Joshua6

Joshua 6 details the miraculous capture of Jericho by the Israelites. Following divine instructions, they marched around the city once daily for six days, with priests blowing trumpets before the Ark of the Covenant. On the seventh day, after seven circuits and a great shout from the people, Jericho's walls collapsed, allowing Israel to conquer the city and utterly destroy its inhabitants, sparing only Rahab and her household.
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God Commands the Siege of Jericho

1
Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. ​
2
And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. ​
3
And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.
4
And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. ​
5
And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him. ​

Obedience and the Daily March

6
And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD.
7
And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the LORD.
8
And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns passed on before the LORD, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them.
9
And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and the rereward came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets. ​
10
And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout. ​
11
So the ark of the LORD compassed the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.
12
And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.
13
And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rereward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.
14
And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days. ​

The Walls Fall and the City Is Destroyed

15
And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times. ​
16
And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city. ​
17
And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. ​
18
And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. ​
19
But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD. ​
20
So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. ​
21
And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword. ​

Rahab and Her Family Are Saved

22
But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her.
23
And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel. ​
24
And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD.
25
And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. ​

Joshua's Curse and Fame

26
And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it. ​
27
So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country. ​

Study Notes for Joshua 6

Verse 1

Jericho, the first city encountered west of the Jordan, was highly fortified. The phrase 'straitly shut up' emphasizes the impossibility of Israel taking the city through conventional military means, setting the stage for a divine miracle.

Verse 2

The Lord speaks in the perfect tense: 'I have given.' The victory is presented as a completed action, emphasizing that the battle is God's, and the subsequent actions of Israel are ritual obedience rather than military strategy.

Verse 4

The number seven dominates this plan (seven priests, seven trumpets, seven days, seven circuits). This number often signifies completion, perfection, or holiness, underscoring the sacred nature of this ritualized warfare. The trumpets (shofarot) were ram's horns used both for religious festivals and war alarms.

Verse 5

The walls 'fall down flat' (Hebrew: *tahteyha*). This implies the walls collapsed straight down into their foundations, creating a ramp for the attackers to ascend, validating the instructions to ascend 'straight before him.'

Verse 9

The marching formation placed the Ark of the Covenant—the symbol of God’s presence—at the center, flanked by armed men (protection) and the priests blowing the trumpets (signaling divine action). This procession was more theological than tactical.

Verse 10

The enforced silence was crucial. It prevented Israel from claiming the victory through human strength or psychological warfare, ensuring that the miraculous collapse would be attributed solely to the power of the LORD.

Verse 14

The daily routine emphasizes the importance of sustained, patient obedience to God’s specific, unusual instructions, even when they seem repetitive or ineffective.

Verse 15

The seventh day required an extraordinary effort, marching seven times—a final, climactic act of faith and perseverance before the divine intervention.

Verse 16

The shout is not a battle cry meant to scare the enemy, but an act of faith and praise, signifying that God has fulfilled His promise and delivered the city.

Verse 17

The city is declared *herem* ('accursed' or 'devoted to destruction'). This dedication meant that everything in the city was to be destroyed or consecrated to God, preventing Israel from profiting from the conquest of this first fruit of the land.

Verse 18

This warning against taking the accursed thing acts as a theological preparation for the events of Chapter 7 (Achan’s sin), where disobedience to the *herem* results in disastrous consequences for the entire community.

Verse 19

Precious metals and durable vessels were exceptions to the destruction, consecrated to the LORD's treasury. They were too valuable to be destroyed but were also forbidden for personal use, acknowledging God’s sovereignty over all material wealth.

Verse 20

The immediate and complete collapse confirms that the victory was achieved not by the sound of the trumpets or the volume of the shout, but by the power of God responding to Israel's obedience.

Verse 21

The total destruction of life and livestock fulfills the command of *herem*, removing the spiritual and cultural contamination of the Canaanite population before Israel settled the land.

Verse 23

Rahab and her family are brought out but initially left 'without the camp.' This temporary exclusion suggests a period of ritual cleansing and assimilation before being fully integrated into the community of Israel.

Verse 25

Rahab’s salvation is highlighted as a reward for her faith and loyalty to the Israelite God (see Hebrews 11:31). She later became an ancestress of King David and, ultimately, of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5).

Verse 26

This solemn curse symbolically dedicates Jericho to perpetual ruin. The curse of losing the oldest son at the foundation and the youngest son at the setting of the gates was literally fulfilled centuries later by Hiel the Bethelite (1 Kings 16:34).

Verse 27

The chapter concludes by linking Joshua’s success and growing reputation directly to the presence of the LORD, affirming that national success is dependent upon divine partnership.

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