Joshua 7

BUT the children of Israel i. e. One of them, by a very usual Synecdoche or Enallage, as Gen. 8. 4. and 19. 29. and Mat. 26. 8. where that is ascribed to the Disciples, which belonged to Iudas only, Iohn 12. 4. committed a trespass in the accursed thing i. e. In taking some of the forbidden and accursed goods.: for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, Called also Zimri, 1 Chron. 2. 6. the son of Zerah Or, Zarah, who was Iudahs immediate Son, Gen. 38. 30. who went with Iudah into Egypt: and so for the filling up the 256 years that are supposed to come between that and this time, we m... st allow Achan to be now an Old-man, and his three Ancestors to have begotten each his Son at about 60 years of Age; which at that time was not incredible nor unusual. of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel Why did God punish the whole Society for this one mans sin? Ans. All of them were punished for their own sins, whereof each had a sufficient proportion; but God took this occasion to inflict the punishment upon the Society, partly because divers of them might be guilty of this sin, either by coveting what he actually did, or by concealing of his fault, which it is probable could not be unknown to others; or by not sorrowing for it, and endeavouring to purge themselves from it: partly to make sin the more hateful; as being the cause of such dreadful and publick Judgments: and partly to oblige all the members of every society to be both more circumspect in the ordering of their own actions, and more diligent to watch over one another, and to prevent the miscarriages of their Brethren, which is a great benefit and blessing to them, and to the whole Society, and worthy to be purchased by a sharp affliction upon the Society..

And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai Called Hai, Gen. 12. 8. and Aijah, Nehem. 11. 31. They were not to go into the City of Ai, but into the Country bordering and belonging to it, and there to understand the state and quality of the place and people., which is beside So the Hebrew im is used, Gen. 25. 11. and 35. 4. Iudg. 9. 6. and 18. 3. and 19. 11. Beth-aven A City or Town distinct from, but nigh unto Bethel, though Bethel was afterwards by allusion called Bethaven, Hos. 4. 15. and 10. 5. Compare Ios. 18. 12., on the east-side of Beth-el Compare Gen. 12. 8. Ios. 8. 9, 12., and spake unto them saying, Go up and view the countrey. And the men went up and viewed Ai.

And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up: but let † about two or three thousand men go up Which was done by the Wise contrivance of Divine Providence, that their Sin might be punished, and they awakened and reformed with as little hazard, and mischief, and reproach, as might be: For if the Defeat of these caused so great a Consternation in Ioshua, it is easy to guess what dread, and confusion, and despair, it would have caused in the People, if a great Host had been defeated., and smite Ai, and make not all the people to labour thither, for they are but few.

So there went up thither of the people, about three thousand men, and they fled Not having their usual Courage to strike a stroke, which was a plain Evidence that God had forsaken them and an useful instruction,... o show them what weak and inconsiderable Creatures they were when God left them; and that it was God, not their own valour, that gave the Canaamtes and their Land into their hands. before the men of Ai.

And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men A dear Victory to them, whereby Israel was awakened, and refor... ed, and reconciled to their God and Shield, and they hardned to their own ruine.: for they chased them from before the gate, even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the † going down By which it seems it was a down-hill way to Iericho, which was nearer Iordan.: wherefore the heart of the people melted, and became as water Soft and weak, and full of f... uctuation and trembling..

¶ And Joshua rent his Clothes In Testimony of great Sorrow, as Gen. 37. 34. and 44. 13. for the loss felt, the consequent mischief feared, and the sin which he suspected., and fell to the earth upon his face In deep humiliation and fervent supplication; continuing the whole day in Fasting and Prayer., before the Ark of the LORD, until the even-tide r, he, and the Elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads... As was usual in case of grief and astonishment, 1 Sam. 4. 12. 2 Sam. 1. 2. and 13. 19. Ion. 3. 6. Mich. 1. 10..

And Joshua said, Alas, O LORD GOD; wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan This and the following Clause, though well intended, and offered to God only by way of Expostulation and Argument, yet do favour of Humane Infirmity, and fall short of that reverence, and modesty, and submission, which he owed to God; and are mentioned as instances that the Holy men of God were subject to like passions and infirmities with other men., to deliver us into the hand of the Amorite to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan.

O LORD, what shall I say In answer to the reproaches cast by our insulting Enemies upon us, and upon thy name., when Israel Gods own people, which he has singled out of all Nations for his own peculiar. turneth their † backs before their Enemies?

