Joshua 7:25-26
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The text highlights that Joshua asks, "Why have you troubled us?" and then declares, "The LORD shall trouble you." This direct accusation, shifting from "us" to "you" and then to God's action, emphasizes that Achan's sin wasn't just a personal failing but a disruption that directly involved and angered God, leading to a divine and corporate consequence.
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. 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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following Israel's devastating defeat at Ai, the cause is traced back to Achan's secret theft of forbidden plunder from Jericho. After Achan confesses, confessing his sin, and the stolen goods are recovered, Joshua and all Israel take Achan, his family, and his possessions to the Valley of Achor. There, as a severe and public act of judgment, Achan is stoned and burned, along with his entire household and belongings, to purge the sin from Israel and appease God's wrath.
Why did Israel suffer defeat? It wasn't bad luck or a stronger enemy. Achan's hidden sin had national consequences.
Joshua's confrontation with Achan isn't just a personal moment; it's a public demonstration of God's justice. Achan's act of taking the forbidden plunder brought disaster not only on himself but on all of Israel.
Achan's 'Trouble'
Joshua's question, 'Why have you troubled us?' points to the ripple effect of Achan's sin. He didn't just steal; he violated God's direct command and brought shame and defeat upon the entire nation. This highlights a crucial biblical principle: individual sin can have widespread and devastating consequences for a community, especially a covenant community like Israel.
God's Response
God's justice is not arbitrary. He declares, 'The LORD will bring trouble on you today.' This wasn't a curse, but a statement of fact. Because Achan sinned against God's specific command, God would act to rectify the situation and uphold His holiness. The punishment, while severe, was a necessary step to cleanse Israel and allow them to move forward in their mission.
Achan confessed, but the consequences were still dire. What does this tell us about God's justice and mercy?
Achan's confession is a pivotal moment. Under pressure from Joshua and the evidence, he admits his greed and deceit. This confession is crucial because it aligns with God's desire for truth and accountability.
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The Gravity of the Accursed Thing
The 'accursed thing' (the plunder from Jericho) was set apart for destruction. Taking it was an act of rebellion against God's authority and a rejection of His provision. Achan's confession, though late, acknowledges the divine sentence hanging over him and his possessions.
A Stern but Necessary Justice
Joshua's pronouncement and Israel's subsequent actions—stoning and burning—underscore the severity of Achan's sin. This public judgment served as a powerful deterrent, purging the sin from Israel. While painful, this act of judgment was also an act of cleansing for the nation, allowing God to be with them again. It highlights that while confession is vital, it doesn't always erase the consequences of deeply damaging actions, especially when they have impacted a community.
Understand the original words
akar · Hebrew Verb/Noun
A state of disturbance, agitation, or calamity; in a legal or covenantal sense, it refers to the ruin brought upon a community by sin.
saqal · Hebrew Verb
A form of capital punishment, often used in cases of extreme covenant violation or blasphemy, representing the execution of divine judgment by the entire community.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for 'LORD' represents the personal, covenantal name of God, YHWH, who reveals Himself to His people and fulfills His promises. It denotes the self-existent, eternal God who is actively involved in the history of Israel.
aph · Hebrew Noun
The Hebrew word for anger, often used to describe God’s intense, righteous displeasure against sin and rebellion. It represents His holiness reacting against wickedness, which must be appeased or satisfied through judgment or atonement.
emeq · Hebrew Noun
A valley or low-lying area, often used symbolically in the Bible to represent places of judgment, humility, or challenge. In this context, it serves as a geographic marker linked to the historical event of Achan's judgment.
Achor · Hebrew Proper Noun
A name derived from the root meaning 'to trouble' or 'to disturb,' signifying a place where God brought judgment due to sin. It stands as a perpetual monument to the consequences of disobedience and the holiness of God.
This event is a stark reminder that sin, even when hidden, has devastating consequences not only for the individual but for the entire community. It underscores the absolute necessity of obedience and purity within God's people.
c. 1400 BC
Conquest of Canaan Begins
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites crossed the Jordan River and began the conquest of the Promised Land, starting with the miraculous destruction of Jericho.
Immediately after Jericho
Defeat at Ai
Following the victory at Jericho, the Israelites suffered a humiliating defeat at the small city of Ai, losing about thirty-six men. This signaled that God was not with them.
The next day
Sin Discovered
Joshua confronted Israel, and through a divine process of elimination by tribe, family, and individual, Achan was identified as the one who had kept plunder from Jericho, which was forbidden ('the accursed thing').
That same day— this verse
Judgment on Achan
Joshua confronted Achan, who confessed his sin. Achan, his family, his livestock, and his possessions were taken to the Valley of Achor and stoned and burned, purifying Israel of the sin.
Later that day
Renewed Assault on Ai
After the sin was purged, Israel, with God's blessing restored, attacked Ai again and conquered the city, destroying its inhabitants and king.
This passage describes the destruction by fire of an entire city that had fallen into idolatry, including all its possessions, showing a pattern of complete obliteration for sins that threatened the community's faithfulness.
1 Samuel 15:22-23King Saul's disobedience in sparing the Amalekite spoils mirrors Achan's sin, and Samuel's rebuke highlights that obedience is better than sacrifice, showing that sin against God's command brings rejection and trouble.
2 Samuel 21:1-14A famine in David's time was caused by Saul's sin against the Gibeonites, and the atonement involved the execution of Saul's sons, illustrating how national sin and its consequences can extend beyond the original perpetrator to affect others.
Romans 5:12This verse explains how sin entered the world through one man, Adam, and brought death to all, conceptually paralleling how Achan's singular sin brought trouble and death to his family and the Israelite army.
1 Corinthians 5:13Paul instructs the Corinthian church to expel a sinful member, stating 'remove the evil person from among you,' which echoes the need for the community to purge sin to maintain its purity, just as Israel had to deal with Achan.
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…
clarkeJoshua 7:25: "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."
Why hast thou troubled us? - Here is a reference to the meaning of Achan's or Achar's name, מה עכרתנו meh Achar-tanu; and as עכר achar is used here, and not עכן achan, and the valley is called the valley of Achor, and not the valley of Achan, hence some have supposed that Achar was his proper…
The text highlights that Joshua asks, "Why have you troubled us?" and then declares, "The LORD shall trouble you." This direct accusation, shifting from "us" to "you" and then to God's action, emphasizes that Achan's sin wasn't just a personal failing but a disruption that directly involved and angered God, leading to a divine and corporate consequence.
Following Israel's devastating defeat at Ai, the cause is traced back to Achan's secret theft of forbidden plunder from Jericho. After Achan confesses, confessing his sin, and the stolen goods are recovered, Joshua and all Israel take Achan, his family, and his possessions to the Valley of Achor. There, as a severe and public act of judgment, Achan is stoned and burned, along with his entire household and belongings, to purge the sin from Israel and appease God's wrath.
Following Israel's devastating defeat at Ai, the cause is traced back to Achan's secret theft of forbidden plunder from Jericho. After Achan confesses, confessing his sin, and the stolen goods are recovered, Joshua and all Israel take Achan, his family, and his possessions to the Valley of Achor. There, as a severe and public act of judgment, Achan is stoned and burned, along with his entire household and belongings, to purge the sin from Israel and appease God's wrath.
"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. And they raised over him a great heap of stones that r…" — The text highlights that Joshua asks, "Why have you troubled us?" and then declares, "The LORD shall trouble you." This direct accusation, shifting from "us" to "you" and then to God's action…
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Last reviewed October 2026
