Joshua 7:1

1. But the children of Israel committed a trespass Many have found great difficulty here. There was but one personal sinner. How can the whole nation, then, be charged with sin? Calvin, dissatisfied with the many different explanations, advises that “we suspend our decisions till when the books are opened, and the judgments, now holden in darkness, are clearly explained.” It is certain that the crime of one had robbed the nation of that innocence which is pleasing to God. Such are the relations of human society that a community is punished for the sins of a part of its constituents. National punishments are inflicted in this life because nations do not exist after death. It follows, therefore, that while a nation may suffer from the sin of an individual, that suffering is temporal, and not eternal, to those who are not personally involved in the guilt. [“The Scriptures teach that a nation is one organic whole, in which the individuals are merely members of the same body, and are not atoms isolated from one another and the whole. The State is there treated as a divine institution, founded upon family relationships, and intended to promote the love of all to one another, and to the invisible Head of all. As all, then, are combined in a fellowship established by God, the good or evil deeds of an individual affect beneficially or injuriously the whole society.” Keil. All this is simply an admonitory form in which Jehovah places the divine administration of justice. Each man who suffers is worthy of death for his own sin, and no wrong is done to any. See note on Matthew 23:35.]

In the accursed thing In appropriating to private use that which had been solemnly consecrated to God, or devoted to destruction. See note, Joshua 6:17-18.

Achan Called in 1 Chronicles 2:7, Achar, the troubler of Israel.

Son of Carmi His genealogy is thus traced out in view of the method of his detection. Compare Joshua 7:16-18. He seems to have been a descendant of Judah in the fifth generation.

And the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel The entire community has become infected with the guilt of one of its members.