the act whereby it is attained; and then death, the bitter
consequence of sin, inevitably follows. On this passage the history before us is an
instructive comment. Achan saw a goodly Babylonish garment, with two hundred
shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold, and coveted them: then he took them,
contrary to the divine command; and then the penalty of his transgression was
inflicted on him.
In discoursing on this event, we would call your attention to,
I. His guilt—
This act of his had been perpetrated with so much caution, that it was unperceived
by any human being. The consequences of it were felt in the divine displeasure; but
what evil had been committed, or by whom, no one knew. How then was it detected?

127. How was the offence brought home to Achan? His guilt must be proved, before he
can be punished: nay, there must be two witnesses, or testimony equivalent to that
of two witnesses, before he can be put to death [ ote: Deuteronomy 17:6.]. Behold
then by what means his guilt was ascertained: it was proved,
1. From unquestionable testimony—
[Though the matter was altogether hidden from man, it was known to the
omniscient, omnipresent God. “The darkness is no darkness to him; but the night
and the day are both alike.” God’s eye was upon him, whilst he thought that no eye
could see him: and God himself gave the information against him. He declared to
Joshua what the true reason was of his displeasure, and of Israel’s defeat. But
though he revealed the fact, he did not name the person that had committed it, but
left that to be discovered in a way more impressive to the nation, and more merciful
to the offender, (inasmuch as it gave him time for repentance and voluntary
acknowledgment,) summoning the whole nation, as it were, before him, first, by
their tribes, that he might point out to which tribe the offender belonged; then, by
their families: then, by their households; and lastly, by their individual persons: and
thus by four successive lots he fastened upon Achan as the guilty person. ever was
there a more striking comment than this on those words of David, “Evil shall hunt
the wicked man to overthrow him [ ote: Psalms 140:11.].” The offender was out of
sight; but his steps were traced with unerring certainty: the first lot shewed, that his
scent, if I may so express myself, was found; and, when found, was followed with
undeviating steadiness, and irresistible rapidity: till at last the criminal was seized, a
lawful prey, a just victim to the divine displeasure.]
2. From personal confession—
[The testimony of God would of itself have been sufficient: because he could neither
deceive nor be deceived. But, as it was intended that the offender should be made a
public monument of divine justice, and be held up as a warning to the whole nation,
it was desirable that other proofs of Achan’s guilt should be adduced, sufficient to
convince the most scrupulous, and satisfy the most partial. Behold then, Achan
himself supplies a testimony which none could controvert or doubt: he bears witness
against himself.
Joshua, assured that God had fixed upon the guilty person, entreats the offender to
declare openly wherein he had transgressed. And here, we cannot but admire the
tenderness of Joshua’s address. He insults not over Achan, nor loads him with
reproaches; but, as a compassionate father, beseeches him to acknowledge the truth
of God’s testimony, and to “give glory to him by confessing” his crime. This indeed
was known to Joshua, and might have been specified by him; but it could not be
proved; and therefore he wishes to hear it from Achan’s own mouth; more
particularly as a confession of it would honour God in the sight of all; it would
glorify his omniscience in discovering, his holiness in hating, and his justice in
punishing the iniquity which had been committed.

128. Achan, convinced that any further attempt to conceal his guilt would be in vain,
confessed it, and that too with an ingenuousness and fulness, which would have
given us hopes concerning him, if the confession had not been extorted from him by
a previous discovery.]
On this testimony, sentence might well have been passed and judgment executed.
evertheless, that no doubt might remain on any mind, it was further desirable that
his guilt should be ascertained also, as it eventually was,
3. From corroborating facts—
[It has sometimes been found that persons have unjustly accused themselves: but it
was not so in this case: for Achan, in confirmation of his word, told them where they
might find the stolen property. A messenger is sent; the property is found; the
proofs of his guilt are exhibited before the Lord and in the sight of all Israel. To this
testimony nothing was wanting, nothing could be added. The truth of God was
manifest, and the equity of his judgments was demonstrated: and nothing now
remained but to execute on the offender the punishment he had deserved.]
Proceed we now to notice,
II. His punishment—
God had before declared that any person who should take to himself any part of the
spoils of Jericho should be accursed [ ote: Joshua 6:18-19.]: and, after the
transgression had been committed, he declared that he would no more be with his
people till they should have destroyed the accursed person, and every thing
belonging to him, from among them [ ote: ver. 12, 13, 15.]. o option therefore
remained to Joshua, but to execute the sentence according to God’s command.
The sentence, though dreadful, was not too severe—
[Achan, with all his children, and his cattle, were stoned to death, and afterwards,
with his tent and stolen property and every thing belonging to him, consumed by
fire. ow it is true, that God had expressly forbidden that parents or children
should be put to death for each other’s iniquities [ ote: Deuteronomy 24:16.]: but
God is not restrained by the laws which he gives to man; he may alter or reverse
them as he sees good: and in the present instance he was fully justified in the
sentence he pronounced. The sin that had been committed, was peculiarly heinous.
View it in itself; it was a sacrilegious robbing of God, who had ordered the gold and
the silver to be appropriated to his use in the sanctuary. View it in its circumstances;
it was committed immediately after a most solemn surrender of himself to God by
circumcision and at the paschal feast, and at the very instant that God had
magnified his power and lore in causing the walls of Jericho to fall at the sound of
rams’ horns and the people’s shout. Had Achan scaled the walls of Jericho and
gained the spoils by his own sword at the peril of his life, it would have been some
little extenuation of his crime: but God had disarmed his enemies, and made them

129. like sheep for the slaughter: and therefore to rob him of the spoils was the basest
ingratitude. In a word, it was direct atheism; for the very idea that he could hide the
matter from God was a practical denial of his omnipresence. View it, lastly, in its
effects; what evil it had brought upon the whole nation; what a calamitous defeat,
accompanied with the loss of six and thirty Israelites; and what inconceivable
misery it would have entailed upon the whole nation, if it had not been duly
punished, even the entire loss of God’s favour, and the utter destruction of all the
people. View the transaction, I say, in this light, and the punishment, awful as it
was, will be acknowledged just: he who sought in this manner the destruction of
every family in Israel, might well be destroyed together with his own family.
If our proud heart still rise against the sentence, let us silence every objection with
this unanswerable question, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”]
The execution of it was calculated to produce the best effects—
[It was necessary that, in the commencement of this new scene of things, the people
should know what a God they had to do with; and that, whilst they learned from his
mercies how greatly he was to be loved, they might learn also from his judgments
how greatly he was to be feared. This lesson they were now effectually taught: they
could not but see that “God is greatly to be feared, and to be had in reverence by all
them that are round about him.” To impress this lesson more deeply on their minds,
an heap of stones was raised over the ashes of this unhappy family; that, as a lasting
memorial of God’s indignation against sin, it might declare to all future generations,
that “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
ow if we consider what incalculable benefit was likely to arise, not only to the
people then existing, but to all future generations, from that act of severity, and that
the good issuing from it would in many instances be, not merely temporal in relation
to their bodies, but spiritual also and eternal in relation to their souls, we shall see
that severity to them was kindness to millions; and that therefore the punishment
inflicted on them comported no less with the goodness of God than with the sterner
rights of justice.]
That We may gather yet further instruction from the history, let us behold in it,
1. The deceitfulness of sin—
[Achan at first contemplated only the satisfaction he should feel in possessing the
Babylonish garment, and the comforts which the gold and silver would procure for
him. The ideas of shame and remorse and misery were hid from him; or, if they
glanced through his mind, they appeared as visionary, and unworthy of any serious
attention. But O! with what different thoughts did he contemplate his gains, when
inquisition was made to discover the offender! or, if at first he thought that the
chances were so much in his favour, as to preclude all fear of discovery, how would
he begin to tremble when he saw that his own tribe was selected as containing the
guilty person! How would his terror be increased when he saw his own family

130. pointed out! and what dread would seize hold upon him when the lot fell upon his
household! Methinks, when the different members of that household came before
the Lord, it might have been seen clearly enough who the guilty person was, by the
paleness of his cheeks and the trembling of his limbs. What now becomes of all his
expected enjoyments, when once he is detected? With what different eyes does he
view the garment and the money when brought forth before the people, from what
he did when first he coveted them in the house of their owner! how glad would he
now be if he could recall the act, which had thus brought him to shame and ruin!
Thus then will it be with all who violate the laws of God. The seducer, the
whoremonger, the adulterer, the thief, thinks of nothing at first but the pleasure he
shall receive in the gratification of his lusts; and congratulates himself on the
attainment of his wishes: but he has no sooner attained his object, than he begins to
be filled with apprehensions of a discovery: he is carried on perhaps by the
impetuosity of his passions; but he is a stranger to peace. Perhaps he silences his
convictions, and follows his sinful ways without much compunction: but it will not
be always so: there is a time coming when he will view his gratifications with other
eyes; or if he be so blinded by the devil as to make light of sin unto the last, his
illusions will vanish the very instant that his soul is departed from the body. For the
most part, that is found true which is spoken of hypocrites in the book of Job;
“Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue;
though he spare it, and forsake it not, but keep it still within his mouth; yet his meat
in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him [ ote: Job 20:12-14.].” How
awfully was this experienced by our first parents! When tempted to eat of the
forbidden tree, they thought of nothing but the delicious flavour of the fruit, and the
prospect of being made “wise as gods.” But they were soon convinced, by bitter
experience, that “to regard lying vanities was to forsake their own mercies.” Some
indeed, by continuance in sin, are become “past feeling, having their consciences
seared as with an hot iron:” but death and judgment will speedily undeceive them,
and the wrath of an almighty God shall teach them, that “sin was indeed exceeding
sinful.”]
2. The certainty of its exposure—
[It is profitable to observe how often God interposes to discover the hidden
iniquities of mankind. Some sins in particular appear to engage him in more decided
hostility against the perpetrators of them. I refer more especially to murder and
adultery. The interest which the guilty persons feel in concealing their iniquity
makes them as cautious as possible to prevent discovery: yet is their very caution
oftentimes the cause of their detection. To such sinners we may almost universally
address that solemn warning, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” It not
unfrequently happens that men are so harassed in their minds, as no longer to be
able to conceal their guilt: like Judas, they cast back the wages of their iniquity, and
court even death itself, by their own hand, or by the hand of a public executioner, as
a relief from the torment of a guilty conscience. But be it so: they hide their
wickedness from man: but can they hide it from God? Is there “any darkness or
shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves?” o: if they go
up to heaven, or down to hell, or flee to the remotest parts of the earth, there does

131. God behold them, and from thence will he bring them to judgment. In that day shall
the book of his remembrance be opened, and men shall see the records of their own
actions. Then shall the proofs of our guilt be exhibited before the assembled
universe, and we shall be unable to utter one syllable in arrest of Judgment. O that
we could realize the thoughts of that day! What a day will it be, when the secrets of
all hearts shall be exposed to view, and every hidden abomination be brought to
fight! Happy, happy they, who in that day shall be found to have an interest in
Christ, and in whom his love and mercy shall be for ever magnified! ow since it is
certain that our sins will sooner or later find us out, let us consider how we shall
view them in that day: and, as we would not now commit a scandalous iniquity in
the sight of a fellow-creature, lest he should proclaim our wickedness, so let us bear
in mind that there is One, “unto whom all things are naked and opened,” and who
has declared that he “will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make
manifest the counsels of the heart.” Surely, however skillfully we conceal our
abominations now, he will be a swift witness against us in that day to our everlasting
confusion.]
3. The awfulness of its award—
[Who does not shudder at the thought of that vengeance which was executed on
Achan and his family? Who does not see how hot the indignation of God against sin
was, when the sin of one single person prevailed more to incense him against the
whole nation, than the innocence of the whole nation did to pacify his wrath against
the individual, and when nothing but the most signal punishment of the individual
could reconcile him to the nation to which he belonged? Yet was all this but a faint
shadow of the indignation which he will manifest in a future world. Surely we
should profit from such a history as this: we should learn to dread the displeasure of
the Almighty, and to glorify him now by an ingenuous confession, that he may not
be glorified hereafter in our eternal condemnation.
Hear ye then, Brethren, what the weeping prophet speaks to us in the name of the
Lord: “Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud, for the Lord hath spoken. Give glory to
the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the
dark mountains, and while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and
make it gross darkness. But, if ye will not hear, my soul shall weep in secret places
for your pride; and mine eyes shall weep sore, and run down with tears” for the
destruction and misery that shall come upon you [ ote: Jeremiah 13:15-17.].
Blessed be God, though Achan’s confession did not avert punishment from him,
ours shall from us, provided it be truly ingenuous, and deeply penitential. The Lord
Jesus Christ never yet spurned from his feet a weeping penitent. He shed his blood
even for the chief of sinners, and “will save to the uttermost all who come unto God
by him.” But confession on our part is indispensable: his word to us is, “Return,
thou backsliding sinner, saith the Lord, and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon
you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever: Only
acknowledge thine iniquity [ ote: Jeremiah 3:12-13.].” Let us but do this aright,
and we shall soon be enabled to say with the Psalmist, “I said, I will confess my
transgressions unto the Lord; and so thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.”]

132. PULPIT, "My son. This is no mere hypocritical affectation of tenderness. Joshua
feels for the criminal, even though he is forced to put him to death. So in cur own
day the spectacle is not uncommon of a judge melted to tears as he passes sentence
of death on the murderer. The expression seems almost to imply a belief that,
though Achan must undergo the extremest penalty of the law in this world, Joshua
entertained a hope that he might be forgiven in the next. It certainly proves that,
stern as the law of Moses was, it was felt, at least in those early days, to be rather
against the sin than the sinner that its severity was directed. In commenting upon
the severity of the Mosaic covenant, whether towards offenders against its
provisions or against the Canaanites, we must remember Bishop Butler's caution,
that in this world we see but a very small portion of the whole counsel of God. Give
glory to the Lord Cod of Israel, and make confession unto Him. Literally, offer (or
impute) glory to the Lord God of Israel, and give confession (or praise) unto Him
(cf. John 9:24). The meaning is to give honour to God as the all-seeing God, the
revealer of secrets, by an open confession before men of what is already known to
Him. It may have been a common formula of adjuration, though Masius thinks
otherwise.
20 Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against
the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I have
done:
CLARKE,"I have sinned against the Lord God - This seems a very honest and
hearty confession, and there is hope that this poor culprit escaped perdition.
GILL, "And Achan answered Joshua, and said,.... He made a free and open
confession of his sin:
indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel; against him who had been
so good to Israel in many instances, and particularly in delivering Jericho into their
hands in so extraordinary a manner; against a law of his, respecting the spoil of that city,
which sin was the more aggravated thereby; and that he had committed the sin he was
taken for and charged with, he owns was a true and real fact:

133. and thus and thus have I done; such and such things have I taken, and in the
manner as follows.
HE RY 20-21, " His confession, which now at last, when he saw it was to no purpose
to conceal his crime, was free and ingenuous enough, Jos_7:20, Jos_7:21. Here is, 1. A
penitent acknowledgment of fault. “Indeed I have sinned; what I am charged with is too
true to be denied and too bad to be excused. I own it, I lament it; the Lord is righteous in
bringing it to light, for indeed I have sinned.” This is the language of a penitent that is
sick of his, and whose conscience is loaded with it. “I have nothing to accuse any one else
of, but a great deal to say against myself; it is with me that the accursed thing is found; I
am the man who has perverted that which was right and it profited me not.” And that
wherewith he aggravates the sin is that it was committed against the Lord God of Israel.
He was himself an Israelite, a sharer with the rest of that exalted nation in their
privileges, so that, in offending the God of Israel, he offended his own God, which laid
him under the guilt of the basest treachery and ingratitude imaginable. 2. A particular
narrative of the fact: Thus and thus have I done. God had told Joshua in general that a
part of the devoted things was alienated, but is to him to draw from Achan an account of
the particulars; for, one way or other, God will make sinners' own tongues to fall upon
them (Psa_64:8); if ever he bring them to repentance, they will be their own accusers,
and their awakened consciences will be instead of a thousand witnesses. Note, It
becomes penitents, in the confession of their sins to God, to be very particular; not only,
“I have sinned,” but, “In this and that instance I have sinned,” reflecting with regret
upon all the steps that led to the sin and all the circumstances that aggravated it and
made it exceedingly sinful: thus and thus have I done. He confesses, (1.) To the things
taken. In plundering a house in Jericho he found a goodly Babylonish garment; the word
signifies a robe, such as princes wore when they appeared in state, probably it belonged
to the King of Jericho; it was far fetched, as we translate it, from Babylon. A garment of
divers colours, so some render it. Whatever it was, in his eyes it made a very glorious
show. “A thousand pities” (thinks Achan) “that it should be burnt; then it will do nobody
any good; if I take it for myself, it will serve me many a year for my best garment.” Under
these pretences, he makes bold with this first, and things it no harm to save it from the
fire; but, his hand being thus in, he proceeds to take a bag of money, two hundred
shekels, that is one hundred ounces of silver, and a wwedge of gold which weighed fifty
shekels, that is twenty-five ounces. He could not plead that, in taking these, he saved
them from the fire (for the silver and gold were to be laid up in the treasury); but those
that make a slight excuse to serve in daring to commit one sin will have their hearts so
hardened by it that they will venture upon the next without such an excuse; for the way
of sin is downhill. See what a peer prize it was for which Achan ran this desperate
hazard, and what an unspeakable loser he was by the bargain. See Mat_16:26. (2.) He
confesses the manner of taking them. [1.] the sin began in the eye. he saw these fine
things, as Eve saw the forbidden fruit, and was strangely charmed with the sight. See
what comes of suffering the heart to walk after the eyes, and what need we have to make
this covenant with our eyes, that if they wander they shall be sure to weep for it. Look
not thou upon the wine that is red, upon the woman that is fair; close the right eye that
thus offense thee, to prevent the necessity of plucking it out, and casting it from thee,
Mat_5:28, Mat_5:29. [2.] It proceeded out of the heart. He owns, I coveted them. thus
lust conceived and brought forth this sin. Those that would be kept from sinful actions
must mortify and check in themselves sinful desires, particularly the desire of worldly
wealth, which we more particularly call covetousness. O what a world of evil is the love
money the root of! Had Achan looked upon these things with an eye of faith, he would
have seen them accursed things, and would have dreaded them, but, looking upon them

