JosuéChapitre 7

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But the Israelites broke faith concerning the things devoted to destruction. Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was devoted, and the LORD's anger burned against the Israelites.

Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which lies near Beth Aven, east of Bethel, and told them, "Go up and scout out the land." So the men went up and scouted Ai.

When they returned to Joshua they said, "There is no need for the whole army to go up. Send about two or three thousand men to attack Ai. Do not wear out the whole army there, for the people of Ai are few."

So about three thousand men went up—and they fled before the men of Ai.

The men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of them, chasing them from the gate as far as Shebarim and cutting them down on the slope. At this the hearts of the people melted and turned to water.

Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown on the ground before the ark of the LORD until evening, he and the elders of Israel, and they threw dust on their heads.

And Joshua said, "Alas, Lord GOD, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan—only to hand us over to the Amorites to destroy us? 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 before its enemies?

The Canaanites and all who live in the land will hear of it. They will surround us and wipe our name from the earth. And then what will you do for your great name?"

The LORD said to Joshua, "Stand up! Why are you lying facedown?

Israel has sinned. They have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of what was devoted to destruction; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put it among their own possessions.

That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies. They turn their backs and run, because they themselves have now become devoted to destruction. I will not be with you any longer unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.

Get up! Consecrate the people. Say to them, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, because this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: There is devoted property among you, Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove it from your midst.'

In the morning you shall come forward tribe by tribe. The tribe the LORD singles out shall come forward clan by clan; the clan the LORD singles out shall come forward household by household; and the household the LORD singles out shall come forward man by man.

The one who is caught with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that belongs to him, because he has violated the covenant of the LORD and has done an outrageous thing in Israel."

Early the next morning Joshua had Israel come forward by tribes, and the tribe of Judah was singled out.

He brought forward the clans of Judah, and the clan of the Zerahites was singled out. He brought the clan of the Zerahites forward man by man, and Zabdi was singled out.

Joshua brought his household forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was singled out.

Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and make confession to him. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me."

Achan answered Joshua, "It is true. I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I did:

Among the spoil I saw a beautiful robe from Babylonia, 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."

Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent. There it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath.

They took the things from the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites, and spread them out before the LORD.

Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, along with the silver, the robe, and the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and everything he had, and brought them up to the Valley of Achor.

Joshua said, "Why have you brought this disaster on us? Today the LORD brings disaster on you." Then all Israel pelted him with stones, and they burned them with fire and stoned them with stones.

Over him they piled a great heap of stones, which remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his fierce anger. That is why the place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.

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Résumé2

Chapitre 7

Main Theme: Achan's sin against the ban command led to Israel's defeat at Ai and required atonement through judgment.

Content: Israel suffered an unexpected defeat at Ai because Achan from the tribe of Judah had taken some of the devoted things from Jericho. God revealed the sin to Joshua and identified the sinner through a selection process from tribe to family to household. Achan confessed that he had taken a fine robe from Shinar, silver, and gold, and hidden them in his tent. He was brought to the Valley of Achor along with his family and all he owned, where they were stoned and burned, and the Lord's anger turned away from Israel.

Key Words/Images:

The Ban (חֵרֶם): That which was devoted to God and forbidden for the people to take; Achan's violation of this brought guilt upon the entire nation.
God's Selection: The Lord actively "caught" (לכד) the guilty one through a systematic narrowing from tribe to individual.
The Valley of Achor (עֵמֶק עָכוֹר): The place of judgment over Achan; the name means "Valley of Trouble" and plays on the words Joshua used: "Why have you brought trouble upon us?"
Collective Guilt: One man's sin brought God's anger upon all Israel and led to military defeat.

Contexte historique

People

Achan (עָכָן) is the central figure in this chapter. His name is spelled "Akar" (עכר) in 1 Chronicles 2:7, meaning "troublemaker"—possibly a wordplay variant reflecting his actions. He is presented with a full genealogy: son of Karmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah. This detailed lineage emphasizes that his sin was not merely individual but affected the entire nation. The clan of Zerah was a prominent part of the tribe of Judah, making Achan's betrayal even more serious.

