Grasp the Gospel — Bible Comprehension Quizzes

Joshua 7 Study Notes: Achan's Sin and the Defeat at Ai

After Jericho, Achan secretly keeps goods set apart for the LORD, and Israel is routed in its first attack on the small town of Ai. Joshua mourns, God reveals the hidden sin, and Achan is singled out, confesses, and is put to death with his household in the valley afterward named Achor.

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General

True or False: In the first attack on Ai, the Israelites were routed and roughly thirty-six men died.

Answer: True

This is true. Some three thousand Israelite troops attacked, but they ran from Ai’s defenders, who chased them down the slopes beyond the gate and killed roughly thirty-six (7:4-5). The people’s courage collapsed, which the text pictures as hearts melting like water (7:5). That is the same picture used earlier for Israel’s enemies, the Canaanites, when they heard what the LORD had done for Israel (2:11; 5:1). Now the fear had turned against Israel, just as the law warned that the LORD would let a disobedient people be beaten by its enemies (Deuteronomy 28:25).

  • Joshua 7:4-5 (BSB)
    “So about three thousand men went up, but they fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of them, chasing them from the gate as far as the quarries and striking them down on the slopes. So the hearts of the people melted and became like water.”
    About three thousand men attack Ai, are routed, and lose about thirty-six men.
  • Joshua 2:11 (BSB)
    “When we heard this, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in the heavens above and on the earth below.”
    Rahab used the same picture of melting hearts for Canaan’s fear of Israel.
  • Joshua 5:1 (BSB)
    “Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and their spirits failed for fear of the Israelites.”
    The kings of Canaan lost heart when they heard of the Jordan crossing.
  • Deuteronomy 28:25 (BSB)
    “The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will march out against them in one direction but flee from them in seven. You will be an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.”
    The law warned that a disobedient Israel would be defeated before its enemies.

Theological

True or False: Israel’s first assault on Ai ended in a rout in which roughly thirty-six Israelites died.

Answer: True

This is true. The force of about three thousand broke before Ai’s defenders, who pursued them downhill and killed about thirty-six (7:4-5). The text then applies to Israel the image of melting hearts that earlier described Canaan’s terror before Israel (2:11; 5:1) — a deliberate reversal. It is the covenant curse of Deuteronomy 28:25 in action: when Israel breaks faith, the LORD hands it over to defeat before its enemies.

  • Joshua 7:4-5 (BSB)
    “So about three thousand men went up, but they fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of them, chasing them from the gate as far as the quarries and striking them down on the slopes. So the hearts of the people melted and became like water.”
    About three thousand men attack Ai, are routed, and lose about thirty-six men.
  • Joshua 2:11 (BSB)
    “When we heard this, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in the heavens above and on the earth below.”
    Rahab used the same picture of melting hearts for Canaan’s fear of Israel.
  • Joshua 5:1 (BSB)
    “Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and their spirits failed for fear of the Israelites.”
    The kings of Canaan lost heart when they heard of the Jordan crossing.
  • Deuteronomy 28:25 (BSB)
    “The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will march out against them in one direction but flee from them in seven. You will be an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.”
    The law warned that a disobedient Israel would be defeated before its enemies.

General

What did Joshua urge Achan to do once he was singled out (Joshua 7:19)?

Answer: Honor the LORD by confessing what he did

Joshua spoke to Achan gently, calling him my son, and urged him to honor Israel’s God by confessing and hiding nothing (7:19). Confessing sin gives glory to God because it agrees with His verdict and admits that He sees everything. Scripture promises mercy to the one who confesses and forsakes sin rather than covering it up (Proverbs 28:13), as David found when he stopped hiding his guilt (Psalm 32:5). The New Testament promises that God faithfully forgives and cleanses those who confess (1 John 1:9). Achan’s confession did not cancel the sentence the LORD had already announced (7:15), but it gave God the honor that was due Him.

  • Joshua 7:19 (BSB)
    “So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and make a confession to Him. I urge you to tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.””
    Joshua appeals to Achan to confess and hide nothing.
  • Proverbs 28:13 (BSB)
    “He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.”
    Concealed sin does not prosper, but confession finds mercy.
  • Psalm 32:5 (BSB)
    “Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah”
    David acknowledged his sin instead of hiding it, and God forgave.
  • 1 John 1:9 (BSB)
    “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
    God forgives and cleanses those who confess their sins.

Theological

What did Joshua’s appeal to Achan in Joshua 7:19 call him to do?