134. with an eye of sense only, he saw them goodly things, and coveted them. It was not the
looking, but the lusting that ruined him. [3.] When he had committed it he was very
industrious to conceal it. Having taken of the forbidden treasures, fearing lest any search
should be made for prohibited goods, he hid them in the earth, as one that resolved to
keep what he had gotten, and never to make restitution. Thus does Achan confess the
whole matter, that God might be justified in the sentence passed upon him. See the
deceitfulness of sin; that which is pleasing in the commission is bitter in the reflection;
at the last it bites like a serpent. Particularly, see what comes of ill-gotten goods, and
how those will be cheated that rob God. Job_20:15, He hath swallowed down riches,
and he shall vomit them up again.
K&D 20-21, "Achan then acknowledge his sin, and confessed that he had
appropriated to himself from among the booty a beautiful Babylonish cloak, 200 shekels
of silver, and a tongue of gold of 50 shekels weight. The form ‫ה‬ ֶ‫א‬ ְ‫ר‬ ֶ‫א‬ָ‫ו‬ is not to be
abbreviated into ‫א‬ ֶ‫ר‬ ֵ‫א‬ָ‫,ו‬ according to the Keri, as the form is by no means rare in verbs ‫ה‬.‫ל‬
“A Babylonish cloak” (lit. a cloak of Shinar, or Babylon) is a costly cloak, artistically
worked, such as were manufactured in Babylon, and distributed far and wide through
the medium of commerce.
(Note: Plinius h. n. viii. 48: Colores diversos picturae vestium intexere Babylon
maxime celebravit et nomen imposuit. (See Heeren Ideen. i. 2, pp. 205ff., and
Movers Phönizier, ii. 3, pp. 258ff.) The Sept. rendering is ψιλή ποικίλη, i.e., a
Babylonian cloak ornamented with pictures. It is called ψιλή because it was cut
smooth, and ποικίλη because it was covered with coloured figures, either of men or
animals, sometimes woven, at other times worked with the needle (Fischer. graec de
vers. libr. V. T. pp. 87-8).)
Two hundred shekels of silver was about £25. “A tongue of gold” (according to Luther,
“ornaments made in the shape of tongues”) was certainly a golden ornament in the form
of a tongue, the use of which is unknown; it was of considerable size, as it weighed 50
shekels, i.e., 13,700 grains. It is not necessary to suppose that it was a golden dagger, as
many do, simply because the ancient Romans gave the name lingula to an oblong dagger
formed in the shape of a tongue. Achan had hidden these things in the ground in the
midst of his tent, and the silver “under it,” i.e., under these things (the suffix is neuter,
and must be understood as referring to all the things with the exception of the silver).
The Babylonish cloak and the tongue of gold were probably placed in a chest; at any rate
they would be carefully packed up, and the silver was placed underneath. The article in
‫י‬ ִ‫ל‬ ֳ‫ה‬ ֽፎ ָ‫,ה‬ which occurs twice, as it also does in Jos_8:33; Lev_27:33; Mic_2:12, is probably
to be explained in the manner suggested by Hengstenberg, viz., that the article and noun
became so fused into one, that the former lost its proper force.
CALVI , "20.And Achan answered Joshua, etc As he was now struck with
astonishment, he neither employs subterfuge, nor palliates the crime, nor endeavors
to give any coloring to it, but rather ingeniously details the whole matter. Thus the
sacred name of God was more effectual in extorting a confession than any tortures
could have been. or was the simplicity he thus displayed a sure indication of
repentance; being, as it were, overcome with terror, he openly divulged what he

135. would willingly have concealed. And it is no new thing for the wicked, after they
have endeavored for some time to escape, and have even grown hardened in vice, to
become voluntary witnesses against themselves, not properly of their own accord,
but because God drags them against their will, and, in a manner, drives them
headlong. The open answer here given will condemn the hypocrisy of many who
obscure the clear light by their subterfuges. The expression is emphatic — thus and
thus did I meaning that each part of the transaction was explained distinctly and in
order. or does he only acknowledge the deed, but by renouncing all defense, and
throwing aside all pretext, he condemns himself in regard to its atrocity. I have
sinned, he says; this he would not have said had he not been conscious of sacrilege,
and hence it appears that he did not pretend mistake or want of thought.
TRAPP, "Joshua 7:20 And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned
against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:
Ver. 20. Indeed I have sinned.] ow at length he confesseth. unquam sero si serio.
Satan knoweth that there is no way to purge the sin sick soul but upwards. He
therefore holdeth the lips close as long as he can, that the heart may not disburden
itself.
PETT, "Verse 20-21
‘And Achan answered Joshua, and said, “Truly I have sinned against YHWH, the
God of Israel, and these are the things that I have done (literally ‘thus and thus have
I done’). When I saw among the spoils a beautiful robe of Shinar, and two hundred
shekels of silver, and a wedge (‘a tongue’) 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.” ’
Achan admitted his guilt. He knew the awfulness of what he had done and that there
could be no mercy. To take a devoted thing was the most extreme of crimes and was
to treat God high-handedly ( umbers 15:30; Deuteronomy 17:12). He admitted that
while sacking the city he had come across a ‘beautiful robe from Babylon’ (Shinar).
This would have been a fine quality imported robe of great value, the kind that
would be rare indeed among the continually travelling Israelites, the kind found
only in rich men’s houses and much to be desired. Also two hundred shekels (about
twenty kilograms) weight of silver and ‘a tongue of gold’ weighing 50 shekels (half a
kilogram). These are the two commodities that men have lusted after almost from
the beginning, measures of wealth and prestige. A ‘tongue’ probably referred to a
specific shape. A neo-Babylonian inscription also refers to ‘one tongue of gold, its
weight one mina’.
otice the advancing levels of sin, ‘I saw -- I coveted -- I took -- I hid.’ This is the
progress taken by all sins of the flesh and reflects the sin in Eden (where the same
verbs are used - see Genesis 3:6-7; compare also 2 Samuel 11:2-8). We must learn to
close our eyes to sin immediately we are tempted, or even run away (‘flee youthful
desires’ - 2 Timothy 2:22). Then covetousness will not blossom. But Achan’s look
lingered, then covetousness grew, and finally he could resist no longer and he took.

136. And he had hidden them in the earth in the middle of his tent, the gold wrapped in
the robe, the silver hidden beneath it, implicating his family in what he had done (he
would not have returned from battle unnoticed by his family). And they had been
stolen from God.
Shinar was the old name for Babylonia (see Genesis 10:10; Genesis 11:2; Genesis
14:1; Genesis 14:9; Isaiah 11:11; Daniel 1:2; Zechariah 5:11). Such a robe bears
witness to the regular trade between Mesopotamia and Canaan, as caravans wended
their way towards Egypt and back again (compare Genesis 37:25). Canaanite
sophistication would ever be a temptation to the more basic Israelites.
BE SO , "Joshua 7:20. Indeed I have sinned — He seems to make a sincere and
ingenuous confession, and loads his sin with all just aggravations. Against the Lord
— Against his express command, and glorious attributes. God of Israel — The true
God, who hath chosen me and all Israel to be the people of his peculiar love and
care.
BI 20-21, "Achan answered . . . I coveted and took.
The eye, the heart, and the hand
I. The eye an occasion of sin. We will suppose that Achan came into contact with this
Babylonish garment in the course of his duty. He could not help seeing it, and therefore
there was no harm in seeing it; in the simple contact of this garment with his eye, and of
this silver and gold with his eye, there could be no wrong; this was a permission of
Divine Providence. The sin was in the looking at it. He saw; and instead of turning his
eye away from the temptation, he continued to look, and he looked until he coveted, and
he coveted until he took. And we will suppose that you cannot help seeing things which
suggest the thought of doing wrong, and which excite the desire to do wrong; but you
can help fixing your eyes upon them, and keeping your eyes intent upon them.
II. Mark the progress of sin. It was an evil thing to continue looking; it was a greater evil
to desire to take. The desire springing up, what did Achan with respect to it? Instead of
trying to quench it, he fed it. He let imagination fly and work, and, under the influence of
that imagination, and the thinking connected with that imagination, the desire to
possess this garment, and to lay hold of this silver and gold, became in his heart
exceedingly strong, and mastered him. Under the power of that desire he stretched forth
his hand and took. Just see here the progress of the sin—I saw, I coveted, I took; I first
took that which was doomed to be destroyed, and then I took that which was devoted to
the service of my God.
III. Look at the deceitfulness of sin. When Achan saw, and coveted, and took, the taking
promised him great things. There is nothing in the universe so deceitful and so
treacherous as doing wrong. Doing wrong always promises some good result, and doing
wrong has never yet realised it, nor ever can.
IV. Look at the cowardice of the transgressor. He hid these things. He first put them
among his furniture. I dare say he thought that there would be no notice taken of it.
Then, when a stir is made about the matter, and the lot begins to be used, what did he?
Instead of having the courage and manliness to remove suspicion from his fellows, and

137. to say, “I am the sinner,” he hides in the earth, in the midst of his tent, the treasures and
the garment which he has taken. This seems to be a general fact in connection with sin:
“The wicked fleeth when no man pursueth, but the righteous are bold as a lion.”
V. Look at the folly and the madness of persisting in transgression. The wages of sin,
what are they? You see this illustrated here. “The wages of sin is death.” Achan, instead
of gaining anything by this transgression, lost all. He lost net only the spoil he had taken,
but he lost even life itself. Now this is God’s arrangement, that he whose transgressions
are not pardoned shall die, and shall die a second death. Tell me, then, what is a man
profited if he gain the world, and die that second death? (S. Martin.)
Achanism; or, self-seeking a hindrance to tits victories of Christianity
I. This principle applies to the efforts of men to promote their own individual
christianity. It is common to hear Christians mourning their spiritual barrenness;
regretting their little progress in the great work of self-discipline and personal
sanctification. They refer the cause sometimes to the circumstances in which they are
placed, and sometimes to the profitless ministry which they attend, whereas there is
some Achan within—some unholy principle or passion that is neutralising every effort,
and rendering the spirit powerless to strike one conquering blow.
II. This principle applies to the efforts which individual churches make to promote
christianity in their own neigbourhood. Some sweeping system of discipline must come
before your efforts to evangelise will be of much avail. The tares must be plucked from
the wheat.
III. This principle applies to the efforts which the general church is employing to
promote christianity throughout the world. The self-seeking spirit hinders the spread of
the Gospel.
1. By preventing that agency which is indispensable for the purpose. Self-sacrifice.
2. By prompting that agency which must necessarily neutralise its aim. Priestcraft.
Slavery. War. (Homilist.)
Achan
I. The gradual progress of sin.
II. The deceitful nature of sin (Job_20:12-15; Hab_2:11).
III. The certain detection of sin.
IV. The awful penalty of sin.
V. The only way of forgiveness of sin.
VI. The uncertainty of a later repentance. (T. Webster, B. D.)
Sin’s progress
I. The glance: “I saw.”

138. II. The greed: “I coveted.”
III. The guilt: “I took.” (Thomas Kelly.)
Achan’s sin
I. The fascination: “Babylonish garment.”
II. The feeling: “I coveted.”
III. The felony: “I took.”
IV. The fear: “I hid them.”
V. The fate: “Israel stoned him.” (Thomas Kelly.)
Achan and his sin
I. The tempting sight: “A goodly Babylonish garment,” &c.
II. The covetous heart: “I coveted them.”
III. The grasping hand: “Took them.”
IV. The crafty action: “Hid.”
V. The judicial search: “Joshua sent,” &c.
VI. The lawful seizure: “They took them.”
VII. The religious ceremony: “Laid them out before the Lord.”
VIII. The merited retribution: “Stoned him.”
IX. The admonitory memorial: “Raised over him a great heap of stones.”
X. The appeased avenger: “So the Lord turned,” &c. (J. Henry Burn, B. D.)
Achan’s sin
God, who looks deeply into the hidden springs of human conduct, is careful to lay a
special emphasis upon the more subtle evil of covetousness. ‘It deserves attention that,
along with murder, theft and lying, it has one entire commandment to itself.
Drunkenness, violence, sensuality, luxurious living, corruption and bribery are doubtless
making havoc with reputations, with human life and with immortal souls. But who shall
say how often these open vices draw their inspiration or the means of gratification from
“the love of money, which is,” in very deed, “a root of all evil”? Many of the more violent
sins are like fire in dry stubble—they burn out rapidly. But avarice is like those fish
which can best thrive in Arctic seas—it flourishes in the chilly blood of old age.
I. In turning our attention to the dealings of God with Israel concerning Achan’s
transgression let us briefly review the facts.
II. These dealings of God with Achan’s family and with Israel because of one man’s sin
bring before us in a startling shape that great mystery—fellowship in guilt and in
suffering. Bishop Butler states a fact of daily experience when, in his irrefutable reply to

139. objections against the mediation of Christ (“ Analogy” pt. 2. ch. 5.), he reminds us that
nearly the whole of what we enjoy or suffer comes to us through our relation to other
men. Every thinking man can see for himself that the conduct of parents shapes the
destiny of their children. Drunkenness, sensuality and gluttony stamp themselves upon
the offspring that is yet unborn. The more obvious operations of the law are visible to
our feeble eyes. How much farther it extends is known only to God or as He reveals it to
us. When the attempt is made to break the force of this analogy by saying, “It is all
natural,” that same sagacious thinker reminds us that “natural” means are appointed by
Him who is the Author of nature. So it appears that, explain the facts as we may, deny
them if we dare, we cannot get rid of the principle so long as we hold to a belief in an
almighty Creator.
III. From this discussion, notwithstanding our imperfect apprehension of its great
theme, certain conclusions seem to follow which are of immense practical importance.
1. How vain to hope for escape from punishment so long as sin remains unrepented
of!
2. A wise regard to our own happiness will make us deeply interested in the welfare
of our neighbour. God holds us accountable in this regard to an extent that many
seem not to dream of.
3. It especially becomes parents to consider the influence which, in the nature of
things, they must exert over the destiny of their children. Not miserable Achan only,
but far better men, as Noah, Lot, Eli, and David, are sad examples of this. “The curse
of the Lord is in the house of the wicked, but He blesseth the habitation of the just.”
4. Among other duties it is incumbent upon such parents to consider well what place
shall be made in their plans for “goodly” garments and for shekels of gold and silver.
There may be, there often is, a place for such things, but it becomes us to consider
the text upon which our Lord preached that wonderful sermon, the parable of the
rich fool: “Take heed and beware of covetousness,” &c. (W. E. Boggs, D. D.)
Achan’s crime, confession, and punishment
In the progress of the evil, temptation entered by the eye, that chief inlet of corruption to
the heart. He might be characterised by all that was evil: an evil eye, an evil heart, and an
evil hand. Correct imitator of the first transgressor! David’s distress and dishonour
originated in the same course; and so did the covetousness of Ahab, who could not see
Naboth’s vineyard without conceiving the purpose of making it his own. Thus the eye,
exquisitely nice in construction, beautiful in form, and precious in use, formed too for
purposes of purity and pleasure, is pressed into the service of sin, and has opened to the
heart, that deep and rising fountain of evil, that spring of moral corruption, endless
forms of sin and allurement. In the advance of sin the temptation laid hold of his
affections, those strong ties of inward life, and too frequent controllers of outward
action. The first conceptions of evil, and its last impressions, are in the heart: the eye is
but as a servant in its employ. When I saw, &c., then I coveted them. The only thing that
remained was to make them his own, for which we may conceive many palliating
considerations were admitted, matured by unbelief. Oh! to what cruelties and outrage
have forbidden desires, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, impelled on many who,
in love of power, wealth, and pleasure, have not only laid hands on what God has
prohibited, but, with property, taken away the very lives of its owners! “I took them.”
The hand, as the eye, now became the servant of the heart to perfect its evil wishes. Ah!

140. little did he consider that the whole progress of this action was marked with a curse—the
sight, the desire, and the act of sin, and that therein he had even appropriated a curse
from which he would never be able to free himself. “And, behold, they are hid in the
earth in the midst of my tent.” What perplexities did these riches bring! a thousand
embarrassments felt, before a place could be found for their deposit!—at last, his tent;
not among the things seen, nor were they deemed safe in the privacy of his most
concealed possessions, but, as though dead to his heart, and never again to see the light,
he gave them burial beneath his tent! Neither friend, nor wife, nor children, could be
entrusted with the secret. Oh! that any should transact what fear or shame induces them
to conceal from the observation of others, and even sometimes what they could not
endure their nearest friends should know! But what can all avail when men cannot hide
themselves, or any of their actions, from the eye of infinite purity, which sees into every
dark recess of infidelity and corruption. In this instance of confession one melancholy
reflection arises—it was out of the order of mercy as to this life, and therefore unavailing.
Instead of preceding detection, it was after conviction, and but the desperate necessity of
his case, wanting the ingenuousness which ever characterises the sincere penitent as the
hater of his own offence. Whatever his situation in the next world, it may be viewed as a
faint picture of their ineffectual confessions and unavailing miseries who shall appear
convicted and condemned at the bar of God. The awfulness of the sentence naturally
throws our reflections upon the aggravations of the offence. “He that is taken with the
accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath.” The reason assigned
vindicates the severity of justice. “Because he hath transgressed the covenant of the
Lord, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.” Achan acted against the mightiest
displays of vengeance and love, the obligations of favours received, and the awful
severities of justice executed upon idolaters. To all the wonders of providence and grace
displayed through many years, the interposition of power so recently experienced in the
destruction of Jericho, added new claims of obedience. The covenant relation in which
he stood to God as one of His professing people, and the instructions of revelation with
which he was favoured, gave an aggravation to his offence, beyond whatever could
characterise the sin of idolaters. The ruinous consequences that followed. Many the evils
which had resulted to others, but the most awful fell upon himself and family. To the
loss of men, the distress of the camp, the triumphs of the enemy, and the dishonour cast
upon the Divine name, ensued the execution of a sentence the most exemplary. How
terrible this scene of judgment, more awful than the burning of Jericho. For how small a
portion of ill-gotten gain, and how short a time, did he lose life, and all the good to be
enjoyed in the land of Canaan. All Israel concurred in the execution of the sentence: it is
so spoken of as though every man had cast a stone, and every one thrown fuel to the fire.
How awful their case, and how aggravated their crimes, when even those they have lived
among are employed by God, as the executioners of His justice. (W. Seaton.)
The Babylonish garment
I. We find, in the case of Achan, that the wandering and wanton eye was the first avenue
of mischief. Yet this is the very function to which the great Teacher appeals as the first
guardian against sin: “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.” There is an
eye in the heart as well as in the head, and Christ, knowing how easily the one is
decoyed, enjoins wakefulness upon the other. Keep both open, and let the eye of the
conscience supervise and test all that the eye of sense may contemplate. I once went into
a garden where a lady and her little child were engaged in putting in some spring roots
and seeds. By some mischance, the little plants had got mixed up with some which were

