1Apan ang mga anak sa Israel nakasala sa butang nga linaglag; kay si Achan, ang anak ni Carmi, ang anak ni /Zabdi, ang anak ni Zera, sa banay ni Juda, mikuha sa tanang butang nga linaglag: ug ang kaligutgut ni Jehova misilaub batok sa mga anak sa Israel. 2Ug si Josue nagsugo ug mga tawo gikan sa Jerico ngadto sa Ai, nga tupad sa Beth-aven, dapit sa silangan sa Beth-el, ug misulti kanila, nga nagaingon: Umadto kamo ug susiha ang yuta. Ug ang mga tawo nangadto ug mingsusi sa Ai. 3Ug namalik sila didto kang Josue ug miingon kaniya: Ayaw pagpaadtoa ang tanang mga tawo; apan duruha kun totolo ka libo lamang ang paadtoa sa pagkuha sa Ai; dili kinahanglan nga hagoon ang tanang tawo didto; kay sila diyutay ra. 4Busa may ming-adto nga duol sa totolo ka libo ka mga tawo; ug sila nangalagiw sa atubangan sa mga tawo sa Ai. 5Ug ang mga tawo sa Ai nakapatay kanila duolan sa katloan ug unom ka tawo; ug ilang gipanaglutos sila gikan sa ganghaan ngadto sa Sebarim, ug gipatay sila sa lugsonganan; ug ang mga kasingkasing sa mga tawo nangatunaw, ug nahisama sa tubig. 6Ug gigisi ni Josue ang iyang mga bisti ug mihapa sa yuta sa atubangan sa arca ni Jehova hangtud sa kahaponon, siya ug ang mga anciano sa Israel; ug gibutangan nila ug abug ang ilang mga ulo. 7Ug si Josue miingon: Alaut, Oh Jehova nga Ginoo, ngano pa ugod nga kining katawohan imong gidala dinhi sa tabok sa Jordan aron sa pagtugyan kanamo ngadto sa kamot sa mga Amorehanon, aron sa pagpawala kanamo? maayo pa unta kong natagbaw lamang kami ug mingpuyo didto sa pikas nga daplin sa Jordan! 8Oh Ginoo, unsa ang arang ko ikapamulong sa tapus na nga ang Israel mitalikod sa iyang kaaway! 9Kay ang mga Canaanhon ug ang tanang mga pumoluyo sa yuta makadungog niini, ug magalibut unya kanamo, ug magapanas sa among ngalan sa ibabaw sa yuta: ug unsaon na man nimo ang ngalan mong gamhanan? 10Ug si Jehova miingon kang Josue: Tumindog ka; ngano nga naghapa ka sa ingon niana? 11Ang Israel nakasala; oo, ug nakalapas ngani sila sa akong tugon nga akong gisugo kanila; oo, ilang gihilabtan ang butang nga linaglag, ug sila nangawat usab, ug nagalimod usab, ug ngani kini gipangluklok nila sa ilang kaugalingong putos. 12Sa tungod niini ang mga anak sa Israel dili makatindog sa atubangan sa ilang mga kaaway; manalagan sila gikan sa ilang mga kaaway, tungod kay sila nahimong tinunglo; dili na ako magauban kaninyo, gawas kong isalikway ninyo kanang linaglag nga butang gikan sa taliwala ninyo. 13Tindog, putlion mo ang katawohan, ug moingon ka: Managputli kamo alang sa ugma: kay mao kini ang giingon ni Jehova, ang Dios sa Israel, anaay butang nga linaglag sa diha sa taliwala nimo, Oh, Israel; ikaw dili makatindog sa atubangan sa imong kaaway, hangtud nga kuhaon mo gikan kaninyo ang butang nga linaglag. 14Busa ugma sa buntag kamo pagadad-on sumala sa inyong mga banay: ug mamao nga ang banay nga pagakuhaon ni Jehova moduol sumala sa ilang panimalay; ug ang panimalay nga pagakuhaon ni Jehova moduol sumala sa iyang sulod-balay; ug ang sulod-balay nga pagakuhaon sumala sa tinagsa ka tawo. 15Ug mahinabo, nga kadtong makuha nga may butang nga linaglag pagasunogon sa kalayo, siya ug ang tanan nga iya; tungod kay siya nakasala sa tugon ni Jehova ug tungod kay naghimo siya ug binuang diha sa Israel. 16Busa si Josue misayo sa pagbangon sa pagkaugma, ug iyang gitigum ang tanang mga banay sa Israel; ug ang banay ni Juda maoy gikuha: 17Ug iyang gipaduo ang panimalay ni Juda; ug iyang gikuha ang panimalay sa mga Zerahanon: ug gipaduol niya ang tagsatagsa ka tawo sa panimalay sa mga Zerahanon; ug si Zabdi maoy gikuha. 