Joshua 7
7
Ai is Destroyed
1But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.
2And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. 3And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few. 4So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. 5And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.
6And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads. 7And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan! 8O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies! 9For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?
10And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? 11Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. 12Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. 13Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you. 14In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the LORD taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the LORD shall take shall come by households; and the household which the LORD shall take shall come man by man. 15And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.
16So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken: 17and he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken: 18and he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. 19And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me. 20And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: 21When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.
22So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. 23And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD. 24And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. 25And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. 26And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.
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Joshua 7: KJV
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Rights in the Authorized (King James) Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Published by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.
Learn More About King James VersionJoshua 7
7
Achan Sins and is Punished
1 But the Israelites disobeyed the command about the city’s riches.#tn Heb “But the sons of Israel were unfaithful with unfaithfulness concerning what was set apart [to the Lord].” Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi,#tn 1 Chr 2:6 lists a “Zimri” (but no Zabdi) as one of the five sons of Zerah (cf. also 1 Chr 7:17, 18). son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, stole some of the riches.#tn Heb “took from what was set apart [to the Lord].” The Lord was furious with the Israelites.#tn Heb “the anger of the Lord burned against the sons of Israel.”sn This incident illustrates well the principle of corporate solidarity and corporate guilt. The sin of one man brought the Lord’s anger down upon the entire nation.
2 Joshua sent men from Jericho#map For location see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1. to Ai (which is located near Beth Aven, east of Bethel#map For the location of Bethel see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3.) and instructed them, “Go up and spy on the land.” So the men went up and spied on Ai. 3 They returned and reported to Joshua,#tn Heb “and they returned to Joshua and said to him.” “Don’t send the whole army.#tn Heb “Don’t let all the people go up.” About two or three thousand men are adequate to defeat Ai.#tn Heb “Let about two thousand men or about three thousand men go up to defeat Ai.” Don’t tire out the whole army, for Ai is small.”#tn Heb “all the people for they are small.”
4 So about three thousand men went up, but they fled from the men of Ai. 5 The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them and chased them from in front of the city gate all the way to the fissures#tn The meaning and correct translation of the Hebrew word שְׁבָרִים (shÿvarim) is uncertain. The translation “fissures” is based on usage of the plural form of the noun in Ps 60:4 HT (60:2 ET), where it appears to refer to cracks in the earth caused by an earthquake. Perhaps deep ravines or gorges are in view, or the word is a proper noun (“all the way to Shebarim”). and defeated them on the steep slope.#sn The precise geographical location of the Israelite defeat at this “steep slope” is uncertain. The people’s#tn Or “army’s.” courage melted away like water.#tn Heb “and the heart of the people melted and became water.”
6 Joshua tore his clothes;#sn Tearing one’s clothes was an outward expression of extreme sorrow (see Gen 37:34; 44:13). he and the leaders#tn Or “elders.” of Israel lay face down on the ground before the ark of the Lord until evening#tn Heb “and fell on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel.” and threw dirt on their heads.#sn Throwing dirt on one’s head was an outward expression of extreme sorrow (see Lam 2:10; Ezek 27:30). 7 Joshua prayed,#tn Heb “said.” “O, Master, Lord! Why did you bring these people across the Jordan to hand us over to the Amorites so they could destroy us? 8 If only we had been satisfied to live on the other side of the Jordan! O Lord, what can I say now that Israel has retreated#tn Heb “turned [the] back.” before its enemies? 9 When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will turn against us and destroy the very memory of us#tn Heb “and cut off our name.” from the earth. What will you do to protect your great reputation?”#tn Heb “What will you do for your great name?”