141. only worthless weeds. The child, anxious to be busy, was thrusting all alike
indiscriminately into the soil, till the mother checked the little eager hand, and said,
“Bring them to me, and let me see them before you put them in, that I may tell you which
to plant and which to throw away.” And there was an added pleasure in this work of
testing and submitting which made the child not only more useful but more happy. And
thus, when the child-eye of the sense beholds something which seems goodly and fair, let
it be brought to the inspection of the mother-eye of the conscience before it is taken and
sown and assimilated into the soil of character. “I saw.” The spirit of these times, and of
modern habits, addresses itself to this avenue of the heart. The eye of the voluptuary is
opened to let in the comely procession which turns the world into a huge Babylonish
seraglio. His life is a closing dalliance among houri, till the fever of ignited lust attains its
climax of delirium, and then, having conceived its progeny of illusions, brings forth its
only permanent offspring—death (Jas_1:15). The eye of the man of luxury is opened to
turn the world into one vast Babylonish kitchen, and the great problem of living is,
“What shall I eat? What shall I drink?” We know the guerdon and the result of all such
entrail-worship. The meat turns to worms within the pampered lips, and the
consequential sequence is—“whose god is their belly, whose end is destruction.” The eye
of the slave of commerce looks at the world as one great Babylonish mart. There is the
wedge of gold, appearing and re-appearing in a thousand shapes. Now it is a lump of
solid bullion, now it is melted, minted, stamped into coin; now it is bartered for scrip,
now cropping up in consols, now in coupons, now in debentures (a coffin and a grave
being the simple end of all the race and turmoil); but through all the changes the wedge
is at its wedge-like work, splitting asunder, as it is driven home into the fibres of the life-
character, all that gives life its buoyancy, or character its weight, until the whole fabric of
the manhood is shivered and destroyed, and the mart becomes a mausoleum, as sin,
perfected, brings forth death. And the eye of the proud or the votary of fashion turns the
world into a vast Babylonish shop. Life is one interminable Regent Street. There is the
goodly Babylonish garment folding and unfolding, and as it rustles while the smiling
courtiers hold it up, first in this light, then in that, it seems to whisper a silken
accompaniment to the anxious duet of prudery and foppery which the dolls of fashion
are for ever singing,” Wherewithal shall I be clothed?” Lust! Luxury! Commerce!
Fashion! They all come like besiegers to this gateway of the eye, and try to storm it. It is
the first and the last of these, perhaps, which most hotly assail young men—lust and
fashion, both kindred evils, both sore enemies of the soul. The lust of the eye and the
pride of life. Beware of them!
II. Seeing is wanting. There is a covetousness of the sense which looks and craves; there
is a covetousness of the soul which looks and learns. The first is the lust which consumes
itself to death; the second is the patience which watches unto life eternal. Be yours the
wiser choice. Don’t shut your eyes upon the beauty of the garment or the richness of the
gold, but look, that you may adorn the spirit with the beauty, and enrich the soul upon
the wealth.
III. Fatal graduation—the eye, the appetite, the act. The glance, the greed, the gathering.
The look, the lust, the larceny. I see a man before me in this place who has looked upon
the office and position of another, and who has longed for it, and has begun to take it, by
falsehood and innuendo against his character. I see another who has grudged a
neighbour his good fortune, and has tried to steal his wedge of gold by driving in the
wedge of scandal and detraction to destroy his credit.
IV. The same path must ever lead to the same end. The lust is soon satiated, and then
begins to crave and rage again. The Delilahs who charmed can charm no more; all they
can do is to point the white and taper fingers with which they beckoned in derision at

142. your shame, and part the coral lips that smiled you into sin to hiss the taunt, “The
Philistines be upon thee.” The tresses that you played with are stiffened to Cassandra’s
snakes, to sting you into fiercer pain. The luxury is soon gone. The Babylonish kitchen is
soon empty, and all that is left is but the reek of the past banquet, which sickens and
repels. The gold is soon spent, and only emptiness remains. The Babylonish garment is
soon threadbare and worn out, and shabbiness, nakedness, and chill are all that linger
now. The path along which you look with wanton eye leads to lust, and the lust to sin,
and at the end of all is nothing but a grave. The last garment is the shroud—the last
shekel is the funeral fee—the last beckoner is death. (Arthur Mursell.)
Covetousness
The man in the text, in one view, it should seem at first sight, was an object of pity; for
gold and silver and fine clothes, to be had for carriage, formed a great temptation. Hence
arises a question, why doth providence put in our way such agreeable objects, and yet
forbid us to touch them? Let us give glory to God by acknowledging that by such means
we are exercised, first as creatures to discover the natural grandeur of our own passions,
the incompetence of the world to make us happy, and if reason be not asleep the all-
sufficiency of God. Next, these exercises try us as servants, and by the emotions of
depraved passions we become acquainted with the natural rebellion of an evil heart, that
disputes dominion with God. By an habitual deadness to these, because God commands
it, we discover the true religion of a renewed mind, and enter on the enjoyment of
conscious rectitude, a preference of virtue, the felicity of heaven. Why, then, do we
blame Achan? Because he was not a boy, for none but men above twenty bore arms, and
he was old enough to know that he ought not to have disobeyed his general, or his God.
Because he was a Jew, and of the tribe of Judah, and had been brought up in the nurture
and admonition of the Lord. Because he must have heard what mischief, the golden calf,
the iniquity of Peer, and the murmuring at Kadesh had brought upon his countrymen.
Because he knew God had expressly forbidden plunder. Had he exercised his
understanding, some or all these reasons would have cooled his passion for perquisites.
In like manner we say of ourselves. We have temptations and passions; but we have
reason, too, to resist them. We have passions; but we have had a Christian education,
and have been apprised of the danger of gratifying them. We have passions; but we have
eyes and ears, and live among people who daily die for gratifying the same passions
which we feel. We covet; but God says, “Thou shalt not covet any thing that is thy
neighbour’s.” To covet is to desire beyond due bounds. God hath set these due bounds.
He hath bounded passion by reason, and reason by religion and the nature of things.
1. Covetousness is unjust. Let the prince enjoy the privilege of his birth; let the man
who hath hazarded his life for wealth possess it in peace; let the industrious enjoy
the fruit of his labour; to transfer their property to myself without his consent, and
without putting something as good in the place, would be an act of injustice. Only to
covet is to wish to be unjust.
2. Covetousness is cruel. A man of this disposition is obliged to harden his heart
against a thousand plaintive voices, voices of poor, fatherless, sick, aged, and
bereaved people in distress; voices that set many an eye a-trickling, but which make
no impression on a covetous man.
3. Covetousness is ungrateful. Shall the whole world labour for this old miser, one to
feed him, another to guard him, and all to make him happy, and shall he resemble
the barren earth that returns nothing to him that dresseth it? This is a black

143. ingratitude.
4. Covetousness is a foolish vice; it destroys a man’s reputation, makes everybody
suspect him for a thief, and watch him; it breaks his rest, fills him with care and
anxiety, excites the avarice of a robber, and the indignation of a housebreaker; it
endangers his life, and, depart how he will, he dies unblest and unpitied.
5. Covetousness is unprecedented in all our examples of virtue. It is Judas, who
hanged himself, and not such as Peter, whom covetous men imitate.
6. Covetousness is idolatry. It is the idolatry of the heart, where, as in a temple, a
miserable wretch excludes God, sets up gold instead of Him, and places that
confidence in it which belongs to the great Supreme alone. Achan, and all such as he,
cause a great deal of trouble, and to pass everything else let us only observe what
covetous men do with their wealth. “Behold, it is hid in the earth in the midst of my
tent.” Observe a miser with his bag. With what an arch and jealous leer the wily fox
creeps stealthily about to earth his prey!
He hath not a friend in the world, and judging of others by himself, he thinks there is not
an honest man upon earth, no, not one that can be trusted.
1. Remark his caution. He turns his back on his idol, trudges far away, looks lean,
and hangs all about his own skeleton ensigns of poverty, never avoiding people in
real distress, but always comforting himself with the hope that nobody knows of his
treasure, and that therefore nobody expects any assistance from him.
2. Take notice of the just contempt in which mankind hold this hoary mass of
meanness. He thinks his wealth is hid; but it is not hid, his own anxious side-looks
betray the secret. People reckon for him, talk over all his profits, omit his expenses
and losses, declare his wealth to be double what it is, and judge of his duty according
to their own notions of his fortune. One lays out his good work for him, another rates
him at so much towards such a charity, and all execrate him for not doing what is not
in his power.
3. Mark his hypocrisy. He weeps over the profligacy of the poor, and says it is a sad
thing that they are brought up without being educated in the fear of God. He laments
every time the bell tolls the miserable condition of widows and orphans. He
celebrates the praise of learning, and wishes public speakers had all the powers of a
learned criticism, and all the graces of elocution. He prays for the downpouring of
the Spirit, and the outgoings of God in His sanctuary, and then, how his soul would
be refreshed! What a comfortable Christian would he be then! Tell him that the
gratitude of widows, the hymns of orphans, and the blessings of numbers ready to
perish, are the presence of God in His Church. Tell him all these wait to pour
themselves like a tide into his congregation, and wait only for a little of his money to
pay for cutting a canal. See how thunderstruck he is! His solemn face becomes lank
and black; he suspects he has been too liberal already, his generosity has been often
abused. Why should he be taxed and others spared? The Lord will save His own
elect; God is never at a loss for means, no exertions will do without the Divine
presence and blessing; and besides, his property is all locked up, “Behold, it is hid in
the earth in the midst of my tent!” Let us respect truth even in the mouth of a miser.
This ignoble soul tells you that he would not give a wedge of gold to save you all from
eternal ruin; but he says God is not like him, God loves you, and will save you freely.
This is strictly and literally true. There have been thousands of poor people besides
you who have been instructed and animated, converted and saved, without having
paid one penny for the whole; but this, instead of freezing, should melt the hearts of

144. all who are able, and set them a-running into acts of generosity. I conclude with the
words of Ambrose. “Joshua,” said he, “could stop the course of the sun; but all his
power could not stop the course of avarice. The sun stood still, but avarice went on.
Joshua obtained a victory when the sun stood still; but when avarice was at work,
Joshua was defeated.” (R Robinson.)
Achan’s sin
“I coveted.” What multitudes of sinners of that class are to be found—revenge, theft,
adultery, murder, carried on in the feelings. This is the secret of the sudden falls and
failures in society. Achan must have had a weakness for at least looking at questionable
and unlawful things before this trouble. Woe to the man who cannot confront a bad
impulse with the solid masonry of a good character! Unless we thus fence ourselves off
from evil, our downfall will be only a matter of time. Only character, evolved from the
principles of truth and righteousness, can withstand the seductive influences of the
world and the attacks of the powers of darkness. The influence of home and friends is all
that keeps many people straight and respectable. Like coopers’ casks, they are held
upright and in shape by the hoops of external influences that surround them. Woe to the
man whose restraints are all on the outside! The internal, more than the external, should
suggest our conduct, and shape our activities. It is the Japanese, I think, who say that a
snake is quite orderly and straight so long as you keep it in a bamboo stick, but the
moment it gets out it begins to wriggle and act snaky. So there are many who are quite
decorous and respectable while in the bamboo of home influences who show the old
serpent and act snaky enough when such restraints are taken away. (T. Kelly.)
Achan
Jericho was one of the largest and richest cities in all ancient Canaan. At one time,
indeed, and but for the terrible ban pronounced by Joshua, Jericho might have taken the
place of Jerusalem itself as the chief city of ancient Israel. Jericho was an excellently
situated and a strongly fenced city. There were great foundries of iron and brass in
Jericho, with workshops also in silver and in gold. The looms of Babylonia were already
famous over all the eastern world, and their rich and beautiful textures went far and
near, and were warmly welcomed wherever the commercial caravans of that day carried
them. “A goodly Babylonish garment” plays a prominent part in the tragical history that
now opens before us. The rich and licentious city of Jericho was doomed of God to swift
overthrow and absolute extermination, but no part of the spoil, neither thread nor shoe-
lachet, was to be so much as touched by Joshua or any of his armed men. Nothing
demoralises an army like sacking a fallen city. “Blessed is the man that endureth
temptation; for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life.” And Joshua and all
his men received a crown of life that night—all his men but one. Who is that stealing
about among the smoking ruins? Is that some soldier of Jericho who has saved himself
from the devouring sword?
1. Everybody who reads the best books will have long had by heart Thomas a
Kempis’s famous description of the successive steps of a successful temptation.
There is first the bare thought of the sin. Then, upon that, there is a picture of the sin
formed and hung up on the secret screen of the imagination. A strange sweetness
from that picture is then let down drop by drop into the heart; and then that secret
sweetness soon secures the consent of the whole soul, and the thing is done. That is

145. true, and it is powerful enough. But Achan’s confession to Joshua is much simpler,
and still closer to the truth: “I saw the goodly Babylonish garment, I coveted it, I took
it, and I hid it in my tent.” Had Joshua happened to post the ensign of Judah
opposite the poor part of the city this sad story would never have been told. But even
as it was, had Achan only happened to stand a little to the one side, or a little to the
other side of where he did stand, in that case he would not have seen that beautiful
piece, and not seeing it he would not have coveted it, and would have gone home to
his tent that night a good soldier and an honest man. But when once Achan’s eyes
lighted on that rich garment he never could get his eyes off it again. As a Kempis
says, the seductive thing got into Achan’s imagination, and the devil’s work was
done. Achan was in a fever now lest he should lose that goodly garment. He was
terrified lest any of his companions should have seen that glittering piece. He was
sure some of them had seen it, and was making off with it. He stood in between it
and the searchers. He turned their attention to something else. And then when their
backs were about he rolled it up in a hurry, and the gold and the silver inside of it,
and thrust it down into a hiding-place. His eyes were Achan’s fatal snare. It was his
eyes that stoned Achan and burned him and his household to dust in the valley of
Achor. Had God seen it to be good to make men and women in some way without
eyes the Fall itself would have been escaped. In his despair to get the devil out of his
heart Job swore a solemn oath and made a holy covenant with his eyes. But our
Saviour, as He always does, goes far deeper than Job. He knows quite well that no
oath that Job ever swore, and no covenant that Job ever sealed, will hold any man’s
eyes in; and therefore He demands of all His disciples that their eyes shall be plucked
out. He pulls down His own best handiwork at its finest part so that He may get the
devil’s handiwork destroyed and rooted out of it; and then He will let us have all our
eyes back again when and where we are fit to be trusted with eyes. Miss Rossetti is
writing to young ladies, but what she says to them it will do us all good to hear.
“True,” says that fine writer, “all our lives long we shall be bound to refrain our soul,
and to keep it low; but what then? For the books we now forbear to read, we shall
one day be endued with wisdom and knowledge. For the music we will not listen to,
we shall join in the song of the redeemed. For the pictures from which we turn, we
shall gaze unabashed on the Beatific Vision. For the companionships we shun, we
shall be welcomed into angelic society and the communion of triumphant saints. For
all the amusements we avoid, we shall keep the supreme jubilee.” Yes, it is as certain
as God’s truth and righteousness are certain, that the crucified man who goes about
with his eyes out; the man who steals along the street seeing neither smile nor frown;
he who keeps his eyes down wherever men and women congregate, in the Church, in
the market-place, at a station, on a ship’s deck, at an inn table, where you will; that
man escapes multitudes of temptations that more open and more full-eyed men and
women continually fall before. You huff and toss your head at that. But these things
are not spoken for you yet, but for those who have sold and cut off both eye and ear,
and hand and foot, and life itself, if all that will only carry them one single step
nearer their salvation.
2. Look at the camp of Israel that awful morning! It is the day of judgment, and the
great white throne is set in the valley of Achor before its proper time. Look how the
hearts of those fathers and mothers who have sons in the army beat till they cannot
hear the last trump. Did you ever spend a night like that night in Achan’s tent? A
friend of mine once slept in a room in a hotel in Glasgow through the wall from a
man who made him think sometimes that a madman had got into the house.
Sometimes he thought it must be a suicide, and sometimes a damned soul come back

146. for a visit to the city of its sins. But he understood the mysterious noises of the night
next morning when the officers came in and beckoned to a gentleman who sat at the
breakfast-table, and drove him off to a penal settlement, where he died. Groanings
that cannot be imitated to you were heard by all Achan’s neighbours all that night.
Till one bold man rose and lifted a loop of Achan’s tent in the darkness, and saw
Achan still burying deeper and deeper his sin. O sons and daughters of discovered
Achan! O guilty and dissembling sinners! It is all in vain. It is all utterly and
absolutely in vain. Be sure as God is in heaven, and as He has His eyes upon you, that
your sin wilt find you out. You think that the darkness will cover you. Wait till you
see!
3. The eagle that stole a piece of sacred flesh from the altar brought home a
smouldering coal with it that kindled up afterwards and burned up both her whole
nest and all her young ones. And so did Achan. It was very sore upon Achan’s sons,
and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all
that he had. But things are as they are. God gathers the solitary into families for
good, and the good family tie still continues to hold even when all the members of
the family have done evil. Once a father, always a father: the relationship stands.
Once a son, always a son, even when a prodigal son. Every son has his father’s grey
hairs and his mother’s anxious heart in his hands, and no possible power can alter
that. Drop that stolen flesh! A coal is in it that shall never be quenched.
4. Make a clean breast of it, then. Go home to your tent to-night, go home to your
lodgings, take up the accursed thing out of its hiding-place, and lay it out before
Joshua, if not before all Israel. Lay it out and say, “Indeed I have sinned against the
Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done.” And if you do not know what
more to say, if you are speechless beside that accursed thing, try this; say this. Ask
and say, “Is Thy name indeed Jesus? Dost Thou indeed save found-out men from
their sins? Art Thou still set forth to be a propitiation? Art Thou truly able to save to
the uttermost? For I am the chief of sinners,” say. Lie down on the floor of your
room—you need not think it too much for you to do that, or that it is an act unworthy
of your manhood to do it: the Son of God did it for you on the floor of Gethsemane.
Yes, lie down on the floor of your sinful room, and lay your tongue in the dust of it,
and say this about yourself: say that you, naming yourself, are the offscouring of all
men. For “thus and thus,” naming it, “have I done.” And then say this
“The dying thief rejoiced to see
That Fountain in his day”—
and see what the true Joshua will stand over you and say to you.
5. Therefore the name of that place is called the valley of Achor to this day. Achor;
that is, as interpreted on the margin, “Trouble”—the valley of trouble. “Why hast
thou troubled us?” demanded Joshua of Achan. “The Lord shall trouble thee this
day.” The Lord troubled Achan in judgment that day, but He is troubling you in
mercy in your day. Yes; already your trouble is a door of hope. You will sing yet as
you never sang in the days of your youth. You never sang songs like these in the days
of your youth, or before your trouble came—songs like these: The Lord will be a
refuge for the overwhelmed: a refuge in the time of trouble. Thou art my hiding-
place; Thou shalt preserve me from trouble; Thou shalt compass me about with
songs of deliverance. (A. Whyte, D. D.)