Answer: Honor the LORD by confessing what he did

Joshua addresses Achan tenderly as his son and calls him to give glory to Israel’s God through full confession, concealing nothing (7:19). To confess is to glorify God: it vindicates His judgment and acknowledges His omniscience. The wider canon attaches mercy to confession and forsaking of sin (Proverbs 28:13; Psalm 32:5) and grounds forgiveness in God’s faithfulness and justice (1 John 1:9). In Achan’s case the confession did not overturn the sentence already decreed (7:15), but it rendered to God the honor due Him.

  • Joshua 7:19 (BSB)
    “So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and make a confession to Him. I urge you to tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.””
    Joshua appeals to Achan to confess and hide nothing.
  • Proverbs 28:13 (BSB)
    “He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.”
    Concealed sin does not prosper, but confession finds mercy.
  • Psalm 32:5 (BSB)
    “Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah”
    David acknowledged his sin instead of hiding it, and God forgave.
  • 1 John 1:9 (BSB)
    “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
    God forgives and cleanses those who confess their sins.

General

True or False: The messengers found the stolen goods hidden in Achan’s tent just as he had described.

Answer: True

This is true. Joshua’s messengers hurried to Achan’s tent and found everything buried there, silver at the bottom, exactly as Achan had said (7:22). They carried the items back to Joshua and the people and laid them in the LORD’s presence (7:23). What Achan had concealed in the ground was now displayed before God and the whole people. Jesus taught that nothing concealed will stay hidden (Luke 12:2), and Hebrews says everything lies open to God’s gaze, and all people will answer to Him (Hebrews 4:13).

  • Joshua 7:22-23 (BSB)
    “So Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent, and there it all was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath. They took the things from inside the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites, and spread them out before the LORD.”
    The messengers find the hidden goods and lay them out before the LORD.
  • Luke 12:2 (BSB)
    “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known.”
    Jesus teaches that what is hidden will be made known.
  • Hebrews 4:13 (BSB)
    “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”
    Everything is exposed before the God to whom all must give account.

Theological

True or False: In Joshua 7:22-23 the messengers found the goods in Achan’s tent exactly as he had confessed.

Answer: True

This is true. The messengers hurried to Achan’s tent and found the items buried as Achan described, silver at the bottom (7:22); they carried them back to Joshua and the people and laid them in the LORD’s presence (7:23). The concealed is publicly exposed before God and the congregation, illustrating the principle Jesus states (Luke 12:2) and the truth that all things lie bare before the One to whom all must answer (Hebrews 4:13).

  • Joshua 7:22-23 (BSB)
    “So Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent, and there it all was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath. They took the things from inside the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites, and spread them out before the LORD.”
    The messengers find the hidden goods and lay them out before the LORD.
  • Luke 12:2 (BSB)
    “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known.”
    Jesus teaches that what is hidden will be made known.
  • Hebrews 4:13 (BSB)
    “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”
    Everything is exposed before the God to whom all must give account.

General

Joshua 7:1 says one man took some of the devoted things. Whom does the verse say acted unfaithfully?

Answer: The Israelites as a whole

At Jericho, certain things had been devoted to destruction, meaning they were reserved entirely for the LORD, and no one could keep them. Although Achan alone took some of them, 7:1 says that the Israelites acted unfaithfully, and the LORD’s anger burned against the whole people. The LORD repeats the charge in 7:11: Israel has sinned and broken His covenant (the binding agreement God made with His people). Israel stood before God as one covenant people, so one member’s hidden sin brought guilt on the whole camp. Joshua had warned of exactly this before Jericho fell (6:18), and years later Israel’s leaders recalled that Achan’s sin brought wrath on the entire congregation and that he did not die alone (22:20).

  • Joshua 7:1 (BSB)
    “The Israelites, however, acted unfaithfully regarding the things devoted to destruction. Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart. So the anger of the LORD burned against the Israelites.”
    The narrator charges Israel with unfaithfulness while naming Achan as the one who took the goods.
  • Joshua 7:11 (BSB)
    “Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant that I commanded them, and they have taken some of what was devoted to destruction. Indeed, they have stolen and lied, and they have put these things with their own possessions.”
    The LORD tells Joshua that Israel has sinned and broken His covenant.
  • Joshua 6:18 (BSB)
    “But keep away from the things devoted to destruction, lest you yourself be set apart for destruction. If you take any of these, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and bring disaster upon it.”
    Before Jericho fell, Joshua warned that taking the devoted things would bring disaster on the whole camp.
  • Joshua 22:20 (BSB)
    “Was not Achan son of Zerah unfaithful regarding what was set apart for destruction, bringing wrath upon the whole congregation of Israel? Yet it was not only Achan who perished because of his sin!’””
    Israel later remembered that Achan’s unfaithfulness brought wrath on the whole congregation.

