The Meaning of Joshua 7:20 Explained

Joshua 7:20

KJV: And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:

YLT: And Achan answereth Joshua, and saith, 'Truly I have sinned against Jehovah, God of Israel, and thus and thus I have done;

Darby: And Achan answered Joshua and said, Indeed I have sinned against Jehovah the God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done.

ASV: And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Of a truth I have sinned against Jehovah, the God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Achan  answered  Joshua,  and said,  Indeed  I have sinned  against the LORD  God  of Israel,  and thus and thus have I done: 

What does Joshua 7:20 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 7:16-26 - The Troubler Found And Removed
When God deals with sin He traces its genealogy. Twice over we have the list of Achan's ancestors, Joshua 7:1; Joshua 7:18. To deal with sin thoroughly we need to go back to its sources. See James 1:14-15.
How Achan's heart must have stood still as he beheld the closer approach of detection, like the contracting walls of a chamber of horrors. One by one we pass before the eye of Omniscience, as a ship's company before the quarantine officer. We cannot hide ourselves behind parents, lineage or religious ancestors. Each must give an account of himself, 2 Corinthians 5:10.
Achan's family had been privy to his crime. It could hardly have been otherwise, since the goods were buried in the common tent. They were probably grown men and women. The notions of justice were stronger and harsher in that day than with us, who have been taught by Christ. When the evil is put away, the door of hope stands wide, Hosea 2:15. [source]

Chapter Summary: Joshua 7

1  The Israelites are smitten at Ai
6  Joshua's complaint
10  God instructs him what to do
16  Achan is taken by the lot
19  His confession
24  He and all he had are destroyed in the valley of Achor

What do the individual words in Joshua 7:20 mean?

And answered Achan - Joshua and said indeed I have sinned against Yahweh God of Israel and like this have I done
וַיַּ֧עַן עָכָ֛ן אֶת־ יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר אָמְנָ֗ה אָנֹכִ֤י חָטָ֙אתִי֙ לַֽיהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְכָזֹ֥את עָשִֽׂיתִי

וַיַּ֧עַן  And  answered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
עָכָ֛ן  Achan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָכָן  
Sense: a Judaite who violated God’s specific ban on taking any loot from the captured city of Jericho and was stoned to death along with his family for this violation.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ  Joshua 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹושֻׁעַ  
Sense: son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim and successor to Moses as the leader of the children of Israel; led the conquest of Canaan.
וַיֹּאמַ֑ר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אָמְנָ֗ה  indeed 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אָמְנָה  
Sense: verily, truly, indeed.
חָטָ֙אתִי֙  have  sinned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.
לַֽיהוָה֙  against  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵ֣י  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וְכָזֹ֥את  and  like  this 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
עָשִֽׂיתִי  have  I  done 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.