Chapter 7:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
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| Wesley
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Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Deuteronomy Judges
Joshua 7
We have here the sin of Achan in taking the accursed thing,
ver. 1. The defeat of Israel before Ai, ver. 2-5. Joshua's
humiliation and prayer, ver. 6-9. God's directions to him, ver. 10-15. The discovery, conviction, and execution of the criminal, ver. 16-26.
Verse 1. The children of Israel - That is, one of them, by a very usual
figure, as Matt. xxvi, 8, where that is ascribed to the disciples,
which belonged to Judas only, John xii, 4. Accursed thing - That
is, in taking some of the forbidden and accursed goods. Zabdi -
Called also Zimri, 1 Chron. ii, 6. Zerah - Or, Zarah, who was
Judah's immediate son, Gen. xxxviii, 30, who went with Judah
into Egypt: and so for the filling up the 256 years that are
supposed to come between that and this time, we must allow
Achan to be, now an old man, and his three ancestors to have
begotten each his son at about sixty years of age; which at that
time was not incredible nor unusual. Against the children of Israel
- Why did God punish the whole society for this one man's sin?
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 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 judgments: and partly to oblige all the
members of every society to be more circumspect in ordering
their own actions, and more diligent to prevent the miscarriages of
their brethren, which is a great benefit to them, and to the whole
society.
Verse 2. To Ai - They were not to go into the city of Ai, but into the
country belonging to it, to understand the state of the place; and
the people.
Verse 3. Go up - Which was done by the wise contrivance of Divine
providence, that their sin might be punished, and they awaked and
reformed with as little mischief and reproach, as might be: for if
the defeat of these caused so great a consternation in Joshua, it is
easy to guess what dread it would have caused in the people if a
host had been defeated.
Verse 4. They fled - Not having courage to strike a stroke, which was a
plain evidence that God had forsaken then; and an useful
instruction, to shew them what they were when God left them:
and that it was God, not their own valour, that gave the
Canaanites into their hands.
Verse 5. About thirty and six men - A dear victory to them, whereby
Israel was awakened and reformed, and they hardened to their
own ruin. The going down - By which it seems it was a down-hill
way to Jericho, which was nearer Jordan. As water - Soft and
weak, and full of fluctuation and trembling.
Verse 6. Rent his clothes - In testimony of great sorrow, for the loss felt,
the consequent mischief feared, and the sin which he suspected.
His face - In deep humiliation and fervent supplication. Until the
even-tide - Continuing the whole day in fasting and prayer. Put
dust upon their heads - As was usual in case of grief and
astonishment.
Verse 7. Over Jordan - This and the following clause, tho' well intended,
yet favour of human 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.
Verse 8. What shall I say - In answer to the reproaches of our insulting
enemies. When Israel - God's people, which he hath singled out of
all nations for his own.
Verse 9. Thy great name - Which will upon this occasion be blasphemed
and charged with inconstancy, and with inability to resist them, or
to do thy people that good which thou didst intend them. The
name of God is a great name, above every name. And whatever
happens, we ought to pray, that this may not be polluted. This
should be our concern more than any thing else: on this we should
fix our eye: and we cannot urge a better plea than this, Lord, what
wilt thou do for thy great name? Let God in all be glorified, and
then welcome his whole will!
Verse 10. Upon thy face - This business is not to be done by inactive
supplication, but by vigourous endeavours for reformation.
Verse 11. Israel - Some or one of them. Transgressed my covenant -
That is, broken the conditions of my covenant which they have
promised to perform, whereof this was one, not to meddle with
the accursed thing. Stolen - That is, taken my portion which I had
reserved, chap. vi, 19. Dissembled - Covered the fact with deep
dissimulation. Possibly Achan might be suspected, and being
accused, had denied it. Among their own stuff - Converted it to
their own use, and added obstinacy to the crime.
Verse 12. Were accursed - They have put themselves out of my
protection, and therefore are liable to the same destruction which
belongs to this accursed people.
Verse 13. Sanctify yourselves - Purify yourselves from that defilement
which you have all in some sort contracted by this accursed fact,
and prepare yourselves to appear before the Lord, expecting the
sentence of God for the discovery and punishment of the sin, and
that the guilty person might hereby be awakened, and brought to a
free confession of his fault. And it is a marvelous thing that Achan
did not on this occasion acknowledge his crime; but this is to be
imputed to the heart-hardening power of sin, which makes men,
grow worse and worse; to his pride, being loath to take to himself
the shame of such a mischievous and infamous action; and to his
vain conceit, whereby he might think others were guilty as well as
he, and some of them might be taken, and he escape.
