Achan
“Troubler (also called Achar)”
Summary
An Israelite of the tribe of Judah whose theft of devoted items from Jericho brought defeat upon Israel and resulted in his execution in the Valley of Achor.
☩The Crime
When Jericho was conquered, God commanded that all its contents be devoted to destruction—all combustible goods burned, all metals consecrated to God, and all inhabitants killed except Rahab and her family. Achan, a man of the tribe of Judah, could not resist temptation: he saw, coveted, took, and hid a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, burying them beneath his tent. He alone broke faith with God while all the rest of Israel obeyed.
☩Discovery and Judgment
When Israel attacked the small city of Ai, they were unexpectedly routed with thirty-six men killed. Joshua fell before the ark in dismay, and God revealed that Israel had sinned by taking devoted things. Through the sacred lot, the guilty party was progressively narrowed: the tribe of Judah, then the clan of the Zerahites, then the family of Zabdi, and finally Achan was taken. When confronted, he confessed his sin. The stolen goods were brought from his tent, and Achan was taken to the Valley of Achor where he was stoned and his possessions burned.
☩Significance
The spoil of Jericho represented the firstfruits of Canaan, sacred to God. Achan's crime was not merely theft but sacrilege—taking what belonged to the Lord. The valley was named Achor ('trouble') because Achan had troubled Israel. This incident became proverbial, referenced centuries later as a warning about the consequences of breaking faith with God's commands.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Achan," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. I (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Achan," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. I (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Achan," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).