Joshua 7 26

Joshua 7:26 kjv

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.

Joshua 7:26 nkjv

Then they raised over him a great heap of stones, still there to this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Achor to this day.

Joshua 7:26 niv

Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.

Joshua 7:26 esv

And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor.

Joshua 7:26 nlt

They piled a great heap of stones over Achan, which remains to this day. That is why the place has been called the Valley of Trouble ever since. So the LORD was no longer angry.

Joshua 7 verses

Joshua 7 26 Meaning

Joshua 7:26 marks the resolution of God's wrath against Israel after Achan's sin of violating the herem (devoted things). By executing Achan and his household, and piling stones over them as a permanent memorial and warning, Israel removed the "trouble" (Achor) from their midst. Consequently, the Lord's fierce anger turned away, and the place was named the Valley of Achor to forever remember this severe lesson about corporate responsibility, the sanctity of God's commands, and the consequences of disobedience, ultimately leading to renewed divine favor.

Joshua 7 26 Context

Joshua chapter 7 records the consequences of Israel's defeat at Ai, following their miraculous victory at Jericho. God had explicitly commanded Israel not to take any spoils from Jericho, as everything within the city was "devoted" (herem) to destruction, belonging solely to the Lord. Achan, from the tribe of Judah, secretly disobeyed this command, taking forbidden gold, silver, and a costly garment, and burying them in his tent. His sin brought corporate guilt and defilement upon all Israel, causing God's "fierce anger" to burn against them, leading to their humiliating defeat at Ai where 36 Israelite men died. Through a divine oracle and the casting of lots, Achan's sin was exposed. Verse 26, therefore, details the final act of purification for the community: Achan's execution, the disposal of his spoils, and the raising of a permanent marker over his burial site. This act purged the corporate sin and allowed God's presence and blessing to return to Israel, enabling them to resume their conquest. The naming of the place as the Valley of Achor (Trouble) forever commemorates this event, highlighting the severity of violating God's commands and the concept of corporate responsibility in the covenant community.

Joshua 7 26 Word analysis

• So they raised over him:

  • "They" (וַיָּקִימוּ, vayyaqimu): Refers to "all Israel" (v. 25). This signifies communal participation and corporate responsibility in administering justice. The entire community was defiled by Achan's sin and now collectively cleanses itself by participating in the punishment.
  • "raised" (vayyaqimu from קוּם, qum): Implies setting something up, establishing. Here, establishing a memorial or witness.
  • "over him": Signifies a burial, but also a covering or overwhelming, emphasizing the severity of the judgment that fell upon Achan and all his possessions.

• a great heap of stones:

  • "a great" (גָּדוֹל, gadol): Emphasizes the significance and lasting impression of the monument, befitting the severity of the crime and its consequences.
  • "heap of stones" (גַּל אֲבָנִים, gal avanim): A cairn. In the Ancient Near East, stone heaps served multiple purposes: a memorial of a covenant (Gen 31:46), a boundary marker, a monument of victory (Josh 8:29), or a burial site for those who died under a curse or divine judgment (Josh 8:29, 10:27; 2 Sam 18:17). Here, it serves as a perpetual monument to Achan's shame and the terrible consequence of sacrilege, as well as a warning. It symbolically crushes the memory of his act and ensures no proper burial/remembrance for one cursed.

• that remains to this day:

  • (עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה, ‘ad hayyom hazzeh): A common phrase in Joshua and other historical books (e.g., Jos 4:9; 9:27). It functions as an authorial or editor's note, authenticating the narrative by pointing to a visible, existing monument in their contemporary time. It confirms the historicity and lasting impact of the event. It stresses that the lessons of divine justice endure.

• And the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger:

  • "the Lord" (יְהוָה, YHWH): God's personal covenant name. It underscores that His anger was righteous and covenantal, specifically against the violation of His holiness.
  • "turned from" (וַיָּשָׁב, vayyashav from שׁוּב, shuv): Signifies a change in divine disposition, but only after His righteous justice has been fully administered. It implies relief and restoration.
  • "the fierceness of his anger" (מֵחֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ, mecharon appo): This idiom signifies a "burning nose" or intense, passionate wrath. God's anger here is a holy, uncompromised reaction to sin that desecrates His sacred commands and imperils His covenant people. Its turning away signals a return to favor and enablement for Israel to fulfill their divine mission.

