וַיִּמְעֲלוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מַעַל בַּחֵרֶם וַיִּקַּח עָכָן בֶּן כַּרְמִי בֶן זַבְדִּי בֶן זֶרַח לְמַטֵּה יְהוּדָה מִן הַחֵרֶם וַיִּחַר אַף ה' בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

Despite the spectacular miracles they witnessed, not all the people obeyed Joshua’s command that nothing from the property of Jericho might be taken for personal use: The children of Israel committed a trespass concerning the proscribed spoils; Akhan, son of Karmi, son of Zavdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took from the proscribed spoils, and the wrath of the Lord was enflamed against the children of Israel. This is the background for the story that follows.

וַיִּשְׁלַח יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֲנָשִׁים מִירִיחוֹ הָעַי אֲשֶׁר עִם בֵּית אָוֶן מִקֶּדֶם לְבֵית אֵל וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם לֵאמֹר עֲלוּ וְרַגְּלוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ וַיַּעֲלוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים וַיְרַגְּלוּ אֶת הָעָי

Joshua sent men from Jericho to the city of the Ai, which is adjacent to Beit Aven, east of Beit El. The spies set out in the direction of the mountain ridge, the main area of settlement in Canaan, turning toward an area that would later become the border between the inheritances of Judah and Benjamin (see 8:12). And he said to them, stating: Go up and reconnoiter the land. This was a simple mission, to examine the size of the town, access roads, and the like. Although the Ai was not a major city, Joshua wanted to be sure that he would not leave behind him hostile inhabitants when the people embarked on their next campaigns. And the men went up and reconnoitered the Ai.

וַיָּשֻׁבוּ אֶל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו אַל יַעַל כָּל הָעָם כְּאַלְפַּיִם אִישׁ אוֹ כִּשְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים אִישׁ יַעֲלוּ וְיַכּוּ אֶת הָעָי אַל תְּיַגַּע שָׁמָּה אֶת כָּל הָעָם כִּי מְעַט הֵמָּה

They returned to Joshua, and they said to him: The entire people should not go up to wage war upon the Ai; two thousand or three thousand men should go up and smite the Ai; do not weary the entire people there, as they, the inhabitants of the Ai, are few.

וַיַּעֲלוּ מִן הָעָם שָׁמָּה כִּשְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים אִישׁ וַיָּנֻסוּ לִפְנֵי אַנְשֵׁי הָעָי

Some three thousand men went up to there, and yet when the fighting began they fled before the men of the Ai. Despite their clear numerical superiority, Israel suffered a reversal in this battle.

וַיַּכּוּ מֵהֶם אַנְשֵׁי הָעַי כִּשְׁלֹשִׁים וְשִׁשָּׁה אִישׁ וַיִּרְדְּפוּם לִפְנֵי הַשַּׁעַר עַד הַשְּׁבָרִים וַיַּכּוּם בַּמּוֹרָד וַיִּמַּס לְבַב הָעָם וַיְהִי לְמָיִם

The men of the Ai smote some thirty-six of their men, and they, the men of the Ai, pursued them from before the gate to Shevarim, a place perhaps named after this episode. The word shevarim means broken or fractured, and the place was named because the people were broken there, or perhaps as a reference to the crevices in the mountains. And they smote them on the descent. The Israelites initially climbed toward the Ai; now they fled, and the men of the Ai chased them and caught them on their way down. As a result, the heart of the people melted and became like water.

וַיִּקְרַע יְהוֹשֻׁעַ שִׂמְלֹתָיו וַיִּפֹּל עַל פָּנָיו אַרְצָה לִפְנֵי אֲרוֹן ה' עַד הָעֶרֶב הוּא וְזִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּעֲלוּ עָפָר עַל רֹאשָׁם

Joshua rent his garments, fell on his face to the ground before the Ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel, and they put dust on their heads as a sign of mourning. They were not mourning the defeat itself, but what it signified.

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֲהָהּ ה' אֱלוֹהִים! לָמָה הֵעֲבַרְתָּ הַעֲבִיר אֶת הָעָם הַזֶּה אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן לָתֵת אֹתָנוּ בְּיַד הָאֱמֹרִי לְהַאֲבִידֵנוּ וְלוּ הוֹאַלְנוּ וַנֵּשֶׁב בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן

Joshua said: Alas, Lord God, why did You bring this people across the Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Emorites, to cause us to perish? If only we had undertaken to settle beyond the Jordan. We could have remained on the eastern side of the Jordan rather than attempting to conquer this land, but You ordered us to enter Canaan.

בִּי אֲדֹנָי מָה אֹמַר אַחֲרֵי אֲשֶׁר הָפַךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל עֹרֶף לִפְנֵי אֹיְבָיו !

Please, my Lord, what can I say after Israel has turned tail and fled from before their enemies?

וְיִשְׁמְעוּ הַכְּנַעֲנִי וְכֹל יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ וְנָסַבּוּ עָלֵינוּ וְהִכְרִיתוּ אֶת שְׁמֵנוּ מִן הָאָרֶץ וּמַה תַּעֲשֵׂה לְשִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל!

The Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and realize how easily we can be defeated, and they will gather a large army, surround us, and eliminate our name from the earth. What will You do for Your great name? This is not our problem alone, as Your name is linked to our fate.

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ קֻם לָךְ לָמָּה זֶּה אַתָּה נֹפֵל עַל פָּנֶיךָ!

The Lord said to Joshua: Arise from the ground; why are you falling on your face?

חָטָא יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגַם עָבְרוּ אֶת בְּרִיתִי אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִי אוֹתָם וְגַם לָקְחוּ מִן הַחֵרֶם וְגַם גָּנְבוּ וְגַם כִּחֲשׁוּ וְגַם שָׂמוּ בִכְלֵיהֶם

Israel has sinned and have also breached My covenant that I commanded them; they have also taken from the proscribed spoils, also stolen, also denied, and also placed it in their vessels. This military defeat is a direct consequence of Israel’s own actions.

וְלֹא יֻכְלוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָקוּם לִפְנֵי אֹיְבֵיהֶם עֹרֶף יִפְנוּ לִפְנֵי אֹיְבֵיהֶם כִּי הָיוּ לְחֵרֶם לֹא אוֹסִיף לִהְיוֹת עִמָּכֶם אִם לֹא תַשְׁמִידוּ הַחֵרֶם מִקִּרְבְּכֶם

The children of Israel will be unable to stand in war before their enemies; rather, they will turn tail before their enemies, because they, Israel, have become proscribed; I will not continue to be with you if you do not destroy the proscribed spoils, the prohibited items and those who contracted the curse by taking them, from among you. The proscribed objects contaminate those who touch them, rendering them, too, accursed and estranged from God. Note that Akhan was sentenced to burning (verse 15) after he was stoned (verse 25), like the proscribed articles found in his possession.

קֻם קַדֵּשׁ אֶת הָעָם וְאָמַרְתָּ הִתְקַדְּשׁוּ לְמָחָר כִּי כֹה אָמַר ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל חֵרֶם בְּקִרְבְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא תוּכַל לָקוּם לִפְנֵי אֹיְבֶיךָ עַד הֲסִירְכֶם הַחֵרֶם מִקִּרְבְּכֶם

Arise, prepare the people, and say: Prepare yourselves for tomorrow, repent, for so said the Lord, God of Israel: There are proscribed spoils in your midst, Israel, and they poison your existence; you will not be able to stand before your enemies until you remove the proscribed spoils from your midst.

וְנִקְרַבְתֶּם בַּבֹּקֶר לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶם וְהָיָה הַשֵּׁבֶט אֲשֶׁר יִלְכְּדֶנּוּ ה'יִקְרַב לַמִּשְׁפָּחוֹת וְהַמִּשְׁפָּחָה אֲשֶׁר יִלְכְּדֶנָּה ה'תִּקְרַב לַבָּתִּים וְהַבַּיִת אֲשֶׁר יִלְכְּדֶנּוּ ה'יִקְרַב לַגְּבָרִים

You shall approach in the morning according to your tribes, to draw lots, and the lot will select the guilty tribe. It shall be that the tribe that the Lord will single out shall approach by families, the next category after that of the tribe is the extended family; and the family that the Lord will single out shall approach by households; and the household that the Lord will single out shall approach man by man. One of the men in that household is the sinner.

וְהָיָה הַנִּלְכָּד בַּחֵרֶם יִשָּׂרֵף בָּאֵשׁ אֹתוֹ וְאֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ כִּי עָבַר אֶת בְּרִית ה'וְכִי עָשָׂה נְבָלָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל

It shall be that he who is singled out with the proscribed spoils will be burned in fire, he and all that is his, because he breached the covenant of the Lord, by transgressing the prohibition, and because he committed a despicable act in Israel, to commit a crime for the petty cause of greed.

וַיַּשְׁכֵּם יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בַּבֹּקֶר וַיַּקְרֵב אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לִשְׁבָטָיו וַיִּלָּכֵד שֵׁבֶט יְהוּדָה

Joshua arose early in the morning, and had Israel approach for the lottery, tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was singled out.

וַיַּקְרֵב אֶת מִשְׁפַּחַת יְהוּדָה וַיִּלְכֹּד אֵת מִשְׁפַּחַת הַזַּרְחִי וַיַּקְרֵב אֶת מִשְׁפַּחַת הַזַּרְחִי לַגְּבָרִים וַיִּלָּכֵד זַבְדִּי

He had the entire family of Judah approach; and he singled out the family of the Zerahites. He had the family of the Zerahites approach, man by man, the heads of households, and the house of Zavdi was singled out.

וַיַּקְרֵב אֶת בֵּיתוֹ לַגְּבָרִים וַיִּלָּכֵד עָכָן בֶּן כַּרְמִי בֶן זַבְדִּי בֶּן זֶרַח לְמַטֵּה יְהוּדָה

He brought his household near, by man; and in the final lot, Akhan, son of Karmi, son of Zavdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was singled out.

