Albert Barnes Commentary Joshua 7:1

"But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the devoted thing; for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the devoted thing: and the anger of Jehovah was kindled against the children of Israel." — Joshua 7:1 (ASV)

Committed a trespass - (Compare to Leviticus 5:15 note), “acted treacherously and committed a breach of faith.” This suitably describes the sin of Achan, who had stolen and hidden away that which had been dedicated to God by the ban (Joshua 6:19).

The “trespass” was the act of one man, yet it is imputed to all Israel, who also share in the penalty of it (Joshua 7:5). This is not to be explained as though all the people participated in the covetousness which led to Achan’s sin (Joshua 7:21).

The nation as a nation was in covenant with God and is treated by Him not merely as a number of individuals living together for their own purposes under common institutions, but as a divinely-constituted organic whole.

Hence, the sin of Achan defiled the other members of the community as well as himself and robbed the people collectively of holiness before God and acceptableness with Him. Israel had, in the person of Achan, broken the covenant (Joshua 7:11); God therefore would no longer drive out the Canaanites before them.

The accursed thing - Rather “in that which had been devoted or dedicated.” Achan, in diverting any of these devoted things to his own purposes, committed the sin of sacrilege, that of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:2–3).

Achan or Achar - (the marginal reference) the “n” and “r” being interchanged, perhaps for the sake of accommodating the name to עכר ‛âkar, “trouble” (Joshua 7:25). Zabdi is generally identified with the Zimri of 1 Chronicles 2:6. Zerah was twin brother of Pharez and son of Judah (Genesis 38:30). In this genealogy, as in others, several generations are omitted, most likely those which intervened between Zerah and Zabdi, and which covered the space between the migration of Jacob’s household to Egypt and the Exodus (Numbers 26:5, see the note).