18Ug gidala ang tagsatagsa ka tawo sa iyang sulod-balay: ug si Achan, ang anak ni Carmi, ang anak ni Zabdi, ang anak ni Zera, sa banay ni Juda maoy gikuha. 19Ug si Josue miingon kang Achan: Anak ko, ihangyo ko kanimo, nga maghatag ka ug himaya kang Jehova, ang Dios sa Israel, ug magsugid ka kaniya; ug sultihi ako karon kong unsa ang imong nabuhat; ayaw ilimod kini kanako. 20Ug si Achan mitubag kang Josue, ug miingon: Sa pagkamatuod, ako nakasala batok kang Jehova, ang Dios sa Israel, ug ang akong nabuhat mao kini ug mao kini: 21Sa pagkakita nako sakot sa mga inagaw sa usa ka maayong capa nga buhat sa Babilonia, ug duha ka gatus ka siclo nga salapi, ug usa ka sisip nga bulawan nga kalim-an ka siclo ang gibug-aton, unya akong gikaibgan sila ug akong gikuha; ug, ania karon, kana atua sa taliwala sa akong balong-balong linubong sa yuta, ug ang salapi sa ilalum niana. 22Busa si Josue nagpaadto ug mga sinugo, ug nanalagan sila didto sa balong-balong: ug, ania karon, didto tuod gitagoan sa iyang balong-balong, ug ang salapi sa ilalum niini. 23Ug kini gipanagkuha nila gikan sa taliwala sa balong-balong ug gipanagdala nila kini ngadto kang Josue, ug ngadto sa mga anak sa Israel; ug ilang gibutang sa atubangan ni Jehova. 24Ug si Josue, ug kuyog kaniya ang tibook Israel, mingkuha kang Achan, ang anak ni Zera, ug sa iyang salapi, ug sa capa, ug sa book nga bulawan, ug sa iyang mga anak nga lalake, ug sa iyang mga anak nga babaye, ug sa iyang mga vaca, ug sa iyang mga asno, ug sa iyang mga carnero, ug sa iyang balong-balong, ug sa tanan nga dinha kaniya; ug ilang gidala sila ngadto sa walog sa Achor. 25Ug si Josue miingon: Ngano nga imo kaming gisamok? Si Jehova magasamok kanimo karong adlawa. Ug gipanagbato siya sa tibook nga Israel; ug ilang gisunog sila sa kalayo, ug gipanagbato sa mga bato. 26Ug sa ibabaw niya gitapok ang daghang mga bato, ug anaa hangtud niining adlawa. Ug si Jehova mibiya sa kabangis sa iyang kasuko. Tungod niana, hangtud niining adlawa, ang ngalan niadtong dapita gitawag. Ang Walog sa Achor.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 ACHAN'S TRESPASS. (
Josh 7:1)
the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing--There was one transgressor against the cherem, or ban, on Jericho, and his transgression brought the guilt and disgrace of sin upon the whole nation.
Achan--called afterwards "Achar" ("trouble") (
1Chr 2:7).
Zabdi--or Zimri (
1Chr 2:6).
Zerah--or Zarah, son of Judah and Tamar (
Gen 38:30). His genealogy is given probably to show that from a parentage so infamous the descendants would not be carefully trained in the fear of God.
2 THE ISRAELITES SMITTEN AT AI. (Jos. 7:2-26)
Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai--After the sacking of Jericho, the next step was to penetrate into the hills above. Accordingly, spies went up the mountain pass to view the country. The precise site of Ai, or Hai, is indicated with sufficient clearness (
Gen 12:8;
Gen 13:3) and has been recently discovered in an isolated tell, called by the natives Tell-el-Hajar, "the mount of stones," at two miles', or thirty-five minutes' distance, east southeast from Beth-el [VAN DE VELDE].
Beth-aven--("house of vanity")--a name afterwards given derisively (
Hos 4:15;
Hos 5:8;
Hos 10:5), on account of its idolatries, to Beth-el, "house of God," but here referred to another place, about six miles east of Beth-el and three north of Ai.