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶל עָכָן בְּנִי שִׂים נָא כָבוֹד לַה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְתֶן לוֹ תוֹדָה וְהַגֶּד נָא לִי מֶה עָשִׂיתָ אַל תְּכַחֵד מִמֶּנִּי

Although there is no indication of any prior acquaintance between them, Joshua addressed Akhan with affection, calling him “son”: Joshua said to Akhan: My son, please give glory to the Lord, God of Israel, and confess to Him your sins; tell me now what you did; do not withhold from me. It seems that even if Akhan had denied the charge, his sentence would have been the same, but a confession served to justify the result of the lot.

וַיַּעַן עָכָן אֶת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וַיֹּאמַר אָמְנָה אָנֹכִי חָטָאתִי לַה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְכָזֹאת וְכָזֹאת עָשִׂיתִי

Akhan answered Joshua, and he said: Indeed, I have sinned against the Lord, God of Israel; thus and thus I have done. The double mention of “thus and thus” served to emphasize: I have indeed done it. Alternatively, Akhan was admitting that this was not the first time he had committed such a crime.

וָאֵרֶא בַשָּׁלָל אַדֶּרֶת שִׁנְעָר אַחַת טוֹבָה ומָאתַיִם שְׁקָלִים כֶּסֶף וּלְשׁוֹן זָהָב אֶחָד חֲמִשִּׁים שְׁקָלִים מִשְׁקָלוֹ וָאֶחְמְדֵם וָאֶקָּחֵם וְהִנָּם טְמוּנִים בָּאָרֶץ בְּתוֹךְ הָאָהֳלִי וְהַכֶּסֶף תַּחְתֶּיהָ

I saw among the spoils a fine mantle from Shinar, a cloak from Babylonia, which was valuable in Canaan, and items weighing two hundred shekels of silver, and one wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels; I coveted them, all these items, and took them; they are hidden in the ground inside my tent, and the silver is located beneath it, the mantle.

וַיִּשְׁלַח יְהוֹשֻׁעַ מַלְאָכִים וַיָּרֻצוּ הָאֹהֱלָה וְהִנֵּה טְמוּנָה בְּאָהֳלוֹ וְהַכֶּסֶף תַּחְתֶּיהָ

Joshua immediately sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it, the mantle, was hidden in his tent, and the silver was beneath it, as Akhan had claimed.

וַיִּקָּחוּם מִתּוֹךְ הָאֹהֶל וַיְבִאוּם אֶל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְאֶל כָּל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּצִּקֻם לִפְנֵי ה'

They took them from inside the tent, and brought them to Joshua and to all the children of Israel, and they put them down before the Lord. Some interpret the latter clause to mean that they threw them down; alternatively, they untied the mantle and thereby released the gold and silver that was hidden inside it.

וַיִּקַּח יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת עָכָן בֶּן זֶרַח וְאֶת הַכֶּסֶף וְאֶת הָאַדֶּרֶת וְאֶת לְשׁוֹן הַזָּהָב וְאֶת בָּנָיו וְאֶת בְּנֹתָיו וְאֶת שׁוֹרוֹ וְאֶת חֲמֹרוֹ וְאֶת צֹאנוֹ וְאֶת אָהֳלוֹ וְאֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ וְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל עִמּוֹ וַיַּעֲלוּ אֹתָם עֵמֶק עָכוֹר

Joshua took Akhan, son of the family of Zerah, the silver, the mantle, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his ox, his donkey, his sheep, his tent, and all that was his, and they took them up from the camp at Jericho to the Valley of Akhor. This was not the original name of the place, as it was named for the episode of Akhan.

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ מֶה עֲכַרְתָּנוּ יַעְכֳּרְךָ ה' בַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה וַיִּרְגְּמוּ אֹתוֹ כָל יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶבֶן וַיִּשְׂרְפוּ אֹתָם בָּאֵשׁ וַיִּסְקְלוּ אֹתָם בָּאֲבָנִים

Joshua said: How you have tainted us! Just as you defiled us and brought disaster upon us, so too may the Lord taint you on this day. All Israel cast upon him stones, and they burned them, his property and the consecrated property he stole, with fire, and they stoned them, his animals, with stones.

וַיָּקִימוּ עָלָיו גַּל אֲבָנִים גָּדוֹל עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה וַיָּשָׁב ה' מֵחֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ עַל כֵּן קָרָא שֵׁם הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא עֵמֶק עָכוֹר עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה

They established over him, over Akhan’s corpse, a great mound of stones, which remains to this day, and the Lord withdrew from His enflamed wrath. Therefore, the name of that place was called the Valley of Taint [Akhor], to this day. The mound was left as a memorial, and the place was given its name from Joshua’s statement, in which he said: “How you have tainted us [akhartanu].” Akhor is also an alliteration of Akhan. Elsewhere, Akhan is called “Akhar, he who tainted [okher] Israel, who committed a trespass with the proscribed spoils.”