Ver. 21. When I saw among the spoils— The Samaritan Chronicle makes Achan here say, that it was in a temple of Jericho that he saw the things which tempted him; among which was a goodly Babylonish garment. Bochart with his usual erudition observes, that clothes of divers colours were made at Babylon, adorned with figures, in the taste of the Turkey carpets, very shining, rich, and much sought after in all the eastern world. The Babylonians had invented these sorts of works, made in the loom with the needle and of several colours. Phaleg, lib. i. c. 6. p. 25. Tempted, therefore, by the sight of one of these garments, (which the LXX here call fine mantles of divers colours,) Achan took one of them, either to use it afterwards, or to sell it; for they were of great price.
Two hundred shekels of silver— About thirty pounds sterling. See Calmet. And a wedge of gold, &c. The Hebrew signifies a tongue of gold, which is the same thing: thereby is meant a piece of gold in a bar, and nearly in the shape of a tongue. This wedge, at the rate of fifty shekels of gold, might be worth upwards of ninety pounds sterling. It should be remembered, that in the time of Joshua they had no silver money.
Fifty shekels— Twelve ounces and a half.
Then I coveted them, and took them— This fully justifies that saying of St. James: When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, ch. Joshua 1:15. Achan ardently desired the garment, the silver, and the gold, which displayed themselves to his view, in a place where he was evidently without witness; and he perverted them to his own use.