As though it belonged to them. Some of the stolen things God had ordered destroyed; others, the gold and the silver, had been dedicated to the Lord and were to be placed in His treasury. But Achan had fearlessly appropriated them to himself as though they were his own. There are Achans in the camp today. Of the tithes and offerings it is declared, “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings” (Mal. 3:8). The tithe is consecrated to the Lord and is to be put into His treasury. There are those who take the tithe as though it belonged to them, and “put it ... among their own stuff.” Israel lost the blessing of God because of this type of sin. Can it be that the curse of Mal. 3:9 rests upon the camp of Israel today? We are not living under a theocracy now, and transgressors do not immediately receive the punishment that is their due (see Eccl. 8:11). But this does not make their sin less heinous. “Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Heb. 13:8). Eventually all sin will receive its just punishment.

Literally, “lied,” “deceived.” In this case they lied by their actions. They kept the matter secret and acted as though they were not guilty. Lying is often companion to stealing.

 This may refer specifically to the command regarding the spoils of the city of Jericho, but in a broader sense it includes God’s original covenant with Israel. This was based on the Ten Commandments, described in Scripture as “his covenant, which he commanded you to perform” (Deut. 4:13). Both aspects of the divine command are referred to in the expressions, “they have even taken of the accursed thing,” and “have also stolen.” In the Hebrew each of the five items listed in v. 11 is connected to the preceding statement by the conjunction we, “also.”

 The guilt was attributed to all Israel (see on v. 1). God was not to be charged with the humiliating defeat. He had not deserted them; they had disobeyed. Had God continued to fight for His people, He would have been sanctioning sin and encouraging its continuance.