Places

Ai (הָעַי) is described as located near Beth-Aven, east of Bethel. The name means "ruin heap," and the city was strategically positioned in the central highlands. Archaeologically, the site is traditionally identified with et-Tell, about 3 km east of Bethel, although this identification remains debated. The city was significantly smaller than Jericho, making the defeat even more humiliating.

Achor (הַשְּׁבָרִים) is mentioned as the place where the Israelites were pursued—the name means "breaks" or "quarries" and likely refers to a rocky, disturbed terrain on the downhill slope from Ai.

The Valley of Achor (עֵמֶק עָכוֹר) was named after Achan through a wordplay: "akar" means "to bring trouble." The valley is traditionally located west of Jericho. Later, the prophet Hosea (2:17) uses this valley as an image of hope, where the "valley of trouble" will become a "doorway of hope."

Events and Customs

Herem (חֵרֶם) – the principle of ban – is key to understanding this chapter. At Jericho, God had declared that all war spoils belonged to Him and were to be either destroyed or dedicated to the sanctuary. Achan's theft was therefore not merely stealing from common war booty but sacrilege against God Himself. In the ancient Near East, such ban regulations were also known in other cultures; the Mesha Stele from Moab describes similar practices.

The lot-casting process that reveals the sinner (vv. 14–18), where the Hebrew verb לָכַד ("to be caught/seized") is used consistently, follows a systematic narrowing: tribe → clan → family → individual. This method of discerning God's will through "holy lots" was common in Israel (cf. 1 Sam 14:41–42). The expression "be taken" (יִלָּכֵד) suggests that God Himself pointed out the guilty one.

Mourning rituals in verse 6 – tearing clothes, falling on one's face, and casting dust on the head – were standard expressions of deep grief and humility in the ancient world. That Joshua and the elders performed these acts before the ark of the covenant underscores that this was a national crisis threatening Israel's relationship with God.

Key Terms

"A robe from Shinar" (אַדֶּרֶת שִׁנְעָר) refers to Babylonia (cf. Gen 10:10; 11:2). Babylonian textiles were renowned for their quality and value in antiquity. The choice of this particular garment may also carry symbolic meaning – Shinar was associated with the Tower of Babel and humanity's rebellion against God.

"A bar of gold" (לְשׁוֹן זָהָב) literally means "tongue of gold" and describes the shape of the gold – an elongated bar. The weight of 50 shekels (about 570 grams) represented considerable wealth. The amount of silver, 200 shekels (about 2.3 kg), was also a fortune for an individual.

"Nebalah" (נְבָלָה) in verse 15, translated "outrageous act," is a strong term used for serious moral offenses in Israel – especially actions that threaten the community's holiness and relationship with God (cf. Gen 34:7; Judg 20:6).

Personnages7

Sabdi2 Joshua6 Achan4 Judah3 Jacob3 Karmi2 Zerah3

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Mots-clés7

Achan — A man from the tribe of Judah in Israel who committed a sin by taking forbidden items during the conquest of Jericho.
Sin — An action or thought that breaks God's will and commandments, leading to separation between humanity and God.
Curse — A negative consequence or punishment resulting from sin or disobedience toward God.
Jericho — An ancient city in Canaan that was destroyed by the Israelites under Joshua's leadership after they crossed the Jordan River.
Ai — Another Canaanite city that the Israelites attacked after Jericho. They suffered defeat on their first attempt because of Achan's sin, but later captured the city after making atonement for the sin.
Stoning — Used as a method of execution in the Old Testament, especially for serious sins. Achan and his family were stoned to death as punishment for his sin.
Lotting — A method used to determine God's will by casting objects such as lots or small stones. Lots were cast to identify Achan as the guilty party in the book of Joshua chapter 7.