Theological

Although Achan is the sole offender named, whom does Joshua 7:1 charge with unfaithfulness regarding the devoted things?

Answer: The Israelites as a whole

Achan is the only offender named, yet 7:1 indicts the Israelites for unfaithfulness regarding the devoted things, and the LORD’s anger burns against the nation; 7:11 restates the charge in covenant terms. Israel is treated as one corporate covenant body, so the sin of a single member implicates the whole, just as 6:18 had warned. Israel itself later remembers the episode in these terms: wrath fell on the whole congregation, and Achan did not perish alone (22:20).

  • Joshua 7:1 (BSB)
    “The Israelites, however, acted unfaithfully regarding the things devoted to destruction. Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart. So the anger of the LORD burned against the Israelites.”
    The narrator charges Israel with unfaithfulness while naming Achan as the one who took the goods.
  • Joshua 7:11 (BSB)
    “Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant that I commanded them, and they have taken some of what was devoted to destruction. Indeed, they have stolen and lied, and they have put these things with their own possessions.”
    The LORD tells Joshua that Israel has sinned and broken His covenant.
  • Joshua 6:18 (BSB)
    “But keep away from the things devoted to destruction, lest you yourself be set apart for destruction. If you take any of these, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and bring disaster upon it.”
    Before Jericho fell, Joshua warned that taking the devoted things would bring disaster on the whole camp.
  • Joshua 22:20 (BSB)
    “Was not Achan son of Zerah unfaithful regarding what was set apart for destruction, bringing wrath upon the whole congregation of Israel? Yet it was not only Achan who perished because of his sin!’””
    Israel later remembered that Achan’s unfaithfulness brought wrath on the whole congregation.

General

In his prayer after the defeat, what final question did Joshua ask the LORD (Joshua 7:9)?

Answer: What He would do for His great name

Joshua tore his garments and fell to the ground before the ark (the sacred chest that stood for God’s presence among His people) until evening, along with the elders, all of them throwing dust over their heads in grief (7:6). He asked why God had brought Israel over the Jordan only to let them be destroyed, and he feared that the Canaanites would surround Israel and erase its name. His last and deepest concern was the LORD’s own reputation: what would He do for His great name (7:7-9)? Moses had prayed the same way, asking God not to give the Egyptians or the nations reason to speak against Him, as if He meant harm to His people or lacked the power to lead them into their promised home (Exodus 32:12; Numbers 14:15-16; Deuteronomy 9:28).

  • Joshua 7:6-9 (BSB)
    “Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown before the ark of the LORD until evening, as did the elders of Israel; and they all sprinkled dust on their heads. “O, Lord GOD,” Joshua said, “why did You ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to be destroyed? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan! O Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has turned its back and run from its enemies? When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?””
    Joshua and the elders mourn before the ark, and Joshua pleads with the LORD.
  • Exodus 32:12 (BSB)
    “Why should the Egyptians declare, ‘He brought them out with evil intent, to kill them in the mountains and wipe them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce anger and relent from doing harm to Your people.”
    Moses pleaded that the Egyptians not be given cause to slander God’s purpose.
  • Numbers 14:15-16 (BSB)
    “If You kill this people as one man, the nations who have heard of Your fame will say, ‘Because the LORD was unable to bring this people into the land He swore to give them, He has slaughtered them in the wilderness.’”
    Moses argued that the nations would say the LORD could not bring His people in.
  • Deuteronomy 9:28 (BSB)
    “Otherwise, those in the land from which You brought us out will say, ‘Because the LORD was not able to bring them into the land He had promised them, and because He hated them, He has brought them out to kill them in the wilderness.’”
    Recalling the same plea, Moses warned of what the people of Egypt would say about the LORD.

Theological

With what question about the LORD did Joshua close his lament in Joshua 7:7-9?

Answer: What He would do for His great name

Prostrate before the ark with the elders and the signs of mourning (7:6), Joshua questions why Israel was brought across the Jordan and fears that the Canaanites will close in and blot out Israel’s name. His climactic appeal, though, concerns the LORD’s own glory: what will He do for His great name (7:9)? The prayer stands in the line of Moses’ intercession, which grounded its plea in the honor of God’s name among the nations (Exodus 32:12; Numbers 14:15-16; Deuteronomy 9:28).

