It is written (in Josh. 7:19), “Then Joshua said unto Achan, ‘My son, please give glory [to the Lord God of Israel and make a confession to Him; please tell me what you have done, do not hide it from me.]’” Achan said to him, “Am I to die because of this thing that you are saying ?”<sup class="footnote-marker">10</sup><i class="footnote">Numb. R. 23:6.</i> When Achan saw [the situation], he said in his heart, “Now I shall be entrapped by the lot. Then I shall be found untrue (rt.: '<i>mn</i>) and deemed a liar before Joshua.” At that moment Achan said to Joshua, “Why are you casting lots between me and my house? Let me cast lots between you and Phinehas! If the lot comes up for both of you, I also shall believe (rt.: '<i>mn</i>) [in it].” At that moment (according to Josh. 7:19) Joshua said to Achan, “My son, please give glory to the Lord God of Israel [and make a confession to Him]. Please tell me what you have done.” Achan said to him, “You also tell me what you have done.” Immediately discord broke out in Israel, so that [Achan's] tribe of Judah arose in strife and killed one group in Israel after another. When Achan saw this, he said in his heart, “If anyone saves a single life in Israel, it is as though he had saved the entire world; yet in my case, it has been through me that several people in Israel have been killed. I am a sinner and one who causes [others] to sin. It is better [for me] to confess my transgression before the Holy One, blessed be He, and before Joshua, so that no calamity come about through me.” What did Achan do? He arose and made his voice heard, so that the whole congregation turned to him. He said to Joshua (in vs. 20), “’(Truly) I am the one who sinned before the Lord God of Israel; thus and so (literally, like this and like this) is what I have done.’ So it was not this alone, but I have already misappropriated other [things].”<sup class="footnote-marker">11</sup><i class="footnote">See Gen. R. 85:14, according to which Achan had acted dishonestly in the person of his great grandfather, Zerah, the son of Judah by Tamar.</i> Joshua said to him, “Indeed I also knew that you were responsible for the situation; (Josh. 7:19:) ‘please tell me what you have done. Do not hide it from me.’” (Vs. 21:) “I saw among the spoils.” [He said,] “I have seen what is written in the Torah (in Deut. 20:14), ‘you may eat the spoils of your enemies.’” (Josh. 7:21, cont.:) “A fine <i>shinar</i> mantle.” [He continued,] “Now do not say that I am poor and in need, for there is no one in the tribe of Judah wealthier than I. Immediately (there follows vs. 22), “Then Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent.” For what reason did Joshua send them? So that the tribe of Judah would not steal them (i.e., the stolen articles) and continue in the discord. Joshua therefore sent quickly, and (according to vs. 23) “they brought them unto Joshua and unto all the Children of Israel; and they spread them out before the Lord.” What is the significance of “and they spread them out?” Joshua said in front of the Holy One, blessed be He, “Master of the world, is it because of these that You have been angry with Your children? Here they are set before you.” Immediately [we read] (in vs. 24), “Then Joshua took Achan ben Zerah, the silver, the mantle, and the wedge of gold, together with his sons and his daughters,” [the latter] in order to teach them a lesson; “his ox, his ass, […] and his tent,” for burning. (Vs. 24, cont.:) “All Israel [Joshua took] with him,” to see his punishment so that they would not become accustomed to acting in this way. (Vs. 24, cont.:) “And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor (<i>akhor</i>; rt.: '<i>kr</i>).” (Vs. 25:) “Then Joshua said, ‘Just as you have afflicted (rt.: '<i>kr</i>) us, [may the Lord afflict (rt.: '<i>kr</i>) you] this day.’”<sup class="footnote-marker">12</sup><i class="footnote">Without the bracketed words, the verse would read: HOW YOU HAVE AFFLICTED US THIS DAY!</i> This day [only] is he to be afflicted ('<i>akhur</i>; rt.: '<i>kr</i>), but he will have a share in the world to come. (Vs. 25, cont.:) “Then all Israel pelted him with stones,” him alone; “and they burned them with fire.” The text is speaking of his wealth, for so it had been told [Joshua] by the Almighty (in vs. 15), “And it shall come to pass that the one who has been seized with what has been proscribed shall be burned with fire....” If so, what do we learn from the verse (vs. 15, cont.), “him, and all that he has?” [This passage] is only to teach you that Achan had confessed that he had stolen them on the Sabbath, when he took them out of Jericho and buried them in the midst of his tent. Thus he was stoned for profaning the Sabbath and burned because he had transgressed the ban. And where is it shown? You find that the Holy One, blessed be He, said so to Joshua (in Josh. 6:2–4), “See, I have given Jericho into your hands, [along with its king and the mighty warriors. So you shall go around the city with all the men of war to encompass the city one time, thus shall you do for six days. …] but on the seventh day you shall go around the city seven times.” [This passage serves] to teach you that Jericho was conquered on the Sabbath. Now Joshua did this thing on his own, and the Holy One, blessed be He, gave his consent. Joshua said (to himself), “The Sabbath is holy, as stated (in Exod. 31:14), ‘You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you.’ So whatever we conquer on it shall be holy.” It is so stated (in Josh. 6:19), “But all the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord.” And where is it shown that he received consent? Where it is stated (in Joshua 6:17), “The city and everything in it are to be proscribed for the Lord.” At that time (according to Josh. 7:26) “the Lord turned from His burning anger.” Concerning [this matter], it is stated (in Prov. 16:14), “The king's anger is like messengers of death, and whoever is wise will appease it.” This refers to Joshua, who caused the burning anger of the Lord to turn away from Israel.