Joshua 6:2

And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, [and] the mighty men of valour.

And the LORD {H3068} said {H559} unto Joshua {H3091}, See {H7200}, I have given {H5414} into thine hand {H3027} Jericho {H3405}, and the king {H4428} thereof, and the mighty men {H1368} of valour {H2428}.

ADONAI said to Y'hoshua, "I have handed Yericho over to you, including its king and his warriors.

And the LORD said to Joshua, “Behold, I have delivered Jericho into your hand, along with its king and its mighty men of valor.

And Jehovah said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thy hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor.

Commentary

Joshua 6:2 serves as a pivotal declaration from the LORD to Joshua, delivered on the cusp of Israel's first major conquest in the Promised Land. This verse immediately follows Joshua's profound encounter with the Commander of the LORD's army (Joshua 5:13-15), setting the stage for a miraculous victory.

Context

After forty years in the wilderness, the Israelites had successfully crossed the Jordan River (Joshua 3) and renewed their covenant with God at Gilgal. Jericho, a formidable, heavily fortified city, stood as the first major obstacle to their possession of Canaan. Humanly speaking, its capture seemed impossible. However, God's words here preempt any doubt, revealing His divine strategy and absolute control over the outcome.

Key Themes

  • Divine Sovereignty and Promise: The most striking aspect of this verse is God's declaration, "I have given into thine hand Jericho." The victory is proclaimed as a completed act before any battle takes place. This highlights God's absolute sovereignty and His faithfulness to the covenant promises made to Abraham regarding the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:7). The strength of Jericho or its "mighty men of valour" is rendered irrelevant in the face of God's decree.
  • Faith and Obedience: While God guarantees the victory, Joshua and the Israelites are still required to act in faith and obedience to God's specific, unconventional instructions that follow (the marching around the city). Their participation is not to earn the victory, but to demonstrate their trust in God's power and plan.
  • God as the Giver of Victory: This verse underscores that true victory comes not from human strength or military strategy, but from God's divine intervention and power. It sets a precedent for the entire conquest narrative, emphasizing that all successes are gifts from the LORD.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "given" is nathan (נָתַן), which is used here in the perfect tense. This grammatical form signifies a completed action, emphasizing that the transfer of Jericho into Israel's hands is already a settled fact in God's eyes. It's not a future promise, but a present reality from God's perspective. The phrase "into thine hand" is a common biblical idiom denoting possession, power, or control.

Practical Application

Joshua 6:2 offers profound encouragement for believers today. It reminds us that:

  • God's Promises are Certain: Even when facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles or "Jerichos" in our lives, we can rest in the certainty of God's promises. He often declares the victory before we see the means.
  • Faith Precedes Sight: Like Joshua, we are called to act on God's word with faith, even when the path forward seems illogical or impossible. Our obedience, though it doesn't earn God's favor, demonstrates our trust in His power to accomplish what He has promised.
  • Victory Belongs to the Lord: This verse shifts our focus from our own capabilities to God's omnipotence. When we confront challenges, we are reminded that the battle is the LORD's, and He has already secured the victory for those who trust and obey Him, much like the story of David and Goliath.

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Cross-References

  • Deuteronomy 7:24 (11 votes)

    And he shall deliver their kings into thine hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven: there shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them.

  • Joshua 8:1 (8 votes)

    ¶ And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land:

  • Joshua 2:24 (6 votes)

    And they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.

  • Joshua 2:9 (5 votes)

    And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.

  • Nehemiah 9:24 (4 votes)

    So the children went in and possessed the land, and thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them into their hands, with their kings, and the people of the land, that they might do with them as they would.

  • Joshua 6:9 (3 votes)

    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.

  • Joshua 6:24 (3 votes)

    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.