  • Joshua 7:6-9 (BSB)
    “Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown before the ark of the LORD until evening, as did the elders of Israel; and they all sprinkled dust on their heads. “O, Lord GOD,” Joshua said, “why did You ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to be destroyed? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan! O Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has turned its back and run from its enemies? When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?””
    Joshua and the elders mourn before the ark, and Joshua pleads with the LORD.
  • Exodus 32:12 (BSB)
    “Why should the Egyptians declare, ‘He brought them out with evil intent, to kill them in the mountains and wipe them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce anger and relent from doing harm to Your people.”
    Moses pleaded that the Egyptians not be given cause to slander God’s purpose.
  • Numbers 14:15-16 (BSB)
    “If You kill this people as one man, the nations who have heard of Your fame will say, ‘Because the LORD was unable to bring this people into the land He swore to give them, He has slaughtered them in the wilderness.’”
    Moses argued that the nations would say the LORD could not bring His people in.
  • Deuteronomy 9:28 (BSB)
    “Otherwise, those in the land from which You brought us out will say, ‘Because the LORD was not able to bring them into the land He had promised them, and because He hated them, He has brought them out to kill them in the wilderness.’”
    Recalling the same plea, Moses warned of what the people of Egypt would say about the LORD.

General

True or False: When Israel came forward, the LORD singled out Benjamin’s tribe, and Achan came from it.

Answer: False

This is false. Judah’s tribe was chosen first, then the Zerahite clan, then Zabdi’s household, and finally Achan, Carmi’s son (7:16-18). The search ended exactly where 7:1 had already told the reader the guilt lay, with a man of Judah. Achan’s hidden act was uncovered step by step by the LORD, as Moses had warned sin would be (Numbers 32:23). The genealogy of Judah in 1 Chronicles also remembers him, under the form Achar, as the man who brought trouble on Israel (1 Chronicles 2:7).

  • Joshua 7:16-18 (BSB)
    “So Joshua arose early the next morning and had Israel come forward tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was selected. He had the clans of Judah come forward, and the clan of the Zerahites was selected. He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward, and the family of Zabdi was selected. And he had the family of Zabdi come forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was selected.”
    The selection narrows step by step until Achan is singled out.
  • Joshua 7:1 (BSB)
    “The Israelites, however, acted unfaithfully regarding the things devoted to destruction. Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart. So the anger of the LORD burned against the Israelites.”
    The chapter’s opening verse had already named Achan and his tribe.
  • Numbers 32:23 (BSB)
    “But if you do not do this, you will certainly sin against the LORD—and be assured that your sin will find you out.”
    Moses warned that sin would surely come to light.
  • 1 Chronicles 2:7 (BSB)
    “The son of Carmi: Achar, who brought trouble upon Israel by violating the ban on devoted things.”
    Judah’s genealogy remembers Achan, as Achar, for the trouble he brought on Israel.

Theological

True or False: In the selection of Joshua 7:16-18, Benjamin’s tribe was singled out, and Achan belonged to it.

Answer: False

This is false. The selection moved from Judah’s tribe to the Zerahite clan, to Zabdi’s household, and finally to Achan, Carmi’s son (7:16-18), confirming the information the narrator gave at the outset (7:1). The process displays the LORD’s exposure of concealed sin (Numbers 32:23). The Chronicler’s genealogy of Judah likewise records him, as Achar, as the troubler of Israel (1 Chronicles 2:7).

  • Joshua 7:16-18 (BSB)
    “So Joshua arose early the next morning and had Israel come forward tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was selected. He had the clans of Judah come forward, and the clan of the Zerahites was selected. He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward, and the family of Zabdi was selected. And he had the family of Zabdi come forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was selected.”
    The selection narrows step by step until Achan is singled out.
  • Joshua 7:1 (BSB)
    “The Israelites, however, acted unfaithfully regarding the things devoted to destruction. Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart. So the anger of the LORD burned against the Israelites.”
    The chapter’s opening verse had already named Achan and his tribe.
  • Numbers 32:23 (BSB)
    “But if you do not do this, you will certainly sin against the LORD—and be assured that your sin will find you out.”
    Moses warned that sin would surely come to light.
  • 1 Chronicles 2:7 (BSB)
    “The son of Carmi: Achar, who brought trouble upon Israel by violating the ban on devoted things.”
    Judah’s genealogy remembers Achan, as Achar, for the trouble he brought on Israel.

General

According to Joshua 7:26, what happened once Achan had been judged?