For the Canaanite, and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great Name Which will upon this occasion be Blasphemed and charged with inconstancy, unkindness, and unfaithfulness to thine own people, and with inability to resist them, or to do thy people that good thou didst intend them. Compare Exod. 32. 12. Numb. 14. 13. Deut. 33. 27. Ioel 2. 17.?

¶ And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face This business is not to be done by unactive Supplication, but by vigorous endeavours for reformation.?

Israel Some, or one of them, as before on v. 1. has sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant i. e. Broken the conditions of my Covenant which I have commanded them, and they have promised to perform, viz. Obedience to all my Commands, Exod. 19. 8. and 24. 7. whereof this was one, not to meddle with the accursed thing. which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing Which I charged them not to meddle with., and have also stollen i. e. Taken my portion which I had reserved, Ios. 6. 19., and dissembled Covered the fact with deep dissimulation, and a real, if not verbal profession of their Innocency. Possibly Achan might be suspected, and being accused, had denied it, or was resolved to deny it. also, and they have put it even amongst their own stuff Converted it to their own use, and added obstinacy and resolvedness to the crime; thus he loads this Sin with divers aggravations..

Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed As I warned and threatned them, Ios. 6. 18. they have put themselves out of my Protection and Blessing, and therefore are liable to the same destruction which belongs to this accursed People., neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed person from among you.

Up, sanctifie the people, and say, Sanctifie your selves Purify your selves from that desilement which you have all in some sort contracted by this accursed fact, and prepare your selves to appear before the Lord, as it is most probable they were required to do; as imploring and expecting the Sentence of God for the Discovery and Punishment of the Sin, and that the guilty person might hereby be awakened and terrified, and brought to a free and seasonable confession of his fault. And it is a marvellous thing that Achan did not on this occasion acknowledg his Crime; but this is to be imputed partly to the heart-hardening power of Sin, which makes men grow worse and worse; partly to his Pride, being loath to take to himself the shame of such a mischievous and infamous action; partly to his self-flattering and vain conceit, whereby he might think many others were guilty as well as he, and some of them might be taken, and he escape; and partly to the just Judgment of God, whereby he blinds and hardens Sinners to their own ruine. See a like instance, Mat. 26. 21, 22, 25. against to morrow: for thus says the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand beforeth me enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.

In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be that the tribe which the LORD taketh Which shall be discovered or declared Guilty by the Lot, which is disposed by the Lord, Prov. 16. 33. and which was to be cast in the Lords Presence before the Ark. Of such use of Lots, see 1 Sam. 14. 41, 42. Ion. 1. 7. Act. 1. 26., shall come according to the families thereof: and the family which the LORD shall take, shall come by housholds: and the housholds which the LORD shall take, shall come man by man.

And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing, shall be burnt with fire As persons and things accursed were to be. See Numb. 15. 30, 35. Deut. 13. 16., he, and all that he has His Children and Goods, as is noted, v. 24. according to the Law, Deut. 13. 16.: because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has wrought † folly So Sin is oft called in Scripture, as Gen. 34. 7. Iudg. 20. 6. &c. in opposition to the idle opinion of sinners, who commonly esteem it to be their wisdom and interest. in Israel i. e. Among the Church and people of God who had such excellent Laws to direct them, and such an All-sufficient and gracious God to provide for them, without any such indirect and unworthy practises..

¶ So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken.

And he brought the family Either, 1. the Tribe or people, as the word Family sometimes signifies, as Iudg. 13. 2. Zech. 12. 13. Amos 3. 1. Act. 3. 25. compared with Revel. 1. 7. Or, 2. the Families, as v. 14. the singular Number for the plural, the chief of each of their five Families, Numb. 26. 20, 21. of Judah, and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites, man by man Not every individual person, as is evident from v. 18. but every Head of the several Houses, or lesser Families of that greater Family of the Zarhites, of which see 1 Chron. 2. 6., and Zabdi was taken.

And he Either Ioshua, or Zabdi by Ioshua's appointment. brought his houshold, man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah was taken.

And Joshua said unto Achan, My son So he calls him, to show, that this severe Inquisition and Sentence did not proceed from any hatred to his person, which he loved as a Father does his Son, and as a Prince ought to do each of his Subjects. give, I pray thee glory to the LORD God of Israel As thou hast highly dishonoured him, now take the shame and blame to thy self, and ascribe unto God the Glory of his Omniscience in knowing thy sin, of his Justice in punishing it in thee, and others for thy sake; of his Omnipotency, which was obstructed by thee; and of his Kindness and Faithfulness to his people, which was eclipsed by thy Wickedness; all which will now be evident by thy sin confessed and punished., and † make confession unto him, and tell me now what thou hast done, hide it not from me.

