Joshua 6:18 · Bible study
Joshua 6:18 Commentary: The Devoted Thing and Corporate Holiness
Hebrew · 7 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Study Joshua 6:18: what it means to keep from the devoted thing, the danger of taking it, and the lesson for corporate holiness in God's covenant community.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Joshua warns Israel to stay away from items devoted to God, because taking them would bring God's judgment on the entire community.
- Key words: cherem (devoted thing), shamar (keep, guard), akar (trouble, disturb).
- Main debate: Whether the whole camp is punished due to imputed guilt, collective responsibility, or because God uses the occasion to discipline the larger community for its own faults.
- Theological theme: Corporate holiness and the interconnectedness of God's covenant people, sin is never purely private.
- Best use: Preaching and teaching on the gravity of hidden sin, the seriousness of church discipline, and our responsibility toward one another in the body of Christ.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
But keep away from the things devoted to destruction, lest you yourself be set apart for destruction. If you take any of these, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and bring disaster upon it.
WEB World English Bible 2000
But as for you, only keep yourselves from what is devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted it, you take of the devoted thing; so you would make the camp of Israel accursed and trouble it.
KJV King James Version 1769
And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
But as for you, only keep yourselves from the devoted thing, lest when ye have devoted it, ye take of the devoted thing; so would ye make the camp of Israel accursed, and trouble it.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and surely ye have kept from the devoted thing, lest ye devote yourselves , and have taken from the devoted thing, and have made the camp of Israel become a devoted thing, and have troubled it;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
But in any wise keep from the accursed thing, lest ye make [yourselves] accursed in taking of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
But beware ye lest you touch ought of those things that are forbidden, and you be guilty of transgression, and all the camp of Israel be under sin, and be troubled.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Empero guardaos vosotros del anatema, que ni toquéis, ni toméis alguna cosa del anatema, porque no hagáis anatema el campo de Israel, y lo turbéis.
Porém guardai-vos vós do anátema, que nem toqueis, nem tomeis alguma coisa do anátema, porque não façais anátema o acampamento de Israel, e o perturbeis.
Gardez-vous seulement de ce qui sera dévoué par interdit; car si vous preniez de ce que vous aurez dévoué par interdit, vous mettriez le camp d’ Israël en interdit et vous y jetteriez le trouble.
Allein hütet euch von dem Verbannten, daß ihr euch nicht verbannt, so ihr des Verbannten etwas nehmt, und macht das Lager Israel verbannt und bringt' s in Unglück.
Alleenlijk dat gijlieden u wacht van het verbannene, opdat gij u misschien niet verbant, mits nemende van het verbannene, en het leger van Israel niet stelt tot een ban, noch datzelve beroert.
E voi guardatevi bene da ciò ch’è votato all’interdetto, affinché non siate voi stessi votati allo sterminio, prendendo qualcosa d’interdetto, e non rendiate maledetto il campo d’Israele, gettandovi lo scompiglio.
A wszakże się wy strzeżcie od rzeczy przeklętych, abyście się nie stali przeklęstwem, biorąc co z rzeczy przeklętych, abyście nie wprawili obozu Izraelskiego w przeklęstwo, i nie zamieszali go.
и все серебро и золото, и сосуды медные и железные да будут святынею Господу и войдут в сокровищницу Господню.
至於 你們，務要謹慎，不可取 那當滅的物，恐怕 你們 取了 那當滅的物 就連累 以色列 的全營，使 全營受咒詛。
And as for you, keep yourselves from the cursed thing, for fear that you may get a desire for it and take some of it for yourselves, and so be the cause of a curse and great trouble on the tents of Israel.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Joshua 6:18
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The commentators agree that Joshua's warning is direct and serious. Cambridge Bible calls it “a warning, which Achan neglected to the destruction of himself and his family.” Gill's Exposition explains that taking from “the accursed thing” makes the taker also cherem, devoted to destruction, and that the whole camp of Israel becomes “chargeable with it” because the sin is secret. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown note that Jericho's spoil was an exception to later practice (see Joshua 8:27) and that violation would “entail distress and adversity upon all Israel, by provoking the divine displeasure.” Wesley adds that God might take the occasion to punish the whole camp for its collective sins. The core agreement is clear: obedience protects the community; one person's hidden theft from God's devoted property brings corporate danger.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Imputed guilt view: The sinner's guilt is imputed to the community by association; Wesley notes that God might take occasion to punish the whole camp for its own sins.
