TRV
Translation
King James Version
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.
Complete Jewish Bible
The person who is caught with things in his possession that were reserved for destruction is to be burned to ashes, he and everything he has, because he has violated the covenant of ADONAI and has committed a shameful deed in Isra'el.'"
Berean Standard Bible
The one who is caught with the things devoted to destruction must be burned, along with all that belongs to him, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD and committed an outrage in Israel.’”
American Standard Version
And it shall be, that he that is taken with the devoted thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath; because he hath transgressed the covenant of Jehovah, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.
World English Bible Messianic
It shall be, that he who is taken with the devoted thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.’”
Geneva Bible (1599)
And he that is taken with the excommunicate thing, shall be burnt with fire, hee, and all that he hath, because he hath transgressed the couenant of the Lord, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.
Young's Literal Translation
and it hath been, he who is captured with the devoted thing is burnt with fire, he and all that he hath, because he hath transgressed the covenant of Jehovah, and because he hath done folly in Israel.'
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Commentary on Joshua 7 verses 10–15
10 ¶ And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
We have here God's answer to Joshua's address, which, we may suppose, came from the oracle over the ark, before which Joshua had prostrated himself, v. 6. Those that desire to know the will of God must attend with their desires upon the lively oracles, and wait at wisdom's gates for wisdom's dictates, Pro 8:34. And let those that find themselves under the tokens of God's displeasure never complain of him, but complain to him, and they shall receive an answer of peace. The answer came immediately, while he was yet speaking (Isa 65:24), as that to Daniel, Dan 9:20, etc.
I. God encourages Joshua against his present despondencies, and the black and melancholy apprehensions he had of the present posture of Israel's affairs (Jos 7:10): "Get thee up, suffer not thy spirits to droop and sink thus; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?" No doubt Joshua did well to humble himself before God, and mourn as he did, under the tokens of his displeasure; but now God told him it was enough, he would not have him continue any longer in that melancholy posture, for God delights not in the grief of penitents when they afflict their souls further than as it qualifies them for pardon and peace; the days even of that mourning must be ended. Arise, shake thyself from the dust, Isa 53:2. Joshua continued his mourning till eventide (Jos 7:6), so late that they could do nothing that night towards the discovery of the criminal, but were forced to put it off till next morning. Daniel (Dan 9:21), and Ezra (Ezr 9:5, Ezr 9:6), continued their mourning only till the time of the evening sacrifice; that revived them both: but Joshua went past that time, and therefore is thus roused: "Get thee up, do not lie all night there." Yet we find that Moses fell down before the Lord forty days and forty nights, to make intercession for Israel, Deu 9:18. Joshua must get up because he has other work to do than to lie there; the accursed thing must be discovered and cast out, and the sooner the better; Joshua is the man that must do it, and therefore it is time for him to lay aside his mourning weeds, and put on his judge's robes, and clothe himself with zeal as a cloak. Weeping must not hinder sowing, nor one duty of religion jostle out another. Every thing is beautiful in its season. Shechaniah perhaps had an eye to this in what he said to Ezra upon a like occasion. See Ezr 10:2-4.
II. He informs him of the true and only cause of this disaster, and shows him wherefore he contended with them (Jos 7:11): Israel hath sinned. "Think not that God's mind is changed, his arm shortened, or his promise about to fail; no, it is sin, it is sin, that great mischief-maker, that has stopped the current of divine favours and has made this breach upon you." The sinner is not named, though the sin is described, but it is spoken of as the act of Israel in general, till they have fastened it upon the particular person, and their godly sorrow have so wrought a clearing of themselves, as theirs did, Co2 7:11. Observe how the sin is here made to appear exceedingly sinful. 1. They have transgressed my covenant, an express precept with a penalty annexed to it. It was agreed that God should have all the spoil of Jericho, and they should have the spoil of the rest of the cities of Canaan; but, in robbing God of his part, they transgressed this covenant. 2. They have even taken of the devoted thing, in contempt of the curse which was so solemnly denounced against him that should dare to break in upon God's property, as if that curse had nothing in it formidable. 3. They have also stolen; they did it clandestinely, as if they could conceal it from the divine omniscience, and they were ready to say, The Lord shall not see, or will not miss so small a matter out of so great a spoil. Thus thou thoughtest I was altogether such a one as thyself. 4. They have dissembled also. Probably, when the action was over, Joshua called all the tribes, and asked them whether they had faithfully disposed of the spoil according to the divine command, and charged them, if they knew of any transgression, that they should discover it, but Achan joined with the rest in a general protestation of innocency, and kept his countenance, like the adulterous woman that eats and wipes her mouth, and says, I have done no wickedness. Nay, 5. They have put the accursed thing among their own goods, as if they had as good a title to that as to any thing they have, never expecting to be called to an account, nor designing to make restitution. All this Joshua, though a wise and vigilant ruler, knew nothing of, till God told him, who knows all the secret wickedness that is in the world, which men know nothing of God could at this time have told him who the person was that had done this thing, but he does not, (1.) To exercise the zeal of Joshua and Israel, in searching out the criminal. (2.) To give the sinner himself space to repent and make confession. Joshua no doubt proclaimed it immediately throughout the camp that there was such a transgression committed, upon which, if Achan had surrendered himself, and penitently owned his guilt, and prevented the scrutiny, who knows but he might have had the benefit of that law which accepted of a trespass-offering, with restitution, from those that had sinned through ignorance in the holy things of the law? Lev 5:15, Lev 5:16. But Achan never discovering himself till the lot discovered him evidenced the hardness of his heart, and therefore he found no mercy.
