Joshua 7:16-26
Trouble in the Camp
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16So Joshua arose early the next morning and had Israel come forward tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was selected.
17He had the clans of Judah come forward, and the clan of the Zerahites was selected. He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward, and the family of Zabdi was selected.
18And he had the family of Zabdi come forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was selected.
19So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and make a confession to Him. I urge you to tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”
20“It is true,” Achan replied, “I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I did:
21When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Shinar, two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
22So Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent, and there it all was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath.
23They took the things from inside the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites, and spread them out before the LORD.
24Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the cloak, the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his oxen and donkeys and sheep, his tent, and everything else he owned, and brought them to the Valley of Achor.
25“Why have you brought this trouble upon us?” said Joshua. “Today the LORD will bring trouble upon you!” And all Israel stoned him to death. Then they stoned the others and burned their bodies.
26And they heaped over Achan a large pile of rocks that remains to this day. So the LORD turned from His burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor to this day.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Early the next morning Joshua brings Israel forward as commanded. The selection narrows from Judah to the Zerahite clan, then Zabdi's family, and finally Achan. Joshua urges him to give glory to the LORD by telling the truth.
Achan confesses that he saw a beautiful cloak from Shinar, two hundred shekels of silver, and a gold bar weighing fifty shekels. He coveted them, took them, and buried them in the ground inside his tent. The silver was underneath the other goods. Messengers find everything where he said and spread it out before the LORD.
Joshua and Israel take Achan, his sons and daughters, the stolen goods, his animals, his tent, and his other possessions to the Valley of Achor. Israel stones Achan and the others and burns their bodies. The text does not explain what his children knew or did; we should not invent an account of their guilt to make the judgment easier to read.
A large pile of rocks remains over Achan, and the LORD turns from His burning anger. The valley's name recalls the trouble Achan brought on Israel. His confession has exposed the truth, but it does not cancel the consequences described here.
Questions
1 How does Joshua narrow the search for the guilty person?
AnswerHe moves from tribe to clan, household, and individual, following the LORD's revealed identification rather than acting on rumor.
2 What does Achan confess that he saw and took?
AnswerHe saw a cloak, silver, and gold, coveted and took them, and buried them in the ground inside his tent.
3 Where are the stolen objects found?
AnswerThey are found buried in Achan's tent, with the silver beneath the other objects just as he described.
4 Why is the place called the Valley of Achor?
AnswerIt is named for the trouble Achan brought upon Israel through his hidden theft and covenant disobedience.
What This Means for Us
Achan describes a recognizable path: he saw, coveted, took, and hid. Desire became theft, and secrecy could not keep its harm contained.
Speak honestly about what you have done before concealment deepens the damage. Return what belongs to someone else and accept responsibility for repair. This ancient judgment is not a punishment for families to reproduce, and the passage gives us no permission to presume guilt in someone's children. Let it make us serious about our own honesty.
Prayer
God of truth, make us honest about the desires that can lead us into wrongdoing. Give our household wise boundaries, careful leaders, sincere confession, and a willingness to repair the harm we cause. Amen.
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