Did Joshua kill Achan's wife and children?

[Humble_Disciple]

This is from the Jewish Encyclopedia:

Achan and all that belonged to him were stoned to death and, with the whole of his possessions, burned, and "a great heap of stones" was raised over the ashes (Josh. vii. 24-26). This mode of expiation for sacrilegious theft appears somewhat harsh and inhumane, particularly so if we understand the words, "And all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire and stoned them with stones" (Josh. vii. 25), to refer not only to Achan, his goods, and his beasts, but also to "his sons and daughters" mentioned in the preceding verse (see W. Robertson Smith, "Religion of the Semites," 2d ed., p. 162).

The Jewish exegetes, Rashi, Gersonides, and others, maintain that the stoning (Josh. vii. 25) was inflicted only on the beasts, and that the sons and daughters were brought there merely to witness and be warned. This seems to be the opinion also of the rabbis in the Talmud (see Rashi on Sanh. 44a), although they say that the wife and the children were accessories to the crime, in so far as they knew of it and kept silent.
ACHAN - JewishEncyclopedia.com

The text itself doesn't specify who "them" is referring to, whether it be Achan's family or just his animals.

 

[HTacianas]

This is from the Jewish Encyclopedia:



The text itself doesn't specify who "them" is referring to, whether it be Achan's family or just his animals.

No one knows for certain but in all likelihood they were all stoned to death. The bit about the Talmud is not that unusual because the Talmud tends to spin things or at least put them in best light given the times.

 

[Humble_Disciple]

No one knows for certain but in all likelihood they were all stoned to death. The bit about the Talmud is not that unusual because the Talmud tends to spin things or at least put them in best light given the times.

It says that, overall, the rabbinic commentaries side with just Achan was killed, and not his family. If Joshua killed his entire family, would that have been approved by God?

 

[HTacianas]

It says that, overall, the rabbinic commentaries side with just Achan was killed, and not his family. If Joshua killed his entire family, would that have been approved by God?

That's what Joshua was told to do. It seems odd and even cruel given our modern American sense of justice but that is the way it was.

 

[Humble_Disciple]

That's what Joshua was told to do. It seems odd and even cruel given our modern American sense of justice but that is the way it was.

Does the text specify that Joshua was told to kill Achan's family, and not just his animals? The text says that Achan was buried, but not his wife and children. And to whom "them" is referring to is left ambiguous, which is why the rabbinic commentators said it referred to Achan's animals.

 

[Humble_Disciple]

Here's something really interesting. According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, Joshua stopped the sun in the sky in order to delay the Sabbath:

According to Pirḳe R. El. xlii., when Joshua was fighting for the Gibeonites the Sabbath was about to set in. Seeing the disinclination of his people to continue the battle at the risk of desecrating the Sabbath, and perceiving that the magicians of the heathen were inciting the constellations to help the cause of Israel's enemies, he spread out his hand toward the light of the sun and of the moon and "remembered upon them" the Ineffable Name, when both sun and moon stood still for thirty-six hours (Yalḳ., Gen. Lek Leka).
JOSHUA (JEHOSHUA) - JewishEncyclopedia.com

 

[HTacianas]

Does the text specify that Joshua was told to kill Achan's family, and not just his animals?

No, it doesn't. Ancient Hebrew is not as specific as modern English. For instance, there is no "them" in the text. If you translated the original directly into English it would sound a lot like shorthand.

 

[Humble_Disciple]

Here's another interesting question. Was the captain of the Lord's army in Joshua 5 the Archangel Michael or was he a theophany of Jesus? If he were just an angel, why would he say it was holy ground and accept humans bowing down to him?

 

[HTacianas]

Here's something really interesting. According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, Joshua stopped the sun in the sky in order to delay the Sabbath:

The "missing day" it is sometimes called. But keep in mind that the word "solstice" literally means "sun is stationary". That ancients believed that on two days a year the sun stopped in its tracks. It is the day that the sun stands still. It is more likely that the battle was fought on the day that the sun stood still.

 

[Humble_Disciple]

The "missing day" it is sometimes called. But keep in mind that the word "solstice" literally means "sun is stationary". That ancients believed that on two days a year the sun stopped in its tracks. It is the day that the sun stands still. It is more likely that the battle was fought on the day that the sun stood still.

Doesn't an eclipse last just for a few minutes?

 

[HTacianas]

Doesn't an eclipse last just for a few minutes?

Not an eclipse, but the solstice. In this case the summer solstice which is the longest day of the year.

 

[Humble_Disciple]

While it might seem unjust and cruel that the Book of Joshua describes entire Gentile cities being killed, please keep in mind that the cities who accepted Israel's God, rather than the pagan gods for whom they offered child sacrifices and engaged in sex rituals, were spared.

Also, it might be hyperbolic when it says entire cities were killed, because later the Book of Judges the Israelites suggests there were remaining people:

However, the next book of the Bible opens “after the death of Joshua” (Judges 1:1), and here is what it says about five of those six places.

After that, Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev and the western foothills. They advanced against the Canaanites living in Hebron (formerly called Kiriath Arba) and defeated Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai. From there they advanced against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher). (Judges 1:9-11)
#post_title – Self-Study Bible Courses BibleBridge

 

[Humble_Disciple]

Not an eclipse, but the solstice. In this case the summer solstice which is the longest day of the year.

I'm confused. Does the sun stand still for two days on the solstice? Are you saying it was just a metaphor of the solstice, rather than a miraculous event?

 

[Humble_Disciple]

If the captain of the Lord's army in Joshua 5 was a theophany of Jesus, this makes sense in light of Revelation 19:11. Jesus is going to return on a white horse and slay the wicked. He's not a diaper-wearing hippie.

 

[Micaiah-Imla]

"And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. 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 7:24-25)

Seems clear to me from the text that they all were killed.

 

[Humble_Disciple]

"And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. 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 7:24-25)

Seems clear to me from the text that they all were killed.

Why does the text describe Achan getting buried but not his wife and children?

 

[HTacianas]

I'm confused. Does the sun stand still for two days on the solstice? Are you saying it was just a metaphor of the solstice, rather than a miraculous event?

The metaphor is the most likely explanation.

 

[Humble_Disciple]

The metaphor is the most likely explanation.

What would the point of the story be if it was just a metaphor? God could suspend the laws of physics if He wanted to.

 

[Micaiah-Imla]

Why does the text describe Achan getting buried but not his wife and children?

"Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity." (Joshua 22:20)

It doesn’t mention that the coveted property was buried either but it’s pretty clear that the accused things had to be gotten rid of as well.

 

[Humble_Disciple]

"Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity." (Joshua 22:20)

It doesn’t mention that the coveted property was buried either but it’s pretty clear that the accused things had to be gotten rid of as well.

I would say again that it could just be referring to his animals, as the rabbinic commentators taught. It just seems unfair that his wife and children would be killed, by God's orders, for doing practically nothing.