Achan’s dramatic confession brings an end to a tense standoff, exposing a hidden history of theft driven by the looming threat of civil war. Seeing the tribe of Judah gathering and preparing for battle over the violation of the banned spoils, Achan realizes the extreme danger of his silence. He decides it is better to face death alone than to cause the death of thousands of Israelites [רש״י].
He begins by declaring that he is speaking truthfully [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ], fully admitting his sin against God regarding the newly captured spoils [מלבי״ם]. However, his admission extends beyond the immediate offense. While some interpret his phrasing as a simple introduction to the specific details of his current theft [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ], the primary approach among commentators is that his words expose a long-standing pattern of behavior. Achan confesses that this is not his first time taking forbidden spoils. He admits to stealing from dedicated war booty during previous military campaigns under the leadership of Moses [רש״י, מצודת דוד, רד״ק, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. These earlier thefts occurred during battles where the spoils were strictly devoted to God, such as the wars against the Canaanite King of Arad, the Midianites, and possibly the campaigns against Sihon and Og [מצודת דוד, רד״ק].
By revealing his past actions, Achan attempts a form of self-justification. He tries to explain that he had become so accustomed to this behavior over time that the sin eventually felt permissible in his own eyes [מלבי״ם].
This revelation of past offenses raises a significant question about why Achan escaped punishment during the days of Moses. The sages offer two main explanations for this delay in justice [רד״ק]. One perspective suggests that the spiritual principle holding the entire nation accountable for the secret sins of an individual only took effect after the Israelites crossed the Jordan River. Another view maintains that God never punishes a community for sins committed in absolute secrecy. According to this understanding, Achan faces public punishment now because his theft in Jericho was not entirely hidden, as his own children were aware of what he had done.