Verse 14. The Lord taketh - Which shall be declared guilty by the lot,
which is disposed by the Lord, Prov. xvi, 33, and which was to be
cast in the Lord's presence before the ark. Of such use of lots, see
1 Sam. xiv, 41, 42 Jonah i, 7 Acts i, 26.
Verse 15. Shall be burnt with fire - As persons and things accursed were
to be. All that he hath - His children and goods, as is noted, ver.
24, according to the law, Deut. xiii, 16. Wrought folly - So sin is
often called in scripture, in opposition to the idle opinion of
sinners, who commonly esteem it to be their wisdom. In Israel -
That is, 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 unworthy
practices. It was sacrilege, it was invading God's rights, and
converting to a private use that which was devoted to his glory,
which was to be thus severely punished, for a warning to all
people in all ages, to take heed how they rob God.
Verse 17. The family - Either,
1. the tribe or people, as the word family sometimes signifies, or,
2. the families, as ver. 14, the singular number for the plural, the
chief of each of their five families, Num. xxvi, 20, 21. Man by
man - Not every individual person, as is evident from ver. 18, but
every head of the several houses, or lesser families of that greater
family of the Zarhites, of which see 1 Chron. ii, 6.
Verse 19. My son - So he calls him, to shew, that this severe inquisition
and sentence did not proceed from any hatred to his person, which
he loved as a father doth his son, and as a prince ought to do each
of his subjects. The Lord God of Israel - As thou hast highly
dishonoured him, now take the blame to thyself, 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.
Verse 20. 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 glorious
attributes. God of Israel - The true God, who hath chosen me and
all Israel to be the people of his peculiar love and care.
Verse 21. When I saw - He accurately describes the progress of his sin,
which began at his eye, which he permitted to gaze upon them,
which inflamed his desire, and made him covet them; and that
desire made him take them; and having taken, resolve to keep
them; and to that end hide them in his tent. Babylonish garment -
Which were composed with great art with divers colours, and of
great price, as appears both from scripture, and Heathen authors.
Two hundred shekels - To wit, in weight, not in coin; for as yet
they received and payed money by weight. The silver under it -
That is, under the Babylonish garment; covered with it, or wrapt
up in it.
Verse 22. Sent messengers - That the truth of his confession might be
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 Achan's relations might get thither before them, and take
away the things. It was hid - That is, the parcel of things
mentioned, ver. 21 and 24.
Verse 23. Before the Lord - Where Joshua and the elders continued yet
in their assembly waiting for the issue.
Verse 24. His sons, and his daughters - Their death was a debt they
owed to their own sins, which debt God may require when he
pleaseth; and he could not take it in more honourable
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 deaths 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 children's lives
would restrain from such pernicious practices. And it is very
probable they were conscious of the fact, as the Jewish doctors
affirm. If it be pretended that some of them were infants; the text
doth 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 Judah, it seems most likely,
that the children were grown up, and so capable of knowing, and
concealing, or discovering this fact. 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 man's use, so they
are rightly destroyed for man's 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
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. Farther, by this enumeration it appears,
that he had no colour of necessity to induce him to this fact.
Verse 25. With stones - And burned him with fire; which is easily
understood both out of the following words, and from God's
command to do so. They were stoned (which was the punishment
of such offenders, Lev. xxiv, 14 Num. xv, 35,) and not burned to
death; but God would have their dead carcases burned to shew his
utmost detestation of such persons as break forth into sins of such
a public scandal and mischief.
Verse 26. A great heap of stones - As a monument of the sin and
judgment here mentioned, that others might be warned by the
example; and as a brand of infamy, as chap. viii, 29; 2 Sam. xviii, 17. The valley of Achor - Or, the valley of trouble, from the
double trouble expressed, ver. 25.
Chapter 7:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Deuteronomy Judges
This version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible is a derivative of an electronic version, Copyright 1997, by Sulu D. Kelley. All rights reserved. Used by permission. It may not be modified or used commercially without permission of Wesleyan Heritage Publishing and Sulu Kelley. A special thanks to Mr. Kelley and Wesleyan Heritage Publishing for permission to create and post this version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible.
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