Joshua 7:16

_SO JOSHUA ROSE UP EARLY IN THE MORNING, AND BROUGHT ISRAEL BY THEIR TRIBES; AND THE TRIBE OF JUDAH WAS TAKEN:_ So Joshua rose up early ... and brought Israel by their tribes - i:e., before the tabernacle. The lot being appealed to (Proverbs 16:33) - a mode of appealing to the divine decision, to which the Israelites resorted in cases of grave public interest, and for which they made preparation by solemn rites of religion-Joshua proceeded in the inquiry from heads of tribes to heads of families, and from heads of households in succession to one family, and to particular persons in that family. It must be borne in mind that a family, according to the usage of the Hebrews, was very different from a family according to our ideas. It was not a single household, but may have included many households; or, vice versa, one household may have been subdivided into many families

16-26 See the folly of those that promise themselves secrecy in sin. The righteous God has many ways of bringing to light the hidden works of darkness. See also, how much it is our concern, when God is contending with us, to find out the cause that troubles us. We must pray with holy Job, Lord, show me wherefore thou contendest with me. Achan's sin began in the eye. He saw these fine things, as Eve saw the forbidden fruit. See what comes of suffering the heart to walk after the eyes, and what need we have to make this covenant with our eyes, that if they wander they shall be sure to weep for it. It proceeded out of the heart. They that would be kept from sinful actions, must mortify and check in themselves sinful desires, particularly the desire of worldly wealth. Had Achan looked upon these things with an eye of faith, he would have seen they were accursed things, and would have dreade...

EXPOSITION THE DISCOVERY OF ACHAN'S SIN.— JOSHUA 7:16 THE FAMILY OF JUDAH. The expression מִשְׁפַתַת is remarkable. Many commentators would read מִשְׁפְחֹת, not without some MSS. authority. Keil objects that the Chaldee and Syriac have the singular. But the LXX. has κατὰ δήμους, and the Vulgate _juxta familias. _On the whole it seems more probable that as מִשְׁפַחַת occurs twice in this passage, it has been so pointed where the same letters occur for the third time, than that, with Peele, it means tribe (so also Gesenius and Winer); or that, as others suggest, it is used for _omnes _or _singulas genres. _See, however,...

SO JOSHUA ROSE UP EARLY IN THE MORNING,.... Which showed his readiness and diligence to obey the command of God; and as there was much work to do, it required that he should rise early: AND BROUGHT ISRAEL BY THEIR TRIBES: before the Lord, at the tabernacle, where he and the high priest and elders attended; each tribe was thither brought by their representatives: AND THE TRIBE OF JUDAH WAS TAKEN: either his stone in the breastplate of the high priest looked dull, as some say, or rather the lot being cast fell on that tribe....

7. ACHAN'S SIN AND ISRAEL'S DEFEAT CHAPTER 7 _ 1. The defeat of Israel (Joshua 7:1)_ 2. The source of the defeat revealed (Joshua 7:6) 3. The transgressor found out (Joshua 7:16) 4. The judgment of Achan (Joshua 7:24) The insignificant place Ai brings defeat. Joshua sent men to view Ai. What authority was given to him to do so? There was no need to send spies once more, for the Lord had said, that the whole land was given to them. They report Ai a place without walls and recommend that only two or three thousand men be sent up. Defeat follows. Ai means “ruins.” It is mentioned for the first time in...

VII. ACHAN'S TRESPASS, ISRAEL'S DEFEAT, ACHAN'S PUNISHMENT. Joshua 7:1. The name should probably be Achar. The narrative presents no difficulties till the end of the chapter, where Achan's punishment is recorded. Joshua 7:2. Ai: probably 2 miles SE. of Bethel (p. 31). Joshua 7:9. And what wilt thou do for (or on account of) THY GREAT NAME? The meaning is that if Israel is destroyed there will be none to worship Yahweh; an interesting example of the ancient belief in the close connexion between the deity and his worshippers. Joshua 7:19. GIVE. LORD: _ i.e_., tell the truth, _cf._...

The Discovery and Punishment of Achan 16. _brought Israel by their tribes_ Joshua first caused the heads of the tribes to come before the Ark, and lots were cast for them, and the lot fell upon Judah; then the heads of the clans of Judah were brought, and the lot fell upon the Zarhites; then the heads of the houses of the Zarhites were brought before the Ark, and the lot fell upon Zabdi; then the men of his house were brought, and the lot fell upon Achan, the son of Carmi....

_VER._ 16. _SO JOSHUA ROSE UP EARLY IN THE MORNING, AND BROUGHT,_ &C.— Interpreters here ask, How was it possible that Achan should dare to extend his audacity so far as not to confess his crime as soon as he knew the orders which God had given to Joshua?—And they answer, that sin had blinded him, and that a proud shame withheld him. But, waving the discussion of these replies, we apprehend that the following will be considered as very sufficient; namely, that Achan knew nothing of the orders which God had given to Joshua, inasmuch as that general communicated them to no one, and limited himself to hasten the execution of them....

_Achan's Confession of Sin Joshua 7:16-21_ 16 So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken: 17 And he brought the famliy of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken: 18 And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. 19 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. 20 And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: 21 When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty

REPULSE AT AI, DUE TO ACHAN'S SIN The capture of Jericho is followed by an attempt upon Ai, a place of strategic importance, as commanding a main entrance into the interior of Canaan westward; the upper entrance into the valley of Aijalon being commanded by Ai and Bethel. This chapter has an interest of its own, as exhibiting Joshua in a new light, as the spiritual guide, drawing out, with the mingled sweetness and severity of a father (Joshua 7:19), the sinner's detailed confession (see on Joshua 7:20). The incident of Achan's sin and its effects upon the fortunes of Israel is an illustration (_a_) of the penalty of solidarity—the inevitable spread of the results of sin and pollution from a single member to the whole body; (_b_) of the conditional nature of God's promises of success. In contrast to