And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.
Joshua said to him, 'Why have you brought trouble on us? Today the LORD will bring trouble on you.' Then all the people of Israel killed him by throwing stones at him, and they burned the bodies with fire after they had stoned them to death.
This verse describes the execution of Achan and his family as punishment for his disobedience that brought defeat to Israel.
📚 Historical Context
This follows immediately after Achan confessed to stealing devoted items from Jericho, which God had commanded to be completely destroyed. His sin had caused Israel's shocking defeat at Ai and put the entire nation at risk of God's judgment. Under the covenant law, such deliberate violation of God's commands during holy war required the death penalty to restore the community's relationship with God.
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