Answer: The LORD’s burning anger against Israel came to an end

The sentence the LORD had announced in 7:15 was carried out. Joshua and the whole nation brought Achan, the stolen goods, his children, his animals, his tent, and all that he had into the Valley of Achor (7:24). The people stoned him, and the others were stoned and then burned (7:25). The text does not say what Achan’s family knew or did. The judgment was severe because the sin was against the LORD’s holiness: Achan had broken the covenant and done a shameful thing in Israel (7:15), bringing the whole people under God’s anger. Once the devoted things were removed, the LORD’s burning anger subsided (7:26), echoing the law’s word, given about an Israelite town that turned to other gods, that the LORD’s fierce anger would be turned away when no devoted thing was left clinging to Israel’s hands (Deuteronomy 13:17). Israel remembered the event as a warning (22:20).

  • Joshua 7:15 (BSB)
    “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.’””
    The LORD had announced the sentence beforehand and gave its reason.
  • Joshua 7:24 (BSB)
    “Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the cloak, the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his oxen and donkeys and sheep, his tent, and everything else he owned, and brought them to the Valley of Achor.”
    Joshua and all Israel bring Achan and everything that was his to the Valley of Achor.
  • Joshua 7:26 (BSB)
    “And they heaped over Achan a large pile of rocks that remains to this day. So the LORD turned from His burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor to this day.”
    A heap of stones is raised over Achan, and the LORD’s anger is turned away.
  • Deuteronomy 13:17 (BSB)
    “Nothing devoted to destruction shall cling to your hands, so that the LORD will turn from His fierce anger, grant you mercy, show you compassion, and multiply you as He swore to your fathers,”
    In the law for an Israelite town that served other gods, the LORD’s anger turns away when nothing devoted clings to Israel’s hands.
  • Joshua 22:20 (BSB)
    “Was not Achan son of Zerah unfaithful regarding what was set apart for destruction, bringing wrath upon the whole congregation of Israel? Yet it was not only Achan who perished because of his sin!’””
    Israel later remembered that Achan’s sin brought wrath on the whole congregation.

Theological

What does Joshua 7:26 record as the outcome once the judgment on Achan was carried out?

Answer: The LORD’s burning anger against Israel came to an end

The sentence decreed in 7:15 is executed: Joshua and all Israel bring Achan, the stolen goods, his children, livestock, tent, and possessions into the Valley of Achor (7:24), where he is stoned and the others are stoned and burned (7:25). The text is silent about the family’s knowledge or role. The severity reflects the gravity of covenant transgression against the holy God (7:15), which had brought the whole nation under wrath. With the devoted things purged, the LORD’s burning anger subsides (7:26), in keeping with the law for an apostate Israelite town, where nothing devoted may cling to Israel’s hands if the LORD’s fierce anger is to be turned away (Deuteronomy 13:17), and Israel later cites the episode as a warning of corporate consequences (22:20).

  • Joshua 7:15 (BSB)
    “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.’””
    The LORD had announced the sentence beforehand and gave its reason.
  • Joshua 7:24 (BSB)
    “Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the cloak, the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his oxen and donkeys and sheep, his tent, and everything else he owned, and brought them to the Valley of Achor.”
    Joshua and all Israel bring Achan and everything that was his to the Valley of Achor.
  • Joshua 7:26 (BSB)
    “And they heaped over Achan a large pile of rocks that remains to this day. So the LORD turned from His burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor to this day.”
    A heap of stones is raised over Achan, and the LORD’s anger is turned away.
  • Deuteronomy 13:17 (BSB)
    “Nothing devoted to destruction shall cling to your hands, so that the LORD will turn from His fierce anger, grant you mercy, show you compassion, and multiply you as He swore to your fathers,”
    In the law for an Israelite town that served other gods, the LORD’s anger turns away when nothing devoted clings to Israel’s hands.
  • Joshua 22:20 (BSB)
    “Was not Achan son of Zerah unfaithful regarding what was set apart for destruction, bringing wrath upon the whole congregation of Israel? Yet it was not only Achan who perished because of his sin!’””
    Israel later remembered that Achan’s sin brought wrath on the whole congregation.

General

How did the LORD say the guilty person would be identified (Joshua 7:14)?

Answer: By narrowing from tribe to clan to family to one man

The LORD told Joshua to consecrate the people (prepare them to come before God) for the next day (7:13). In the morning Israel would be presented in stages: the LORD would choose one tribe, then one clan within it, then one household, and finally one man (7:14). The choosing belonged to the LORD Himself, so the sin Achan had hidden would be brought to light by God. Moses had warned that sin will surely be found out (Numbers 32:23), and God sees everything He has made, with nothing concealed from Him (Hebrews 4:13). The same step-by-step narrowing was later used when Saul was singled out to be king (1 Samuel 10:20-21).

