King James Version

What Does Joshua 7:19 Mean?

Joshua 7:19 in the King James Version says “And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; an...” — study this verse from Joshua chapter 7 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.”

Joshua 7:19 · KJV

Prayer

Context

17

And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken:

18

And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.

19

And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.

20

And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:

21

When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it. wedge: Heb. tongue

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Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
Joshua's address to Achan combines pastoral tenderness ('My son') with moral urgency, creating a model for confronting sin with both grace and truth. The phrase 'give glory to the LORD God of Israel' (ten-kavod laYahweh Elohei Yisrael, תֵּן־כָּבוֹד לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל) uses an idiom meaning to acknowledge God's justice by confessing sin truthfully. This same formula appears in John 9:24 when Pharisees interrogate the healed blind man. Confession doesn't earn forgiveness here but publicly vindicates God's holiness and justice before the community. The command 'make confession unto him' (ten-lo todah, תֵּן־לוֹ תוֹדָה) uses todah (תוֹדָה), which can mean thanksgiving or confession—acknowledging God's right to judge sin is itself an act of worship honoring His holiness. Joshua's threefold command—'tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me'—demands complete disclosure, not partial admission. The urgency 'now' (na, נָא) allows no delay. Achan's sin had brought defeat at Ai (7:4-5), corporate judgment (7:1), and threat to the entire conquest. His taking devoted items (herem, חֵרֶם) from Jericho violated God's explicit command (6:18-19) and stole what belonged exclusively to God. This narrative establishes principles of corporate responsibility, the seriousness of hidden sin, and the necessity of dealing thoroughly with sin before God's blessing can continue.

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Historical & Cultural Context

This confrontation occurred after Israel's humiliating defeat at Ai, where 36 Israelites died and the army fled in panic (7:4-5). God revealed that someone had violated the herem (devoted ban) by taking consecrated items from Jericho. The investigation proceeded systematically: tribe by tribe, clan by clan, family by family, man by man (7:14-18), until Achan was identified. This methodical process allowed time for voluntary confession and prevented false accusation, yet also increased communal awareness of sin's gravity. Achan's confession (7:20-21) revealed he took a Babylonian garment, 200 shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing 50 shekels—valuable items representing greed and covetousness. Archaeological excavations at et-Tell (possibly Ai) show destruction in the Late Bronze Age consistent with Joshua's conquest. The Babylonian garment (adderet Shinar) indicates international trade connections and Canaan's luxury goods markets. Achan buried the stolen items under his tent (7:21), believing he could hide sin from God and community. The subsequent judgment was severe—Achan, his family, possessions, and livestock were stoned and burned in the Valley of Achor (7:24-26). This harsh penalty reflected the covenant community's need for purity and the seriousness of sacrilege. The Valley of Achor ('trouble') became a memorial warning future generations. Later prophets use Achor symbolically as a place of judgment transformed into blessing through divine grace (Hosea 2:15, Isaiah 65:10).

Reflection Questions

  1. How does Joshua's combination of tenderness ('My son') and firmness ('tell me now') model biblical confrontation of sin with both grace and truth?
  2. In what areas of your life might you be hiding sin like Achan, assuming you can conceal from God what affects the entire community of faith?
  3. What does the severe judgment on Achan's sin teach about God's holiness and the corporate impact of individual sin within covenant communities?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 22 words
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר1 of 22

“said”

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

יְהוֹשֻׁ֜עַ2 of 22

“And Joshua”

H3091

jehoshua (i.e., joshua), the jewish leader

אֶל3 of 22
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

עָכָ֗ן4 of 22

“unto Achan”

H5912

akan, an israelite

בְּנִי֙5 of 22

“My son”

H1121

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or

שִֽׂים6 of 22

“give”

H7760

to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)

נָ֣א7 of 22
H4994

'i pray', 'now', or 'then'; added mostly to verbs (in the imperative or future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunction

כָב֗וֹד8 of 22

“I pray thee glory”

H3519

properly, weight, but only figuratively in a good sense, splendor or copiousness

לַֽיהוָ֛ה9 of 22

“to the LORD”

H3068

(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god

אֱלֹהֵ֥י10 of 22

“God”

H430

gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme god; occasionally applied by way of

יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל11 of 22

“of Israel”

H3478

he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity

וְתֶן12 of 22

“and make”

H5414

to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)

ל֣וֹ13 of 22
H0
תוֹדָ֑ה14 of 22

“confession”

H8426

properly, an extension of the hand, i.e., (by implication) avowal, or (usually) adoration; specifically, a choir of worshippers

וְהַגֶּד15 of 22

“unto him and tell”

H5046

properly, to front, i.e., stand boldly out opposite; by implication (causatively), to manifest; figuratively, to announce (always by word of mouth to

נָ֥א16 of 22
H4994

'i pray', 'now', or 'then'; added mostly to verbs (in the imperative or future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunction

לִי֙17 of 22
H0
מֶ֣ה18 of 22
H4100

properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and

עָשִׂ֔יתָ19 of 22

“me now what thou hast done”

H6213

to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application

אַל20 of 22
H408

not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (job 24:25) as a noun, nothing

תְּכַחֵ֖ד21 of 22

“hide”

H3582

to secrete, by act or word; hence (intensively) to destroy

מִמֶּֽנִּי׃22 of 22
H4480

properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Joshua. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Joshua 7:19 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Joshua 7:19 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

1 Samuel 6:5Jeremiah 13:16John 9:242 Chronicles 30:221 Samuel 14:43Daniel 9:4

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