- Collective responsibility view: God holds the covenant community responsible as a whole; JFB says the violation would 'entail distress and adversity upon all Israel.'
- Divine discipline view: God uses the individual's sin as an opportunity to discipline the larger community for its own faults (Gill, Wesley).
What is clear: Taking a devoted thing is a direct violation of God's command and brings serious corporate consequences, not just individual judgment.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Why taking the devoted thing affects the whole camp | The sin of one member brings God's displeasure upon the entire community, as seen in Joshua 7. | Some see it as imputed guilt (the person's sin is counted against the community), while others see it as collective responsibility (God deals with the nation as a covenant unit, so one person's sin jeopardizes the whole covenant relationship). A third view sees God using the occasion to discipline the camp for its own unidentified sins (Wesley). |
| The nature of the 'devoted thing' for today | It refers to things set apart for God that must not be misused or taken for personal gain. | Some apply the principle directly to church discipline and purity, while others see it as a specific historical command for Israel's conquest that does not directly transfer to the church but teaches a broader principle of God's holiness. |
| Application to the church | The church must guard against sin that impacts the whole body (1 Corinthians 5). | How to handle such sin varies: traditions emphasizing church discipline (e.g., Reformed, some Anabaptist) advocate open correction and removal, while others emphasize private restoration and caution against public shaming. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The term “devoted thing” translates the Hebrew cherem, which describes something set apart for God, either for sacred use or for complete destruction. In the conquest of Jericho, this firstfruits of Canaan was wholly God's, and the Israelites were not to take any spoil for themselves. This exception is underscored by Jamieson-Fausset-Brown: “Generally they were at liberty to take the spoil of other cities…but this, as the first fruits of Canaan, was made an exception.”
The “camp of Israel” was both a military encampment and the assembly of the covenant people under God's rule. The verb “trouble” (akar) carries the sense of disturbing, stirring up, or making taboothe opposite of the peace and blessing God intended for the obedient community. Cross-references reinforce this: Deuteronomy 7:26 warns not to bring a devoted thing into the house, and Joshua 7:1 shows how Achan's taking kindled Yahweh's anger against all Israel.
Literarily, this verse forms the hinge after Jericho's fall and before the disaster at Ai. The command is a test of faith and obedience for a people just entering the land of promise. Rahab's household, spared by faith, stands as the one exception to the ban, showing that mercy and judgment coexist. This warning sets the stage for the tragic failure of Achan in the very next chapter.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts; the main interpretive issues are lexical and theological rather than textual.
Reception History
This verse has been cited throughout church tradition as a warning about sin's communal reach. The Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes emphasize that the people must keep from “execrable things” to avoid making themselves execrable and troubling the whole host. Commentators like Matthew Henry (1710) and John Wesley (1754) both highlighted the corporate consequence: one person's sin can bring God's judgment on the entire camp. In the modern period, this passage is often connected to Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians 5 about the leaven of sin affecting the whole loaf. The story of Achan in Joshua 7 serves as the narrative fulfillment that has shaped Christian thinking on church discipline and accountability across denominations.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The devoted thing is God's alone. Jericho's spoil was consecrated to the Lord. Taking it was not theft but sacrilege, robbing what had been set apart for Yahweh (verses 17, 19).
- Taking it brings trouble. The Hebrew akar means disturbance, calamity. One person's hidden sin unravels peace for the whole camp. As Gill notes, the sin “being done secretly, and not known who did it, the whole body of the people would be chargeable.”
- The community is affected. God's covenant community stands or falls together. Corporate holiness matters because God's presence dwells among the whole people, not just isolated individuals (Joshua 7:12).
Five-point outline
- God commands total consecration. Jericho is a test: will Israel trust God's provision rather than grab spoil for themselves?
- Hidden sin is known to God. Achan thought no one saw, but the Lord saw and the camp experienced defeat.
- Individual sin threatens the whole. The health of the body depends on each member's faithfulness.
- The camp must be purged. Sin cannot be ignored; it must be exposed and removed (Joshua 7:13, 15).
- Obedience brings blessing. When Israel returns to obedience, victory follows (Joshua 8:1, 2).
Illustration hooks
- A team project where one person's undisclosed error sinks the whole grade. Everyone shares the consequence even though only one made the mistake.