III. He awakens him to enquire further into it, by telling him, 1. That this was the only ground for the controversy God had with them, this, and nothing else; so that when this accursed thing was put away he needed not fear, all would be well, the stream of their successes, when this one obstruction was removed, would run as strong as ever. 2. That if this accursed thing were not destroyed they could not expect the return of God's gracious presence; in plain terms, neither will I be with you any more as I have been, except you destroy the accursed, that is, the accursed person, who is made so by the accursed thing. That which is accursed will be destroyed; and those whom God has entrusted to bear the sword bear it in vain if they make it not a terror to that wickedness which brings these judgments of God on a land. By personal repentance and reformation, we destroy the accursed thing in our own hearts, and, unless we do this, we must never expect the favour of the blessed God. Let all men know that it is nothing but sin that separates between them and God, and, if it be not sincerely repented of and forsaken, it will separate eternally.
IV. He directs him in what method to make this enquiry and prosecution. 1. He must sanctify the people, now over-night, that is, as it is explained, he must command them to sanctify themselves, Jos 7:13. And what can either magistrates or ministers do more towards sanctification? They must put themselves into a suitable frame to appear before God and submit to the divine scrutiny, must examine themselves, now that God was coming to examine them, must prepare to meet their God. They were called to sanctify themselves when they were to receive the divine law (Ex. 19), and now also when they were to come under the divine judgment; for in both God is to be attended with the utmost reverence. "There is an accursed thing in the midst of you, and therefore sanctify yourselves," that is, Let all that are innocent be able to clear themselves, and be the more careful to cleanse themselves. The sin of others may be improved by us as furtherances of our sanctification, as the scandal of the incestuous Corinthian occasioned a blessed reformation in that church, Co2 7:11. 2. He must bring them all under the scrutiny of the lot (Jos 7:14); the tribe which the guilty person was of should first be discovered by lot, then the family, then the household, and last of all the person. The conviction came upon him thus gradually that he might have some space given him to come in and surrender himself; for God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Observe, The Lord is said to take the tribe, and family, and household, on which the lot fell, because the disposal of the lot is of the Lord, and, however casual it seems, is under the direction of infinite wisdom and justice; and to show that when the sin of sinners finds them out God is to be acknowledged in it; it is he that seizes them, and the arrests are in his name. God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants, Gen 44:16. It is also intimated with what a certain and unerring judgment the righteous God does and will distinguish between the innocent and the guilty, so that though for a time they seem involved in the same condemnation, as the whole tribe did when it was first taken by the lot, yet he who has his fan in his hand will effectually provide for the taking out of the precious from the vile; so that though the righteous be of the same tribe, and family, and household, with the wicked, yet they shall never be treated as the wicked, Gen 18:25. 3. When the criminal was found out he must be put to death without mercy (Heb 10:28), and with all the expressions of a holy detestation, Jos 7:15. He and all that he has must be burnt with fire, that there might be no remainders of the accursed thing among them; and the reason given for this severe sentence is because the criminal has, (1.) Given a great affront to God: He has transgressed the covenant of the Lord, who is jealous particularly for the honour of the holy covenant. (2.) He has done a great injury to the church of God: He has wrought folly in Israel, has shamed that nation which is looked upon by all its neighbours to be a wise and understanding people, has infected that nation which is sanctified to God, and troubled that nation of which he is the protector. These being crimes so heinous in their nature, and of such pernicious consequence and example, the execution, which otherwise would have come under the imputation of cruelty, is to be applauded as a piece of necessary justice. It was sacrilege; it was invading God's rights, alienating his property, and converting to a private use that which was devoted to his glory and appropriated to the service of his sanctuary - this was the crime to be thus severely punished, for warning to all people in all ages to take heed how they rob God.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 10–15. Public domain.
