Matthew Poole and continuators on Joshua 7:1

BUT the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing : for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel .

i. e. One of them, by a very usual Synecdoche or Enallage, as Gen. 8. 4. and 19. 29. and Mat. 26. 8. where that is ascribed to the Disciples, which belonged to Iudas only, Iohn 12. 4.

i. e. In taking some of the forbidden and accursed goods.

Called also Zimri, 1 Chron. 2. 6.

Or, Zarah, who was Iudahs immediate Son, Gen. 38. 30. who went with Iudah into Egypt: and so for the filling up the 256 years that are supposed to come between that and this time, we m[illegible: 1+ letters]st allow Achan to be now an Old-man, and his three Ancestors to have begotten each his Son at about 60 years of Age; which at that time was not incredible nor unusual.

Why did God punish the whole Society for this one mans sin? Ans. All of them were punished for their own sins, whereof each had a sufficient proportion; but God took this occasion to inflict the punishment upon the Society, partly because divers of them might be guilty of this sin, either by coveting what he actually did, or by concealing of his fault, which it is probable could not be unknown to others; or by not sorrowing for it, and endeavouring to purge themselves from it: partly to make sin the more hateful; as being the cause of such dreadful and publick Judgments: and partly to oblige all the members of every society to be both more circumspect in the ordering of their own actions, and more diligent to watch over one another, and to prevent the miscarriages of their Brethren, which is a great benefit and blessing to them, and to the whole Society, and worthy to be purchased by a sharp affliction upon the Society.

Marginal references: Chap. 22. 20. 1 Chron. 2. 7.