147. 21 When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe
from Babylonia,[c] two hundred shekels[d] of
silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels,[e] I
coveted them and took them. They are hidden in
the ground inside my tent, with the silver
underneath.”
BAR ES, "A goodly Babylonian garment - literally, “a robe or cloak of Shinar,”
the plain in which Babylon was situated Gen_10:10. It was a long robe such as was worn
by kings on state occasions Jon_3:6, and by prophets 1Ki_19:13; Zec_13:4. The
Assyrians were in early times famous for the manufacture of beautiful dyed and richly
embroidered robes (compare Eze_23:15). That such a robe should be found in a
Canaanite city is natural enough. The productions of the far East found their way
through Palestine both southward toward Egypt and westward through Tyre to the
countries bordering on the Mediterranean. (Compare Eze_27:24 and the context.)
Wedge of gold - i. e. some implement or ornament of gold shaped like a wedge or
tongue. The name lingula was given by the Romans to a spoon and to an oblong dagger
made in shape of a tongue. The weight of this “wedge” was fifty shekels, i. e. about
twenty-five ounces (see Exo_38:24 note). The silver was under the rest of the stolen
property. The mantle would naturally be placed uppermost, and be used to cover up the
others.
CLARKE,"A goodly Babylonish garment - ‫שנער‬ ‫אדרת‬ addereth shinar, a splendid
or costly robe of Shinar; but as Babylon or Babel was built in the plain of Shinar, the
word has in general been translated Babylon in this place. It is very probable that this
was the robe of the king of Jericho, for the same word is used, Jon_3:6, to express the
royal robe, of the king of Nineveh which he laid aside in order to humble himself before
God. Bochart and Calmet have shown at large that Babylonish robes were very splendid,
and in high reputation. “They are,” says Calmet, “generally allowed to have been of
various colors, though some suppose they were woven thus; others, that they were
embroidered with the needle; and others, that they were painted. Silius Italicus appears
to think they were woven thus: -
Vestis spirantes referens subtemine vultus,

148. Quos radio caelat Babylon.
Punic. lib. xiv., ver. 667.
Martial seems to say they were embroidered with the needle: -
Non ego praetulerim Babylonia Picta superbe
Textra, Semiramia quae variantur Acu.
Lib. viii., E. 28, ver. 17.
Pliny (lib. viii., c. 48) and Apuleius (Florid. lib. i). speak of them as if painted: “Colores
diversos picturae intexere Babylon maxime celebravit, et nomen imposuit.” Thus far
Calmet: but it may be observed that the clothes woven of divers colors at Babylon, which
were so greatly celebrated, and hence called Babylonish garments, appear rather to have
had the pictures woven or embroidered in them than painted on them, as Calmet
supposes, though it is most likely the figures referred to were the work of the needle after
the cloth came from the loom. Aquila translates the original, ‫שנער‬ ‫אדרת‬ addereth shinar, by
στολην βαβυλονικην, a Babylonish robe; Symmachus, ενδυµα συναρ, a robe of Synar; the
Septuagint, ψιλην ποικιλην, a fine garment of different colors; and the Vulgate, pallium
coccineum, a scarlet cloak. There is no doubt it was both beautiful and costly, and on
these grounds it was coveted by Achan.
Two hundred shekels of silver - At three shillings per shekel, amount to about
30l. sterling.
A wedge of gold - A tongue of gold, ‫זהב‬ ‫לשון‬ leshon zahab what we commonly call an
ingot of gold, a corruption of the word lingot, signifying a little tongue, of fifty shekels
weight. These fifty shekels, in weight 29 oz. 15 15/31 gr., at 2l. 5s. 2 1/2 42/93d. per
shekel, would be worth about 113l. 0s. 10 3/4d. This verse gives us a notable instance of
the progress of sin. It
1. enters by the eye;
2. sinks into the heart;
3. actuates the hand; and,
4. leads to secrecy and dissimulation.
I saw, etc, I coveted, etc. I took and hid them in the earth. Thus says St. James: “When
lust (evil desire) is conceived it bringeth forth sin; and when sin is finished it bringeth
forth death,” Jos_1:15.
GILL, "When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment,.... One, as
the Targum adds, for no more was taken; a garment made of Babylonish wool, as Jarchi;
or a valuable garment made in Babylon, called "Shinar", for that is the word in the text,
so Kimchi and Abarbinel; and Babylonian garments were in great esteem in other
nations: Pliny says (c) Babylon was famous for garments interwoven with pictures of
divers colours, and which gave name to them; and Plutarch (d) relates, that Cato in his
great modesty, and being an enemy to luxury, having a Babylonish garment that came to
him by inheritance, ordered it immediately to be sold: the Vulgate Latin version calls it a
scarlet robe; and in some Jewish writings (e) it is interpreted, a garment of Babylonian

149. purple, as if it only respected the colour; and purple and scarlet are sometimes
promiscuously used and put for the same, see Mat_27:28; and were the colour worn by
kings: and Josephus here calls it a royal garment, wholly interwoven with gold (f); and
some have thought it to be the garment of the king of Jericho, which is not unlikely;
however, it is much more probable than that Jericho was subject to the king of Babylon,
and that he had palaces in Jericho, and when he came thither was clothed with this robe,
so Jarchi; as is elsewhere said (g) by others, that he had a deputy who resided in Jericho,
who sent dates to the king of Babylon, and the king sent him gifts, among which was a
garment of Shinar or Babylon:
and two hundred shekels of silver; which, if coined money, was near twenty five
English pounds:
and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight: or a "tongue of gold" (h); a plate of
gold in the shape of a tongue, as Kimchi and Abarbinel; a piece of unwrought gold which
weighed fifty shekels, and worth of our money about seventy five pounds, according to
Brererwood (i): where he saw these, and from whence he took them, is not said;
according to some Jewish writers, these belonged to one of their idols; it is said (k), he
saw the Teraphim and the silver they offered before it, and the garment which was
spread before it, and the tongue or wedge of gold in its mouth; and he desired them in
his heart, and went and took them, and hid them in the midst of his tent: and the
Samaritan Chronicle (l) makes him confess that he went into a temple in Jericho and
found the above things there: and Masius conjectures that the wedge of gold was a little
golden sword, with which the men of Jericho had armed their god, since an ancient poet
(m) calls a little sword a little tongue:
then I coveted them, and took them; he is very particular in the account, and
gradually proceeds in relating the temptation he was under, and the prevalence of it; it
began with his eyes, which were caught with the goodliness of the garments, and the
riches he saw; these affected his heart and stirred up covetous desires, which influenced
and directed his hands to take them:
and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent; Josephus (n)
says, he dug a deep hole or ditch in his tent, and put them there, that is, the Babylonish
garment and the wedge of gold; which, as Ben Gersom gathers from Jos_7:25, was
wrapped up and hid within the garment; which is not improbable, since otherwise no
account is given of that:
and the silver under it; the two hundred shekels of silver lay under the garment in
which was the wedge of gold, and so it lay under them both.
JAMISO , "a goodly Babylonish garment — literally, “a mantle of Shinar.” The
plain of Shinar was in early times celebrated for its gorgeous robes, which were of
brilliant and various colors, generally arranged in figured patterns, probably resembling
those of modern Turkish carpets, and the colors were either interwoven in the loom or
embroidered with the needle.
two hundred shekels of silver — about $200 according to the old Mosaic shekel,
or the half of that sum, reckoning by the common shekel.
a wedge of gold — literally, an ingot or bar in the shape of a tongue.

150. ELLICOTT, "(21) A goodly Babylonish garment.—Literally, A certain goodly
mantle of Shinar.
I coveted them.—The very word employed, not only in the tenth commandment
(Deuteronomy 5:21), but also in Deuteronomy 7:25, the passage which forbids Israel
to desire the spoils of idolatry. This coincidence of terms makes it somewhat
probable that the whole were found in some idol’s temple, and were part of the
spoils of the shrine.
TRAPP, "Joshua 7:21 When 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.
Ver. 21. When I saw, &c.] Millions have died of the wound in the eye. Covetousness
is called "the lust of the eye," [1 John 2:16] and by this window much wickedness
windeth itself into the heart, said the wise heathen.
BE SO ,"Joshua 7:21. When I saw — a goodly Babylonish garment — Such
garments were composed with great art, of divers colours, and of great price, as
appears both from the Scriptures and from heathen authors. Two hundred shekels
— ot in coin, but in weight; for as yet they received and paid money by weight.
When I saw — He accurately describes the progress of his sin, which began at his
eye. This he permitted to gaze upon these things. Hereby his desire for them was
inflamed, and that desire induced him to take them, and, having taken, to resolve to
keep them, and to that end, hide them in his tent. Then I coveted them — See what
comes of suffering the heart to go after the eyes, and what need we have to “make a
covenant with our eyes!” He was drawn away, like Eve, of his own lust, and enticed;
and lust having conceived, by getting the consent of his will, brought forth sin, and
sin, being committed, brought forth death. Thus we see, that they who would be
kept from sinful actions, must check and mortify sinful desires, particularly the
desire of wealth, which we more especially term covetousness. For of what a world
of evil is the love of money the root! How does it draw men into, and drown men in,
destruction and perdition! 1 Timothy 6:9. They are hid in my tent, and the silver
under it — That is, under the Babylonish garment; covered with it, or wrapped up
in it.
WHEDO , "21. A goodly Babylonish garment — [Literally, a mantle of Shinar, one
of excellence. The mention of this garment indicates that Jericho had enriched itself
by commerce with Babylon, in the land of Shinar.
Genesis 11:2. This was rendered easy by the caravans of merchantmen, such as that
to which Joseph was sold, (Genesis 37:25-28,) which frequently must have passed
near Jericho on their journeys between Egypt and the East.] The original intimates
that it was a splendid mantle. Some think it was a military cloak, embroidered with
brilliant colors; others, that it was a kingly robe, woven with gold. It is probable

151. that its appearance dazzled the eye of Achan, and through the eye awakened
covetousness in his heart. [Herodotus (i, 195) says: “The dress of the Babylonians is
a linen tunic reaching to the feet, and above it another tunic made in wool, besides
which they have a short white cloak thrown around them.” The Babylonian
cylinders furnish us with representations of a flounced robe, reaching from the neck
to the feet.]
And two hundred shekels of silver — The word shekel signifies weight, generally a
definite weight of unstamped gold, silver, brass, or iron. Here it may mean definite
pieces of silver passing current, with the weight marked. In different periods the
shekel varied in value. The shekel of the sanctuary differed from the shekel of the
king. Its usual value was about sixty-two and one half cents. The whole value of the
silver was about $125, when a dollar had nearly ten times the purchasing power that
it now has.
A wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight — The shekel of gold was about five and a
half dollars, so that this oblong or tongue-shaped bar was worth $275.
And the silver under it — That is, under the Babylonish garment. All the stolen
goods were probably placed in some box or bag, and buried where no human eye
could see them. The frankness and apparent penitence of this confession affects our
hearts with sorrow for the sad fate of Achan. It lacked but two elements —
spontaneity and seasonableness — which will be lacking in the confession of every
impenitent sinner before the judgment seat of Christ. The whole philosophy of
temptation and sin is here strikingly illustrated. In the sacking of Jericho, Achan,
unobserved by any witness, finds, possibly in the king’s palace, a beautiful robe and
a quantity of gold and silver. The splendour of the garment and the glitter of the
precious metals struck his eye and awakened desire. Instead of turning away his
eyes, he continued to look and to desire, till desire ripened into volition, and this into
action. “When lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin, and sin, when it is finished,
bringeth forth death.”
COKE, "Ver. 21. When I saw among the spoils— The Samaritan Chronicle makes
Achan here say, that it was in a temple of Jericho that he saw the things which
tempted him; among which was a goodly Babylonish garment. Bochart with his
usual erudition observes, that clothes of divers colours were made at Babylon,
adorned with figures, in the taste of the Turkey carpets, very shining, rich, and
much sought after in all the eastern world. The Babylonians had invented these
sorts of works, made in the loom with the needle and of several colours. Phaleg, lib.
i. c. 6. p. 25. Tempted, therefore, by the sight of one of these garments, (which the
LXX here call fine mantles of divers colours,) Achan took one of them, either to use
it afterwards, or to sell it; for they were of great price.
Two hundred shekels of silver— About thirty pounds sterling. See Calmet. And a
wedge of gold, &c. The Hebrew signifies a tongue of gold, which is the same thing:
thereby is meant a piece of gold in a bar, and nearly in the shape of a tongue. This
wedge, at the rate of fifty shekels of gold, might be worth upwards of ninety pounds

152. sterling. It should be remembered, that in the time of Joshua they had no silver
money.
Fifty shekels— Twelve ounces and a half.
Then I coveted them, and took them— This fully justifies that saying of St. James:
When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, ch. Joshua 1:15. Achan ardently
desired the garment, the silver, and the gold, which displayed themselves to his view,
in a place where he was evidently without witness; and he perverted them to his own
use.
PULPIT, "A goodly Babylonish garment. Literally, "a mantle of Shinar, one goodly
one." Babylon was in the "land of Shinar" (see Genesis 11:2; Genesis 14:1; Isaiah
11:11; Zechariah 5:11). The ‫ת‬ ֶ‫אַדר‬ derived from ‫אדר‬ great, glorious, was an ample
cloak, sometimes of hair or fur (Genesis 25:25; cf. 1 Kings 19:13, 1 Kings 19:19; 2
Kings 2:13, 2 Kings 2:14; Jonah 3:6, etc). The Babylonish mantle was famed for its
beauty ( ποικίλη, LXX), and was, no doubt, worked artistically with figures of men
and animals. "Of all Asiatic nations, the Babylonians were the most noted for the
weaving of cloth of divers colours. Into these stuffs gold threads were introduced
into the woof of many hues. Amongst those who traded in 'blue clothes and
embroidered work' with Tyro were the merchants of Asshur, or Assyria; and that
the garments of Babylon were brought into Syria and greatly esteemed at a very
early period, we learn from their being classed amongst the most precious articles of
spoil, even with gold, in the time of Joshua". From this, among other passages, we
may infer the early date of the Book of Joshua. It marks an early stage of civilisation
when an embroidered garment can be considered as in any degree equivalent to
gold. The Israelites, it must be remembered, were not unaccustomed in Egypt to the
highest degree of civilisation then known. " am Persarum, finitimarumque gentium
luxum eo se ostentare solere vel ex eo constat quod captis ab Alexandro Magno Susis
illicinventa fuerit 10 millia pondo, sive talents purpurae Hermionicae, teste
Plutarcho in Alexandro" (Corn. a Lapide). A wedge of gold. Literally, "a tongue of
gold." Some derive our word ingot from the French lingot, or little tongue. But
others derive it with greater probability from the Dutch ingieten the same as the
German einqiesen, to pour in. "Si ergo invenias spud philosophos perversa dogmata
luculenti sermonis assertionibus decorata, ista eat lingua aurea. Sed vide, nete
decipiat fulgor operis, ne te rapiat sermonis aurei pulchritudo: memento, quia Jesus
anathema jussit esse omni aurum quod in Jericho fuerit inventum. Si poetam legeris
modulatis versibus et praefulgido carmine Deos Deasque texentem, ne delecteris
eloquentiae suavitate. Lingua aurea est: si eam sustuleritis, et posueris in
tabernaculo tuo: polluis omnem ecclesiam Domini" (Orig; Hom. 7 on Joshua).

153. 22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the
tent, and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the
silver underneath.
GILL, "So Joshua sent messengers,.... Directly to Achan's tent, to see if it was as he
had said, and to bring the things with them:
and they ran unto the tent; either for joy that the iniquity was discovered, as Kimchi;
or that none of the tribe of Judah or of Achan's family or relations should get there
before them, and take them from thence and make void the lot; so Jarchi, Ben Gersom,
and Abarbinel; but, no doubt, it is remarked, to show the readiness and diligence of the
messengers to obey the order of Joshua:
and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it; as Achan had said.
HE RY 22-23, " His conviction. God had convicted him by the lot; he had convicted
himself by his own confession; but, that no room might be left for the most discontented
Israelite to object against the process, Joshua has him further convicted by the searching
of his tent, in which the goods were found which he confessed to. Particular notice is
taken of the haste which the messengers made that were sent to search: They ran to the
tent (Jos_7:22), not only to show their readiness to obey Joshua's orders, but to show
how uneasy they were till the camp was cleared of the accursed thing, that they might
regain the divine favour. Those that feel themselves under wrath find themselves
concerned not to defer the putting away of sin. Delays are dangerous, and it is not time
to trifle. When the stolen goods were brought they were laid out before the Lord (Jos_
7:23), that all Israel might see how plain the evidence was against Achan, and might
adore the strictness of God's judgments in punishing so severely the stealing of such
small things, and yet the justice of his judgments in maintaining his right to devoted
things, and might be afraid of ever offending in the like kind. In laying them out before
the Lord they acknowledged his title to them, and waited to receive his directions
concerning them. Note, Those that think to put a cheat upon God do but deceive
themselves; what is taken from him he will recover (Hos_2:9) and he will be a loser by
no man at last.
JAMISO 22-23, "Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent —
from impatient eagerness not only to test the truth of the story, but to clear Israel from
the imputation of guilt. Having discovered the stolen articles, they laid them out before
the Lord, “as a token of their belonging to Him” on account of the ban.
K&D 22-23, "Joshua sent two messengers directly to Achan's tent to fetch the things,

154. and when they were brought he had them laid down before Jehovah, i.e., before the
tabernacle, where the whole affair had taken place. ‫יק‬ ִ ִ‫,ה‬ here and in 2Sa_15:24, signifies
to lay down (synonymous with ‫יג‬ ִ ִ‫,)ה‬ whilst the Hiphil form is used for pouring out.
CALVI , "22.So Joshua sent messengers, etc Although it is not singular for
messengers to prove their obedience by running and making haste, yet the haste
which is here mentioned, shows how intent all were to have the work of expiation
performed as speedily as possible, as they had been filled with the greatest anxiety in
consequence of the stern denunciation — I will not be with you until you are purged
of the anathema. They therefore ran swiftly, not merely to execute the commands of
Joshua, but much more to appease the Lord. The things carried off by stealth, when
placed before their eyes, were more than sufficient to explain the cause of the
disgrace and overthrow which had befallen them.
It had been said that they had turned their backs on the enemy, because, being
polluted with the accursed thing, they were deprived of the wonted assistance of
God; it is now easy to infer from the sight of the stolen articles, that the Lord had
deservedly become hostile to them. At the same time, they were reminded how much
importance God attached to the delivery of the first-fruits of the whole land of
Canaan in an untainted state, in order that his liberality might never perish from
their memory. They also learned that while the knowledge of God penetrates to the
most hidden recesses, it is in vain to employ concealment’s for the purpose of
eluding his judgment. (73)
TRAPP, "Joshua 7:22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and,
behold, [it was] hid in his tent, and the silver under it.
Ver. 22. And they ran unto the tent.] It was a matter of haste, that justice might be
speedily executed, and God’s favour re-obtained.
PETT, "Verse 22
‘So Joshua sent messengers and they ran to the tent, and behold, it was hidden in his
tent, and the silver under it.’
Joshua immediately insisted on the stolen items being produced. They were part of
what was devoted and must therefore be carefully dealt with. The men he sent went
with haste. All were aware of the awfulness of the situation and desirous of
removing the curse from Israel as soon as possible. They found the gold, wrapped in
the robe, and the silver, too bulky, buried under it.
BE SO , "Verse 22-23
Joshua 7:22-23. Joshua sent messengers — That the truth of his confession might be
unquestionable, which some, peradventure, might think was forced from him. And
they ran — Partly longing to free themselves and all the people from all the curse
under which they lay; and partly, that none of Achan’s relations might get thither

155. before them, and take away the things. It was hid — The parcel of things
mentioned, Joshua 7:21; Joshua 7:24. Before the Lord — Where Joshua and the
elders continued yet in their assembly, waiting for the issue.
COFFMA , ""So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold,
it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. And they took them from the midst of
the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel; and they
laid them down before Jehovah. And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan
the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the mantle, 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 up unto the valley of Achor. And Joshua said,
Why hast thou troubled us? Jehovah shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel
stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire, and stoned them with
stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones, unto this day; and Jehovah
turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called
The Valley of Achor, unto this day."
The big question regarding this event is whether or not all of Achan's sons and
daughters were put to death with him? The most logical understanding of what is
written here indicates that, indeed, they were all put to death along with Achan. The
question that comes up regards the law given in Deuteronomy 24:16 which clearly
prohibited innocent people from being put to death for a relative's crime. This
writer cannot pretend to know the exact answer to this. Keil and others affirm that
all of the family of Achan suffered death, since they were, by the very nature of the
hiding place of the loot, accomplices after the fact, and therefore guilty. Besides,
Keil pointed out that in this particular case, God had specifically commanded the
execution here carried out.
Unger's comment is:
"Did Achan's family share in his death? Apparently, but Deuteronomy 24:16 clearly
prohibits innocent people from being put to death for a relative's crime. The plural
pronoun `them" in Joshua 7:25 may refer grammatically only to Achan's
possessions, and Joshua 22:20 may refer to the thirty-six men who perished because
of Achan's sin. Korah's relatives were spared ( umbers 16)."[21]
Rea stressed the fact that all of Achan's family would necessarily have known of the
theft and that "they could not but have been accomplices."[22] We might multiply
quotations from many writers, but Blair summed it all up, "It is difficult to be
certain."[23]
In Joshua 7:25, the word used for "stoning" is a Hebrew word, one of a couple of
words the Hebrews had for stoning, and "The word used here is the one that means
`stoning as a form of capital punishment.'"[24] As stoning was certainly a more
merciful death than burning, this word probably indicates that the burning took
place after those executed were dead. Here again, no certainty is possible.

