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 7:25KJV
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Joshua 7:25 (KJV)

What does Joshua 7:25 mean?

Joshua 7:25 describes how Joshua confronted Achan for bringing trouble on Israel by disobeying God, declaring that the LORD would now bring trouble on Achan in return. The verse then records that all Israel stoned Achan and his family, and afterward burned them with fire as a form of judgment.

Joshua is speaking to Achan after Israel’s defeat at Ai, which happened because Achan secretly took items from Jericho that were supposed to be devoted to God. Joshua’s words highlight a direct link between Achan’s actions and the consequences he now faces. The verse shows the seriousness with which the community dealt with disobedience, emphasizing both collective responsibility and the fulfillment of God’s earlier warnings.

The Hebrew behind Joshua 7:25

  • The word "troubled" (עָכַר, `akar) is used twice, once for what Achan did to Israel and once for what the LORD will now do to Achan. This word carries the sense of causing disaster or bringing calamity, showing a measure-for-measure response.
  • "Stoned" (סָקַל, saqal) and "stones" (אֶבֶן, 'even) are repeated to stress the method and seriousness of the execution. Stoning was a communal act, involving all Israel, which underlines the collective nature of the judgment.
  • "Burned" (שָׂרַף, saraph) with "fire" (אֵשׁ, esh) follows the stoning, indicating a complete removal of the offender and the things associated with the offense, not just a physical punishment but a symbolic purging from the community.

Why Joshua 7:25 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Achan’s punishment was not just personal but involved the whole community, showing how one person’s actions could affect all of Israel.
  • The repeated use of the word for "trouble" highlights the principle of reaping what one sows, a theme that runs throughout the chapter.
  • Joshua 7:25 connects back to earlier warnings in the book about the consequences of disobeying God’s commands, making the seriousness of covenant faithfulness unmistakably clear to the reader.

Where else these words appear

“troubled” Hebrew H5916 · used in 13 verses

  • Genesis 34:30 And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.
  • 1 Kings 18:17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
  • Proverbs 11:17 The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.

“stoned” Hebrew H7275 · used in 15 verses

  • Leviticus 20:2 Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.
  • Leviticus 24:23 And Moses spake to the children of Israel, that they should bring forth him that had cursed out of the camp, and stone him with stones. And the children of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses.
  • 1 Kings 12:18 Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

“stoned” Hebrew H5619 · used in 20 verses

  • Exodus 8:26 And Moses said, It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God: lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us?
  • Deuteronomy 13:10 And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
  • 2 Samuel 16:13 And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill's side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.

“Why” Hebrew H4100 · used in 27 verses

  • Genesis 4:10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.
  • Numbers 23:8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?
  • Psalms 78:40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!