The Skeptics Annotated Bible (210 page)

24 And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only
the silver, and the gold
, and the vessels of brass and of iron,
they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD.

(6.24)
“The silver, and the gold … they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD.”
After killing everyone in Jericho, “they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein.” Only the valuables (silver, gold, brass, and iron) did they keep to “put into the treasury of the house of the Lord.”

25 And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father’s household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

26 And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying,
Cursed be the man
before the LORD,
that
riseth up and
buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.

(6.26)
“Cursed be the man … that … buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.”
Joshua says that those who try to rebuild Jericho will be accursed by God, and will have to sacrifice both their oldest and their youngest sons in its construction. Well, Jericho still exists today, and is often considered to be the world’s oldest, continuously occupied city.

27 So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country.

(7.1-10) Joshua and all the elders tear their clothes, fall on their faces, and put dust on their heads because the Israelites lost a battle. [God was punishing them because one man (Achan) “took of the accursed thing.”]

7
But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for
Achan, the son of Carmi,
the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah,
took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.

(7.1)
“Achan, the son of Carmi, … took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.”
163 Who Was Achan’s father?

2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.

3 And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.

4 So
there went up
thither of the people
about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.

(7.4)
“There went up … about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.”

5
And the men of Ai smote of them
about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.

(7.5)
“And the men of Ai smote them.”

6 And
Joshua rent his clothes, and fell
to the earth
upon his face
before the ark of the LORD
until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.

(7.6)
“Joshua rent his clothes, and fell …upon his face … until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.”

7 And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!

8
O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies!

(7.8)
“O LORD, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies!”

9
For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it
, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?

(7.9)
“For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it.”
What will the neighbors say? Joshua worries that neighboring tribes will make fun of them for being defeated by the Amorites.

10 And
the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?

(7.10)
“The LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?”

(7.11-13) God tells Joshua to kill whoever took “the accursed thing.”