Joshua 7 24

Joshua 7:24 kjv

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.

Joshua 7:24 nkjv

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.

Joshua 7:24 niv

Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold bar, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor.

Joshua 7:24 esv

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 Valley of Achor.

Joshua 7:24 nlt

Then Joshua and all the Israelites took Achan, the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, daughters, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, tent, and everything he had, and they brought them to the valley of Achor.

Joshua 7 verses

Joshua 7 24 Meaning

Joshua chapter 7 verse 24 describes the comprehensive judgment executed by Joshua and the entire community of Israel against Achan, his entire household, and all his possessions in response to his transgression against the Lord's command concerning the devoted things from Jericho. This act marked the removal of the defilement and "trouble" that Achan had brought upon Israel, allowing God's favor to be restored to the camp.

Joshua 7 24 Context

Joshua chapter 7 details the aftermath of Israel's first defeat since crossing the Jordan, which occurred at Ai. This defeat directly followed the miraculous victory at Jericho, where God had commanded that all spoils, except certain items consecrated for the treasury, be "devoted" (Hebrew: cherem) to Him and utterly destroyed or consecrated, specifically forbidding personal gain. Achan, from the tribe of Judah, violated this divine injunction by taking a valuable Babylonian cloak, silver, and a bar of gold, secretly burying them in his tent. His sin brought God's "burning anger" upon the entire community of Israel, causing their weakness and defeat.

When Israel inquired of the Lord, God revealed the presence of the cherem within the camp. The sin was communalized by God because it was an act of rebellion against the covenant by one member, causing defilement to the whole body. Achan was identified by lot, confessed his sin, and revealed the hidden items. Joshua 7:24 records the execution of the divine judgment, which was carried out publicly by Joshua and all of Israel. This event marked the cleansing of the camp and the restoration of God's presence and favor with His people, signifying that disobedience and defilement could not be tolerated within a holy nation. The judgment ensured that the nation understood the absolute seriousness of obedience to God's commands, especially concerning holy things.

Joshua 7 24 Word analysis

• Then Joshua: "Joshua" (יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, Yehoshua) means "The Lord is salvation" or "The Lord saves." Here, Joshua acts as God's instrument for judgment, emphasizing his role as the leader entrusted with upholding God's covenant and purifying the nation. His direct involvement underscores the official and authoritative nature of the execution.
• and all Israel with him: This highlights the communal aspect of the judgment. "All Israel" implies not just a few officials, but the active participation or at least witnessed affirmation of the entire community. This corporate action signifies shared responsibility and the purification of the whole congregation, ensuring no lingering defilement or complicity. It underscores the severity of corporate sin and the need for communal action to restore purity before God.
• took Achan: "Took" (לָקַח, laqakh) signifies an authoritative apprehension or seizure, indicating that Achan was under arrest or command for the ensuing judgment. This was not a chaotic mob action, but a structured, public, and deliberate act of covenant enforcement.
• the son of Zerah: Naming his father situates Achan within his tribal and family lineage. While Zerah's lineage was honorable (1 Chr 2:4), Achan brought disgrace to it, fulfilling the warning that his sin would trouble his entire household.
• and the silver, and the mantle, and the bar of gold: These are the specific "devoted things" (cherem, חֵרֶם) Achan had stolen. The list emphasizes the completeness of their recovery for destruction, symbolizing the eradication of the unlawful possession and the taint it brought. The "mantle of Shinar" (Babylonian cloak) was a highly valued garment, highlighting the lure of material wealth and the temptation of forbidden spoils.
• and his sons, and his daughters: This is the most challenging aspect of the verse. In ancient Near Eastern culture, the head of the household represented the entire family, and they were often seen as an extension of the father's identity, benefiting from his actions (good or bad) and sometimes sharing in the consequences of grave sin. Explanations for their inclusion include: (a) potential complicity or knowledge of Achan's actions (e.g., helping to hide the items or benefiting from them); (b) the severity of the sin (breach of cherem) which invoked unique, severe divine judgment, perhaps extending to immediate progeny to utterly remove the corrupting influence from Israel; (c) a representation of corporate solidarity, where a single family's offense could impact the national covenant; (d) a powerful deterrent, signaling that such an offense would incur catastrophic familial consequences, a vital lesson for a nascent nation dependent on absolute obedience. This type of judgment, while stark, serves to underscore God's absolute holiness and the sacredness of His commands in the new covenant relationship with Israel.
• and his oxen, and his donkeys, and his sheep, and his tents, and all that he had: This extensive list details all his personal property, demonstrating the thoroughness of the judgment. Everything associated with Achan and his sin, which represented the proceeds or extensions of his life lived in sin, was brought to destruction. This "annihilation" (comparable to cherem on persons/things in a limited, judicial sense) signifies a complete purification of the community, removing every trace of the accursed thing and its fruits. His entire existence and lineage, as known through property, was eradicated from Israel as a demonstration of God's covenant holiness.
• and they brought them up to the Valley of Achor: "Brought them up" (וַיַּעֲלוּ, vayya'alu) indicates a formal procession or ascent to the designated place of execution. The "Valley of Achor" (עֵמֶק עָכוֹר, Emeq Akor) literally means "Valley of Trouble." It's a significant wordplay on Achan's name (Akan, עָכָן, sharing root letters). This specific location served as a perpetual reminder of Achan's sin, the trouble he brought, and the severe consequences of disobedience. Ironically, later prophecies (Hos 2:15, Isa 65:10) transform this valley of trouble into a future "door of hope" or "resting place," symbolizing divine grace that can transform judgment into restoration.

