Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.

JOSHUA 7:11KJV
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Joshua 7:11 (KJV)

What does Joshua 7:11 mean?

Joshua 7:11 says that the people of Israel have sinned by breaking God’s command: they took things that were supposed to be set apart and destroyed, stole them, lied about it, and hid them among their own belongings. This verse lists out the specific wrongs that led to Israel’s trouble after their defeat at Ai.

God is speaking to Joshua after Israel’s unexpected loss in battle. God explains that the defeat happened because someone in Israel disobeyed the command about the “accursed thing”—items from Jericho that were supposed to be destroyed. The verse names the offenses: taking what was forbidden, stealing, lying, and hiding the stolen goods, showing how the whole community is affected by one person’s actions.

The Hebrew behind Joshua 7:11

  • “Sinned” (חָטָא, ḥāṭā’): This word means to miss the mark or fall short, not just to break a rule, but to fail in loyalty or relationship. It highlights that Israel’s failure was both moral and relational with God.
  • “Transgressed” (עָבַר, ʿāvar): This word means to cross over or pass beyond a boundary. Here, it shows that Israel didn’t just make a mistake—they knowingly crossed a clear line God had set.
  • “Covenant” (בְּרִית, bərît): This is a binding agreement or promise. The verse stresses that the wrongdoing was not just about objects, but about breaking a special relationship with God.
  • “Thing” (חֵרֶם, ḥērem): This refers to something devoted to destruction, set apart for God and not to be kept. The seriousness of taking the ḥērem is that it was meant for God alone, not for personal gain.
  • “Dissembled” (כָּחַשׁ, kāḥaš): This word means to lie or deceive. It shows that the wrongdoing included not just the act itself, but also covering it up.

Why Joshua 7:11 matters

  • Joshua 7:11 makes clear that God sees both the actions and the hidden motives or cover-ups; nothing is truly secret from Him, even if it is hidden from others.
  • The verse shows that in Israel’s community, one person’s sin could bring consequences for everyone, stressing the seriousness of shared responsibility.
  • By listing each wrong—taking, stealing, deceiving, and hiding—Joshua 7:11 helps readers understand why the punishment was so severe and why confession and correction were needed before Israel could move forward.

Where else these words appear

“dissembled” Hebrew H3584 · used in 22 verses

  • Genesis 18:15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
  • 1 Kings 13:18 He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.
  • Proverbs 30:9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

“thing” Hebrew H2764 · used in 31 verses

  • Leviticus 27:21 But the field, when it goeth out in the jubile, shall be holy unto the LORD, as a field devoted; the possession thereof shall be the priest's.
  • Joshua 7:13 Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.
  • Ezekiel 26:14 And I will make thee like the top of a rock: thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I the LORD have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.

“stolen” Hebrew H1589 · used in 36 verses

  • Genesis 30:33 So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me.
  • Exodus 21:16 And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.
  • 2 Chronicles 22:11 But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons that were slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest,(for she was the sister of Ahaziah,) hid him from Athaliah, so that she slew him not.