The Sin of Achan

Joshua 7

10 The Lord said to Joshua, "Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? 11 Israel has sinned; they have j transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the k devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. 12 l Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They m turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become n devoted for destruction. 1 I will be with you no more, unless you destroy o the devoted things from among you. 13 Get up! Consecrate the people and say, p 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the Lord, God of Israel, "There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you." 14 In the morning therefore you shall be brought near q by your tribes. And the tribe that the Lord takes by lot shall come near by clans. And the clan that the Lord takes shall come near by households. And the household that the Lord takes shall come near man by man. 15 r And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has s transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he has done t an outrageous thing in Israel.'"

16 So Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel near tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was taken. 17 And he brought near the clans of Judah, and the clan of the u Zerahites was taken. And he brought near the clan of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was taken. 18 And he brought near his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. 19 Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, v give glory to the Lord God of Israel and w give praise 2 to him. And x tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me." 20 And Achan answered Joshua, "Truly y I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I did: 21 when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, 3 then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath."

22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden in his tent with the silver underneath. 23 And they took them out of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the people of Israel. And they laid them down before the Lord. 24 And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters and his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had. And they brought them up to the z Valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, "Why did you a bring trouble on us? The Lord brings trouble on you today." And all Israel b stoned him with stones. c They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. 26 And they raised over him d a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then e the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor. 4

  1. Cross References
    Joshua 7:15
    And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he has done an outrageous thing in Israel.'
  2. Cross References
    Joshua 6:17 - 18
    And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent.
  3. Cross References
    Numbers 14:45
    Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and defeated them and pursued them, even to Hormah.
    Judges 2:14
    So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies.
  4. Cross References
    Joshua 7:8
    O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies!
  5. Cross References
    Joshua 6:18
    But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it.
  6. Cross References
    Joshua 7:11
    Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings.
  7. Cross References
    Joshua 3:5
    Then Joshua said to the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.
  8. Cross References
    1 Samuel 10:19
    But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said to him, 'Set a king over us.' Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands.
  9. Cross References
    1 Samuel 14:38 - 39
    And Saul said, "Come here, all you leaders of the people, and know and see how this sin has arisen today.
  10. Cross References
    Joshua 7:11
    Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings.
  11. Cross References
    Genesis 34:7
    The sons of Jacob had come in from the field as soon as they heard of it, and the men were indignant and very angry, because he had done an outrageous thing in Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter, for such a thing must not be done.
    Judges 20:6
    So I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel, for they have committed abomination and outrage in Israel.
  12. Cross References
    Numbers 26:20
    And the sons of Judah according to their clans were: of Shelah, the clan of the Shelanites; of Perez, the clan of the Perezites; of Zerah, the clan of the Zerahites.
  13. Cross References
    1 Samuel 6:5
    So you must make images of your tumors and images of your mice that ravage the land, and give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you and your gods and your land.
    Jeremiah 13:16
    Give glory to the Lord your God before he brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the twilight mountains, and while you look for light he turns it into gloom and makes it deep darkness.
    Malachi 2:2
    If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart.
    John 9:24
    So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, "Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.
  14. Cross References
    Numbers 5:6 - 7
    Speak to the people of Israel, When a man or woman commits any of the sins that people commit by breaking faith with the Lord, and that person realizes his guilt.
    2 Chronicles 30:22
    And Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good skill in the service of the Lord. So they ate the food of the festival for seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the Lord, the God of their fathers.
    Ezra 10:11
    Now then make confession to the Lord, the God of your fathers and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.
    Daniel 9:4
    I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments.
  15. Cross References
    1 Samuel 14:43
    Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." And Jonathan told him, "I tasted a little honey with the tip of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am; I will die.
  16. Cross References
    2 Samuel 12:13
    David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." And Nathan said to David, "The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.
  17. Cross References
    Joshua 7:26
    And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor.
    Joshua 15:7
    And the boundary goes up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, and so northward, turning toward Gilgal, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim, which is on the south side of the valley. And the boundary passes along to the waters of En-shemesh and ends at En-rogel.
    Isaiah 65:10
    Sharon shall become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down, for my people who have sought me.
    Hosea 2:15
    And there I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.
  18. Cross References
    Joshua 6:18
    But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it.
    1 Chronicles 2:7
    The son of Carmi: Achan, the troubler of Israel, who broke faith in the matter of the devoted thing.
  19. Cross References
    Leviticus 20:2
    Say to the people of Israel, Any one of the people of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones.
    Leviticus 24:14
    Bring out of the camp the one who cursed, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him.
  20. Cross References
    Joshua 22:20
    Did not Achan the son of Zerah break faith in the matter of the devoted things, and wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel? And he did not perish alone for his iniquity.'
  21. Cross References
    Joshua 8:29
    And he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening. And at sunset Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree and threw it at the entrance of the gate of the city and raised over it a great heap of stones, which stands there to this day.
    2 Samuel 18:17
    And they took Absalom and threw him into a great pit in the forest and raised over him a very great heap of stones. And all Israel fled every one to his own home.
    Lamentations 3:53
    They flung me alive into the pit and cast stones on me.
  22. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 13:17
    None of the devoted things shall stick to your hand, that the Lord may turn from the fierceness of his anger and show you mercy and have compassion on you and multiply you, as he swore to your fathers.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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