Lexical Summary Akan: Akan Original Word: עָכָן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Achan From an unused root meaning to trouble; troublesome; Akan, an Israelite -- Achan. Compare Akar. see HEBREW Akar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition an Isr. name NASB Translation Achan (6). Brown-Driver-Briggs עָכָן proper name, masculine man of Judah; — Joshua 7:1 (P), Joshua 7:18; Joshua 7:19; Joshua 7:20; Joshua 7:24 (JE), Joshua 22:20 (P); = עָכָר 1 Chronicles 2:7 (from עָכוֺר Joshua 7:26, see also עָכָר); Αχαρ, Αχαν. Topical Lexicon Identification Achan (Hebrew עָכָן, Strong’s 5912) is introduced in Joshua 7:1 as “the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah.” His name is linked etymologically with “trouble,” a connection made explicit when Joshua declared, “Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this day” (Joshua 7:25). The variant form “Achar” appears in 1 Chronicles 2:7, and the place where judgment fell became “the Valley of Achor,” a term later redeemed in prophetic hope. Historical Setting The narrative unfolds immediately after the miraculous conquest of Jericho. Through Moses, Israel had been commanded to devote to destruction (ḥerem) everything in the doomed city (Deuteronomy 20:16-18; Joshua 6:17-19). Achan violated that ban by coveting and hiding a “beautiful robe from Shinar, two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels” (Joshua 7:21). His secret appropriation of consecrated plunder became the unseen cause of Israel’s initial defeat at Ai, where “about thirty-six of their men were struck down” (Joshua 7:5). Sin and Its Consequences 1. Exposure: By divine direction, lots were cast until the guilty man stood alone (Joshua 7:14-18). Theology of Corporate Responsibility Achan’s account illustrates the solidarity of God’s people under covenant blessing and curse (Deuteronomy 28). It clarifies that divine holiness cannot tolerate concealed rebellion, and that unconfessed sin limits spiritual victory. The episode anticipates New Testament teaching: “A little leaven leavens the whole lump” (Galatians 5:9) and finds a parallel in the judgment of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). Lessons for Ministry • Holiness before strategy: military tactics against Ai were futile until sin was addressed. Later Biblical Reflection Prophets transform the site of judgment into a metaphor of restoration: “I will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope” (Hosea 2:15; cf. Isaiah 65:10). The place once associated with trouble becomes a pledge of renewed blessing, demonstrating that divine discipline serves larger purposes of grace. Typological Insights Achan’s fate foreshadows the need for a substitute able to absorb covenant curse decisively. The heap of stones in the Valley of Achor stands opposite the rolled-away stone at Christ’s tomb. Jesus, who “became a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13), secures the victory over sin that Achan’s generation could not achieve by communal execution. Summary Achan’s six Old Testament appearances concentrate in Joshua 7 and Joshua 22:20, forming a cautionary tale woven into Israel’s national memory. His transgression against the ḥerem principle brought defeat, discipline, and eventual renewal, teaching subsequent generations that the living God demands wholehearted obedience and offers hope beyond judgment. Forms and Transliterations עָכָ֗ן עָכָ֛ן עָכָ֞ן עָכָ֣ן עכן ‘ā·ḵān ‘āḵān aChanLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Joshua 7:1 HEB: בַּחֵ֑רֶם וַיִּקַּ֡ח עָכָ֣ן בֶּן־ כַּרְמִי֩ NAS: under the ban, for Achan, the son KJV: in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son INT: to the things took Achan the son of Carmi Joshua 7:18 Joshua 7:19 Joshua 7:20 Joshua 7:24 Joshua 22:20 6 Occurrences |
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