Bible Commentaries

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Joshua 7

Clinging to a Counterfeit Cross
Introduction

1  The Israelites are smitten at Ai.
6  Joshua's complaint.
10  God instructs him what to do.
16  Achan is taken by the lot.
19  His confession.
24  He and all he had are destroyed in the valley of Achor.
Verse 1

But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.
committed
20,21, 22:16, 2 Chronicles 24:18, Ezra 9:6, Daniel 9:7
for Achan
22:20, 1 Chronicles 2:6,7
Achar, Zimri
took.
6:17,18
the anger
22:18, 2 Samuel 24:1, 1 Chronicles 21:7, Ecclesiastes 9:18, Jonah 1:7, 1 Corinthians 5:1-6, Hebrews 12:15,16
Verse 2

And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.
to Ai
12:9, Genesis 12:8
Hai
Nehemiah 11:31
Aija
Beth-aven.
18:12, Genesis 28:19, Hosea 4:15
Go up
2:1, Proverbs 20:18, 24:6, Matthew 10:16, Ephesians 5:15
Verse 3

And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.
about two
Heb. about 2,000 men, or about 3,000 men. labour.
Proverbs 13:4, 21:25, Luke 13:24, Hebrews 4:11, 6:11,12, 2 Peter 1:5,10
Verse 4

So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.
fled
Leviticus 26:17, Deuteronomy 28:25, 32:30, Isaiah 30:17, 59:2
Verse 5

And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.
for they
Deuteronomy 1:44
the going down
or, Morad. wherefore.
2:9,11, 5:1, Leviticus 26:36, Psalms 22:14, Isaiah 13:7
Verse 6

And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.
rent
Genesis 37:29,34, Numbers 14:6, 2 Samuel 13:31, Ezra 9:3-5, Esther 4:1, Job 1:20, Acts 14:14
fell
Numbers 16:22,45, 2 Samuel 12:16
until the eventide
Judges 20:23,26, 21:2, 2 Samuel 1:12
put dust
Rending the clothes, beating the breast, tearing the hair, throwing dust upon the head, and falling prostrate, were usual signs of deep affliction and distress among the ancient Israelites. In illustration of this custom, see 1 Sa 4:12, when the messenger brought tidings to Eli of the discomfiture of the armies of Israel by the Philistines; again, in the case of Tamar, 2 Sa 13:19, and in Ne 9:1, when a whole nation, "assembled with fasting, and with sackcloth, and earth upon them." See also the case of Mordecai, Es 4:1, and Job 2:12, where his friends abased themselves to comfort him; refer also to Eze 27:30. Jon 3:6. Mic 1:10. In each of these instances it is worthy of remark, that putting dust on the head generally follows rending of the clothes, and was the usual mode of evincing poignant sorrow.
Verse 7

And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!
wherefore
Exodus 5:22,23, Numbers 14:3, 2 Kings 3:10, Psalms 116:11, Jeremiah 12:1,2, Hebrews 12:5
to deliver
Exodus 14:11,12, 17:3, Numbers 20:4,5, Matthew 17:17,20, Mark 8:17,18
would to
Exodus 16:3
and dwelt
1:2-4
Verse 8

O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies!
what shall
Ezra 9:10, Habakkuk 2:1, Romans 3:5,6
back
Heb. necks.
Verse 9

For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?
shall hear
Exodus 32:12, Numbers 14:13
environ
Psalms 83:4, 124:2,3
what wilt thou
Deuteronomy 32:26,27, Psalms 106:6-8, Ezekiel 20:9, 36:22,23, Joel 2:17, John 12:28
Verse 10

And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?
wherefore
Exodus 14:15, 1 Samuel 15:22, 16:1, 1 Chronicles 22:16
liest
Heb. fallest.
Verse 11

Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.
Israel
1,20,21
transgressed
23:16, Deuteronomy 17:2, Judges 2:20, 2 Kings 18:12, Isaiah 24:5, 50:1,2, Jeremiah 31:32, Hosea 6:7
the accursed
21, 6:17-19
stolen
Malachi 3:8,9, Matthew 22:21
dissembled
2 Kings 5:25,26, John 12:5,6, Acts 5:1,2,9, Hebrews 4:13
among
Leviticus 5:15, Habakkuk 2:6, Zechariah 5:4
Verse 12

Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.
the children
22:18-20, Numbers 14:45, Judges 2:4, Psalms 5:4,5, Proverbs 28:1, Isaiah 59:2, Habakkuk 1:13
they were
6:18, Deuteronomy 7:26, Haggai 2:13,14
neither
Jeremiah 6:8, 23:33, Hosea 9:12
Verse 13

Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.
sanctify
3:5, Exodus 19:10-15, Lamentations 3:40,41, Joel 2:16,17, Zephaniah 2:1,2
an accursed
11, 2 Chronicles 28:10, Matthew 7:5
take away
1 Corinthians 5:1-6,11-13
Verse 14

In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the LORD taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the LORD shall take shall come by households; and the household which the LORD shall take shall come man by man.
the tribe
17,18, 1 Samuel 10:19-21, 14:38-42, Proverbs 16:33, Jonah 1:7, Acts 1:24-26
Verse 15

And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.
he that is
25,26, Deuteronomy 13:15,16, 1 Samuel 14:38,39
he hath
wrought
Genesis 34:7, Judges 20:6, 1 Samuel 26:21, 2 Samuel 13:13
folly
or, wickedness.
Verse 16

So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken:
rose up
3:1, Genesis 22:3, Psalms 119:60, Ecclesiastes 9:10
and brought
Verse 17

And he brought the family 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:
Genesis 38:30
Zarah
Numbers 26:20, 1 Chronicles 2:4-7
Verse 18

And 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.
was taken
Numbers 32:23, 1 Samuel 14:42, Proverbs 13:21, Jeremiah 2:26, Acts 5:1-10
Verse 19

And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.
My son
2 Timothy 2:25, Titus 2:2, James 1:20, 1 Peter 3:8,9
give
1 Samuel 6:5, Isaiah 13:12, Jeremiah 13:16, Luke 17:18, John 9:24, Revelation 16:9
make
Numbers 5:6,7, 2 Chronicles 30:22, 33:12,13, Ezra 10:10,11, Psalms 32:5, 51:3, Proverbs 28:13, Jeremiah 3:12,13, Daniel 9:4, Romans 10:10, 1 John 1:8-10
tell me
1 Samuel 14:43, Jonah 1:8-10
Verse 20

And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:
Indeed
Genesis 42:21, Exodus 10:16, Numbers 22:34, 1 Samuel 15:24,30, Job 7:20, 33:27, Psalms 38:18, Matthew 27:4
Verse 21

When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.
I saw
Genesis 3:6, 6:2, 2 Samuel 11:2, Job 31:1, Psalms 119:37, Proverbs 23:31, 28:22, Matthew 5:28,29, 1 John 2:15,16
Babylonish garment
Addereth shinâr, "a splendid or costly robe of Shinar," the plain in which Babylon stood. Bochart and Calmet have shewn at large, that Babylonish robes were very splendid, and in high reputation. Calmet says, they are generally allowed to have been of various colours, though some suppose they were woven thus; others, that they were embroidered with the needle; and others, that they were painted. Silius Italicus seems to think they were woven. Martial supposes them to have been embroidered with the needle; and Pliny and Apuleius speak of them as painted.
Genesis 10:10; *marg:
wedge
Heb. tongue. I coveted.
Exodus 20:17, Deuteronomy 7:25, 1 Kings 21:1,2, 2 Kings 5:20-27, Habakkuk 2:9, Luke 12:15, Romans 7:7,8, Ephesians 5:3, Colossians 3:5, 1 Timothy 6:9,10, Hebrews 13:5, 2 Peter 2:15
took them
Proverbs 4:23, Micah 2:1,2, James 1:15
they are hid
2 Samuel 11:6-17, 2 Kings 5:24,25, Isaiah 28:15, 29:15, Luke 12:2
Verse 23

And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD.
laid them out
Heb. poured.
Verse 24

And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor.
took Achan
1, Job 20:15, Proverbs 15:27, Ecclesiastes 5:13, Ezekiel 22:13,14, 1 Timothy 6:9,10
his sons
6:18,21, Genesis 18:25, Exodus 20:5, Numbers 16:27-31, Job 20:23-28
the valley
26, 15:7, Isaiah 65:10, Hosea 2:15
Verse 25

And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.
Why hast
11-13, 6:18, Genesis 34:30, 1 Kings 18:17,18, 1 Chronicles 2:7, Habakkuk 2:6-9, Galatians 5:12, 2 Thessalonians 1:6, Hebrews 12:15
all Israel
Leviticus 20:2, 24:14, Deuteronomy 13:10, 17:5, 21:21, 22:21-24
burned
15, Genesis 38:24, Leviticus 20:14, 21:9
Verse 26

And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.
raised
8:29, 10:27, 2 Samuel 18:17, Lamentations 3:53
So the Lord
Deuteronomy 13:17, 2 Samuel 21:14, Isaiah 40:2, Joel 2:13,18, John 3:9,10, Zechariah 6:8
The valley
24, Isaiah 65:10, Hosea 2:15
Achor
that is, Trouble.

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