This verse is not simply the statement about one man’s sin; all the Israelites suffer as a consequence of his sin: The LORD was furious with the Israelites.

The first sentence of Good News Translation is difficult because it contains (a) two negatives (not to take; was not obeyed) and (b) a series of four events: command, take, destroy, and obey. The complexity may be somewhat eased as follows: “The LORD commanded the people of Israel to destroy Jericho and everything in it. But a man named Achan did not obey the LORD’s command, and so the LORD was very angry with the people of Israel.” Or, if repetition is more effective: “… but not everyone obeyed this command. A man named Achan disobeyed what the LORD had said….” Direct discourse may be employed for the Lord’s command: “The LORD had told the people of Israel, ‘Destroy Jericho and everything in it.’ ….”

Achan’s disobedience is spoken of as treachery, as “an act of unfaithfulness” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). He defied the Lord’s explicit command and “took some of the devoted things” (Revised Standard Version), that is, “things devoted to destruction.” Achan’s lineage is given: Carmi, Zabdi, Zerah, and tribe of Judah (see verses 16-18). In identifying Achan Good News Translation follows the order of the Hebrew: son of … grandson of … clan of … tribe of…. Some languages may prefer to go from the larger units of tribe and clan to that of the family.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Newman, Barclay M. A Handbook on Joshua. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .