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Joshua Chapter
Seven
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 7
For
the trespass of Achan the children of Israel were smitten and put to flight by
the men of Ai, Joshua 7:1; which
gave him and the elders of the people great concern, both for Israel and for
the name of the Lord, which was expressed by Joshua in prayer to God, Joshua 7:6; when
the Lord informed him of the reason of it, and gave him directions for finding
out the guilty person, and for the punishment of him, Joshua 7:10; which
directions Joshua followed, and the person was found out, who being urged to a
confession made one, Joshua 7:16; upon
which he and all he had, with the things he had taken, were burnt with fire, Joshua 7:22.
Joshua 7:1 But
the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for
Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi,[a] the son of
Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the Lord burned against
the children of Israel.
YLT 1And the sons of Israel
commit a trespass in the devoted thing, and Achan, son of Carmi, son of Zabdi,
son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, taketh of the devoted thing, and the anger
of Jehovah burneth against the sons of Israel.
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 Joshua 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, Genesis 38:30,
and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of
Israel; because of the sin of Achan.
Joshua 7:2 2 Now Joshua sent men from
Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel,
and spoke to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the country.” So the men went up
and spied out Ai.
YLT
2And Joshua sendeth men from
Jericho to Ai, which [is] near Beth-Aven, on the east of Bethel, and speaketh
unto them, saying, `Go up and spy the land;' and the men go up and spy Ai,
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 sayF12Shemoth Rabba, sect. 32. fol. 185. 2. , three miles
distant from it; Abarbinel saysF13In Josh. xx. fol. 34. 1. four
miles, and so BuntingF14Travels Of the Patriarchs, &c. p. 95. ;
JeromF15De loc. Heb. fol. 87. E. 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, Hosea 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, Genesis 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, Jeremiah 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 upon a hill, or at least was higher than
Jericho and its plains; and with this agrees what a traveller saysF16Baumgarten.
Peregrinatio, l. 3. c. 1. p. 105. 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.
Joshua 7:3 3 And they returned to
Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or
three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for the
people of Ai are few.”
YLT
3and they turn back unto
Joshua, and say unto him, `Let not all the people go up; let about two thousand
men, or about three thousand men, go up, and they smite Ai; cause not all the
people to labour thither; for they [are] few.'
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; Joshua 8:25.
Joshua 7:4 4 So about three thousand
men went up there from the people, but they fled before the men of Ai.
YLT
4And there go up of the
people thither about three thousand men, and they flee before the men of Ai,
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 Joshua 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.
Joshua 7:5 5 And the men of Ai struck
down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as
far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore the hearts of
the people melted and became like water.
YLT
5and the men of Ai smite of
them about thirty and six men, and pursue them before the gate unto Shebarim,
and they smite them in Morad; and the heart of the people is melted, and
becometh water.
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: GussetiusF17Comment.
Ebr. p. 825. 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.
Joshua 7:6 6 Then Joshua tore his
clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until evening,
he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads.
YLT
6And Joshua rendeth his
garments, and falleth on his face to the earth before the ark of Jehovah till
the evening, he and the elders of Israel, and they cause dust to go up on their
head.
And Joshua rent his clothes,.... As was usual in
those ancient times, on hearing bad news, and as expressive of grief and
troubleF18"Tum pius", Aeneas, &c. Virgil. Aeneid. l.
5. prope finem. ; see Genesis 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 HomerF19 αμφοτερησι
τε χερσιν, &c. Iliad. 18. ver. 23. Vid. Odyss. 24.
"Sparsitque cinis", &c. Seneca, Troad. Act. 1. Chorus. taking
with both his hands the black earth, and pouring it on his head; so Aristippus
among the Athenians is saidF20Heliodor. Aethiop. l. 1. c. 13. to
sprinkle dust on his head in token of mourning on a certain account.
Joshua 7:7 7 And Joshua said, “Alas,
Lord God,
why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all—to deliver us into the
hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on
the other side of the Jordan!
YLT
7And Joshua saith, `Ah, Lord
Jehovah, why hast Thou at all caused this people to pass over the Jordan, to
give us into the hand of the Amorite to destroy us? -- and oh that we had been
willing -- and we dwell beyond the Jordan!
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.
Joshua 7:8 8 O Lord, what shall I say
when Israel turns its back before its enemies?
YLT
8Oh, Lord, what do I say,
after that Israel hath turned the neck before its enemies?
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.
Joshua 7:9 9 For the Canaanites and all
the inhabitants of the land will hear it, and surround us, and cut off
our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?”
YLT
9and the Canaanite and all
the inhabitants of the land do hear, and have come round against us, and cut
off our name out of the earth; and what dost Thou do for Thy great name?'
For the Canaanites,.... Those that dwell on the east and on the
west of the land, see Joshua 11:3; who
were one of the seven nations:
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 Psalm 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.
Joshua 7:10 10 So the Lord said to
Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face?
YLT
10And Jehovah saith unto
Joshua, `Rise for thee, why [is] this? -- thou [art] falling on thy face?
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.
Joshua 7:11 11 Israel has sinned, and
they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have
even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and
they have also put it among their own stuff.
YLT
11Israel hath sinned, and
also they have transgressed My covenant which I commanded them, and also taken
of the devoted thing, and also stolen, and also deceived, and also put [it]
among their vessels,
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, Exodus 24:7; but it
particularly means the command given, Joshua 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"F21כחשו "mentiti sunt", Pagninus, Junius &
Tremellius, Piscator. ; 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:
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"F23בכליהם
"in vasis suis", Montanus. , for their own use and service.
Joshua 7:12 12 Therefore the children of
Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their
backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction.
Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among
you.
YLT
12and the sons of Israel have
not been able to stand before their enemies; the neck they turn before their
enemies, for they have become a devoted thing; I add not to be with you -- if
ye destroy not the devoted thing out of your midst.
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 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; Joshua 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.
Joshua 7:13 13 Get up, sanctify the
people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says the Lord God of Israel:
“There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand
before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you.”
YLT
13`Rise, sanctify the people,
and thou hast said, Sanctify yourselves for to-morrow; for thus said Jehovah,
God of Israel, A devoted thing [is] in thy midst, O Israel, thou art not able
to stand before thine enemies till your turning aside of the devoted thing out
of your midst;
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.
Joshua 7:14 14 In the morning therefore
you shall be brought according to your tribes. And it shall be that the
tribe which the Lord
takes shall come according to families; and the family which the Lord takes shall
come by households; and the household which the Lord takes shall
come man by man.
YLT
14and ye have been brought
near in the morning by your tribes, and it hath been, the tribe which Jehovah
doth capture doth draw near by families, and the family which Jehovah doth
capture doth draw near by households, and the household which Jehovah doth capture
doth draw near by men;
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 lotsF24Pirke Eliezer,
c. 38. Samaritan. Chronic. apud Hottinger. Smegma. Oriental. l. 1. c. 8. p.
505. Jarchi in loc. ; so JosephusF25Antiqu. l. 5. c. 1. sect. 10.
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, Proverbs 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.
Joshua 7:15 15 Then it shall be that
he who is taken with the accursed thing 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 a disgraceful thing in Israel.’”
YLT
15and it hath been, he who is
captured with the devoted thing is burnt with fire, he and all that he hath,
because he hath transgressed the covenant of Jehovah, and because he hath done
folly in Israel.'
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, Joshua 6:24,
he and all that he hath; the particulars of which
are enumerated, Joshua 7:24,
because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord; See Gill on Joshua 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, Joshua 7:5, and
therefore justly ought to die himself.
Joshua 7:16 16 So Joshua rose early in
the morning and brought Israel by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was
taken.
YLT
16And Joshua riseth early in
the morning, and bringeth Israel near by its tribes, and the tribe of Judah is
captured;
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.
Joshua 7:17 17 He brought the clan 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.
YLT
17and he bringeth near the
family of Judah, and he captureth the family of the Zarhite; and he bringeth
near the family of the Zarhite by men, and Zabdi is captured;
And he brought the family of Judah,.... That is, the tribe
of Judah, as Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret it,F26So R. Sol. Ohel
Moed, fol. 94. 2. ; 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.
Joshua 7:18 18 Then 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.
YLT
18and he bringeth near his
household by men, and Achan -- son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the
tribe of Judah -- is captured.
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.
Joshua 7:19 19 Now Joshua said to Achan,
“My son, I beg you, give glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make
confession to Him, and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it
from me.”
YLT
19And Joshua saith unto
Achan, `My son, put, I pray thee, honour on Jehovah, God of Israel, and give to
Him thanks, and declare, I pray thee, to me, what thou hast done -- hide not
from me.'
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 MisnahF1Sanhedrin,
c. 6. sect. 2. , whoever confesses has a part in the world to come, for so we
find concerning Achan, Joshua 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
MaimonidesF2Pirush in ib. & Hilchot Sanhedrin, c. 18. sect. 6. ,
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.
Joshua 7:20 20 And Achan answered Joshua
and said, “Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel,
and this is what I have done:
YLT
20And Achan answereth Joshua,
and saith, `Truly I have sinned against Jehovah, God of Israel, and thus and
thus I have done;
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:
and thus and thus have I done; such and such things
have I taken, and in the manner as follows.