3 Let not all the people go up, . . . for they are but few--As the population of Ai amounted to twelve thousand (
Josh 8:25), it was a considerable town; though in the hasty and distant reconnoitre made by the spies, it probably appeared small in comparison to Jericho; and this may have been the reason for their proposing so small a detachment to capture it.
4 they fled before the men of Ai--An unexpected resistance, and the loss of thirty-six of their number diffused a panic, which ended in an ignominious rout.
5 chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim--that is, unto the "breakings" or "fissures" at the opening of the passes.
and smote them in the going down--that is, the declivity or slope of the deep, rugged, adjoining wady.
wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water--It is evident that the troops engaged were a tumultuary, undisciplined band, no better skilled in military affairs than the Bedouin Arabs, who become disheartened and flee on the loss of ten or fifteen men. But the consternation of the Israelites arose from another cause--the evident displeasure of God, who withheld that aid on which they had confidently reckoned.
6 Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth . . . before the ark . . . he and the elders--It is evident, from those tokens of humiliation and sorrow, that a solemn fast was observed on this occasion. The language of Joshua's prayer is thought by many to savor of human infirmity and to be wanting in that reverence and submission he owed to God. But, although apparently breathing a spirit of bold remonstrance and complaint, it was in reality the effusion of a deeply humbled and afflicted mind, expressing his belief that God could not, after having so miraculously brought His people over Jordan into the promised land, intend to destroy them, to expose them to the insults of their triumphant enemies, and bring reproach upon His own name for inconstancy or unkindness to His people, or inability to resist their enemies. Unable to understand the cause of the present calamity, he owned the hand of God.
10 the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up--The answer of the divine oracle was to this effect: the crisis is owing not to unfaithfulness in Me, but sin in the people. The conditions of the covenant have been violated by the reservation of spoil from the doomed city; wickedness, emphatically called folly, has been committed in Israel (
Ps 14:1), and dissimulation, with other aggravations of the crime, continues to be practised. The people are liable to destruction equally with the accursed nations of Canaan (
Deut 7:26). Means must, without delay, be taken to discover and punish the perpetrator of this trespass that Israel may be released from the ban, and things be restored to their former state of prosperity.
16 So Joshua rose up early, and brought Israel by their tribes--that is, before the tabernacle. The lot being appealed to (
Pro 16:33), he 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, until the criminal was found to be Achan, who, on Joshua's admonition, confessed the fact of having secreted for his own use, in the floor of his tent, spoil both in garments and money [
Josh 7:19-
Josh 7:21]. How dreadful must have been his feelings when he saw the slow but certain process of discovery! (
Num 32:23).
19 Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give . . . glory to God--a form of adjuration to tell the truth.
21 a goodly Babylonish garment--literally, "a mantle of Shinar." The plain of Shinar was in early times celebrated for its gorgeous robes, which were of brilliant and various colors, generally arranged in figured patterns, probably resembling those of modern Turkish carpets, and the colors were either interwoven in the loom or embroidered with the needle.
two hundred shekels of silver--equivalent to Ł22 10s. sterling, according to the old Mosaic shekel, or the half of that sum, reckoning by the common shekel.
a wedge of gold--literally, an ingot or bar in the shape of a tongue.
22 Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent--from impatient eagerness not only to test the truth of the story, but to clear Israel from the imputation of guilt. Having discovered the stolen articles, they laid them out before the Lord, "as a token of their belonging to Him" on account of the ban.
24 Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan--He with his children and all his property, cattle as well as movables, were brought into one of the long broad ravines that open into the Ghor, and after being stoned to death (
Num 15:30-
Num 15:35), his corpse, with all belonging to him, was consumed to ashes by fire. "All Israel" was present, not only as spectators, but active agents, as many as possible, in inflicting the punishment--thus testifying their abhorrence of the sacrilege, and their intense solicitude to regain the divine favor. As the divine law expressly forbade the children to be put to death for their father's sins (
Deut 24:16), the conveyance of Achan's "sons and daughters" to the place of execution might be only as spectators, that they might take warning by the parental fate; or, if they shared his punishment (
Josh 22:20), they had probably been accomplices in his crime, and, indeed, he could scarcely have dug a hole within his tent without his family being aware of it.
26 they raised over him a great heap of stones--It is customary to raise cairns over the graves of criminals or infamous persons in the East still.
the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor--("trouble"),
unto this day--So painful an episode would give notoriety to the spot, and it is more than once noted by the sacred writers of a later age (
Isa 65:10;
Hos 2:15).