  • Joshua 7:13-14 (BSB)
    “Get up and consecrate the people, saying, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Among you, O Israel, there are things devoted to destruction. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them. In the morning you must present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe that the LORD selects shall come forward clan by clan, and the clan that the LORD selects shall come forward family by family, and the family that the LORD selects shall come forward man by man.”
    The LORD orders the people consecrated and describes how the guilty one will be singled out.
  • Numbers 32:23 (BSB)
    “But if you do not do this, you will certainly sin against the LORD—and be assured that your sin will find you out.”
    Moses warned that sin would surely come to light.
  • Hebrews 4:13 (BSB)
    “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”
    Nothing is hidden from God’s sight.
  • 1 Samuel 10:20-21 (BSB)
    “Thus Samuel had all the tribes of Israel come forward, and the tribe of Benjamin was selected. Then he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward by its clans, and the clan of Matri was selected. Finally, Saul son of Kish was selected. But when they looked for him, they could not find him.”
    The same step-by-step narrowing was later used when Saul was chosen as king.

Theological

By what procedure did the LORD say the offender would be exposed (Joshua 7:13-14)?

Answer: By narrowing from tribe to clan to family to one man

After the people consecrate themselves (7:13), the LORD will single out the offender by successive selection: tribe, clan, household, and finally the individual (7:14). The selection is explicitly the LORD’s act, so the exposure of hidden sin rests on God’s omniscience, not human investigation. Numbers 32:23 had warned that sin would find its doer out, and Hebrews 4:13 states that all creation lies open before God. The same narrowing procedure later identifies Saul (1 Samuel 10:20-21).

  • Joshua 7:13-14 (BSB)
    “Get up and consecrate the people, saying, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Among you, O Israel, there are things devoted to destruction. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them. In the morning you must present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe that the LORD selects shall come forward clan by clan, and the clan that the LORD selects shall come forward family by family, and the family that the LORD selects shall come forward man by man.”
    The LORD orders the people consecrated and describes how the guilty one will be singled out.
  • Numbers 32:23 (BSB)
    “But if you do not do this, you will certainly sin against the LORD—and be assured that your sin will find you out.”
    Moses warned that sin would surely come to light.
  • Hebrews 4:13 (BSB)
    “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”
    Nothing is hidden from God’s sight.
  • 1 Samuel 10:20-21 (BSB)
    “Thus Samuel had all the tribes of Israel come forward, and the tribe of Benjamin was selected. Then he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward by its clans, and the clan of Matri was selected. Finally, Saul son of Kish was selected. But when they looked for him, they could not find him.”
    The same step-by-step narrowing was later used when Saul was chosen as king.

General

What reason did the LORD give Joshua for Israel’s defeat (Joshua 7:10-12)?

Answer: Israel had broken His covenant by taking devoted things

The LORD told Joshua to get up from the ground, because Israel had sinned (7:10-11). The people had broken His covenant, taken some of the devoted things, stolen, lied, and hidden the goods among their own belongings. That was why they could not stand before their enemies; they themselves had come under destruction, and the LORD would withdraw His presence until the forbidden things were removed (7:12). The defeat came from losing God’s presence, not from a poor battle plan. Moses had warned that whoever brought a devoted thing home would come under the same ban as the thing itself (Deuteronomy 7:26), and the prophets teach that sin separates people from God (Isaiah 59:2).

  • Joshua 7:10-12 (BSB)
    “But the LORD said to Joshua, “Stand up! Why have you fallen on your face? Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant that I commanded them, and they have taken some of what was devoted to destruction. Indeed, they have stolen and lied, and they have put these things with their own possessions. This is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies. They will turn their backs and run from their enemies, because they themselves have been set apart for destruction. I will no longer be with you unless you remove from among you whatever is devoted to destruction.”
    The LORD explains the defeat and states the condition for His presence to return.
  • Deuteronomy 7:26 (BSB)
    “And you must not bring any detestable thing into your house, or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. You are to utterly detest and abhor it, because it is set apart for destruction.”
    Moses warned that whoever brought a devoted thing home would come under the same ban as the thing itself.
  • Isaiah 59:2 (BSB)
    “But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.”
    The prophet teaches that sin separates people from God.
  • Joshua 6:18 (BSB)
    “But keep away from the things devoted to destruction, lest you yourself be set apart for destruction. If you take any of these, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and bring disaster upon it.”
    Joshua had warned that taking devoted things would bring disaster on the camp.

Theological

According to the LORD’s answer in Joshua 7:10-12, what lay behind the rout at Ai?

