Easton's Bible Dictionary Called also Achar, i.e., one who troubles (1 Chronicles 2:7), in commemoration of his crime, which brought upon him an awful destruction (Joshua 7:1). On the occasion of the fall of Jericho, he seized, contrary to the divine command, an ingot of gold, a quantity of silver, and a costly Babylonish garment, which he hid in his tent. Joshua was convinced that the defeat which the Israelites afterwards sustained before Ai was a proof of the divine displeasure on account of some crime, and he at once adopted means by the use of the lot for discovering the criminal. It was then found that Achan was guilty, and he was stoned to death in the valley of Achor. He and all that belonged to him were then consumed by fire, and a heap of stones was raised over the ashes. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia ACHAN a'-kan (`akhan (in 1 Chronicles 2:7 Achar, `akhar, "troubler"): The descendant of Zerah the son of Judah who was put to death, in Joshua's time, for stealing some of the "devoted" spoil of the city of Jericho (Joshua 7). The stem `akhan is not used in Hebrew except in this name. The stem `akhar has sufficient use to define it. It denotes trouble of the most serious kind-Jacob's trouble when his sons had brought him into blood feud with his Canaanite neighbors, or Jephthah's trouble when his vow required him to sacrifice his daughter (Genesis 34:30 Judges 11:35). In Proverbs 11:17, 29; Proverbs 15:6, 27) the word is used with intensity to describe the results of cruelty, disloyalty, greed, wickedness. The record especially speaks of Achan's conduct as the troubling of Israel (1 Chronicles 2:7 Joshua 6:18; Joshua 7:24). In an outburst of temper Jonathan speaks of Saul as having troubled the land (1 Samuel 14:29). Elijah and Ahab accuse each the other of being the troubler of Israel (1 Kings 18:17, 18). The stem also appears in the two proper names ACHOR and OCHRAN (which see). The crime of Achan was a serious one. Quite apart from all questions of supposable superstition, or even religion, the cherem concerning Jericho had been proclaimed, and to disobey the proclamation was disobedience to military orders in an army that was facing the enemy. It is commonly held that Achan's family were put to death with him, though they were innocent; but the record is not explicit on these points. One whose habits of thought lead him to expect features of primitive savagery in such a case as this will be sure to find what he expects; a person of different habits will not be sure that the record says that any greater cruelty was practiced on the family of Achan than that of compelling them to be present at the execution. Those who hold that the Deuteronomic legislation comes in any sense from Moses should not be in haste to think that its precepts were violated by Joshua in the case of Achan (see Deuteronomy 24:16). The record says that the execution took place in the arable valley of Achor, up from the Jordan valley. See ACHOR. Willis J. Beecher

Multi-Version Concordance Achan (7 Occurrences) Genesis 36:27 The children of Ezer are these; Bilhan, and Zaavan, and Achan. (WBS) 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. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Joshua 7:18 He brought near his household man by man, and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was selected. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Joshua 7:19 Joshua said to Achan, "My son, please give glory to Yahweh, the God of Israel, and make confession to him. Tell me now what you have done! Don't hide it from me!" (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Joshua 7:24 Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his cattle, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had; and they brought them up to the valley of Achor. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Joshua 22:20 Didn't Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the devoted thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? That man didn't perish alone in his iniquity.'" (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Chronicles 2:7 And the sons of Carmi: Achan, the troubler of Israel, who did wrong about the cursed thing. (BBE)