Words-group analysis

• Joshua, and all Israel with him: Emphasizes the dual nature of leadership and communal responsibility. Joshua directs, but all Israel executes, highlighting the unity required in maintaining God's covenant holiness. The cleansing was a collective effort for the collective good.
• Achan...and the silver, and the mantle, and the bar of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his donkeys, and his sheep, and his tents, and all that he had: This comprehensive listing demonstrates the totality of the judgment. It's not just Achan, but everything directly and indirectly associated with him and his sin, down to the last tent pole and animal. This complete removal signifies that no trace of the cherem sin and its associated defilement would remain within the camp of God's people.
• brought them up to the Valley of Achor: This phrase denotes the official and solemn execution of judgment in a specific, symbolic location. The naming of the valley solidifies Achan's legacy as "troubler" and provides a perpetual mnemonic of God's unyielding standard of holiness and justice in response to covenant infidelity.

Joshua 7 24 Bonus section

The case of Achan is crucial for understanding the concept of cherem (devotion to destruction or dedication) in the Old Testament. What Achan took was under cherem (devoted to God for utter destruction or consecrated for temple use). By taking these items, he defiled not only himself but effectively made the entire nation subject to cherem. God's response was therefore to apply the consequences of cherem to Achan and all that pertained to him, cleansing the "infection" from the covenant community.

The Valley of Achor, initially a place of immense sorrow and judgment, surprisingly appears in later prophecies as a symbol of hope and restoration (Hos 2:15, Isa 65:10). This transformation illustrates God's ability to redeem even the places marked by His judgment, promising that what was once a site of trouble can become a "door of hope" or a place of "rest," showcasing His ultimate mercy and redemptive power over human failure. This suggests that even severe judgments are ultimately for purification, leading to a path of future blessings.

Joshua 7 24 Commentary

Joshua 7:24 presents the dire consequence of Achan's covetousness and disobedience in taking devoted things, a sin that compromised Israel's standing with God and led to their defeat. This verse is not merely a record of execution; it's a profound statement on divine holiness, corporate responsibility, and the absolute necessity of obedience to God's specific commands, particularly concerning consecrated items (cherem). The comprehensive nature of the judgment – encompassing Achan, his family, and all his possessions – underscores the seriousness of his sin in a covenant context. It served as a powerful object lesson for Israel, establishing a non-negotiable precedent that sin within the community would be dealt with swiftly and completely to preserve the purity and favor of the nation with God. While the inclusion of Achan's family might seem harsh from a purely individualistic modern perspective, it highlights the ancient concept of corporate identity, potential complicity of the family, and God's sovereign right to remove the "leaven" of sin from the whole camp to prevent wider spiritual corruption.