10 The Lord responded#tn Heb “said.” to Joshua, “Get up! Why are you lying there face down?#tn Heb “Why are you falling on your face?” 11 Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenantal commandment!#tn Heb “They have violated my covenant which I commanded them.” They have taken some of the riches;#tn Heb “what was set apart [to the Lord].” they have stolen them and deceitfully put them among their own possessions.#tn Heb “and also they have stolen, and also they have lied, and also they have placed [them] among their items.” 12 The Israelites are unable to stand before their enemies; they retreat because they have become subject to annihilation.#tn Heb “they turn [the] back before their enemies because they are set apart [to destruction by the Lord].” I will no longer be with you,#tn The second person pronoun is plural in Hebrew, indicating these words are addressed to the entire nation. unless you destroy what has contaminated you.#tn Heb “what is set apart [to destruction by the Lord] from your midst.” 13 Get up! Ritually consecrate the people and tell them this: ‘Ritually consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, because the Lord God of Israel says, “You are contaminated,#tn Heb “what is set apart [to destruction by the Lord] [is] in your midst.” O Israel! You will not be able to stand before your enemies until you remove what is contaminating you.”#tn Heb “remove what is set apart [i.e., to destruction by the Lord] from your midst.” 14 In the morning you must approach in tribal order.#tn Heb “by your tribes.” The tribe the Lord selects#tn Heb “takes forcefully, seizes.” must approach by clans. The clan the Lord selects must approach by families.#tn Heb “houses.” The family the Lord selects must approach man by man.#tn Heb “by men.” 15 The one caught with the riches#tn Heb “with what was set apart [to the Lord].” must be burned up#tn Heb “burned with fire.” along with all who belong to him, because he violated the Lord’s covenant and did such a disgraceful thing in Israel.’”
16 Bright and early the next morning Joshua made Israel approach in tribal order#tn Heb “by tribes.” and the tribe of Judah was selected. 17 He then made the clans of Judah approach and the clan of the Zerahites was selected. He made the clan of the Zerahites approach and Zabdi#tn See the note on “Zabdi” in 1 Chr 7:1. was selected.#tn Heb “and he selected Zabdi.” The Lord is the apparent subject. The LXX supports reading a passive (Niphal) form here, as does the immediate context. 18 He then made Zabdi’s#tn Heb “his”; the referent (Zabdi) has been specified in the translation for clarity. family approach man by man#tn Heb “by men.” and Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, was selected. 19 So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, honor#tn Heb “give glory to.” the Lord God of Israel and give him praise! Tell me what you did; don’t hide anything from me!” 20 Achan told Joshua, “It is true. I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel in this way:#tn Heb “like this and like this I did.” 21 I saw among the goods we seized a nice robe from Babylon,#tn Heb “Shinar,” a reference to Babylon (cf. Gen 10:10; 11:2; 14:1). Many modern translations retain the Hebrew name “Shinar” (cf. NEB, NRSV) but some use the more familiar “Babylon” (cf. NIV, NLT). two hundred silver pieces,#tn Heb “shekels.” and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels. I wanted them, so I took them. They are hidden in the ground right in the middle of my tent with the silver underneath.”
22 Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent. The things were hidden right in his tent, with the silver underneath.#tn Heb “Look, [it was] hidden in his tent, and the silver was beneath it.” 23 They took it all from the middle of the tent, brought it to Joshua and all the Israelites, and placed#tn Heb “poured out,” probably referring to the way the silver pieces poured out of their container. it before the Lord. 24 Then Joshua and all Israel took Achan, son of Zerah, along with the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, daughters, ox, donkey, sheep, tent, and all that belonged to him and brought them up to the Valley of Disaster.#tn Or “Trouble” The name is “Achor” in Hebrew, which means “disaster” or “trouble” (also in v. 26). 25 Joshua said, “Why have you brought disaster#tn Or “trouble.” The word is “achor” in Hebrew (also in the following clause). on us? The Lord will bring disaster on you today!” All Israel stoned him to death. (They also stoned and burned the others.)#tc Heb “and they burned them with fire and they stoned them with stones.” These words are somewhat parenthetical in nature and are omitted in the LXX; they may represent a later scribal addition. 26 Then they erected over him a large pile of stones (it remains to this very day#tc Heb “to this day.” The phrase “to this day” is omitted in the LXX and may represent a later scribal addition.) and the Lord’s anger subsided. So that place is called the Valley of Disaster to this very day.
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