# Joshua 07 📖: Achan's Sin [[📚 Explore the Bible Books]] [[-Joshua Overview]] | [[Joshua 06]] | [[Joshua 08]] > [!info] Table of Contents > [[#📜 Scripture Text (NET)]] > [[#📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary]] > [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]] > [[#🧠 Chapter Summary]] > [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]] > [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]] > [[#💬 Discussion Questions]] > [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]] > [[#🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference]] > [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]] > [[#📂 Internal Notes]] ## 📜 Scripture Text (NET) (The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005) ### Achan Sins and is Punished [[#Verse 01.]] But the Israelites disobeyed the command about the city’s riches. Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, stole some of the riches. The Lord was furious with the Israelites. [[#Verse 02.]] Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai (which is located near Beth Aven, east of Bethel) and instructed them, “Go up and spy on the land.” So the men went up and spied on Ai.  [[#Verse 03.]] They returned and reported to Joshua, “Don’t send the whole army. About two or three thousand men are adequate to defeat Ai. Don’t tire out the whole army, for Ai is small.” [[#Verse 04.]] So about 3,000 men went up, but they fled from the men of Ai.  [[#Verse 05.]] 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 and defeated them on the steep slope. The people’s courage melted away like water. [[#Verse 06.]] Joshua tore his clothes; he and the leaders of Israel lay face down on the ground before the ark of the Lord until evening and threw dirt on their heads.  [[#Verse 07.]] Joshua prayed, “O, Sovereign Lord! Why did you bring these people across the Jordan to hand us over to the Amorites so they could destroy us? If only we had been satisfied to live on the other side of the Jordan!  [[#Verse 08.]] O Lord, what can I say now that Israel has retreated before its enemies?  [[#Verse 09.]] 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 from the earth. What will you do to protect your great reputation?” [[#Verse 10.]] The Lord responded to Joshua, “Get up! Why are you lying there face down?  [[#Verse 11.]] Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenantal commandment! They have taken some of the riches; they have stolen them and deceitfully put them among their own possessions.  [[#Verse 12.]] The Israelites are unable to stand before their enemies; they retreat because they have become subject to annihilation. I will no longer be with you, unless you destroy what has contaminated you.  [[#Verse 13.]] Get up! Ritually consecrate the people and tell them this: ‘Ritually consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, because this is what the Lord God of Israel has said, “You are contaminated, O Israel! You will not be able to stand before your enemies until you remove what is contaminating you.”  [[#Verse 14.]] In the morning you must approach in tribal order. The tribe the Lord selects must approach by clans. The clan the Lord selects must approach by families. The family the Lord selects must approach man by man. [[#Verse 15.]] The one caught with the riches must be burned up along with all who belong to him, because he violated the Lord’s covenant and did such a disgraceful thing in Israel.’” [[#Verse 16.]] Bright and early the next morning Joshua made Israel approach in tribal order, and the tribe of Judah was selected.  [[#Verse 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 was selected.  [[#Verse 18.]] He then made Zabdi’s family approach man by man and Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, was selected.  [[#Verse 19.]] So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, honor the Lord God of Israel and give him praise! Tell me what you did; don’t hide anything from me.”  [[#Verse 20.]] Achan told Joshua, “It is true. I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel in this way:  [[#Verse 21.]] I saw among the goods we seized a nice robe from Babylon, 200 silver pieces, and a bar of gold weighing 50 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.” [[#Verse 22.]] Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent. The things were hidden right in his tent, with the silver underneath.  [[#Verse 23.]] They took it all from the middle of the tent, brought it to Joshua and all the Israelites, and placed it before the Lord.  [[#Verse 24.]] Then Joshua and all Israel took Achan, son of Zerah, along with the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, daughters, oxen, donkeys, sheep, tent, and all that belonged to him and brought them up to the Valley of Disaster.  [[#Verse 25.]] Joshua said, “Why have you brought disaster on us? The Lord will bring disaster on you today!” All Israel stoned him to death. (They also stoned and burned the others.)  [[#Verse 26.]] Then they erected over him a large pile of stones (it remains to this very day) and the Lord’s anger subsided. So that place is called the Valley of Disaster to this very day. ## 📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary ###### Overall. ###### Verse 01. ###### Verse 02. ###### Verse 03. ###### Verse 04. ###### Verse 05. ###### Verse 06. ###### Verse 07. ###### Verse 08. ###### Verse 09. ###### Verse 10. ###### Verse 11. ###### Verse 12. ###### Verse 13. ###### Verse 14. ###### Verse 15. ###### Verse 16. ###### Verse 17. ###### Verse 18. ###### Verse 19. ###### Verse 20. ###### Verse 21. ###### Verse 22. ###### Verse 23. ###### Verse 24. ###### Verse 25. ###### Verse 26. ## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights 1. The name Ai means "the ruin." 2. The spies recommended sending only two or three thousand men (7:3), and about thirty-six Israelites were killed (7:5). 3. The lot narrowed down the guilty one by tribe, clan, family, and finally the man (7:14-18). 4. Achan took a fine robe from Babylon, two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels (7:21). 5. Achor means "trouble" (7:26). In 1 Chronicles 2:7, Achan is called Achar, "the troubler of Israel." 6. Hosea 2:15 and Isaiah 65:10 promise that the Valley of Achor will become a place of hope and rest. 7. Joshua tore his clothes and the elders put dust on their heads (7:6), traditional signs of mourning. 8. Achan's pattern of seeing, desiring, and taking echoes Genesis 3:6. 9. Many compare Achan's sin to Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11), both at the start of a new season for God's people. 10. A heap of stones over Achan remained as a memorial "to this day" (7:26). ## 🧠 Chapter Summary > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter Christ is the One who turns the valley of trouble into a door of hope. Achan's sin brought trouble on all Israel (7:25-26), but God promised to make the Valley of Achor a door of hope (Hosea 2:15), fulfilled as Jesus bore our sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). ## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## 💬 Discussion Questions 1. One man's sin affected the whole nation (7:1, 11). How does personal sin affect our families and our church? 2. Achan saw, coveted, took, and hid (7:21). How does that pattern compare to Eve's in Genesis 3:6? 3. Joshua urged Achan to give glory to the Lord and confess (7:19). Why is honest confession so important? ## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember - 📖 verse 1: Israel is unfaithful because Achan took some of the devoted things. - 📖 verse 12: The Lord will not be with Israel until they remove what was devoted to destruction. - 📖 verse 21: Achan confesses that he saw, coveted, took, and hid the plunder. ## 🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference - 🔗 [[Hosea 02#Verse 15.|Hosea 2:15]] - The Valley of Achor becomes a door of hope. - 🔗 [[Acts 05#Verse 01.|Acts 5:1-11]] - Ananias and Sapphira. - 🔗 [[Genesis 03#Verse 06.|Genesis 3:6]] - Eve saw, desired, and took. - 🔗 [[1 Chronicles 02#Verse 07.|1 Chronicles 2:7]] - Achar, the troubler of Israel. - 🔗 [[James 01#Verse 14.|James 1:14-15]] - Desire gives birth to sin. ## 🙏 Devotional Reflection 📝 SOAP: [[Joshua 7 - SOAP|Sin Hurts More Than You]] ## 📂 Internal Notes