Joshua 7:21 21 When I saw among the
spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a
wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there
they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under
it.”
YLT
21and I see among the spoil a
goodly robe of Shinar, and two hundred shekels of silver, and one wedge of
gold, whose weight [is] fifty shekels, and I desire them, and take them; and
lo, they [are] hid in the earth, in the midst of my tent, and the silver under
it.'
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 saysF3Nat. Hist. l. 8.
c. 48. Babylon was famous for garments interwoven with pictures of divers
colours, and which gave name to them; and PlutarchF4In Vita Catonis.
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
writingsF5Bereshit Rabba, sect. 85. fol. 75. 2. it is interpreted, a
garment of Babylonian purple, as if it only respected the colour; and purple
and scarlet are sometimes promiscuously used and put for the same, see Matthew 27:28; and
were the colour worn by kings: and Josephus here calls it a royal garment,
wholly interwoven with goldF6Ut supra. (Nat. Hist. l. 8. c. 48.) ;
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 saidF7Bereshit
Rabba, ib. 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"F8לשון זהב "linguam auream", Montanus, Tigurine version,
Masius; "lingulam auream", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. ; 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 BrererwoodF9De Ponder. &.
Pret. Vet. Num. c. 5. : 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 saidF11Pirke Eliezer, ut supra. (c. 38.) , 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 ChronicleF12Apud Hottinger, ut supra.
(Smegm. Oriental. l. 1. c. 8. p. 505.) 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 poetF13Naevius apud A. Cell. Noct.
Attic. l. 10. c. 25. 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; JosephusF14Ut supra. (Nat. Hist. l. 8. c. 48.) 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 Joshua 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.
Joshua 7:22 22 So Joshua sent messengers,
and they ran to the tent; and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver
under it.
YLT
22And Joshua sendeth
messengers, and they run unto the tent, and lo, it is hidden in his tent, and
the silver under it;
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.
Joshua 7:23 23 And they took them from
the midst of the tent, brought them to Joshua and to all the children of
Israel, and laid them out before the Lord.
YLT
23and they take them out of
the midst of the tent, and bring them in unto Joshua, and unto all the sons of
Israel, and pour them out before Jehovah.
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"F15ויצקם "fundentes",
Munster; "fuderunt", Piscator. ; 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.
Joshua 7:24 24 Then Joshua, and all Israel
with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the garment, the wedge of
gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and
all that he had, and they brought them to the Valley of Achor.
YLT
24And Joshua taketh Achan son
of Zerah, and the silver, and the robe, and the wedge of gold, and his sons,
and his daughters, and his ox, and his ass, and his flock, and his tent, and
all that he hath, and all Israel with him, and they cause them to go up the
valley of Achor.
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 itF16Pirke
Eliezer, ut supra (c. 38.) Kimchi in loc. ; and it seems by what is said, Joshua 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 Joshua 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"F17יעלו "ascendere
fecerunt", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius, Vatablus. ; 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 Hosea 2:15.
Joshua 7:25 25 And Joshua said, “Why have
you troubled us? The Lord
will trouble you this day.” So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they
burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.
YLT
25And Joshua saith, `What!
thou hast troubled us! -- Jehovah doth trouble thee this day;' and all Israel
cast stones at him, and they burn them with fire, and they stone them with
stones,
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 MisnahF18Sanhedrin
ut supra. (Hilchot Sanhedrin, c. 18. sect. 6.) 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, Joshua 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.
Joshua 7:26 26 Then they raised over him
a great heap of stones, still there to this day. So the Lord turned from
the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called
the Valley of Achor[b] to this
day.
YLT
26and they raise up over him
a great heap of stones unto this day, and Jehovah turneth back from the heat of
His anger, therefore hath [one] called the name of that place `Valley of Achor'
till this day.
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 HeathensF19Vid.
Pausan. Arcadica, sive, l. 8. p. 477. & Phocica, sive, l. 10. p. 616, 617.
also as well as with the Jews, see Joshua 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 Joshua 7:24; and so
it was called in the days of Isaiah and Hosea, Isaiah 65:10; and
where it is prophesied of as what should be in time to come: according to BuntingF20Travels
of the Patriarchs, &c. p. 98. , it was twelve miles from Jerusalem; JeromF21De
loc. Heb. fol. 88. B. says it was at the north of Jericho, but LamyF23Apparat.
Geograph. p. 61. , following Bonfrerius, places it to the south; see Joshua 15:7.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)