Josue 7:24
Then Josue and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zare, and the silver and the garments, and the golden rule, his sons also and his daughters, his oxen and asses and sheep, the tent also, and all the goods: and brought them to the valley of Achor:
The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Tollens itaque Josue Achan filium Zare, argentumque et pallium, et auream regulam, filios quoque et filias ejus, boves et asinos et oves, ipsumque tabernaculum, et cunctam supellectilem (et omnis Israël cum eo), duxerunt eos ad vallem Achor :
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ ἔλαβεν Ἰησοῦς τὸν Ἀχὰρ υἱὸν Ζάρα καὶ ἀνήγαγεν αὐτὸν εἰς φάραγγα Ἀχώρ, καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς μόσχους αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ ὑποζύγια αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντα τὰ πρόβατα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν σκηνὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ, καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἀνήγαγεν αὐτοὺς εἰς Ἐμεκαχώρ.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַיִּקַּ֣ח יְהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ אֶת עָכָ֣ן בֶּן זֶ֡רַח וְאֶת הַכֶּ֣סֶף וְאֶת הָאַדֶּ֣רֶת וְֽאֶת לְשׁ֣וֹן הַזָּהָ֡ב וְֽאֶת בָּנָ֡יו וְֽאֶת בְּנֹתָ֡יו וְאֶת שׁוֹרוֹ֩ וְאֶת חֲמֹר֨וֹ וְאֶת צֹאנ֤וֹ וְאֶֽת אָהֳלוֹ֙ וְאֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר ל֔וֹ וְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עִמּ֑וֹ וַיַּעֲל֥וּ אֹתָ֖ם עֵ֥מֶק עָכֽוֹר
Haydock's commentary
His sons, &c. Probably conscious to, or accomplices of the crime of their father, (Challoner) as he could hardly have concealed these things in the midst of his tent without their knowledge. (Menochius)
But granting, with St. Augustine (q. 8,) that they were innocent of this crime, God, who is the sovereign arbiter of life and death, might order them out of the world, on this occasion, without injustice.
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St John Chrysostom The Commentary and Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Galatians and Ephesians, Ephesians 2:17-22
Where then there is such impiety as this going on, what dreadful calamity must we not expect? And to be assured how sore vengeance they incur who are guilty of such sins as these, consider the examples of old. One single man, a common soldier, stole the sacred property, and all were smitten. Ye know, doubtless, the history I mean? I am speaking of Acham the son of Carmi, the man who stole the consecrated spoil. ( Joshua vii. 1-26 .) The time too when the Prophet spoke, was a time when their country was full of soothsayers, like that of the Philistines. ( Isa. ii. 6 .) Whereas now there are evils out of number at the full, and not one fears. Oh, henceforth let us take the alarm. …
St Jerome The Letters of St. Jerome, To Eustochium
13. It would be tedious were I tell of the valley of Achor, that is, of ‘trouble and crowds,’ where theft and covetousness were condemned; and of Bethel, ‘the house of God,’ where Jacob poor and destitute slept upon the bare ground. Here it was that, having set beneath his head a stone which in Zechariah is described as having seven eyes and in Isaiah is spoken of as a corner-stone, he beheld a ladder reaching up to heaven; yes, and the Lord standing high above it holding out His hand to such as were ascending and hurling from on high such as were careless. …