- A church whose reputation for generosity is undercut when a leader's secret greed is discovered. The whole body feels the shame.
- A family whose budget is strained because one member took on hidden debt. The debt must be acknowledged and dealt with corporately.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “Why does my private sin affect people I love? Doesn't God forgive when I confess?”
- “How can a church today distinguish between personal sin that demands private repentance and sin that impacts the whole community?”
- “What does it mean that the church is a holy people? How do we keep the camp pure without becoming judgmental?”
Leading a Discussion
Joshua 6:18 shows that holiness is not just personal, it is corporate. The one who takes from the devoted thing endangers the entire camp. This passage invites us to consider how our hidden choices affect the people of God and how seriously we take the holiness of the community.
Discussion questions
- Read Joshua 6:18. What is the “devoted thing” in this context? Why is it called “devoted”? (See also Deuteronomy 7:26.)
- What verbs does Joshua use to protect the people? What actions are forbidden, and what consequences are named?
- Why would taking a single item from Jericho make the whole camp “accursed”? Does this seem fair? Why or why not?
- How does the story of Achan in Joshua 7 confirm the warning of verse 18? What does that narrative teach about God's view of sin in the community?
- What does “trouble” (akar) mean in this context? How does it connect to the name Achan later (Joshua 7:25)?
- In what ways do we see a parallel between Israel's camp and the New Testament church (1 Corinthians 5:6, 7; Hebrews 12:14)?
- What “devoted things” might exist in our own lives, possessions, ambitions, secret sins, that we are tempted to keep for ourselves rather than surrender to God? How could this affect the spiritual health of our church?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Deuteronomy 7:26 | You shall not bring an abomination into your house and become a devoted thing like it. You shall utterly detest it. You shall utterly abhor it; for it is a devoted thing. |
| Deuteronomy 13:17 | Nothing of the devoted thing shall cling to your hand, that Yahweh may turn from the fierceness of his anger and show you mercy, and have compassion on you and multiply you, as he has sworn to your fathers, |
| Joshua 7:1 | But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the devoted things; for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. Therefore Yahweh’s anger burned against the children of Israel. |
| Joshua 7:11 | Israel has sinned. Yes, they have even transgressed my covenant which I commanded them. Yes, they have even taken some of the devoted things, and have also stolen, and also deceived. They have even put it among their own stuff. |
| Joshua 7:12 | Therefore the children of Israel can’t stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will not be with you any more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. |
| Joshua 7:15 | It shall be, that he who is taken with the devoted thing shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed Yahweh’s covenant, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.’” |
| Joshua 7:25 | Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? Yahweh will trouble you today.” All Israel stoned him with stones, and they burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. |
| Joshua 22:18 | that you must turn away today from following Yahweh? It will be, since you rebel today against Yahweh, that tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that this command functions as a direct warning, one Achan later disregarded to his own ruin and that of his entire family. Neglect of it brought catastrophic consequences, not just for the individual but for those closest to him.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses the severe corporate danger of touching what God has marked for destruction. One person's theft of the accursed thing makes that person accursed and also brings God's judgment upon the entire assembly of Israel, troubling the whole camp.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill warns that taking any part of something devoted to destruction, even secretly, makes the whole community liable to God's curse. The danger is that unless the offender is found and punished, the entire camp of Israel suffers and is troubled on account of one hidden sin.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that Jericho was unique among conquered cities; its spoil was entirely off-limits as the firstfruits of Canaan, unlike later cities where plunder was allowed. Violating this ban would not only curse the guilty individual but also bring God's displeasure and adversity on the whole nation of Israel.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange insists the fall of Jericho was a direct miracle, not a natural event like an earthquake or undermining. He rejects these naturalistic explanations as hollow, emphasizing instead the event's symbolic significance: the collapse of every world-power before the Lord when He comes to establish His kingdom.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry emphasizes the clear distinction between what is devoted to destruction and what is consecrated to the Lord. The entire city and its inhabitants were accursed, but the precious metals were set apart for God's treasury, and Rahab's family alone was preserved alive because of her faithful act in hiding the spies.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley gives two ways a curse spreads from one person's sin to others. The sinner may provoke God to punish those around them, or God may simply use that sin as an occasion to discipline the whole company for their own transgressions.