1Ale Isráélovy děti se při tom, co bylo odevzdáno, dopustily vyslovené nepoctivosti, neboť Áchán, syn Karmího, syna Zavdího, syna Zerachova, patřící k větvi Júdově, z toho, co bylo odevzdáno, vzal, takže proti Isráélovým dětem vzplál Hospodinův hněv. 2A Jóšua z Jerícha vyslal muže do Aje, jež byla u Béth-Ávenu, na východ vůči Béth-Élu, a pronesl k nim výrok: Vystupte a prosliďte zem. Ti muži tedy vystoupili a proslídili Aj, 3a když se k Jóšuovi vrátili, řekli k němu: Nechť nevystupuje všechen lid; nechť vystupují asi dva tisíce mužů nebo asi tři tisíce mužů, ti budou moci Aj porazit, nemusíš tam hnát všechen lid, neboť oněch je málo. 4Vystoupili tam tedy, z lidu asi tři tisíce mužů, kteří před tváří mužů Aje prchli, 5a muži Aje z nich pobili asi třicet a šest mužů a od brány je pronásledovali až po Ševárím a na sestupu je bili. A srdce lidu roztálo a stalo se jakoby vodou. 6A Jóšua roztrhl své šatstvo a padl před skříňkou Hospodinovou na svou tvář k zemi, až do večera, on a Isráélovi starší, a jali se vyhazovat prach na své hlavy, 7a Jóšua řekl: Běda, Pane, Hospodine, proč jsi vlastně tento lid převedl přes Jordán k vydání nás v ruku Emórího, k vyhubení nás? Že jsme se nespokojili, abychom zůstali na druhé straně Jordánu! 8Ach, Pane, co mám říci poté, co Isráél k tváři svých nepřátel obrátil šíji? 9To bude slyšet Kenáaní a všichni obyvatelé země a postaví se vůkol proti nám a vytnou naše jméno ze země - a co chceš učinit pro své veliké jméno? 10A Hospodin k Jóšuovi řekl: Vstaň si - nač toto, že ty padáš na svou tvář? 11Isráél zhřešil, a dokonce přestoupili mou smlouvu, již jsem jim rozkázal, a dokonce vzali z toho, co je odevzdáno, to dokonce ukradli, to dokonce zatajili, to dokonce uložili mezi své věci! 12Isráélovi synové tedy nebudou moci obstát před tváří svých nepřátel, budou k tváři svých nepřátel otáčet šíji, neboť se stali čímsi odevzdaným; nebudu nadále s vámi, nechcete-li vymýtit to, co je odevzdáno, zprostřed sebe. 13Vstaň, posvěť lid, a řekni: Posvěťte se na zítřek, neboť Hospodin, Isráélův Bůh řekl takto: Vprostřed tebe, Isráéli, je cosi odevzdaného; nebudeš moci obstát před tváří svých nepřátel až do vašeho odklizení toho, co je odevzdáno, zprostřed vás. 14Za jitra tedy budete přiváděni blíže po svých kmenech a stane se, že kmen, jejž Hospodin bude zachycovat, bude přistupovat po čeledích, a čeleď, již Hospodin bude zachycovat, bude přistupovat po domech, a dům, jejž Hospodin bude zachycovat, bude přistupovat po mužích; 15a stane se, že ten, kdo bude zachycen s tím, co je odevzdáno, bude muset být spálen ohněm, on i všichni, kdo k němu patří, neboť přestoupil smlouvu Hospodinovu, ano, že spáchal v Isráélovi bezbožnost. 16Jóšua tedy za jitra časně vstal a dal Isráéli přistupovat po jeho kmenech a zachycen byl kmen Júdův; 17dal tedy přistupovat čeledím Júdovým a zachytil čeleď Zarchího; dal tedy přistupovat čeledi Zarchího po mužích a zachycen byl Zavdí; 18dal tedy přistupovat jeho domu po mužích a zachycen byl Áchán, syn Karmího, syna Zavdího, syna Zerachova, patřící k větvi Júdově. 19A Jóšua k Áchánovi řekl: Nuže, můj synu, slož poctu Hospodinu, Bohu Isráélovu, a učiň mu vyznání, a oznam mi, prosím, co jsi provedl, nechť to přede mnou netajíš. 20A Áchán Jóšuovi odpověděl a řekl: Já jsem opravdu vůči Hospodinu, Bohu Isráélovu, zhřešil a učinil jsem tak a tak: 21Když jsem mezi lupem uviděl jeden pěkný plášť ze Šineáru a dvě stě šeklů stříbra a jednu tyč ze zlata, jejíž váha byla padesát šeklů, tu se mi toho zachtělo a vzal jsem to a hle, je to zahrabáno v zemi vprostřed mého stanu, a stříbro pod ním. 22Jóšua tedy vyslal posly, ti doběhli do stanu, a hle, byl zahrabán v zemi a stříbro pod ním; 23vzali to tedy zprostřed stanu a přinesli to k Jóšuovi a ke všem Isráélovým dětem a vyložili to před tvář Hospodinovu. 24A Jóšua, a s ním všechen Isráél, vzal Áchána, syna Zerachova, a to stříbro a ten plášť a tu tyč ze zlata a jeho syny a jeho dcery a jeho skot a jeho osly a jeho drobný dobytek a jeho stan a vše, co mu patřilo, a vyvedli je údolím Áchór 25a Jóšua řekl: Co jsi nás uvrhl do neštěstí? V tento den tě do neštěstí bude uvrhovat Hospodin! A zaházeli ho, všechen Isráél, kamením a spálili ho ohněm a zasypali ho kameny 26a navršili na něho velikou hromadu kamenů, až po tento den; a Hospodin se odvrátil od žáru svého hněvu. Proto nazvali jméno onoho místa Údolí Áchór, až po tento den.
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).