156. 23 They took the things from the tent, brought
them to Joshua and all the Israelites and spread
them out before the Lord.
GILL, "And they took them out of the midst of the tent,.... Out of the place, hole,
or pit in which they were hid:
and brought them to Joshua and to the children of Israel; to Joshua as the chief
ruler, and to the elders and heads of the tribes assembled together:
and laid them out before the Lord; or "poured them out" (o); the golden wedge, out
of the garment in which it was wrapped, and the two hundred shekels of silver found
under it: it seems as if these were poured or laid out separately upon the ground before
the tabernacle, where the ark of the Lord was, they belonging to the spoils which were
devoted to him; as well as hereby they were plainly seen by the Israelites, that these were
the very things which Achan had confessed.
ELLICOTT, "(23) And laid them out before the Lord.—The silver and the gold, by
His order, should have been brought into His treasury (Joshua 6:19). The spoils of
Canaan might have been consecrated as holiness to Jehovah. But in this instance the
spoil of Jericho had become the sin of Israel, and it must therefore be no longer
preserved, but consumed.
TRAPP, "Joshua 7:23 And 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.
Ver. 23. And they took them out of the midst of the tent.] Sin not therefore in hope
of secrecy: or if you have, take up the matter in God’s privy chamber of mercy by
true repentance, that so his open judicial proceeding in court may be stopped. See 1
Corinthians 11:31.
PETT, "Verse 23
‘And they took them from the midst of the tent, and brought them to Joshua and to
the children of Israel, and they poured them out before YHWH.’
The recovery of these devoted things not only concerned Joshua but the whole of

157. Israel. All were involved and concerned for their recovery. All would benefit.
‘Poured them out’ may give an indication that their restitution to YHWH was seen
as a kind of offering (Leviticus 8:15; Leviticus 9:9 compare especially 2 Samuel
15:24 where the Ark was ‘poured out’ before David when he fled, a kind of offering
to him by his loyal subjects). They were restored to their rightful place.
PULPIT, "Laid them out before the Lord. This shows the directly religious nature
of the proceeding. God had directed the lot, the offender was discovered, and now
the devoted things are solemnly laid out one by one (for so the Hebrew seems to
imply, though in 2 Samuel 15:24 it has the sense of planting firmly, as molten matter
hardens and becomes fixed) before Him whose they are, as a confession of sin, and
also as an act of restitution.
24 Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took
Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold
bar, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys
and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the
Valley of Achor.
BAR ES, "The sin had been national (Jos_7:1 note), and accordingly the expiation
of it was no less so. The whole nation, no doubt through its usual representatives, took
part in executing the sentence. Achan had fallen by his own act under the ban Jos_6:18,
and consequently he and his were treated as were communities thus devoted Deu_13:15-
17. It would appear too that Achan’s family must have been accomplices in his sin; for
the stolen spoil could hardly have been concealed in his tent without their being privy
thereto.
CLARKE,"Joshua - took Achan - and all that he had - He and his cattle and
substance were brought to the valley to be consumed; his sons and his daughters,
probably, to witness the judgments of God inflicted on their disobedient parent. See
Jos_7:25.

158. GILL, "And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah,....
Joshua and all Israel are mentioned, to show the perfect agreement between Joshua and
the heads of the people in this affair of Achan, and in the nature and manner of his
punishment:
and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold; which, though devoted
to sacred uses, yet having been converted to another's use, and made his property, was
not to be employed in the service of the sanctuary, but to be burnt with him:
and his sons and his daughters; who, according to Ben Gersom, Abarbinel, and
Abendana, were not brought forth to be put to death, only to be spectators of the
sentence of judgment, and the execution of it, that they might keep themselves from
such evil things; though, as Achan may be supposed to be a man in years, being but the
fourth generation from Judah; his sons and daughters were grown up in all probability,
and might be accessories in this affair; and so, as some Jewish writers remark, were
worthy of death, because they saw and knew what was done, and were silent and did not
declare it (p); and it seems by what is said, Jos_22:20; that they died as well as Achan,
since it is there said, "that man perished not alone in his iniquity"; though it may be
interpreted of his substance, his cattle, perishing with him; and indeed from Jos_7:25; it
seems as if none were stoned but himself, that is, of his family; no mention is made of his
wife, who, if he had any, as Kimchi observes, knew nothing of the matter, it being hid
from her:
and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep; in which lay his substance, as that of
the eastern people generally did:
and his tent, and all that he had; the tent he and his family dwelt in, with all the
household goods in it:
and they brought them unto the valley of Achor; so called by anticipation here;
for it had its name from the trouble Achan gave to Israel, and with which he was
troubled himself: some render it, "they brought them up" (q); and as it is more proper to
descend into a valley the to go up to it, it is thought there was a mountain between the
camp of Israel and this valley, so Kimchi and Ben Melech; see Hos_2:15.
JAMISO 24-26, "Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan — He with his
children and all his property, cattle as well as movables, were brought into one of the
long broad ravines that open into the Ghor, and after being stoned to death (Num_
15:30-35), his corpse, with all belonging to him, was consumed to ashes by fire. “All
Israel” was present, not only as spectators, but active agents, as many as possible, in
inflicting the punishment - thus testifying their abhorrence of the sacrilege, and their
intense solicitude to regain the divine favor. As the divine law expressly forbade the
children to be put to death for their father’s sins (Deu_24:16), the conveyance of Achan’s
“sons and daughters” to the place of execution might be only as spectators, that they
might take warning by the parental fate; or, if they shared his punishment (Jos_22:20),
they had probably been accomplices in his crime, and, indeed, he could scarcely have
dug a hole within his tent without his family being aware of it.

159. CALVI , "24.And Joshua, and all Israel with him, etc Achan is led without the
camp for two reasons; first, that it might not be tainted and polluted by the
execution, (as God always required that some trace of humanity should remain,
even in the infliction of legitimate punishments,) and secondly, that no defilement
might remain among the people. It was customary to inflict punishment without the
camp, that the people might have a greater abhorrence at the shedding of blood: but
now, a rotten member is cut off from the body, and the camp is purified from
pollution. We see that the example became memorable, as it gave its name to the
spot.
If any one is disturbed and offended by the severity of the punishment, he must
always be brought back to this point, that though our reason dissent from the
judgments of God, we must check our presumption by the curb of a pious modesty
and soberness, and not disapprove whatever does not please us. It seems harsh, nay,
barbarous and inhuman, that young children, without fault, should be hurried off to
cruel execution, to be stoned and burned. That dumb animals should be treated in
the same manner is not so strange, as they were created for the sake of men, and
thus deservedly follow the fate of their owners. Everything, therefore, which Achan
possessed perished with him as an accessory, but still it seems a cruel vengeance to
stone and burn children for the crime of their father; and here God publicly inflicts
punishment on children for the sake of their parents, contrary to what he declares
by Ezekiel. But how it is that he destroys no one who is innocent, and visits the sins
of fathers upon children, I briefly explained when speaking of the common
destruction of the city of Jericho, and the promiscuous slaughter of all ages. The
infants and children who then perished by the sword we bewail as unworthily slain,
as they had no apparent fault; but if we consider how much more deeply divine
knowledge penetrates than human intellect can possibly do, we will rather acquiesce
in his decree, than hurry ourselves to a precipice by giving way to presumption and
extravagant pride. It was certainly not owing to reckless hatred that the sons of
Achan were pitilessly slain. ot only were they the creatures of God’s hand, but
circumcision, the infallible symbol of adoption, was engraved on their flesh; and yet
he adjudges them to death. What here remains for us, but to acknowledge our
weakness and submit to his incomprehensible counsel? It may be that death proved
to them a medicine; but if they were reprobate, then condemnation could not be
premature. (74)
It may be added, that the life which God has given he may take away as often as
pleases him, not more by disease than by any other mode. A wild beast seizes an
infant and tears it to pieces; a serpent destroys another by its venomous bite; one
falls into the water, another into the fire, a third is overlain by a nurse, a fourth is
crushed by a falling stone; nay, some are not even permitted to open their eyes on
the light. It is certain that none of all these deaths happens except by the will of God.
But who will presume to call his procedure in this respect in question? Were any
man so insane as to do so, what would it avail? We must hold, indeed, that none
perish by his command but those whom he had doomed to death. From the
enumeration of Achan’s oxen, asses, and sheep, we gather that he was sufficiently
rich, and that therefore it was not poverty that urged him to the crime. It must

160. therefore be regarded as a proof of his insatiable cupidity, that he coveted stolen
articles, not for use but for luxury.
ELLICOTT, "(24) And his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and
his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had.—All were evidently destroyed together
(comp. Joshua 22:20). For any other sin but this, Achan must have suffered alone.
“The children shall not be put to death for the fathers.” But in this case, warning
had been given that the man who took of the accursed thing, or chêrern, would be
an accursed thing like it, if he brought it into his house (Deuteronomy 7:26), and
would make the camp of Israel chêrem also (Joshua 6:18), and thus Achan’s whole
establishment was destroyed as though it had become part of Jericho. It is not
necessary to assert that the family of Achan were accomplices. His cattle were not
so, and yet they were destroyed. See also 1 Chronicles 2:7, where his line is not
continued. Observe also the incidental reference to the fact in Joshua 22:20, “That
man perished not alone in his iniquity.” The severity of the punishment must be
estimated by the relation of Achan’s crime to the whole plan of the conquest of
Canaan. If the destruction of the Canaanites was indeed the execution of the Divine
vengeance, it must be kept entirely clear of all baser motives, lest men should say
that Jehovah gave His people licence to deal with the Canaanites as it seemed best
for themselves. The punishment of Saul for taking the spoil of Amalek (1 Samuel
15), and the repeated statement of the Book of Esther that the Jews who stood for
their lives and slew their enemies, the supporters of Haman’s project, laid not their
hands on the prey, are further illustrations of the same principle. The gratification
of human passions may not be mingled with the execution of the vengeance of God.
(See Esther 8:11; Esther 9:10; Esther 9:15-16.)
The valley of Achor.—In 1 Chronicles 2:7, Achan himself is designated Achar (one
among several examples of the alteration of a name to suit some circumstance of a
person’s history. Compare Bathsheba for Bathshua, Shallum for Jehoiachin,
Ishbosheth for Eshbaal, &c.). There is a double play upon the names in Hosea 2:15 :
“I will give her her vineyards (Carmêha. Compare Carmi, “my vineyard”) from
thence, and the valley of trouble (Achor) for a door of hope.” The valley of Achor is
a pass leading from Gilgal towards the centre of the country, or, as it might be
represented, from Jericho towards Jerusalem—i.e., from the city of destruction to
the city of God. So it was to Israel in the conquest. The future state of Achan is in
the hands of the Judge who “doeth judgment.” o mercy to his crime on earth was
possible. It would have been injustice to all mankind.
TRAPP, "Joshua 7:24 And 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.
Ver. 24. Took Achan the son of Zerah.] Sed non nisi coactus, as that emperor said
when he signed a writ of execution.
“ Ille dolet quoties cogitur esse ferox. ”

161. And his sons and daughters.] {See Trapp on "Joshua 7:15"}
PETT, "Verse 24
‘And 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 to the valley of Achor.’
o one, least of all Achan, was in any doubt as to what would happen next. Their
contact with the devoted thing rendered them all ‘devoted’. ote the order of
descending value. The initial devoted things first, then the blood relatives, then the
livestock, then his home, then everything else.
ote that ‘All Israel’ were involved. This deeply affected them all. In the Hebrew
‘All Israel with him’ comes at the end of the sentence. It is placed there for special
emphasis to stress their involvement, a device witnessed elsewhere (e.g. Genesis 2:9).
We would show this by putting it in capital letters or italics.
The sons and daughters were possibly those who knew what he had done and had
connived in it. They were guilty of complicity. They may well have helped to hide
the devoted items. And by hiding in his tent what was devoted he had necessarily
involved them all. But even the livestock were affected. They too had become
‘devoted’ by his actions. All were now YHWH’s. (Interestingly no wife is mentioned.
Perhaps she was dead. Or perhaps she had known nothing about the affair).
“The valley of Achor.” Possibly we should translate ‘low lying plain of Achor’. El
Buqei‘a is suggested as a possibility. It would be seen as an abandoned place, a place
to be avoided. Making it ‘a door of hope’ later would be a sign of YHWH’s love and
compassion (Hosea 2:15; Isaiah 65:10).
BE SO , "Joshua 7:24. And his sons and his daughters — It is very probable,
Achan being an old man, that his children were grown up, and the things which he
had stolen being buried in the midst of his tent, it is likely they were conscious of the
fact, as the Jewish doctors affirm they were; and if they were not accomplices in his
crime, yet, at least, they concealed it. This is said, on the supposition that they were
stoned and burned. But, according to the LXX., who say nothing of his children,
only he was put to death. And it is not necessary to understand even the Hebrew text
as affirming any thing further. It says, all Israel stoned him with stones, without
mentioning his family. And what it afterward adds, And burned them with fire after
they had stoned them with stones, may be understood of the oxen, and asses, and
sheep which belonged to Achan, and which God willed to be destroyed, together
with his tent, and other effects, to excite a greater horror of his crime. For the brute
creatures, though not capable of sin, nor of punishment, properly so called, yet, as
they were made for man’s use, so they may be justly destroyed for man’s good. And
as they are daily killed for our bodily food, it surely cannot seem strange that they

162. should sometimes be killed for the instruction of our minds, that we may hereby
learn the contagious nature of sin, which involves innocent creatures in its
destructive effects.
WHEDO , "24. Joshua, and all Israel with him — The objection of Colenso, that
all Israel was a body too numerous to perform many acts recorded of them, is
sufficiently met by the remark that the heads of the tribes and clans are
constructively “all Israel.”
And his sons, and his daughters — These were taken, some say, not to be executed
with their father, but to be witnesses of his execution. [But this is inadmissible. Were
his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, taken to witness his execution?
The narrative clearly conveys the impression that all Achan’s family and
possessions perished with him. Compare also Joshua 22:20. Why Achan’s family
and property should all be destroyed for his sin is a question to be answered by
reference to that archaic jurisprudence which dealt with families rather than with
individuals. In the Patriarchal system of government the father was absolute lord
and representative of the entire household. His children and possessions were
identified with him in praise or in punishment. And this judicial idea of
Patriarchism was also carried over into Mosaism. The family was sometimes
punished rather than the individual, the latter being utterly absorbed in the former,
and such family punishment sometimes continued through many generations.
Exodus 20:5; Exodus 34:7; umbers 14:18. Hence the punishment of Achan’s
children for their father’s sin must not be judged by the standards of an age which
has not “occasion any more to use the ancient proverb, The fathers have eaten sour
grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” Ezekiel 18:2-3.]
Valley of Achor — So called by prolepsis, or anticipation, (see Joshua 7:26, note,)
for the punishment of Achan gave it its name. That this valley was among the hills is
evident from the Hebrew verb, they caused them to ascend into the valley of Achor.
But its location is now a matter of conjecture. Jerome locates it to the north of
Jericho.
COKE, "Ver. 24. And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan, &c.— With the
consent of the whole assembly, and followed by all the people, Joshua caused the
criminal to be brought to the neighbouring valley, called from that time the valley of
Achor, or of trouble, because of the trouble which this affair had occasioned to the
Israelites; and with him they conducted, or carried, all that belonged to him. In the
Hebrew it is, they made these things go up in the valley of Achor. In Scripture, to go
up, sometimes signifies, only to go from one place to another.
PULPIT, "Took Achan, the son of Zerah. Great-grandson in reality (see Joshua 7:1;
cf. 1 Kings 15:2, 1 Kings 15:10). And his sons and his daughters (see note, Joshua
7:15). Brought them. Hebrew, "brought them up." The valley of Achor was above
Jericho, whether higher up the valley or on higher ground is not known. The valley

163. of Achor (see Joshua 15:7; Isaiah 65:10; Hosea 2:15). Achor means trouble (see note
on Joshua 6:18).
K&D 24-26, "Then Joshua and all Israel, i.e., the whole nation in the person of its
heads or representatives, took Achan, together with the things which he had purloined,
and his sons and daughters, his cattle, and his tent with all its furniture, and brought
them into the valley of Achor, where they stoned them to death and then burned them,
after Joshua had once more pronounced this sentence upon him in the place of
judgment: “How hast thou troubled us” (‫ר‬ ַ‫כ‬ ָ‫,ע‬ as in Jos_6:18, to bring into trouble)! “The
Lord will trouble thee this day.” It by no means follows from the expression “stoned
him” in Jos_7:25, that Achan only was stoned. The singular pronoun is used to designate
Achan alone, as being the principal person concerned. But it is obvious enough that his
children and cattle were stoned, from what follows in the very same verse: “They burned
them (the persons stoned to death, and their things) with fire, and heaped up stones
upon them.” It is true that in Deu_24:16 the Mosaic law expressly forbids the putting to
death of children for their fathers' sins; and many have imagined, therefore, that Achan's
sons and daughters were simply taken into the valley to be spectators of the punishment
inflicted upon the father, that it might be a warning to them. But for what reason, then,
were Achan's cattle (oxen, sheep, and asses) taken out along with him? Certainly for no
other purpose than to be stoned at the same time as he. The law in question only
referred to the punishment of ordinary criminals, and therefore was not applicable at all
to the present case, in which the punishment was commanded by the Lord himself.
Achan had fallen under the ban by laying hands upon what had been banned, and
consequently was exposed to the same punishment as a town that had fallen away to
idolatry (Deu_13:16-17). The law of the ban was founded upon the assumption, that the
conduct to be punished was not a crime of which the individual only was guilty, but one
in which the whole family of the leading sinner, in fact everything connected with him,
participated. Thus, in the case before us, the things themselves had been abstracted from
the booty by Achan alone; but he had hidden them in his tent, buried them in the earth,
which could hardly have been done so secretly that his sons and daughters knew nothing
of it. By so doing he had made his family participators in his theft; they therefore fell
under the ban along with him, together with their tent, their cattle, and the rest of their
property, which were all involved in the consequences of his crime. The clause ‫ים‬ִ‫נ‬ ָ‫ב‬ ֲ‫א‬ ָ ‫ם‬ ָ‫ּת‬‫א‬
‫לוּ‬ ְ‫ק‬ ְ‫ס‬ַ ַ‫ו‬ does not refer to the stoning as a capital punishment, but to the casting of stones
upon the bodies after they were dead and had been burned, for the purpose of erecting a
heap of stones upon them as a memorial of the disgrace (vid., Jos_8:29; 2Sa_18:17). - In
Jos_7:26, the account of the whole affair closes with these two remarks: (1) That after
the punishment of the malefactor the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger; and
(2) That the valley in which Achan suffered his punishment received the name of Achor
(troubling) with special reference to the fact that Joshua had described his punishment
as well as Achan's sin as ‫ר‬ ַ‫כ‬ ָ‫ע‬ (troubling: see Jos_7:25), and that it retained this name
down to the writer's own time. With regard to the situation of this valley, it is evident
from the word ‫לוּ‬ ֲ‫ע‬ַ ַ‫ו‬ in Jos_7:24 that it was on higher ground than Gilgal and Jericho,
probably in one of the ranges of hills that intersect the plain of Jericho, and from Jos_
15:7, where the northern border of the possessions of Judah is said to have passed
through this valley, that it is to be looked for to the south of Jericho. The only other
places in which there is any allusion to this event are Hos_2:17 and Isa_65:10.

