Joshua 7:1

Achan Sins and is Punished

7:1 But the Israelites disobeyed the command about the city’s riches. ¹  Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, ²  son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, stole some of the riches. ³  The Lord was furious with the Israelites. ⁴ 

Joshua 7:5

7:5 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 ⁵  and defeated them on the steep slope. ⁶  The people’s ⁷  courage melted away like water. ⁸ 

Joshua 7:13

7:13 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, ⁹  O Israel! You will not be able to stand before your enemies until you remove what is contaminating you.” ¹⁰ 

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¹ tn Heb “But the sons of Israel were unfaithful with unfaithfulness concerning what was set apart [to the Lord].”

² 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).

³ tn Heb “took from what was set apart [to the Lord].”

⁴ 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.

⁵ 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”).

⁶ sn The precise geographical location of the Israelite defeat at this “steep slope” is uncertain.

⁷ tn Or “army’s.”

⁸ tn Heb “and the heart of the people melted and became water.”

⁹ tn Heb “what is set apart [to destruction by the Lord] [is] in your midst.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “remove what is set apart [i.e., to destruction by the Lord] from your midst.”