Joshua 7 25

Joshua 7:25 kjv

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.

Joshua 7:25 nkjv

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.

Joshua 7:25 niv

Joshua said, "Why have you brought this trouble on us? The LORD will bring trouble on you today." Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them.

Joshua 7:25 esv

And Joshua said, "Why did you bring trouble on us? The LORD brings trouble on you today." And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones.

Joshua 7:25 nlt

Then Joshua said to Achan, "Why have you brought trouble on us? The LORD will now bring trouble on you." And all the Israelites stoned Achan and his family and burned their bodies.

Joshua 7 verses

Joshua 7 25 Meaning

Joshua 7:25 details the execution of Achan for his transgression against God's command regarding the devoted things (cherem) from Jericho. Joshua pronounces Achan as the 'troubler' of Israel, and God, in turn, brings trouble upon Achan. This verse describes the community of Israel carrying out the judgment by stoning Achan and his household, including his possessions, and then burning them, symbolizing a complete purging of sin and restoration of God's favor.

Joshua 7 25 Context

Joshua Chapter 7 recounts the immediate aftermath of Israel's triumphant entry into Canaan and the miraculous capture of Jericho. God had specifically commanded that everything from Jericho be devoted to Him, signifying it as "cherem" – under a ban, completely separated for God, and thus not to be plundered for personal gain. However, Achan, from the tribe of Judah, secretly took some items for himself, defiling Israel. As a direct consequence, Israel suffered a humiliating defeat at the small city of Ai, causing Joshua and the elders to lament before God. God revealed that Israel had sinned and could not stand against its enemies until the "trouble" was removed from their midst. Through a process of elimination, Achan was identified as the culprit. This verse details the severe corporate punishment administered to cleanse Israel and restore God's presence among them, setting a solemn precedent for obedience in the Promised Land.

Joshua 7 25 Word analysis

• And Joshua said, "Why have you troubled us?"

  • And Joshua said: This is not a casual remark but a solemn, official pronouncement from the leader appointed by God, conveying God's judgment.
  • Why have you troubled us?: The Hebrew verb for 'troubled' is עָכַר (akar), creating a powerful wordplay on Achan's name, עָכָן (Achan). Joshua directly links Achan's person and action to the distress Israel endured, affirming that Achan is "the troubler" of Israel, fulfilling the etymology of his own name. The question is rhetorical, serving as both an accusation and a declaration of his guilt.

• "The Lord will trouble you this day."

  • The Lord: Emphasizes that the ensuing judgment is divine in origin, not merely human vengeance. It signifies God's justice and response to Achan's specific act of troubling His covenant community.
  • will trouble you: Uses the same root, עָכַר (akar), establishing a direct reciprocity and justice: Achan troubled Israel, now the Lord troubles Achan. This is the consequence for his grave sin.
  • this day: Indicates the immediacy and certainty of God's judgment; the reckoning is happening now, demonstrating the promptness of divine justice once sin is exposed and unrepented of.

• So all Israel stoned him with stones;

  • So all Israel: Underscores the corporate responsibility and collective participation in carrying out God's judgment. It shows a unified will to purge the evil from their midst, demonstrating their commitment to God's covenant and law. It served as a deterrent and a reaffirmation of their allegiance to God's holiness.
  • stoned him with stones: Stoning was a prescribed method of capital punishment in Israel for severe transgressions, particularly those against the covenant and God's holiness (e.g., idolatry, blasphemy, severe disrespect for divine commands). The redundancy "with stones" emphasizes the manner of execution and its public, physical nature, ensuring death by impact from many individual stones hurled by the community.

• and they burned them with fire,

  • and they burned them with fire: This is an additional layer of punishment, applied after the stoning. Burning often symbolized utter destruction, purging, and the complete removal of contamination or anything under a curse. In this context, it ensures the permanent eradication of the offending element (Achan's body, his household, and stolen goods) from Israel. It also signifies the removal of any lingering defilement from the camp, as the objects involved were cherem. The them refers to Achan's body along with his family members (implied to be executed alongside him or as a direct consequence of his sin's magnitude and their complicity/connection to his sin in ancient corporate legal views) and all his possessions listed in verse 24.

• after they had stoned them with stones.

  • after they had stoned them with stones: This final phrase reiterates the order of events and further emphasizes the thoroughness of the punitive action. First, death by stoning (as the standard punishment), then further disgrace and annihilation by burning (as a mark of exceptional defilement or curse, removing any trace of the 'trouble').

Joshua 7 25 Bonus section

The site of Achan's execution, the Valley of Achor, became a perpetual memorial to this solemn event. Its name, "Valley of Trouble" (from achor meaning trouble), served as a constant reminder of the painful lesson learned regarding the corporate implications of individual sin and God's swift judgment against disobedience. However, surprisingly, later prophetic books envision the Valley of Achor transitioning from a place of trouble and judgment to a "door of hope" (Hos 2:15) and a "resting place for flocks" (Isa 65:10). This powerful theological shift foreshadows a time of spiritual restoration and a transformed covenant relationship, where even places associated with past judgment can become symbols of future blessing and renewal through God's redemptive work.

Regarding the fate of Achan's family, the text states "they burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones," referring to Achan, his sons and daughters, and his possessions (as per Josh 7:24). While Deut 24:16 prohibits putting children to death for their fathers' sins, Achan's case is often understood within the context of specific capital crimes directly related to Israel's covenant with God and its national identity, particularly violations of the cherem. It implies either complicity (that his family shared in the stolen goods or were aware of his sin), or the ancient understanding of corporate responsibility where the household was seen as an extension of the individual, particularly in cases involving sacred crimes that defiled the entire community. It highlights the drastic measures taken to utterly purge sin's effects and re-establish the sanctity of God's covenant with His people.

Joshua 7 25 Commentary

Joshua 7:25 climaxes the severe episode of Achan's sin and its profound repercussions. It showcases the rigorous demands of God's covenant and His unwavering holiness. Achan's sin of violating the cherem principle was not a private matter but a communal transgression, tainting all Israel and inviting divine displeasure, as evidenced by the defeat at Ai. Joshua's pronouncement against Achan as the "troubler" (a poignant wordplay on his name) highlights the direct link between personal disobedience and corporate suffering.

The punishment—stoning followed by burning—was deliberately extreme. Stoning symbolized legal capital punishment, underscoring the severity of the offense against God's direct command and the covenant. Burning served a dual purpose: it ensured utter destruction, leaving no trace of the accursed thing or person, and acted as a cleansing act to remove all contamination from Israel's camp. This thorough judgment purged the "trouble" from the community, demonstrating to all Israelites the non-negotiable nature of obedience and the devastating consequences of defiling God's holy requirements. This act restored God's favor and presence, allowing Israel to once again enjoy His blessings and succeed in their divine mission. The passage underscores that sin, especially against divine covenant, requires a decisive and comprehensive response to preserve the holiness and well-being of God's people.