164. 25 Joshua said, “Why have you brought this
trouble on us? The Lord will bring trouble on you
today.”
Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had
stoned the rest, they burned them.
CLARKE,"Why hast thou troubled us? - Here is a reference to the meaning of
Achan’s or Achar’s name, ‫עכרתנו‬ ‫מה‬ meh Achar-tanu; and as ‫עכר‬ achar is used here, and
not ‫עכן‬ achan, and the valley is called the valley of Achor, and not the valley of Achan,
hence some have supposed that Achar was his proper name, as it is read 1Ch_2:7, and in
some MSS., and ancient versions. See the note on Jos_7:17.
And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after
they had stoned them with stones - With great deference to the judgment of others,
I ask, Can it be fairly proved from the text that the sons and daughters of Achan were
stoned to death and burnt as well as their father? The text certainly leaves it doubtful,
but seems rather to intimate that Achan alone was stoned, and that his substance was
burnt with fire. The reading of the present Hebrew text is, They stoned Him with stones,
and burnt Them with fire, after they had stoned Them with stones. The singular number
being used in the first clause of the verse, and the plural in the last, leaves the matter
doubtful. The Vulgate is very clear: Lapidavitque Eum omnis Israel; et cuncta quae
illius erant, igne consumpta sunt, “All Israel stoned him; and all that he had was
consumed with fire.” The Septuagint add this and the first clause of the next verse
together: Και ελιθοβολησαν αυτον λιθοις πας Ισραηλ, και επεστησαν αυτሩ σωρον λιθων
µεγαν: And all Israel stoned Him with stones, and raised over Him a great heap of
stones. The Syriac says simply, They stoned Him with stones, and burned what
pertained to Him with fire. The Targum is the same as the Hebrew. The Anglo-Saxon
seems to refer the whole to Achan and his Goods: And Him they stoned there, and burnt
his goods. The Arabic version alone says, They stoned Him and his Children, and his

165. goods. Instead of burnt Them, ‫אתם‬ otham, two of De Rossi’s MSS. read ‫אתו‬ otho, Him;
which reading, if genuine, would make the different members of the verse agree better. It
is possible that Achan, his oxen, asses, sheep, tent, and all his household goods, were
destroyed, but his sons and daughters left uninjured. But it may be asked, Why are they
brought out into the valley with the rest? Why, that they might see and fear, and be for
ever deterred by their father’s punishment from imitating his example. I have gone thus
far into this important transaction, in which the justice and mercy of God are so much
concerned, that I might be able to assign to each its due. That Achan’s life was forfeited
to justice by his transgression, no one doubts: he sinned against a known and positive
law. His children could not suffer with him, because of the law, Deu_24:16, unless they
had been accomplices in his guilt: of this there is no evidence; and the text in question,
which speaks of Achan’s punishment, is extremely dubious, as far as it relates to this
point. One circumstance that strengthens the supposition that the children were not
included, is the command of the Lord, Jos_7:15 : “He that is taken with the accursed
thing, shall be burnt with fire; he, and all that he hath.” Now, all that he hath may
certainly refer to his goods, and not to his children; and his punishment, and the
destruction of his property would answer every purpose of public justice, both as a
punishment and preventive of the crime; and both mercy and justice require that the
innocent shall not suffer with the guilty, unless in very extraordinary cases, where God
may permit the righteous or the innocent to be involved in those public calamities by
which the ungodly are swept away from the face of the earth: but in the case before us,
no necessity of this kind urged it, and therefore I conclude that Achan alone suffered,
and that his repentance and confession were genuine and sincere; and that, while Justice
required his life, Mercy was extended to the salvation of his soul.
GILL, "And Joshua said, why hast thou troubled us?.... Been the occasion of so
much trouble to us, by committing this sin:
the Lord shall trouble thee this day; by the destruction of him and all that belonged
to him: this is said to show that his punishment was of God, and according to his will: in
the Misnah (r) an emphasis is laid on the phrase "this day", and it is observed,"this day
thou shalt be troubled, but thou shalt not be troubled in the world to come;''suggesting
that though temporal punishment was inflicted on him, yet his iniquity was forgiven,
and he would be saved with an everlasting, salvation; and as it may be hoped from the
ingenuous confession that he made, that he had true repentance for it, and forgiveness of
it:
and all Israel stoned him with stones; hence some gather, that only Achan himself
suffered death, and not his sons and daughters:
and burnt them with fire after they had stoned them with stones; which the
Jewish commentators understand of his oxen, asses, and sheep; so Jarchi, Ben Gersom,
and Abarbinel: likewise his tent, and household goods, the Babylonish garment, gold
and silver, were burnt, and he himself also, for that is the express order, Jos_7:15; the
Jews say, as particularly Jarchi observes, that he was stoned because he profaned the
sabbath, it being on the sabbath day that Jericho was taken, and stoning was the
punishment of the sabbath breaker, and he was burnt on the account of the accursed
thing; so Abendana.

166. HE RY, " His condemnation. Joshua passes sentence upon him (Jos_7:25): Why
hast thou troubled us? There is the ground of the sentence. O, how much hast thou
troubled us! so some read it. He refers to what was said when the warning was given not
to meddle with the accursed thing (Jos_6:18), lest you make the camp of Israel a curse
and trouble it. Note, Sin is a very troublesome thing, not only to the sinner himself, but
to all about him. He that is greedy of gain, as Achan was, troubles his own house (Pro_
15:27) and all the communities he belongs to. Now (says Joshua) God shall trouble thee.
See why Achan was so severely dealt with, not only because he had robbed God, but
because he had troubled Israel; over his head he had (as it were) this accusation written,
“Achan, the troubler of Israel,” as Ahab, 1Ki_18:18. This therefore is his doom: God
shall trouble thee. Note, the righteous God will certainly recompense tribulation to those
that trouble his people, 2Th_1:6. Those that are troublesome shall be troubled. Some of
the Jewish doctors, from that word which determines the troubling of him to this day,
infer that therefore he should not be troubled in the world to come; the flesh was
destroyed that spirit might be saved, and, if so, the dispensation was really less severe
than it seemed. In the description both of his sin and of his punishment, by the trouble
that was in both, there is a plain allusion to his name Achan, or, as he is called, 1Ch_2:7,
Achar, which signifies trouble. He did too much answer his name.
VI. His execution. No reprieve could be obtained; a gangrened member must be cut off
immediately. When he is proved to be an anathema, and the troubler of the camp, we
may suppose all the people cry out against him, Away with him, away with him! Stone
him, stone him! Here is,
1. The place of execution. They brought him out of the camp, in token of their putting
far from them that wicked person, 1Co_5:13. When our Lord Jesus was made a curse for
us, that by his trouble we might have peace, he suffered as an accursed thing without the
gate, bearing our reproach, Heb_13:12, Heb_13:13. The execution was at a distance, that
the camp which was disturbed by Achan's sin might not be defiled by his death.
2. The persons employed in his execution. It was the act of all Israel, Jos_7:24, Jos_
7:25. They were all spectators of it, that they might see and fear. Public executions are
public examples. Nay, they were all consenting to his death, and as many as could were
active in it, in token of the universal detestation in which they held his sacrilegious
attempt, and their dread of God's displeasure against them.
3. The partakers with him in the punishment; for he perished not alone in his iniquity,
Jos_22:20. (1.) The stolen goods were destroyed with him, the garment burnt, as it
should have been with the rest of the combustible things in Jericho, and the silver and
gold defaced, melted, lost, and buried, in the ashes of the rest of his goods under the
heap of stones, so as never to be put to any other use. (2.) All his other goods were
destroyed likewise, not only his tent, and the furniture of that, but his oxen, asses, and
sheep, to show that goods gotten unjustly, especially if they be gotten by sacrilege, will
not only turn to no account, but will blast and waste the rest of the possessions to which
they are added. The eagle in the fable, that stole flesh from the altar, brought a coal of
fire with it, which burnt her nest, Hab_2:9, Hab_2:10; Zec_5:3, Zec_5:4. Those lose
their own that grasp at more than their own. (3.) His sons and daughters were put to
death with him. Some indeed think that they were brought out (Jos_7:24) only to be the
spectators of their father's punishment, but most conclude that they died with him, and
that they must be meant Jos_7:25, where it is said they burned them with fire, after they
had stoned them with stones. God had expressly provided that magistrates should not
put the children to death for the fathers'; but he did not intend to bind himself by that
law, and in this case he had expressly ordered (Jos_7:15) that the criminal, and all that
he had, should be burnt. Perhaps his sons and daughters were aiders and abettors in the

167. villany, had helped to carry off the accursed thing. It is very probable that they assisted
in the concealment, and that he could not hide them in the midst of his tent but they
must know and keep his counsel, and so they became accessaries ex post facto - after the
fact; and, if they were ever so little partakers in the crime, it was son heinous that they
were justly sharers in the punishment. However God was hereby glorified, and the
judgment executed was thus made the more tremendous.
4. The punishment itself that was inflicted on him. He was stoned (some think as a
sabbath breaker, supposing that the sacrilege was committed on the sabbath day), and
then his dead body was burnt, as an accursed thing, of which there should be no
remainder left. The concurrence of all the people in this execution teaches us how much
it is the interest of a nation that all in it should contribute what they can, in their places,
to the suppression of vice and profaneness, and the reformation of manners; sin is a
reproach to any people, and therefore every Israelite indeed will have a stone to throw at
JAMISO , "
CALVI , "25.And Joshua said, etc The invective seems excessively harsh; as if it
had been his intention to drive the wretched man to frantic madness, when he ought
rather to have exhorted him to patience. I have no doubt that he spoke thus for the
sake of the people, in order to furnish a useful example to all, and my conclusion,
therefore, is, that he did not wish to overwhelm Achan with despair, but only to
show in his person how grievous a crime it is to disturb the Church of God. It may
be, however, that the haughty Achan complained that his satisfaction, by which he
thought that he had sufficiently discharged himself, was not accepted, (75) and that
Joshua inveighed thus bitterly against him with the view of correcting or breaking
his contumacy. The question seems to imply that he was expostulating, and when he
appeals to God as judge, he seems to be silencing an obstinate man. The throwing of
stones by the whole people was a general sign of detestation, by which they declared
that they had no share in the crime which they thus avenged, and that they held it in
abhorrence. The heap of stones was intended partly as a memorial to posterity, and
partly to prevent any one from imprudently gathering particles of gold or silver on
the spot, if it had remained unoccupied. For although the Lord had previously
ordered that the gold of Jericho should be offered to him, he would not allow his
sanctuary to be polluted by the proceeds of theft.
TRAPP, "Joshua 7:25 And 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.
Ver. 25. Why hast thou troubled us?] There was a young man among the Suitzers
that went about to trouble and alter their free state. Him they condemned to death,
and appointed his father for executioner, because he bred him no better. (a)
PETT, "Verse 25
‘And Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? YHWH will trouble you this day.”
And all Israel stoned him with stones. And they burned them with fire and stoned
them with stones.’
Joshua’s declaration was not vindictive. It was a public declaration of the reason for
what was being done, a judicial statement of his sentence. Achan was receiving what
he had done to others, an eye for an eye. He had brought down great trouble. He

168. must receive great trouble. All Israel participated in the carrying out of the
sentence, although not literally. But those who hurled the stones acted on behalf of
all.
Achan’s execution is mentioned first as being that of the main culprit, then the
method of dealing with the remainder. The last part of the sentence is very
summarised and we are not told what applied to what. The robe, the gold and the
silver would be burned, after which the gold and silver may have been placed in the
treasury. The livestock were slain first, and then burned. The other guilty parties
would be stoned and then burned. The burning was necessary because all was
‘devoted’ and had to be purified in fire (compare umbers 31:22-23; Deuteronomy
13:16).
The sentence may seem harsh to us. It would not have done to Achan. There are
eventful times in history when response to something like this has to be severe for
the sake of the future. Those who have the privilege to live at times when God comes
very close and acts very openly and vividly, thereby live in times of greater
responsibility. We can compare Korah, Dathan and Abiram ( umbers 16) and
Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-6).
BE SO , "Verse 25-26
Joshua 7:25-26. They burned them with fire after they had stoned them — God
would have their dead carcasses burned, to show his utmost detestation of such
persons as break forth into sins of such public scandal and mischief. A great heap of
stones — As a monument of the sin and judgment here mentioned, that others might
be warned by the example; and as a brand of infamy, as Joshua 8:29; 2 Samuel
18:17. The valley of Achor — Or, the valley of trouble, from the double trouble
expressed Joshua 7:25.
WHEDO , "25. Why hast thou troubled us? — The verb here used has, in the
Hebrew, (achar,) a sound much like Achan’s name. See note on Joshua 7:26.
And all Israel stoned him — Here note the propriety of requiring the whole nation
by their various representatives to participate in the execution of the law. The great
principle embodied is this: The execution of civil law rests largely upon public
opinion. When this becomes so corrupt that it will not uphold the law, it becomes a
dead letter on the statute book. [
Stoned him… burned them… had stoned them — This interchange of singular and
plural pronouns does not show that only Achan was stoned, and not his children,
but may indicate that he was the person most prominent in the punishment. To urge
from this change of number that only Achan was stoned would oblige us to urge that
the rest were burned alive without having first been stoned. Two different Hebrew
words are here rendered stoned, ‫רגם‬ and ‫.סקל‬ The former seems to mean in this
place to pelt with stones, the latter to cover with stones. So we may more accurately
render, All Israel pelted him with stones, and burned them with fire, and covered
them with stones. Per-haps here is an intimation, too, that they stoned Achan with a

169. fiercer violence than they did his family and possessions.]
COKE, "Ver. 25. And all Israel stoned him with stones, &c.— There are three
things to be considered from these words: I. It is asked, what was the punishment
inflicted upon Achan? All the interpreters agree that he was stoned; but they are not
equally agreed that he was burned. It is certain, that the law against sacrilege
condemned offenders to the fire; (Deuteronomy 13:15-16.) it is also certain, that God
had condemned to the fire whosoever should take of the accursed thing at the taking
of Jericho, ver. 15 so that the rabbis insist that he was burned; and, with respect to
the stoning which he previously underwent, some will have it that this happened
accidentally, the furious people being unable to desist from overwhelming the guilty
man with stones. Others say, that Jericho having been destroyed on the sabbath-
day, and Achan having profaned this festival by retaining that which was devoted to
God, he was stoned as profane, and burned as sacrilegious. But, upon the whole, the
sentence which God had pronounced did not strictly import that the offender should
be burned alive. By stoning him, he was punished capitally according to the laws;
Leviticus 9:11; Leviticus 9:24; Leviticus 24:14. umbers 15:35 and by burning his
body afterwards, they obeyed the commands which God had just before given. II.
Perhaps it may be more difficult to determine upon a second question which is here
started, viz. Whether the sons and daughters of Achan perished with him, as well as
his oxen, and asses, and sheep, and tent, and all that he had? Most interpreters are
of this opinion, and find no difficulty in justifying the righteousness of the sentence.
For, not to mention that God is always Lord over our life, and has a right to remove
us when and how it seemeth him good; not to mention that the family of Achan,
guilty of sin in other respects, could never be unjustly punished; not to mention this,
we may presume, that they partook of the offence of their head; it not being
probable that Achan could have buried his theft in the middle of his tent, without
his children's knowing it. It is a maxim of the Jews themselves, that the accomplice
in a crime, is as criminal as he who commits it. We readily subscribe to these
reflections; and add, that, in these early times it was of importance to keep the
people in respect, fear, and submission by instances of severity. But to the fact: The
divine sentence expressed in ver. 15 condemned the guilty only, and his goods, to be
burned. Here it is expressly said, that the Israelites stoned Achan, without
mentioning his family; and if the historian adds, and burned them with fire, after
they had stoned them with stones, this may be understood of the oxen, the asses, and
the sheep which belonged to the unhappy malefactor; and that God chose that his
tent and effects should be burned with his body, to inspire a greater horror of his
crime. In this view, the family of Achan might undergo no other punishment, than
that of being condemned to be present at the execution of their head, before all the
people of Israel. However, we leave the subject to the reader's judgment. But, III.
The case will not be the same with respect to the third question which hath been
started concerning Achan's punishment. It is absurd to ask, by what right Joshua
dared to condemn Achan to a punishment so heavy and dishonourable, upon the
bare confession of the offender, without even the usual testimony of two witnesses
against him, as the law required: For, what did Joshua on this occasion, but execute
the orders immediately issued from God? Was not the voice of the oracle equivalent
to that of two witnesses, especially against a man who avowed his crime, and who

170. himself demonstrated its veracity, by producing the subject-matter of the offence,
the very effects which he had stolen?
ISBET, "THE TROUBLER OF ISRAEL
‘Why hast thou troubled us?’
Joshua 7:25
Ai was a royal city, which was in existence in the time of Abraham. It lay in the
uplands to the east of Bethel, amid ‘a wild entanglement of hill and valley’; so its
capture might well have been reckoned difficult even by experienced besiegers. But
the miraculous success at Jericho had inspired such hopes in Israel, that the capture
of Ai seemed a certainty. What a critical hour this was for Israel! A crushing defeat
now might have been irretrievable. It was at exactly a similar stage of their
approach to Palestine from the south that the Israelites had met with the severe
repulse at Hormah, which had driven them back into the desert for forty years. o
wonder that Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark.
There are some defeats that are doubly tragic owing to the hour in our experience
when they come.
I. ote that defeats often follow hard on victories.—Only a few days had gone since
that so glorious hour when the walls of Jericho had fallen at the trumpet-blast. The
memory of that day was still intensely vivid; there would be little else talked about
by the camp-fire; and it was then, in the full flush of triumph, that the men of Israel
were routed before Ai. ot when they were dejected and dispirited, not when they
were bereft of tokens for good—it was not then that this so ignominious and so
unexpected repulse occurred; it was when every heart still thrilled with the cheer of
an unexampled victory. ow oftentimes temptation meets us so. It comes on the
heels of our brightest and best hours, until at last, as we journey through the years,
we learn to be very watchful and very prayerful.
II. The blame of our failures may lie at our own doors.—When the three thousand
fled and the thirty-six were slain, Joshua went straight to God about it, and he did
well. But read his prayer, and you will catch a strange note in it. Joshua reproaches
God. Why hast Thou brought us here? Why art Thou going to destroy us? Why
were we not content to dwell across the Jordan—as if the power of God had not
been seen at Jericho. Then Joshua learned—and none but a loving Father would
have taught him that—that the blame lay not in heaven, but at his door. It was not
God who was responsible for the flight; it was sin in the camp of Joshua that had
caused it. The secret of failure lay in the tents of Israel. And how prone we still are
when we are worsted, to carry the blame of it far too far away! How ready, in every
fault and every failure, to trace the source of it anywhere but in ourselves! In
spiritual defeats never accuse another. ever cry out against the name of God. He
changes not. It is in the tented muster of my heart, and in the things buried and
stamped under the ground there, that the secret of my moral disaster lies.
III. The wide sweep of a single sin.—When Achan stole the Babylonian garment and
the gold, he never dreamed that others would suffer for it. The crime was his, and if
it should ever be discovered, the punishment would fall on his own back. If one had

