Joshua 7:20-26

The Sin of Achan

20 And Achan answered Joshua and said, "Indeed y I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I have done: 21 "When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I 1 coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it."

22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver under it. 23 And they took them from the midst of the tent, brought them to Joshua and to all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD. 24 Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the garment, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and z all that he had, and they brought them to a the Valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, b "Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this day." c So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones. 26 Then they d raised over him a great heap of stones, still there to this day. So e the LORD turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called f the Valley of 2 Achor 3 to this day.

  1. Cross References
    Numbers 22:34
    And Balaam said to the Angel of the LORD, "I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases You, I will turn back.
    1 Samuel 15:24
    Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.
  2. Cross References
    Numbers 16:32
    And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods.
    Numbers 16:33
    So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly.
    Daniel 6:24
    And the king gave the command, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions - them, their children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den.
  3. Cross References
    Joshua 7:26
    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 15:7
    Then the border went up toward Debir from the Valley of Achor, and it turned northward toward Gilgal, which is before the Ascent of Adummim, which is on the south side of the valley. The border continued toward the waters of En Shemesh and ended at En Rogel.
  4. Cross References
    Joshua 6:18
    And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.
    1 Chronicles 2:7
    The son of Carmi was Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the accursed thing.
    Galatians 5:12
    I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off!
  5. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 17:5
    Then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has committed that wicked thing, and shall stone to death that man or woman with stones.
  6. Cross References
    Joshua 8:29
    And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until evening. And as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his corpse down from the tree, cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raise over it a great heap of stones that remains to this day.
    2 Samuel 18:17
    And they took Absalom and cast him into a large pit in the woods, and laid a very large heap of stones over him. Then all Israel fled, everyone to his tent.
    Lamentations 3:53
    They silenced my life in the pit And threw stones at me.
  7. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 13:17
    So none of the accursed things shall remain in your hand, that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of His anger and show you mercy, have compassion on you and multiply you, just as He swore to your fathers.
  8. Cross References
    Joshua 7:24
    Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the garment, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and they brought them to the Valley of Achor.
    Isaiah 65:10
    Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, And the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down, For My people who have sought Me.
    Hosea 2:15
    I will give her her vineyards from there, And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; She shall sing there, As in the days of her youth, As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.