Answer: Israel had broken His covenant by taking devoted things

The LORD redirects Joshua from lament to the real issue: Israel has sinned (7:10-11). The charge piles up — covenant transgression, theft of devoted things, deception, and concealment among their own goods. As a result Israel has itself come under the ban, cannot stand before its enemies, and will lose the LORD’s presence unless the devoted things are purged (7:12). Defeat was the withdrawal of God’s presence, not a tactical failure. The principle had been stated in Deuteronomy 7:26 and anticipated in Joshua 6:18, and the prophets state it generally: iniquity creates a barrier between the people and their God (Isaiah 59:2).

  • Joshua 7:10-12 (BSB)
    “But the LORD said to Joshua, “Stand up! Why have you fallen on your face? Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant that I commanded them, and they have taken some of what was devoted to destruction. Indeed, they have stolen and lied, and they have put these things with their own possessions. This is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies. They will turn their backs and run from their enemies, because they themselves have been set apart for destruction. I will no longer be with you unless you remove from among you whatever is devoted to destruction.”
    The LORD explains the defeat and states the condition for His presence to return.
  • Deuteronomy 7:26 (BSB)
    “And you must not bring any detestable thing into your house, or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. You are to utterly detest and abhor it, because it is set apart for destruction.”
    Moses warned that whoever brought a devoted thing home would come under the same ban as the thing itself.
  • Isaiah 59:2 (BSB)
    “But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.”
    The prophet teaches that sin separates people from God.
  • Joshua 6:18 (BSB)
    “But keep away from the things devoted to destruction, lest you yourself be set apart for destruction. If you take any of these, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and bring disaster upon it.”
    Joshua had warned that taking devoted things would bring disaster on the camp.

General

How did Achan describe the steps of his sin (Joshua 7:21)?

Answer: He saw the goods, coveted them, took them, and hid them

Achan admitted his guilt before the LORD. Among the spoils he saw a fine cloak from Shinar, 200 silver shekels, and a gold bar of fifty shekels; he wanted them, took them, and buried them inside his tent, silver at the bottom (7:20-21). The order of seeing, desiring, and taking echoes the first sin, when Eve saw that the fruit was desirable and took it (Genesis 3:6). It also shows how coveting, which God’s law forbids (Exodus 20:17), grows into outward sin. As James explains, desire that takes hold produces sin, and sin ends in death (James 1:14-15).

  • Joshua 7:20-21 (BSB)
    ““It is true,” Achan replied, “I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I did: When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Shinar, two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.””
    Achan confesses what he took and where he hid it.
  • Genesis 3:6 (BSB)
    “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom, she took the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.”
    The first sin followed the same pattern of seeing, desiring, and taking.
  • Exodus 20:17 (BSB)
    “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, or his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.””
    God’s law forbids coveting what belongs to someone else.
  • James 1:14-15 (BSB)
    “But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
    James traces how desire produces sin and sin ends in death.

Theological

What progression does Achan’s confession in Joshua 7:20-21 trace?

Answer: He saw the goods, coveted them, took them, and hid them

Achan owns his guilt before the LORD and narrates the sin as a progression: he saw a cloak from Shinar, 200 silver shekels, and a gold bar, coveted them, took them, and buried them in his tent (7:20-21). The sequence mirrors the fall — seeing, desiring, taking (Genesis 3:6) — and shows the inward breach of the prohibition on coveting (Exodus 20:17) issuing in outward transgression. James gives the same anatomy: desire conceives sin, and sin matured brings death (James 1:14-15).

  • Joshua 7:20-21 (BSB)
    ““It is true,” Achan replied, “I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I did: When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Shinar, two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.””
    Achan confesses what he took and where he hid it.
  • Genesis 3:6 (BSB)
    “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom, she took the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.”
    The first sin followed the same pattern of seeing, desiring, and taking.
  • Exodus 20:17 (BSB)
    “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, or his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.””
    God’s law forbids coveting what belongs to someone else.
  • James 1:14-15 (BSB)
    “But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
    James traces how desire produces sin and sin ends in death.

General

What did the men who scouted Ai advise Joshua to do (Joshua 7:2-3)?

Answer: Attack with only a few thousand troops

The scouts reported that Ai had few people, so there was no need to tire out the whole army; a force of a few thousand would be enough (7:3). Their advice rested on the size of the enemy. Scripture consistently teaches that victory comes from the LORD, not from the size or strength of an army (Psalm 33:16; Proverbs 21:31). The real problem, as the chapter goes on to show, was not too few soldiers but sin in the camp. After it was dealt with, the LORD Himself directed Joshua to bring all his fighting men against Ai (8:1).