171. whispered to him in the critical moment that the whole army would suffer for his
tampering, how Achan would have ridiculed the thought! Yet that was the very
thing that happened, and that very thing is happening still. From Joshua to the
meanest camp-follower of Israel, there was not one untouched by Achan’s folly. It
scattered the three thousand before Ai, it slew the six and thirty, it spread dismay
through all the host. And how Achan’s home was brought to ruin by it, is all told in
this tragical chapter. And that is ever the sad work of sin. Like the circles of ripples,
its consequences spread, and on what far shores they shall break, none knows but
God. I may think that my sin is hidden. I may be certain none has observed my vice.
But in ways mysterious its influences radiate, and others suffer because I am bad.
IV. Lastly, Be sure your sin will find you out.—Over all the lesson that warning is
written large. In all history there is no more memorable instance of the way in
which sin comes to the surface. Achan thought himself absolutely safe. In the wild
carnage no one had observed him. The man was slain to whom the gold belonged,
and the wearer of the garment lay stabbed in the streets of Jericho. But the scrutiny
of God proved too much for Achan. He learned that all things are naked and open
before Him. Though not a single human eye had spied him, he had been under the
gaze of the all-seeing God. As Achan sowed, so did he reap. ow for you and me
there will be no dramatic moment in which by miracle our sin will be detected. We
shall not be summoned into public audience, and unmasked in the striking way that
Achan was; but for all that our sin will find us out, as surely as his sin found Achan.
We think it is done with. o one knows our secret. It is buried in the tent of our own
hearts. But in conscience, in character, in joy, in sorrow, in trial, in the quiet
moments of uneventful days, in the great hours of conflict and of duty—then, and at
the last judgment in eternity, our sin, like a bloodhound, runs us down. How
precious to think that if our sin must find us, it can find us clinging to the feet of
Jesus! There there is pardon for a guilty past; there there is power for an untrodden
future.
Illustrations
(1) ‘When Benjamin Franklin was a young man, he was being shown out of the
house of a friend along a narrow passage. As they went, his friend said to him,
“Stoop, stoop;” but Franklin did not catch his words, and struck his head violently
against an overhanging beam. “My lad,” said his friend, “you are young, and the
world is before you; learn to stoop as you go through it and you will save yourself
many a hard blow.” It may be we are all loth to stoop when we are leaving the
“large room” where God has been good to us; but then, if ever, watchfulness is
needed.’
(2) ‘Joshua, with the grim humour of which the Oriental mind is so fond, playing on
the similarity of the word achar, “to trouble,” and the name Achan, said, “Why hast
thou troubled us? the Lord shall trouble thee this day.” The whole nation had
shared in the imputation of guilt and its disastrous consequences, and therefore the
whole nation, through its representatives, must now take part in its expiation.
“Joshua and all Israel took Achan, and stoned him with stones.” To mark more

172. deeply God’s detestation of his crime, and its spreading, clinging taint, his children,
who may probably have been the accomplices of his crime, his cattle, and all that he
had, share in his doom. The corpses are consumed with fire, together with his tent
and the accursed things it had once vainly sought to hide. A great heap of stones,
after the manner of primitive peoples, was raised over the spot, which took the name
of the Valley of Achor, i.e. “trouble.” And the guilt being thus put away by sacrifice,
“the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger.”’
(3) ‘It is said that the Bank of France has an invisible studio in a gallery behind the
cashiers, so that, at a signal from one of them, a suspected customer can instantly
have his picture taken without his own knowledge. So our sins and evil deeds may
be registered against us and we ourselves altogether unconscious of the fact.’
PULPIT, "Stoned him with stones. The word here is not the same as in the last part
of the verse. It has been suggested that the former word signifies to stone a living
person, the second to heap up stones upon a dead one; and this derives confirmation
from the fact that the former word has the signification of piling up, while the latter
rather gives the idea of the weight of the pile. Some have gathered from the use of
the singular here, that Achan only was stoned; but the use of the plural immediately
afterwards implies the contrary, unless, with Knobel, we have recourse to the
suggestion that "them" is a "mistake of the Deuteronomist" for "him." It is of
course possible that his family were only taken there to witness the solemn judgment
upon their father. But the use of the singular and plural in Hebrew is frequently
very indefinite (see 11:17, 11:19; Psalms 66:6. See note above, on Joshua 6:25).
BI 25-26, "And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the Lord shall trouble thee
this day..
The troubles of sin
I. That sin is a very troublesome thing.
1. The load of guilt by which it oppresses us.
2. The shifts, subterfuges, and tricks resorted to for the purpose of concealing our
sins, or transferring the blame to others, are convincing proofs that sin troubles us.
3. Sin troubles us by its corrupt and restless influence on the tempers and
dispositions.
4. But it is chiefly into futurity that we are to look for the troubles of sin (Pro_11:21;
Eze_18:4; Rom_6:23).
II. However artfully concealed, sin must be exposed.
1. The most secret sins are often revealed in this world.
2. Those sins that escape detection here, will be manifested in the last day (Ecc_
12:14).
III. When the sinner is exposed, he is left without any reasonable excuse. Joshua said,
“Why hast thou troubled us?” What could he say? Could he plead ignorance of the law?
No; it was published in the camp of Israel. The weakness of human nature? No; he had
strength to do his duty. The prevalence of temptation? No; others had similar

173. temptations, and yet conquered. And what shall we have to say when God shall summon
us to His bar?
IV. That punishment treads upon the heels of sin. “The Lord shall trouble thee this day.”
1. God has power to trouble sinners. The whole creation is a “capacious reservoir of
means,” which He can employ at His pleasure.
2. God will trouble sinners. He will either bring them to repentance, when they shall
“look upon Him whom they have pierced, and mourn,” or He will vex them in His
wrath, and dash them in pieces as a potter’s vessel.
Infer—
1. What a powerful preventive this should be to deter us from committing sin.
2. See the madness of sinners, who, for the sake of a few sordid despicable pleasures,
which always leave a sting behind, will desperately plunge themselves into an abyss
of troubles which know no bound nor termination.
3. Since sin is so troublesome, let us all seek a deliverance from its dominion and
influence.
4. Learn what ideas you should entertain of those who seek to entice you to sin. They
are agents of the devil, and you should shun them as you would shun perdition.
(Sketches of Four Hundred Sermons.)
Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire.
Achan’s punishment
The punishment of Achan himself offers no difficulty. He knew the decree, and chose to
stake his life against a few valuable articles which excited his rapacity. The maintenance
of discipline in an army is at all times of first importance. In the Peninsula War two men
were shot for stealing apples, pilfering having been proclaimed a capital crime. The Duke
of Wellington was a humane man, but he knew the need of obedience to law and the
value of a striking example. The Israelites were a nation and army in one. Regard for the
general welfare, above all private aggrandisement, had to be encouraged. The sense of a
common interest would soon be undermined, if a pilfering spirit set in and a greedy
selfishness received any countenance. Moreover, at all costs, reverence for their Deity
had to be upheld. His majesty must be vindicated. Disastrous results could only follow
upon a diminution of the religious sentiment among the people. But the association of
Achan’s family in his terrible penalty, as a calm judicial proceeding, sends a thrill of
horror through our hearts. But then, we are “the heirs of all the ages, in the foremost
files of time.” We enjoy the inheritance of millenniums of Divine education. We could
not expect Joshua to act in advance of the spirit of his time. The ancient world was
deficient in its conception of what a man was. It was long before it came to regard him as
an individual, a being complete in himself. So long as one man continued to be
considered as part of another, or in any sense the property of another, so long fathers
might pledge the lives of their children, and whole families expiate the crimes of a single
member without shocking the public sense of justice, But is it not said that the
destruction of Achan’s family was by the express command of Jehovah? Is not this the
explanation? The command, shaping itself within the mind of Joshua in the form of an
overmastering conviction, would be that justice should be executed. Joshua could only
understand justice in the sense in which his contemporaries understood it. His moral

174. sense would give the character and colour to the justice to be dealt out. His inmost
conviction, which was, in truth, the inspired message of his God, forced upon him the
necessity for a signal vindication of the majesty of loyalty and uprightness, and he acted
up to the light which he possessed. (T. W. M. Lund, M. A.)
The troubling of Achan
Two questions present themselves. Why should all Israel have been put to shame and
defeat for the sin of one man? And why should God have required the whole
congregation in this dramatic way to take part in the execution of the offender? To our
minds at first thought it would seem likely to brutalise the hearts of the people, that all
should be required to take part in that bloody vengeance. For the sake of example, God
might wish the whole congregation to be present at the taking of the lot. He could have
pointed out the criminal to Joshua in some simple and direct way, but He chose to give
all Israel a most salutary warning. That the unerring finger of Jehovah should thus single
out the guilty man was a striking object-lesson concerning the truth that no sin is so
secret as to be hidden from the all-searching God. But this does not explain why all the
people should have been made to suffer shame and defeat because of Achan’s sin, for the
great investigation might have been made just as thoroughly before the defeat at Ai. We
might say, perhaps, that Israel needed the lesson of this defeat to teach them their
dependence upon God for the smallest as well as the greatest victory. We fancy we can
detect a little vein of boastfulness in the words of the scouts (verse 3). And if we ask
concerning the thirty and six men who perished while Israel was receiving this lesson in
humility, we may reply that such matters must be left, and can without disquietude be
left in the hands of God. We cannot know about individual lives. God certainly in all
cases deals wisely and mercifully. Yet we have not progressed very far in our solution of
this difficulty, that God permitted all Israel to suffer for the sin of one man. And it is a
difficulty worth trying to solve, because it is of the same sort as that which meets us
every day of our lives, and makes heedless men question the justice and fairness of
Almighty God. Who is there that has not suffered hurt, or trouble, or unhappiness, from
the misdoings of his neighbours? The embezzler gets the money of hundreds of poor and
unsuspecting people invested in his dazzling schemes, and then goes off with his booty,
leaving desolation and misery behind. How many people suffer from the malignity or
hatred of their fellows, because they have innocently offended them. Aye, how many
suffer, often most cruelly, from the heedlessness and thoughtlessness of others, who
never meant to do harm, but talked foolishly and excessively about things they did not
understand. We think of the mischief we have endured at the hands of others, knowing
that we deserved nothing of it; and we say, “Why does God allow the innocent thus to
suffer for other men’s sins?” Perhaps, indeed, it is to remind us that we are not so
guiltless as we fancy. We dwell upon the harm done us by others, and we seldom think of
the many ways in which we do others harm, it may be quite thoughtlessly, but still very
mischievously. Our hasty and ill-considered words, our unlovely examples, how much
mischief these may do our fellow-men, while we are quite oblivious of it. A young man is
dishonest, and makes off with large sums of his employer’s money; we condemn him
heartily, and yet it may be in the sight of God that the very atmosphere in which he was
brought up in our midst was so filled with the praise of wealth and the excellence of
shrewdness and business ability, the power of capital, and the good things which money
can bring into one’s life, that our words and views have been the teachers which fostered
in the transgressor’s heart the very sin we now so unsparingly condemn. May it not be
that the very wrongs we so often have to suffer undeserved]y at the hands of others are

175. the merciful agencies of God, to let us endure a little of the penalty our own careless
words and evil examples deserve, which constantly, all unsuspected by ourselves, are
doing mischief to our neighbours? We have no right, then, even to complain of injustice
in the fact that we have to suffer for other men’s sins, unless we can be sure that our sins
do not cause as great injury to the souls, if not to the bodies, of many of our fellow-men.
There is a deeper sense yet in which we may take this lesson of all Israel suffering for
Achan’s transgression. God thus taught His people the solidarity of their national life as
His people. In other words, that men have responsibility for their neighbours. No one in
Israel might say, “This is none of my affair,” for God showed them that the sin of one
man affected the whole community; therefore the whole community had a certain
responsibility towards individual transgression. Civilised nations all admit this
responsibility of humanity, at least to a certain degree. Men hear of flood or famine or
pestilence in some far-off part of the world, devastating populous districts in India, or
China, or some distant island of the Pacific. Immediately the sentiment of humanity
opens their purses, and relief goes forth generously to the sufferers. Why should we
concern ourselves to help those savages, who would as likely as not murder us if we went
among them as travellers? Because they are men; they share in our common humanity,
and we may not forget our brotherhood of race. Why should European nations send war-
ships to the Red Sea and the East African coast to stop the Arabian slave trade? What
right have they to interfere? You reply that the slave-trade is brutal and inhuman, and
the sentiment of humanity compels those who have the power to interfere, to save the
poor blacks from their fiendish persecutors. Carry the same thought a little further, and
you get the higher Christian conception of man’s duty to all his fellow-men. What is the
greatest evil in the world? You reply sin, because sin is the root of all other evils. Well,
then, we Christians owe it to humanity to do all that lies in our power to take sin away
from the world. That is the great principle of Christian missions. No matter if the
missions do not seem to be very successful, we shall not have missed this lesson of the
sufferings we have to endure for other men’s sins if we have bravely done what was in
our power to make known to our fellow-men the efficacy of the precious blood of Christ.
Our other question was, Why did God require the whole congregation to take part in the
stoning of Achan? There are evils of ignorance, there are also evils of wanton defiance of
the known law of right. So long as men sin in ignorance and superstition we may be
moved only by compassion to help them. The missionary spirit must always be that of
Christlike pity for them that are ignorant and out of the way. England sends her heroic
missionaries into the heart of Africa and of China while at the same time she patrols the
Red Sea with warships to stop at the cannon’s mouth the slave trade, and sends an army
up the Irrawaddy to conquer the monster King Theebaw of Burmah, and so to put a stop
to his terrible cruelties. Is there inconsistency in this? No. It was quite as much the duty
of Israel to stone Achan as it was to teach their children with loving assiduity the
enormity of disobeying Jehovah. We owe it to God to do what lies in our power to put
down flagrant iniquity. We are much too careless about this in our Christian lives. We
may not punish individuals, for God commits that authority to the State; but we are
bound to confront and denounce all iniquitous principle, to stand up and fight against
God-defying sin. No matter if we do not succeed in slaying Achan. No matter if men tell
us to mind our own business, and not to interfere with them. It is a great thing to have
thrown a stone for the Lord, even if it has seemed in no wise to hurt the enemy. (Arthur
Ritchie.)
They raised over him a great heap of stones.—

176. Nemesis
Again we stand beside a heap of stones. Again it will be profitable to put and to answer
the question, “What mean ye by these stones?” This is the third occasion on which such a
question might arise. The first heap of stones was raised on the brink of Jordan; the
second lay some miles distant; the third is still further in the land. The first heap was a
token of Jehovah’s might; for taken from the river-bed by twelve stalwart warriors, they
told to all succeeding generations that by a strong hand and a stretched-out arm Israel
was brought into Canaan. The second heap, stretched far and wide, the ruins of a famous
city, was the token of Jehovah’s judgment. This third heap in the valley of Achor, the
cairn erected over the dead body of Achan, was the token of Jehovah’s discipline. The
twelve stones speak of Jehovah’s relation to the sin of those who trust Him and accept
His leadership. He buries all their iniquities, He brings them into His promised
inheritance, and gives them a permanent place therein. The ruined city speaks of
Jehovah’s relation to the sin of these who stubbornly resist Him. He smites them with a
rod of iron. This rugged pile speaks of Jehovah’s relation to the sin of those who profess
to obey Him, but who in their deeds deny Him. If He judges the world, much more must
He judge His own house. The twelve stones on Jordan’s bank were a monument of
Israel’s hope. He who had led them over, and brought them in, would assuredly bless
them with all earthly blessings in His fair heritage. The ruins of Jericho were a
monument of Israel’s faith. For nothing but faith could have been so patient, so docile,
so mighty, so victorious “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down.” The heap in the valley
of Achor was a monument of Israel’s love. They heaped up this cairn of condemnation to
show their detestation of the crime of which Achan was guilty. Thus this act revealed
their love to God in the strongest light. By this third heap we stand, and as we do so, let
us ponder the discovery of Achan’s crime, its confession, and its punishment. Joshua
gave himself no rest till he got to the root of this matter. Though appalled by such severe
tokens of the Divine displeasure, he did not murmur against God, but persistently made
inquiry of God. He did not complain of God, he complained to God; and his faithful
persistency was rewarded (verses 10-12). “Get thee up. My mind has not changed. My
arm is not shortened. My word is not broken. Get thee up, for the discovery and
punishment of this sin.” The discovery of Achan’s sin was, therefore, the result of Divine
directions. It was God who set everything in motion for the detection of the hidden
criminal. The discovery was undertaken most solemnly, as a deeply spiritual and
religious act (verse 13). Three times in the course of their history had the children of
Israel been thus called solemnly to sanctify themselves. On the first occasion, it was at
the foot of Sinai, in prospect of the giving of the law. On the second occasion it was at
Jordan, in prospect of entering into the land. On the third occasion, it was here, in
prospect of the discovery and punishment of the transgressor. To receive God’s will, to
enter into God’s inheritance, to purge away transgression, such things demand the most
thorough consecration. It is plain from the Divine record that Israel went about this
solemn work in the right way. There was no burst of ungovernable excitement and blind
popular fury. With judicial calmness and religious reverence, the terrible drama was
begun, continued, and ended. It was also prosecuted deliberately. There was no
unseemly haste or confusion. A proclamation was made in the evening previous as to the
manner of procedure on the following day; and then the carrying out of the process of
casting lots must have been slow and deliberate. What a night must that have been for
Joshua l How thankfully must he have laid himself to rest in the blessed consciousness
that as surely as the darkness of night would fly before the dawning day, so all his
difficulties would vanish, and all the disgrace of Israel would be blotted out. And what a
night must that have been for Achan! He would feel as did another whose mental torture

177. a great poet has described—
“Macbeth hath murdered sleep, the innocent sleep,
Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleave of care,
Balm of hurt minds.”
Oh! what a long, black, miserable night was that. The voice cried, “Sleep no more,” and
on the morrow, as with bloodshot eyes he took his place in the ranks of his tribe, what
must have been his terror! And then to mark the circle of condetonation closing upon
him, growing less and less at each casting of the lot, he rooted meanwhile to the dark
spot, its centre, till at last, pointed out by the finger of God, he stood alone, the
incarnation of disaster and disgrace, the hateful object for every eye in Israel, the awful
focus of their fiery indignation, burning into his soul one thought, one agony, “We have
found thee, O our enemy.” The method of discovery was most impressive for the people,
revealing so marvellously the finger of God. Whatever the precise process of the lot may
have been, and that is hard to discover, there was no difficulty, hesitation, timidity,
uncertainty, or partiality in its carrying out. The method of discovering the crime was
also the most merciful that could have been adopted for the offender. It gave him time to
think; a blessed space for repentance; an opportunity, if there was any spark of spiritual
life within, to cast off the incubus of iniquity. Every step would serve to convince him
how utterly foolish it was to promise himself secrecy in sin, and how certainly at the last
God would discriminate between the innocent and the guilty, however for a little while
they were involved in the same condemnation. Thus Achan stands exposed in the sight
of all Israel. Joshua, filled with unutterable compassion for the trembling sinner, though
absolutely certain of his guilt, has no harsh word to utter, but only seeks to win him to a
right frame of mind. Nothing could be more touching than this venerable leader’s words.
He deals with him as a grey-haired father with a wayward son, urging him to the only
course that in the circumstances could yield one spark of consolation (verse 19). Achan
breaks down under this unexpected kindness. He had looked for nothing but harsh
reproof and unmitigated severity; therefore in broken accents he replies, “Indeed I have
sinned,” &c. This confession is worthy of notice, and has some features which relieve the
darkness of the scene. To begin with, it was voluntary. There was here no extortion of a
confession from unwilling lips. Joshua spoke in love, calling him “my son.” It is evident
that he has no personal ill-will, no hard spirit of revenge. He appealed to the glory of
God. Thus Joshua brought forth this free confession of Achan’s guilt. His confession was
as full as it was free. The miserable man kept nothing back. He made a clean breast of it.
His full confession shows that penitents cannot be too particular. His confession was
also personal. He felt that it was first of all, and above all, a matter between himself and
God, and therefore, though others, in all likelihood, were sharers in his guilt (for he
could not well have hid these things in his tent without the cognisance of his family), still
he made no mention of them, he condemned none but himself, for he felt himself the
greatest sinner. Also Achan’s confession was sincere. He did not attempt in the faintest
degree to excuse himself. He pleaded no palliation of his offence. Surely, therefore, in
this confession we have a gleam of light thrown across the gloom of this narrative. Just
as in a picture of this dark valley and its black pile of stones, we have seen one white bird
hovering amid the gloom, so this confession is the white bird of hope hovering over
Achan’s grave, and relieving somewhat the blackness of its darkness, His punishment
trod swiftly on the heels of his confession. This punishment was at once a solemn
expression of the evil of sin, a vindication of God’s truth and justice, a prelude to future
victory, and a monument to all succeeding ages, declaring, “be sure your sin will find you
out.” We are also told that all Achan’s substance was destroyed, that which he possessed,

