John Gill Commentary Joshua 7:26

"And they raised over him a great heap of stones, unto this day; and Jehovah turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day." — Joshua 7:26 (ASV)

And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this
day
That is, at the place where he suffered, or where they laid his ashes, they heaped up a pile of stones over him, as a monument whereby it might be known hereafter where he was executed and was buried; and which pile continued to the writing of this history: such sort of funeral monuments were usual with the Heathens ^F19 also as well as with the Jews, see (Joshua 8:29) (2 Samuel 18:17) ; so the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger; or the effects of it ceased; the outward face of things was altered, the dealings of God in his providence with Israel were changed; though, properly speaking, there is no change in God, nor such affections and passions in him as in man:

wherefore the name of the place was called the valley of Achor unto
this day ;
from the trouble Achan met with, and the people of Israel on his account, see (Joshua 7:24) ; and so it was called in the days of Isaiah and Hosea, (Isaiah 65:10) (Hosea 2:15) ; and where it is prophesied of as what should be in time to come: according to Bunting ^F20 , it was twelve miles from Jerusalem; Jerom ^F21 says it was at the north of Jericho, but Lamy ^F23 , following Bonfrerius, places it to the south; see (Joshua 15:7) .

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FOOTNOTES:

• F19: Vid. Pausan. Arcadica, sive, l. 8. p. 477. & Phocica, sive, l. 10. p. 616, 617.
• F20: Travels of the Patriarchs p. 98.
• F21: De loc. Heb. fol. 88. B.
• F23: Apparat. Geograph. p. 61.