Joshua
Chapter 7
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Leningrad Codex, through the Open Scriptures Westminster Leningrad Codex. The written consonants are printed. A Masoretic reading is footnoted when it differs. No Dead Sea reading was substituted unless it was read from a fragment. The Greek, Syriac, and Latin versions are witnesses, not the default.
A dotted word is a harder one. Point at it, or tap it, for a short definition.
1The sons of Israel committed a breach in the Set apart for God. In this book it is often marked to be destroyed. thing. Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took from the Set apart for God. In this book it is often marked to be destroyed. thing, and the anger of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. burned against the sons of Israel.
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- Translation
Maal is a breach against what was set apart. The devoted thing is the cherem.
2Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east of Bethel, and he said to them, saying, Go up and scout the land. The men went up and scouted Ai.
3They returned to Joshua and said to him, Do not have all the people go up. About two thousand men, or about three thousand men, let them go up and strike Ai. Do not wear all the people out there, for they are few.
4About three thousand men from the people went up there, and they fled before the men of Ai.
5The men of Ai struck about thirty-six of them. They chased them from before the gate as far as the Shebarim and struck them on the slope. The heart of the people melted and became like water.
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Shebarim is the place name as written. The same consonants can mean the broken places.
6Joshua tore his clothes and fell on his face to the ground before the chest of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. until evening, he and the elders of Israel, and they put dust on their heads.
7Joshua said, Alas, my Lord God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., why did you bring this people across the Jordan at all, to give us into the hand of the Amorite, to destroy us? If only we had been willing and had stayed beyond the Jordan.
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The consonants after “my Lord” are YHWH. The vowels written on that name are the vowels of Elohim, the reading used when Adonai stands in front of the name. The consonants are printed as Yahweh. The verb is doubled: he caused them to cross, causing to cross.
8Please, my Lord, what can I say after Israel has turned the back of its neck before its enemies?
9The Canaanite and all who live in the land will hear, and they will come around against us and cut our name off from the earth. What will you do for your great name?
10God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. said to Joshua, Get yourself up. Why are you falling on your face?
11Israel has sinned. They have also crossed my A solemn agreement that binds God and people. that I commanded them. They have also taken from the Set apart for God. In this book it is often marked to be destroyed. thing, and they have also stolen, and they have also acted falsely, and they have also put it among their own things.
12The sons of Israel will not be able to stand before their enemies. They will turn the back of the neck before their enemies, because they have become Set apart for God. In this book it is often marked to be destroyed.. I will not go on being with you unless you destroy the Set apart for God. In this book it is often marked to be destroyed. thing from your midst.
13Get up. Set the people apart, and say, Set yourselves apart for tomorrow. For this is what God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., the God of Israel, says, A Set apart for God. In this book it is often marked to be destroyed. thing is in your midst, Israel. You will not be able to stand before your enemies until you remove the Set apart for God. In this book it is often marked to be destroyed. thing from your midst.
14In the morning you shall draw near by your tribes. The tribe that God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. takes shall draw near by clans. The clan that God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. takes shall draw near by houses. The house that God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. takes shall draw near man by man.
15The one who is taken with the Set apart for God. In this book it is often marked to be destroyed. thing shall be burned in the fire, he and all that is his, because he crossed the A solemn agreement that binds God and people. of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. and because he did a disgrace in Israel.
16Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel near by its tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken.
17He brought near the clan of Judah, and he took the clan of the Zerahites. He brought the clan of the Zerahites near man by man, and Zabdi was taken.
18He brought his household near man by man, and Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.
19Joshua said to Achan, My son, please set honor to God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., the God of Israel, and give him thanks, and please tell me what you did. Do not hide it from me.
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Todah is thanks and also the acknowledgment a person makes. Joshua is calling Achan to own what he did.
20Achan answered Joshua and said, It is true. I have sinned against God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., the God of Israel, and I have done this and that.
21I saw among the spoil one fine cloak of Shinar, two hundred Weights of silver used as money. of silver, and one tongue of gold, its weight fifty Weights of silver used as money., and I wanted them and I took them. Look, they are hidden in the ground inside my tent, and the silver is under it.
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The written form is ואראה, “and I saw,” with a he. The Masoretic reading is וארא, the shorter spelling. The sense is the same. The written form is printed.
- Translation
An adderet of Shinar is a cloak from Shinar. A tongue of gold is a bar shaped like a tongue. The weights stay in shekels.
22Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent, and Look, it was hidden in his tent, and the silver was under it.
23They took them from the middle of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the sons of Israel, and they poured them out before God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary..
24Joshua took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the cloak, the tongue of gold, his sons, his daughters, his ox, his donkey, his flock, his tent, and all that was his, and all Israel was with him, and they brought them up to the Valley of Achor.
25Joshua said, How you have troubled us. God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. will trouble you this day. All Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire, and they stoned them with stones.
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Achor is named from akhar, “to trouble.”
26They raised over him a great heap of stones, to this day, and God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. turned back from his burning anger. Therefore he called the name of that place the Valley of Achor, to this day.