Joshua 7:20 is Achan’s confession to Joshua after his theft from the battle of Jericho has been exposed. He admits plainly that he sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel, and then describes what he did. The words are spoken by Achan, a man from the tribe of Judah, in reply to Joshua, the leader of Israel, who has just called him to tell the truth before God and the assembled people.
Achan answered Joshua, and said, “I have truly sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel, and this is what I have done.
Joshua 7:20 (WEB)
What Joshua 7:20 Means
Achan begins with “I have truly sinned,” which is a direct admission with no excuse attached. The word “truly” signals that he is not offering a partial or half-hearted confession. He names the offense as a sin against “the LORD, the God of Israel,” placing his wrongdoing within the covenant relationship Israel has with God rather than treating it as a private mistake or a matter of bad luck.
The second half of the verse, “and this is what I have done,” moves from general confession to specific detail. Achan is willing to say what he took, which is the step that his earlier silence had avoided. The verse therefore shows confession in two parts: owning the wrong before God and describing it honestly to the people who need to know. It does not promise that confession removes every consequence already set in motion, and the chapter makes clear that the community still bears a cost for what happened.
The Context of Joshua 7:20
The book of Joshua records Israel’s entry into the land of Canaan under Joshua’s leadership. Its author is traditionally held to be Joshua himself, with later editing, and its first readers were the Israelite community preparing to settle the land. Chapter 7 follows the victory at Jericho, where God had commanded that the city’s plunder be devoted to him. Achan’s secret taking of some of it led to Israel’s defeat at Ai, which is why the people’s failure is treated as corporate as well as individual.
Verses 17 through 23 describe a careful process of identification. The tribes, then families, then households, and finally Achan are brought forward until he is singled out. Joshua’s appeal in verse 19 to “give glory to the LORD” sets the frame for what follows, so Achan’s answer in verse 20 reads as a response to that summons. Seeing the confession within this sequence helps explain why it is spoken so directly and why it leads to the recovery of the hidden goods in the verses that come next.
Key Phrases in Joshua 7:20
Psalm 32:5
I acknowledged my sin to you. I didn’t hide my iniquity. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the LORD, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
(WEB)
David describes the relief of finally acknowledging his sin to God instead of concealing it. Like Achan, he moves from silence to a plain confession, and the psalm shows the same pattern of owning the wrong before God and receiving forgiveness.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(WEB)
This verse states the principle behind Achan’s confession in New Testament language. It pairs the admission of sin with God’s faithfulness to forgive, which gives the honest acknowledgment in Joshua its hope.
A Short Prayer From Joshua 7:20
Lord, you see what I have kept hidden, even the parts I have told myself do not matter. I come to you now and say plainly that I have sinned against you. Give me the courage to name what I have done without excuse or delay. Help me to speak the truth to the people who need to hear it, and let my confession lead to repair rather than to more concealment. Thank you that you are the God who meets honest hearts with mercy. Amen.