• Therefore to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor:

  • "Therefore" (עַל כֵּן, 'al ken): Connects the cause (Achan's sin, the ensuing trouble, and the subsequent punishment) with the effect (the naming of the place).
  • "the Valley of Achor" (גֵּיא עָכוֹר, Gei' Akor): "Achor" (עָכוֹר, Akor) comes from the root עָכַר (akar), meaning "to trouble," "disturb," "make a calamity." There's a strong wordplay (paronomasia) with Achan's name (עָכָן, Achan). Achan troubled Israel (v. 25), so the place where he was punished became the "Valley of Trouble." This permanent name serves as a vivid, etymological reminder of the high cost of disobedience and sin's troubling nature, but later, in prophetic texts (Isa 65:10, Hos 2:15), it is remarkably reinterpreted as a "door of hope" – showing God's ultimate ability to transform past judgment into future blessing.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "So they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day.": This phrase establishes the permanence of the judgment. The community's act serves as an everlasting testament, demonstrating that disobedience to God's herem command has severe, memorable, and visible consequences. It underscores that corporate punishment for corporate sin often leaves indelible marks.
  • "And the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger.": This marks the pivotal theological turning point of the chapter. It highlights the purpose of the judgment – not merely punishment, but purification leading to reconciliation and restoration of God's favor. Without this purification, God's active opposition to Israel's endeavors would continue. It demonstrates God's holiness requires judgment for sin, but He also mercifully relents once justice is done.
  • "Therefore to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor.": This entire clause is a summary conclusion. The renaming is a lasting linguistic and geographical reminder. The naming ensures that the event and its critical lessons regarding the impact of sin on the community and God's holy requirements are not forgotten but perpetually passed down through generations.

Joshua 7 26 Bonus section

The Hebrew wordplay between Achan (עָכָן, Achan) and Achor (עָכוֹר, Akor) is a deliberate literary device, reinforcing the meaning: "Achan troubled Israel, so he was judged in the Valley of Trouble." This vivid etymology ensures the event's lesson is never lost on subsequent generations hearing the name of the place. Furthermore, the severity of the herem and the swift, absolute judgment upon Achan underscore God's unwavering holiness and His demand for total obedience, especially as Israel embarked on establishing His kingdom in the promised land. Any breach of covenant directly threatened their identity and mission as His chosen people. The public nature of the execution and stone piling ensured maximum impact as a deterrent and a visible declaration that God's justice would be satisfied. This also served as a warning against assimilation into pagan practices, common among surrounding nations, where items taken from battle were seen as spoils for individual gain, rather than belonging exclusively to a holy God.

Joshua 7 26 Commentary

Joshua 7:26 culminates the dark narrative of Achan's sin and its ramifications for Israel. The stone heap raised over Achan's executed body and family signifies more than just a burial site; it is a permanent testament to divine judgment against sacrilege. In the Hebrew mindset, such a burial under a pile of stones underscored the removal of one deemed accursed, isolating them even in death. The phrase "to this day" functions as an ancient historical marker, emphasizing the enduring reality and memory of this event for the original audience.

The core theological statement of this verse is "the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger." This underscores that divine wrath is not capricious but a holy reaction to sin, specifically the violation of His covenant. Achan's sin of covetousness and theft against the herem was not a private matter but affected the entire nation, breaking their covenant with God and provoking His active opposition (demonstrated by the defeat at Ai). Only after the "trouble" (Achor) was excised through public judgment did God's disposition toward Israel return to favor, allowing them to proceed with the conquest. This powerfully teaches that corporate sin requires corporate repentance and purification for blessings to flow.

While seemingly a somber conclusion, the very name "Valley of Achor" undergoes a profound theological transformation in later prophetic literature (Isa 65:10, Hos 2:15). What began as a valley of "trouble" and judgment becomes a "door of hope," pointing to a future era of spiritual renewal and restoration for God's people. This shift highlights God's redemptive power, capable of turning even sites of judgment into places of future blessing, particularly through the promised Messiah who brings ultimate purification and opens the true door of hope.

Examples for practical usage:

• Understanding that personal sin often has ripple effects that trouble families or communities.
• Recognizing that dealing decisively with sin (repentance, confession, restitution) is necessary for restoration of blessing and favor.
• Seeing how God can transform places of past trouble and judgment into future hope through His grace.