  • Joshua 7:3 (BSB)
    “On returning to Joshua, they reported, “There is no need to send all the people; two or three thousand men are enough to go up and attack Ai. Since the people of Ai are so few, you need not wear out all our people there.””
    The scouts judge Ai too small to need the whole army.
  • Psalm 33:16 (BSB)
    “No king is saved by his vast army; no warrior is delivered by his great strength.”
    The psalmist denies that any army is saved by its size or strength.
  • Proverbs 21:31 (BSB)
    “A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.”
    Preparation for battle is right, but the outcome belongs to the LORD.
  • Joshua 8:1 (BSB)
    “Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. See, I have delivered into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.”
    Once the sin was dealt with, the LORD Himself told Joshua to take the whole army.

Theological

What course of action did the scouts recommend after spying out Ai (Joshua 7:2-3)?

Answer: Attack with only a few thousand troops

The scouts judged Ai small enough that a few thousand men would suffice and the rest of the army could be spared the effort (7:3). Their estimate weighed only the enemy’s numbers. Scripture insists that deliverance is not secured by military strength (Psalm 33:16) and that victory is the LORD’s gift whatever the preparation (Proverbs 21:31). The chapter shows the true cause of the coming defeat to be covenant breach, not troop strength; once that was removed, the LORD commanded the full army to go up (8:1).

  • Joshua 7:3 (BSB)
    “On returning to Joshua, they reported, “There is no need to send all the people; two or three thousand men are enough to go up and attack Ai. Since the people of Ai are so few, you need not wear out all our people there.””
    The scouts judge Ai too small to need the whole army.
  • Psalm 33:16 (BSB)
    “No king is saved by his vast army; no warrior is delivered by his great strength.”
    The psalmist denies that any army is saved by its size or strength.
  • Proverbs 21:31 (BSB)
    “A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.”
    Preparation for battle is right, but the outcome belongs to the LORD.
  • Joshua 8:1 (BSB)
    “Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. See, I have delivered into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.”
    Once the sin was dealt with, the LORD Himself told Joshua to take the whole army.

General

What does the text connect with the name Achor given to the valley (Joshua 7:24-26)?

Answer: The trouble Achan brought on Israel

In the valley Joshua asked Achan why he had brought trouble on Israel and declared that the LORD would bring trouble on him that day (7:25). The text then says the valley has borne the name Achor ever since, linking the name with that trouble, and a large heap of stones over Achan remained there (7:26). The genealogy in 1 Chronicles remembers him as the one who troubled Israel by breaking the ban (1 Chronicles 2:7). Yet the valley of trouble later became a picture of hope: through Hosea the LORD promised to turn that very place of trouble into a place of hope for His people (Hosea 2:15).

  • Joshua 7:26 (BSB)
    “And they heaped over Achan a large pile of rocks that remains to this day. So the LORD turned from His burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor to this day.”
    A heap of stones is raised over Achan, and the place receives its lasting name.
  • 1 Chronicles 2:7 (BSB)
    “The son of Carmi: Achar, who brought trouble upon Israel by violating the ban on devoted things.”
    Judah’s genealogy remembers Achar as the one who brought trouble on Israel.
  • Hosea 2:15 (BSB)
    “There I will give back her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor into a gateway of hope. There she will respond as she did in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt.”
    The LORD later promises to turn the Valley of Achor into a place of hope.

Theological

With what does Joshua 7:24-26 associate the name Achor given to that valley?

Answer: The trouble Achan brought on Israel

Joshua’s words in the valley turn on trouble — Achan has troubled Israel, and the LORD will now trouble him (7:25) — and the narrator ties the place name to that event, noting the heap of stones still standing over Achan (7:26). The Chronicler’s genealogy preserves the same association (1 Chronicles 2:7). Through Hosea the LORD later reverses the memory, promising to make this valley of judgment a threshold of hope when He restores His people (Hosea 2:15).

  • Joshua 7:26 (BSB)
    “And they heaped over Achan a large pile of rocks that remains to this day. So the LORD turned from His burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor to this day.”
    A heap of stones is raised over Achan, and the place receives its lasting name.
  • 1 Chronicles 2:7 (BSB)
    “The son of Carmi: Achar, who brought trouble upon Israel by violating the ban on devoted things.”
    Judah’s genealogy remembers Achar as the one who brought trouble on Israel.
  • Hosea 2:15 (BSB)
    “There I will give back her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor into a gateway of hope. There she will respond as she did in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt.”
    The LORD later promises to turn the Valley of Achor into a place of hope.