Joshua 7:12

The Sin of Achan

10 So the Lord said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face?

11 Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. ^aFor they have even taken some of the¹ accursed things, and have both stolen and ^bdeceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff.

12 ^aTherefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because ^bthey have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you.

13 Get up, ^asanctify the people, and say, ^b‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says the Lord God of Israel: “There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you.”

14 In the morning therefore you shall be brought according to your tribes. And it shall be that the tribe which ^athe Lord takes shall come according to families; and the family which the Lord takes shall come by households; and the household which the Lord takes shall come man by man.

Commentaries:

Adam Clarke

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Joshua 7:12

Because they were accursed - From this verse it appears that the nature of the execration or anathema was such, that those who took of the thing doomed to destruction fell immediately under the same condemnation. The inhabitants of Jericho and all that they had were accursed: therefore they and all their substance were to be destroyed. The Israelites took of the accursed thing, and therefore became accursed with it. This was certainly understood when the curse was pronounced: Every man who touches this property shall be involved in the same execration. Achan therefore was sufficiently aware of the risk he ran in taking any part of the anathematized thing; and when viewed in this light, the punishment inflicted on him will appear to be perfectly just and proper.

**Other Adam Clarke entries containing Joshua 7:12:**

Joshua 7:1
Joshua 22:20
Romans 9:3

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Joshua 7:13 >>

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