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Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Joshua 7:15 pronounces the severe and uncompromising judgment for Achan's transgression, detailing the punishment of burning by fire for him and all his possessions. This drastic consequence is explicitly stated as a direct result of his disobedience to God's command concerning the devoted things of Jericho, an act that constituted a breach of the Lord's covenant and brought moral and spiritual defilement upon the entire community of Israel, leading to their defeat at Ai.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Joshua 7:15 employs several potent literary devices to convey its message. The direct, declarative tone of the verse, stating the judgment with absolute certainty, functions as Legal Language, mirroring the precise and unyielding nature of divine law and its consequences. The severity of the prescribed punishment, particularly the burning of "he and all that he hath," can be seen as a form of Hyperbole or Exaggeration (though literally carried out in this case) to underscore the extraordinary gravity of violating God's cherem command and the absolute necessity of purging sin from the community. Furthermore, the act of Fire itself is deeply Symbolic, representing both divine judgment and purification. It consumes the defiled, thereby cleansing the camp and restoring the nation's holiness before God, allowing His presence to return and His blessing to flow once more.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Joshua 7:15 stands as a stark reminder of the absolute holiness of God and the profound seriousness of sin, particularly that which involves direct disobedience to His explicit commands and a violation of His covenant. Achan's act, though seemingly small in his eyes, was an affront to God's sovereignty and a defilement of the entire community, demonstrating that God takes sin, especially sacrilege, with utmost gravity. The principle of corporate responsibility, where the sin of one can affect the many, highlights the interconnectedness of God's people and the critical need for communal purity and fidelity to divine standards. This passage serves as a powerful testament to God's justice and His unwavering demand for holiness among His chosen people, emphasizing that His presence and blessing are contingent upon their obedience and the removal of all that is an "accursed thing" in His sight.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
While the specific judicial practices of ancient Israel are not directly transferable to New Covenant believers, the underlying spiritual principles of Joshua 7:15 remain profoundly relevant. This passage challenges us to examine our own lives for "accursed things"—areas of disobedience, hidden sin, or personal gain that violate God's clear commands and defile our relationship with Him. Achan's story reminds us that sin, even when concealed, has far-reaching consequences, impacting not only our individual spiritual vitality but also the health and effectiveness of the wider Christian community. It calls us to a radical commitment to integrity, transparency, and immediate repentance when we recognize areas of compromise, understanding that true spiritual flourishing, both personally and corporately, depends on our unwavering obedience and reverence for God's holiness.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was the punishment for Achan's sin so severe, involving his family and possessions?
Answer: The severity of the punishment for Achan's sin, including the burning of his family and possessions, underscores the profound gravity of his transgression within the covenant community of Israel. Firstly, Achan's act was not mere theft but sacrilege—a direct violation of God's command regarding the cherem (devoted things) of Jericho. This was an offense against God's absolute holiness and sovereignty. Secondly, it was a breach of the covenant, which was the foundational agreement between God and Israel. Such a breach threatened the entire nation's relationship with God and their continued blessing in the promised land, as evidenced by their defeat at Ai. Thirdly, the concept of corporate solidarity was prevalent in ancient Israel; the sin of one individual could defile and bring judgment upon the entire community. The comprehensive destruction by fire served as a ritual act of purification, removing the "accursed thing" and its defiling influence from the camp, thereby restoring God's favor and allowing Israel to proceed with the conquest (see Joshua 7:12). It was a public demonstration of God's justice and His demand for absolute purity among His people.
Does this passage imply that God punishes entire families for the sins of one individual today?
Answer: While the principle of corporate solidarity was a significant aspect of Old Testament covenant life, particularly in the context of ancient Israel's unique role as a theocratic nation, its direct application to New Covenant believers is understood differently. The New Testament emphasizes individual accountability before God (e.g., Romans 14:12). However, the passage still teaches that an individual's sin can have ripple effects, negatively impacting those around them, especially within a close-knit community like the church or family. While God does not literally burn families for individual sin today, the spiritual consequences of hidden sin can still bring shame, brokenness, and hinder the collective spiritual health of a community. The primary lesson is the seriousness of sin and the need for personal and corporate purity, not a literal transfer of ancient judicial practices.
What does "wrought folly in Israel" mean in this context?
Answer: To "wrought folly in Israel" (Hebrew: ʻâsâh nᵉbâlâh) means to commit an act of disgraceful or shameful foolishness that brings moral and spiritual defilement and trouble upon the community. This "folly" is not mere intellectual stupidity but a profound moral and spiritual perversion—a willful disregard for God's commands and covenant. Achan's act was "folly" because it was utterly irrational and destructive in the face of God's clear instructions and promises. It brought shame upon Israel, caused them to lose God's favor, and led to their defeat and the death of 36 men at Ai). This phrase highlights that Achan's sin was not just a private matter but a public scandal that undermined the nation's integrity and relationship with God.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Joshua 7:15, with its stark portrayal of sin's defiling power and the severe judgment required to purge it, powerfully foreshadows the ultimate solution found in Jesus Christ. Achan's act of taking the "accursed thing" brought a curse upon Israel, leading to death and divine displeasure, demonstrating humanity's inherent inability to perfectly obey God's holy law and the dire consequences of sin. The burning of Achan and his possessions served as a temporary, ritualistic cleansing, but it pointed to a deeper, permanent need for purification. In the New Testament, we learn that Christ himself became the "accursed thing" for us, bearing the full weight of God's wrath against sin on the cross (see Galatians 3:13). He was "made sin" for us, though He knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (see 2 Corinthians 5:21). Through His perfect sacrifice, Jesus completely removes the curse of sin, not just from an individual or a nation, but from all who believe, offering true and lasting purification and restoring humanity's broken covenant relationship with God. He is the ultimate fulfillment of the need for an "accursed thing" to be dealt with, taking the judgment upon Himself so that we might receive eternal life and walk in the freedom of God's grace (see Romans 8:1-4).