And he brought his household man by man ,.... The household of Zabdi, the heads of each house therein: and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken ; the lot fell upon him, and he was laid hold on, and detained. read more
And Joshua said unto Achan, my son ,.... Treating him in a very humane, affectionate, and respectable manner, though so great a criminal, being a subject of his, and of the same religion and nation: give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel , by acknowledging his omniscience, justice, power, truth, and faithfulness; as in his promises so in his threatenings: and make confession unto him ; of the sin he had been guilty of; this Joshua might urge, partly for his own good, who... read more
And Achan answered Joshua, and said ,.... He made a free and open confession of his sin: indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel ; against him who had been so good to Israel in many instances, and particularly in delivering Jericho into their hands in so extraordinary a manner; against a law of his, respecting the spoil of that city, which sin was the more aggravated thereby; and that he had committed the sin he was taken for and charged with, he owns was a true and real... read more
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 the word in the text, so Kimchi and Abarbinel; and Babylonian garments were in great esteem in other nations: Pliny says F3 Nat. Hist. l. 8. c. 48. Babylon was famous for garments interwoven with pictures of divers colours, and which gave name to them; and Plutarch ... read more
The children of Israel committed a trespass - It is certain that one only was guilty; and yet the trespass is imputed here to the whole congregation; and the whole congregation soon suffered shame and disgrace on the account, as their armies were defeated, thirty-six persons slain, and general terror spread through the whole camp. Being one body, God attributes the crime of the individual to the whole till the trespass was discovered, and by a public act of justice inflicted on... read more
Sent men from Jericho to Ai - This is the place called Hai, Genesis 12:8 . It was in the east of Beth-el, north of Jericho, from which it was distant about ten or twelve miles. From Joshua 7:4 , Joshua 7:5 ; it appears to have been situated upon a hill, and belonged to the Amorites, as we learn from Joshua 7:7 . It is very likely that it was a strong place, as it chose to risk a siege, notwithstanding the extraordinary destruction of Jericho which it had lately witnessed. read more
About three thousand men - The spies sent to reconnoitre the place ( Joshua 7:3 ;) reported that the town was meanly garrisoned, and that two or three thousand men would be sufficient to take it. These were accordingly sent up, and were repulsed by the Amorites. read more
They chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim - They seem to have presumed that the men of Ai would have immediately opened their gates to them, and therefore they marched up with confidence; but the enemy appearing, they were put to flight, their ranks utterly broken, and thirty-six of them killed. שברים Shebarim signifies breaches or broken places, and may here apply to the ranks of the Israelites, which were broken by the men of Ai; for the people were... read more
Joshua rent his clothes , etc. - It was not in consequence of this slight discomfiture, simply considered in itself, that Joshua laid this business so much to heart; but Because the people melted, and became as water, and there was little hope that they would make any stand against the enemy; and Because this defeat evidently showed that God had turned his hand against them. Had it not been so, their enemies could not have prevailed. Put dust upon their heads -... read more
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John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 7:17
And he brought the family of Judah ,.... That is, the tribe of Judah, as Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret it, F26 So R. Sol. Ohel Moed, fol. 94. 2. ; or rather, the several families in that tribe, even the heads of them: and he took the family of the Zarhites : which descended from Zerah the son of Judah; that was taken by lot: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man ; and cast lots on them: and Zabdi was taken : that part of the family of the Zarhites which... read more