And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed, I have sinned He seems to make a sincere and ingenuous Confession, and loads his sin with all just Aggravations. against the LORD Against his express Command, and just Rights, and glorious Attributes. God of Israel The true God, who has chosen me and all Israel to be the people of his peculiar love and care., and thus and thus have I done.

When I saw He accurately describes the progress of his sin, which began at his eye, which he permitted to gaze and fix upon them, which inflames his desire, and made him covet them; and that desire put him upon Action, and made him take them; and having taken, resolve to keep them; and to that end hide them in his Tent. among the spoil a goodly Babylonish garment Which were composed with great art of divers Colours, and of great price, as appears both from Scripture, Ezek. 23. 15. and from divers Heathen Authors. [See my Latin Synopsis], and two hundred shekels To wit, in Weight, not in Coin; for as yet they received and payed Money by weight. 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 i. e. Under the Babylonish Garment covered with it, or wrapt up in it..

So Joshua sent messengers That the truth of his Confession might be evident and unquestionable, which some, peradventure might think was forced from him., and they ran Partly longing to free themselves and all the people from the Curse under which they lay: and partly that none of Achans Relations or others might get thither before them, and take away those things. unto the tent, and behold, it i. e. The parcel of things mentioned, v. 21, and 24. was hid in his tent, and the silver under it.

And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD Where Ioshua and the Elders continued yet in their Assembly waiting for the issue of this business..

And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedg of gold, and his sons, and his daughters But this seems hard and unjust, and therefore forbidden by God himself, Deut. 24. 16. Ans. 1. That Law was given to men, not to God, who certainly has a more absolute Right and Sovereignty over men, than one man has over another. 2. Their Death was a Debt they owed to nature and to their own sins, which Debt God may require when he pleaseth; and he could not take it in more honourable and excellent Circumstances than these, That the death of a very few in the beginning of a new Empire, and of their settlement in the land, might be useful to prevent the death of many thousands who took warning by this dreadful Example, whom, if the fear of God did not, yet the love of their own, and of their dear Childrens lives would restrain from such dangerous and pernicious Practises. 3. It is very probable they were conscious of the fact, as the Iewish Doctors affirm. If it be pretended that some of them were Infants; the Text does not say so, but only calls them Sons and Daughters. And considering that Achan was an old man, as is most probable, because he was the fifth person from Iudah; of which see on v. 1. it seems most likely, that the Children were grown up, and so capable of knowing, and concealing, or discovering this Fact. Nor does it follow, that they were not guilty, because it is not said so; for it is apparent, that many Circumstances are omitted in divers historical Relations in Scripture, which sometimes are supplied in other places., and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep Which, though not capable of sin, nor of punishment properly so called, yet as they were made for mans use, so they are rightly destroyed for mans good; and being daily killed for our bodily food, it cannot seem strange to kill them for the Instruction of our minds, that hereby we might learn the detestable and contagious nature of sin, which involves innocent Creatures in its Plagues; and how much sorer Punishments are reserved for man, who having a Law given to him, and that excellent gift of Reason and Will to restrain him from the Transgressions of it, his guilt must needs be unspeakably greater, and therefore his sufferings more severe and terrible. Further, by this enumeration it appears, that he had no colour of necessity to induce him to this Fact, but was wholly inexcusable., and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor.

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; which is easily understood both out of the following words, and from Gods Command to do so, v. 15. which doubtless was here executed., and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones Qu. How could both these Deaths be inflicted upon them? Ans. It seems they were stoned to death, which was the Punishment of such Offenders, Lev. 24. 14. Numb. 15. 35. and not burned to death; and therefore the stoning only of Achan is mentioned here, and not his burning: and God would have their dead Carkasses burned to show his utmost Detestation of such persons as break forth into sins of such a publick Scandal and Mischief. And for the burning of Achan commanded v. 15. it seems not likely to be meant of his burning alive, because that burning is common to him, and all that he has, as is there expressed; but of the burning of his dead Carcass, and other lifeless things, as the manner was with accursed things, Deut. 13. 16..

And they raised over him a great heap of stones As a Monument of the sin and Judgment here mentioned, that others might be instructed and warned by the Example; and as a Brand of Infamy, as Iosh. 8. 29. 2 Sam. 18. 17 unto this day: so the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger: wherefore the name of that place was called, the valley of Achor Or, the valley of trouble, from the double trouble expressed v. 25. unto this day.