Who was Achan in the Bible?
Lived before Israel had a king
Achan was an Israelite from the tribe of Judah who violated God's command by taking devoted things from the conquered city of Jericho (Jos. 7:1). Achan appears in 6 verses of the Bible.
What does the Bible say about Achan?
Achan was an Israelite from the tribe of Judah who violated God's command by taking devoted things from the conquered city of Jericho (Jos. 7:1). His sin caused Israel's defeat in the battle against Ai. When Joshua sought the Lord's guidance, God revealed that someone had stolen from the devoted things (Jos. 7:10-15). Through a process of elimination, Achan was identified as the culprit (Jos. 7:16-18). He confessed to taking a beautiful cloak from Shinar, silver, and gold, hiding them in his tent (Jos. 7:19-21). As a result, Achan and his family were stoned to death, and their remains were burned (Jos. 7:24-25). The place where this occurred was named the Valley of Achor, meaning "trouble" (Jos. 7:26). Achan's sin and its consequences were remembered as a warning against unfaithfulness to God (Jos. 22:20).
Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.
Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.
Where does Achan appear in the Bible?
Achan is referenced in 6 verses. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.
- Joshua 7:1
- Joshua 7:18
- Joshua 7:19
- Joshua 7:20
- Joshua 7:24
- Joshua 22:20
What else appears in these passages?
These turn up in the same passages as Achan.
Common questions
How many times does the Bible mention Achan?
Achan appears in 6 verses, all of them in Joshua.
Which books of the Bible mention Achan?
Just one: Joshua.
Where can I read every verse about Achan?
This page lists 6 of them. Protos carries all 6, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.