178. as well as that which he stole. What a poor prize had Achan then in the things he so
much admired. No good ever comes of ill-gotten gains. In regard to this punishment of
Achan, the fate of his family deserves to be noticed. What happened to them? Two
explanations have been offered. The first is that they shared Achan’s sin and therefore
shared his punishment. Another explanation is that Achan’s family were spared. This
rests on the fact that there is a change from the plural in verse 24 to the singular in verse
25. Joshua took Achan and all his possessions and all his family to the scene of
execution, but the punishment fell only on Achan, for Joshua said (verse 25): “Why hast
thou troubled us? the Lord will trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with
stones, and burned them (his cattle and goods) with fire after they had stoned them with
stones.” Whichever is the true explanation we may rest assured that the demands of
justice were not ignored. Thus we leave Achan, and surely as we stand by this heap of
stones and consider his sad end, these words come to mind—“the love of money is the
root of all evil, which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith and
pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” Looking again at this event, we are
struck with the parallelism between the early history of Israel as recorded in the Book of
Joshua and the early history of the Church as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. The
taking of Jericho corresponds in its mighty triumph to the Day of Pentecost and the
casting down of the walls of rebellion and prejudice through the proclamation of the
gospel. Then the sin of Achan is strikingly paralleled by that of Ananias and Sapphira.
The cause of transgression was the same in both, and the punishments present a striking
resemblance. It was a salutary lesson taught both to Israel and to the Church. It showed
that the God who dwelt among men was a consuming fire, that His judgment must
follow shortly and surely on the heels of sin, and that holiness is the only source and
secret of success in the work of the Lord. (A. B. Mackay.)
The valley of Achor.—
The valley of Achor
I. We should grieve more for sin than for its results. As soon as we have committed sin,
we look furtively round to see whether we have been watched, and then we take
measures to tie up the consequences which would naturally accrue. Failing this, we are
deeply humiliated. We dread the consequences of sin more than sin; discovery more
than misdoing; what others may say and do more than the look of pain and sorrow on
the face that looks out on us from the encircling throng of glorified spirits. But with God
it is not so. It is our sin, one of the most grievous features in which is our failure to
recognise its intrinsic evil, that presses Him down, as a cart groans beneath its load. The
true way to a proper realisation of sin is to cultivate the friendship of the holy God. The
more we know Him, the more utterly we shall enter into His thought about the subtle
evil of our heart. We shall find sin lurking where we least anticipated, in our motives, in
our religious acts, in our hasty judgment of others, in our want of tender, sensitive,
pitying love, in our censorious condemnation of those who may be restrained by the
action of a more sensitive conscience than our own from claiming all that we claim to
possess. We shall learn that every look, tone, gesture, word, thought, which is not
consistent with perfect love indicates that the virus of sin has not yet been expelled from
our nature, and we shall come to mourn not so much for the result of sin as for the sin
itself.
II. We should submit ourselves to the judgment of God. “And the Lord said unto
Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?” It was as if He said,

179. “Thou grievest for the effect, grieve rather for the cause. I am well able to preserve My
people from the assaults of their foes, though all Canaan beset them, and I am equally
able to maintain the honour of My name. These are not the main matters for concern,
but that a worm is already gnawing at the root of the gourd, and a plague is already
eating out the vitals of the people whom I have redeemed. With My right arm I will
screen you from attack, whilst you give yourselves to the investigation and destruction of
the accursed thing.” Whenever there is perpetual failure in our life, we may be sure that
there is some secret evil lurking in heart and life, just as diphtheria breaking out
repeatedly in a household is an almost certain indication that there is an escape of sewer
gas from the drains.
1. In searching out the causes of failure we must be willing to know the worst, and
this is almost the hardest condition. Ostrich-like, we all hide our heads in the sand
from unwelcome tidings. It is the voice of an iron resolution, or of mature Christian
experience, that can say without faltering, “Let me know the worst.” But as we bare
ourselves to the good Physician let us remember that He is our husband, that His
eyes film with love and pity, that He desires to indicate the source of our sorrow only
to remove it, so that for Him and for us there may be the vigour of perfect soul-
health and consequent bliss.
2. When God deals with sin He traces back its genealogy. Notice the particularity
with which twice over the sacred historian gives the list of Achan’s progenitors. It is
always, “Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of
Judah” (verses 1, 16-18). Sin is sporadic. To deal with it thoroughly we need to go
back to its parentage. A long period will often intervene between the first germ of sin,
in a permitted thought or glance of evil, and its flower or fruit in act. We generally
deal with the wrong that flames out before the sight of our fellows; we should go
behind to the spark as it lay smouldering for hours before, and to the carelessness
which left it there. We only awake when the rock disintegrates and begins to fall on
our cottage roof; God would lead us back to the moment when a tiny seed, borne on
the breeze, floating through the air, found a lodgment in some crevice of our heart,
and, although the soil was scanty, succeeded in keeping its foothold, till it had struck
down its tiny anchor into a crack, and gathered strength enough to split the rock
which had given it welcome. And by this insight into small beginnings our God
would forearm us against great catastrophes.
3. It is a good thing at times to muster the clans of heart and life. We must make the
principal tribes of our being pass before God. The public, and private, our behaviour
in the business, the family, the church, until one of them is taken. Then to take that
department and go through its various aspects and engagements, analysing it in
days, or duties; resolving it into its various elements, and scrutinising each. This duty
of self-examination should be pursued by those who have least relish for it, as
probably they really need it; whilst they who are naturally of an introspective or
morbid disposition should not engage themselves in it to any large extent. And
whoever undertakes it should do so in reliance on the Holy Spirit, and give ten
glances to the blessed Lord for every one that is taken at the corruptions of the
natural heart. It is looking off unto Jesus which is the real secret of soul-growth.
III. We should hold no parley with discovered sin. God never reveals an evil which He
does not require us to remove. And if heart and flesh fail, if our hand refuses to obey our
faltering will, if the paralysis of evil has so far enfeebled us that we cannot lift the stone,
or wield the knife, or strike the flint stones for the fire, then He will do for us what must
be done, but which we cannot do. Some are cast in a mould so strong that they can dare

180. to raise the hatchet, and cut off the arm just madly bitten, and before poison has passed
from it into the system; others must await the surgeon’s knife. But the one lesson for all
the inner life is to be willing for God to do His work in us, through us, or for us. So the
valley of Achor becomes the door of hope. From that sterile, mountain-guarded valley,
Israel marched to victory; or, to use the highly-coloured imagery of Hosea, it was as
though the massive slabs opened in the cliffs, and the people passed into cornfields,
vineyards, and olive-yards, singing amid their rich luxuriance as they sang in their youth
in the day when they came up out of Egypt. Ah! metaphor as true as fair! For all our
inner life there is no valley of Achor where the work of execution is faithfully performed
in which there is not a door of hope, entrance into the garden of the Lord, and a song so
sweet, so joyous, so triumphant, as though the buoyancy of youth were wed with the
experience and mellowness of age. (F. B. Meyer, B. A.).
26 Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of
rocks, which remains to this day. Then the Lord
turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place
has been called the Valley of Achor[f] ever since.
BAR ES, "A great heap of stones - As a memorial of Achan’s sin and its
punishment. (Compare Jos_8:29; 2Sa_18:17.)
The valley of Achor - Compare the marginal references. This valley formed part of
the northern border of Judah Jos_15:7; and must therefore have lain among the ridges
which cross the plain to the south of Jericho. But its exact site is uncertain. (Conder
identifies it with Wady Kelt.)
CLARKE,"They raised over him a great heap of stones - The burial-places,
both of heroes and eminent culprits, were anciently thus distinguished; and transactions
of this kind gave rise to those great piles of stones called cairns, that are so frequently to
be met with, especially in northern countries. From the whole of this account we may see
the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the great danger of not withstanding its first
approaches. By covetousness many lives and many souls have been destroyed, and yet
the living lay it not to heart! Who fears the love of money, provided he can get riches?
Through the intensity of this desire, every part of the surface of the earth, and as far as
possible its bowels, are ransacked in order to get wealth; and God alone can tell, who
sees all things, to how many private crimes, frauds, and dissimulations, this gives birth;

181. by which the wrath of God is brought down upon the community at large! Who is an
enemy to his country? The sinner against his God. An open foe may be resisted and
repelled, because he is known; but the covetous man, who, as far as his personal safety
will admit, is outraging all the requisitions of justice, is an unseen pestilence, sowing the
seeds of desolation and ruin in society. Achan’s covetousness, which led him to break the
law of God, had nearly proved the destruction of the Israelitish camp, nor would the
Lord turn away from his displeasure till the evil was detected, and the criminal
punished. Reader, is the face of God turned against thee, because of some private
transgression? Are not thy circumstances and family suffering in consequence of
something in thy private life? O search and try thy ways, return to God, and humble
thyself before him lest thy iniquity instantly find thee out.
GILL, "And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day,.... That
is, at the place where he suffered, or where they laid his ashes, they heaped up a pile of
stones over him, as a monument whereby it might be known hereafter where he was
executed and was buried; and which pile continued to the writing of this history: such
sort of funeral monuments were usual with the Heathens (s) also as well as with the
Jews, see Jos_8:29; so the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger; or the effects of
it ceased; the outward face of things was altered, the dealings of God in his providence
with Israel were changed; though, properly speaking, there is no change in God, nor
such affections and passions in him as in man:
wherefore the name of the place was called the valley of Achor unto this day;
from the trouble Achan met with, and the people of Israel on his account, see Jos_7:24;
and so it was called in the days of Isaiah and Hosea, Isa_65:10; and where it is
prophesied of as what should be in time to come: according to Bunting (t), it was twelve
miles from Jerusalem; Jerom (u) says it was at the north of Jericho, but Lamy (w),
following Bonfrerius, places it to the south; see Jos_15:7.
HE RY, " The pacifying of God's wrath hereby (Jos_7:26): The Lord turned from
the fierceness of his anger. The putting away of sin by true repentance and reformation,
as it is the only way, so it is a sure and most effectual way, to recover the divine favour.
Take away the cause, and the effect will cease.
VII. The record of his conviction and execution. Care was taken to preserve the
remembrance of it, for warning and instruction to posterity. 1. A heap of stones was
raised on the place where Achan was executed, every one perhaps of the congregation
throwing a stone to the heap, in token of his detestation of the crime. 2. A new name was
given to the place; it was called theValley of Achor, or trouble. This was a perpetual
brand of infamy upon Achan's name, and a perpetual warning to all people not to invade
God's property. By this severity against Achan, the honour of Joshua's government, now
in the infancy of it, was maintained, and Israel, at their entrance upon the promised
Canaan, were reminded to observe, at their peril, the provisos and limitations of the
grant by which they held it. The Valley of Achor is said to be given for a door of hope,
because when we put away the accursed thing then there begins to be hope in Israel,
Hos_2:15; Ezr_10:2.

182. JAMISO , "they raised over him a great heap of stones — It is customary to
raise cairns over the graves of criminals or infamous persons in the East still.
the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor — (“trouble”),
unto this day — So painful an episode would give notoriety to the spot, and it is
more than once noted by the sacred writers of a later age (Isa_65:10; Hos_2:15).
TRAPP, "Joshua 7:26 And 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.
Ver. 26. And they raised over him.] For a warning to others. Aliorum perditio tua sit
cautio. It is a just presage and desert of ruin, not to be warned.
The valley of Achor.] See Hosea 2:15. {See Trapp on "Hosea 2:15"
PETT, "Verse 26
‘And they raised over him a great heap of stones, to this day, and YHWH turned
from the fierceness of his anger, for which reason the name of the place was called
the valley of Achor to this day.’
The heap of stones, partly gathered from the stones hurled in execution, was a
witness (Joshua 4:21-22; Genesis 32:48). It testified to the holiness and severity of
God, and yet of His mercy to the children of Israel. Compare the heap of stones
piled over the body of the king of Ai (Joshua 8:29), an everlasting reminder of
YHWH’s triumph over disaster. And it warned of what would happen to those who
treated YHWH and His covenant lightly. They remained there ‘to this day’. These
constant references to ‘to this day’ confirm that the Book was written not too long
after the events.
“And YHWH turned from the fierceness of his anger.” Compare Deuteronomy
13:17. This language is anthropomorphic. It meant that the barrier that man had
erected against God was now again broken down. Thus God no longer had to deal
with them in judgment. He was able once more to show mercy and act for them
without endangering man’s recognition of the awfulness of sin.
“For this reason the name of the place was called the valley of Achor to this day.”
‘Achor’ comes from the same root as the word for ‘trouble’ in Joshua 7:25. Thus
‘the valley or plain of troubling’ was a reminder of the troubling of Israel. Whether
it was renamed at this time, or simply had its name given a new meaning, is
unimportant. What mattered was what it meant for the future. And the name lasted
‘to this day’. Then they all returned to their camp at Gilgal.
WHEDO , "26. And they raised over him a great heap of stones — A monument of
everlasting reproach. Michaelis says it is still a prevalent custom in the East to
throw stones, as a mark of reproach and disgrace, upon the graves of criminals.
That place was called, The valley of Achor — This name signifies trouble,

183. disturbance, and is derived from the verb which Joshua uses twice in Joshua 7:25.
Hence the propriety of the name.
COKE, "Ver. 26. Wherefore the name of that place, &c.— From the day of the
punishment of Achan, or Achor, the disturber of the public repose, the Israelites
called the place where he was stoned Achar. What confirms this etymology is, that
Achan is always called Achar in the Syriac version, and by Josephus, Athanasius,
Basil, and other authors, at the head of whom we may place Esdras, 1 Chronicles
2:7. See Bochart on the subject, Hieroz. part i. lib. ii. c. 32. Mr. Saurin observes, that
the design of raising this heap of stones was, to place before the eyes of all Israel a
perpetual memorial of the crime of Achan, and of their indispensable obligation to
pay an entire deference to the command of God. Happy if they had always followed
this lesson; if they had not, by surpassing Achan in his crimes, drawn down upon
their nation the greatest punishments! Dr. Shaw tells us, that many heaps of stone
are seen in Barbary, the Holy Land, and Arabia, which have been gradually erected
as so many signs over murdered travellers; the Arabs, according to a superstitious
custom among them, contributing each of them a stone whenever they pass by them:
something like this, he thinks, are the present event, and those recorded, ch. Joshua
8:9 and 2 Samuel 18:17. See the preface to his Travels, p. 17.
REFLECTIO S.—God having directed Joshua in the method of procedure, he rises
very early in the morning, in haste purge the camp from the abominable thing
which was hidden in it.
1. The tribes are convoked. Judah is taken, the first in dignity, yet now exposed to
shame by one bad branch of this noble family. By repeated trials, from families to
houses, and from houses to individuals, the criminal is discovered, and Achan,
confounded with conscious guilt, stands forth the troubler of Israel. ote; When
God is contending with us, we need well to examine our ways, and see if there be any
way of wickedness in us: whilst Achan's wedge, any allowed sin remains, the curse
must be upon us. 2. The divine lot having discovered the offender, Joshua, as judge,
exhorts him to give glory to God by an open and unreserved confession. He does not
fly out into anger or reviling against him; but, pitying his misery, beseeches him to
repent of his great sin, and take to himself the deserved shame of such a guilty
conduct. ote; (1.) Even the vilest of criminals deserve our pity, not reproach. (2.)
The only retribution we can make to God for our sins, is an open acknowledgment.
They cannot be true penitents, who shrink from the shame they have deserved, and
seek to excuse and exculpate themselves, instead of glorifying God by an unreserved
confession. 3. Hopes of concealment had hardened his heart before; but now that
God has found him out, he bows under the conviction, acknowledges his great sin,
and discloses the particular fact in all the circumstances of it. ote; (1.) A burdened
conscience can only find ease by self-accusation, and owning its aggravated sin
against God. (2.) The more deeply we are affected, the more particular will be our
confessions, and the more sharp our self-upbraidings in the review of the process of
our sin. (3.) The advances to sin are here laid down; concupiscence is at the root;
Satan presents the bait to the eye, the heart is caught by it, the hand is stretched out,
and the crime completed. How strict a guard should we keep upon our eyes! How

184. severely repress the first motions of evil desire! (4.) It is the devil's grand deceit, " o
eye shall see thee; thy sin may be easily concealed;" but God can make the sinner
turn self-accuser, and vomit up the riches he hath swallowed, Job 15:4. He receives
his just condemnation. The goods are instantly fetched, his confession is affirmed by
the accursed spoils, and sentence passes upon him. God will have the trouble fall
upon his own head, which he had brought on the innocent people. ote; (1.) Sin will
bring trouble: the conscience must be humbled under it in time, or be tormented for
it to eternity. (2.) What we get by injustice, will in the end prove our plague. 5. He is
instantly executed, dragged from the judgment-seat without the camp, and all Israel
in just indignation rise up to stone him. ote; (1.) We cannot be in too great haste to
get rid of our sins. (2.) We see that nothing is got by stealing or sacrilege: not only
the ill-gotten gain perishes, but the fire of the curse spreads to all our substance. (3.)
Wicked parents are the heaviest plague to their families, and by their bad examples
usually involve them in ruin. (4.) When sin is repented of, and washed away with the
blood of Jesus, shed as a curse for us, then we may expect God's love and mercy will
be restored to us. 6. A monument is raised on these ashes, as a warning to others,
and a name given to the place, corresponding with the occasion, The valley of
Achor, or Trouble. ote; (1.) We need to raise a memorial over our sins, and the
places where they were committed, that we may continually remember and lament
them. (2.) The valley of Achor is a door of hope to true penitents, Hosea 2:15 and
they who go down thither in sorrow, shall be brought up from thence with joy.
PULPIT, "And the Lord turned from the heat of His anger. There is no
contradiction between this and such passages as 1 Samuel 15:29; James 1:17. It is
not God, but we who turn. Our confession and restitution, by uniting our will with
His, of necessity turn His wrath away. Yet of course it is through Jesus Christ alone
that such confession and restitution is possible, and they are accepted simply
because by faith they are united with His.