Joshua 7:21
when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Achan's confession isn't just about what he took, but how he hid it, revealing a subtle attempt to obscure the evidence by placing the silver underneath the stolen robe and gold, as if to bury the sin literally from view. This detail highlights not just his greed, but the subsequent layers of deceit and denial that often accompany it.
Achan's confession comes after Israel's devastating defeat at Ai, which was a direct consequence of his disobedience. Joshua has discovered through divine revelation that someone has taken forbidden plunder from Jericho, bringing God's wrath upon the entire nation. This verse is Achan's direct admission of guilt as he reveals the specific valuable items he secretly took and hid.
Sin often starts not with a bang, but a glance. Achan’s story is a stark reminder of how easily our eyes can lead our hearts astray.
Achan’s confession traces the dangerous progression of sin. It begins with 'seeing' something desirable:
Achan’s sin wasn't just theft; it was a violation of God's specific command, bringing devastating consequences not only on him but on all Israel.
The spoils of Jericho were not ordinary plunder. God had declared them 'devoted' or 'accursed' – meaning they were set apart for Him and not to be taken by the Israelites (Joshua 6:17-19). Achan’s act of taking these items had far-reaching implications:
Understand the original words
shalal · Hebrew Noun
A general term for goods, wealth, or booty seized from an enemy in war. In a biblical context, it often refers to items dedicated to the Lord or prohibited for personal use.
chamad · Hebrew Verb
A strong, illicit desire for something that belongs to another or is forbidden, often viewed as the root of transgression against God's commands.
Achan's confession reveals the insidious progression of sin: seeing, coveting, taking, and hiding. The specific mention of a 'garment from Shinar' (Babylonia) highlights the temptation of luxury and the allure of foreign riches, which directly contradicted God's command to set aside all spoils of Jericho for Him.
c. 1400 BC
Israel Enters Canaan
Following their exodus from Egypt and 40 years in the wilderness, the Israelites, under Joshua's leadership, crossed the Jordan River and began their conquest of the Promised Land.
c. 1400 BC
Destruction of Jericho
The powerful city of Jericho was the first major obstacle and was miraculously defeated by the Israelites, with strict instructions given to consecrate all spoils to the Lord.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Achan's Sin and Israel's Defeat
Achan secretly took forbidden items from Jericho's spoils, leading to a disastrous defeat for the Israelites at Ai and incurring God's wrath.
c. 1400 BC
Confession and Judgment
Through a divine process involving the casting of lots, Achan was identified. He confessed his sin, detailing the coveted items and where he hid them.
This passage directly warns against desiring the spoils of idolatry, highlighting the specific prohibition that Achan violated by coveting and taking items that likely came from pagan worship.
James 1:14-15James describes the progression of sin from desire to conception to birth, mirroring Achan's own confession of seeing, coveting, and then taking the forbidden items.
Joshua 6:18-19These verses establish the rule that all spoils from Jericho were to be devoted to the Lord, making Achan's theft not just personal greed but a direct violation of God's specific command for that conquest.
1 Timothy 6:10This verse clearly states that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, which Achan's covetousness for silver and gold demonstrates, leading to disaster for himself and Israel.
Luke 12:15Jesus' warning that life does not consist in an abundance of possessions directly contrasts with Achan's greedy desire for valuable items, showing the destructive potential of materialism.
calvinJoshua 7:19-26: "And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me."
When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.
Vidi inter spolia pallium, Babylon…
gillJoshua 7:21: "When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it."
When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment,.... One, as the Targum adds, for no more was taken; a garment made of Babylonish wool, as Jarchi; or a valuable garment made in Babylon, called "Shinar", for that is…
Achan's confession isn't just about what he took, but how he hid it, revealing a subtle attempt to obscure the evidence by placing the silver underneath the stolen robe and gold, as if to bury the sin literally from view. This detail highlights not just his greed, but the subsequent layers of deceit and denial that often accompany it.
Achan's confession comes after Israel's devastating defeat at Ai, which was a direct consequence of his disobedience. Joshua has discovered through divine revelation that someone has taken forbidden plunder from Jericho, bringing God's wrath upon the entire nation. This verse is Achan's direct admission of guilt as he reveals the specific valuable items he secretly took and hid.
Achan's confession comes after Israel's devastating defeat at Ai, which was a direct consequence of his disobedience. Joshua has discovered through divine revelation that someone has taken forbidden plunder from Jericho, bringing God's wrath upon the entire nation. This verse is Achan's direct admission of guilt as he reveals the specific valuable items he secretly took and hid.
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c. 1400 BC
Punishment in the Valley of Achor
Achan, his family, and possessions were taken to the Valley of Achor and stoned and burned as a sacrifice to the Lord, purging the camp of sin.
c. 1400 BC
Rebuilding and Renewed Success
After the purging of sin, the Israelites re-engaged and successfully conquered Ai, marking a return to God's favor and a path toward completing the conquest.
"when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath…" — Achan's confession isn't just about what he took, but how he hid it, revealing a subtle attempt to obscure the evidence by placing the silver underneath the stolen robe and gold, as if to bury th…
