Joshua 6

Joshua 6:1 Jericho was strongly fortified because of the Israelites – no one leaving or entering.

Joshua 6:2 Yahveh said to Joshua, “Notice, I have handed Jericho, its king, and its most capable soldiers over to you.

Joshua 6:3 March around the city with all the soldiers, circling the city one time. Do this for six days.

Joshua 6:4 Have seven priests carry seven ram’s-horn trumpets in front of the ark. But on the seventh day, march around the city seven times while the priests blow the trumpets.

Joshua 6:5 When there is a prolonged blast of the horn, and you hear its sound, have all the troops give a strong yell. Then the city wall will collapse, and the troops can advance, each man straight ahead.”

Joshua 6:6 So Joshua, son of Nun, called the priests together and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant and have seven priests carry seven trumpets in front of the ark of Yahveh.”

Joshua 6:7 He said to the troops, “Move forward, march around the city, and have the armed men go ahead of the ark of Yahveh.”

Joshua 6:8 After Joshua had spoken to the troops, seven priests carrying seven trumpets moved forward and blew the trumpets in front of Yahveh; the ark of Yahveh’s covenant followed them.

Joshua 6:9 While the trumpets were blowing, the soldiers went in front of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard went behind the ark.

Joshua 6:10 But Joshua had commanded the troops: “Do not yell or let your voice be heard. Don’t let one word come out of your mouth until the time I say, ‘Yell! ‘ Then you are to yell.”

Joshua 6:11 So the ark of Yahveh was carried around the city, circling it once. They returned to the camp and spent the night there.

Joshua 6:12 Joshua got up early the following day. The priests took the ark of Yahveh,

Joshua 6:13 and the seven priests carrying seven trumpets marched in front of the ark of Yahveh. While the trumpets were blowing, the soldiers went in front of them, and the rear guard went behind the ark of Yahveh.

Joshua 6:14 On the second day, they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

Joshua 6:15 Early on the seventh day, they started at dawn and marched around the city seven times in the same way. That was the only day they marched around the city seven times.

Joshua 6:16 After the seventh time, the priests blew the trumpets, and Joshua said to the troops, “Yell! Because Yahveh has given you the city.

Joshua 6:17 But the city and everything in it are set apart to Yahveh for destruction. Only Rahab, the prostitute, and everyone with her in the house will stay alive because she hid the messengers we sent.

Joshua 6:18 But keep yourselves from the things set apart, or you will be set apart for destruction. If you take any of those things, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and make trouble for it.

Joshua 6:19 You see, all the silver and gold, and the articles of bronze and iron, are sacred to Yahveh and must go into Yahveh’s treasury.”

Joshua 6:20 So the troops yelled, and the trumpets sounded. When they heard the blast of the trumpet, the troops gave a great yell, and the wall collapsed. The troops advanced into the city, each man straight ahead, and they captured the city.

Joshua 6:21 They set apart for destruction everything in the city with the sword – every man and woman, both young and old, and every ox, sheep, and donkey.

Joshua 6:22 Joshua said to the two men who had scouted the land, “Go to the prostitute’s house and bring the woman out of there and everyone who is with her, just like you swore to her.”

Joshua 6:23 So the young men who had scouted went in and brought out Rahab and her father, mother, brothers, and everyone who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and settled them outside the camp of Israel.

Joshua 6:24 They burned the city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of Yahveh’s house.

Joshua 6:25 However, Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, her father’s family, and everyone who belonged to her because she hid the messengers Joshua had sent to spy on Jericho, and she still lives in Israel today.

Joshua 6:26 At that time, Joshua imposed this curse: The man who undertakes the rebuilding of this city, Jericho, is cursed before Yahveh. He will lay its foundation at the cost of his firstborn; he will finish its gates at the cost of his youngest.

Joshua 6:27 And Yahveh was with Joshua, and news about him spread throughout the land.

Joshua 6 quotes:

“Many readers reject the book of Joshua because they think it describes only warfare. In reality, the narratives concentrate on God’s role in giving the land and summarize the warfare. Joshua 6:20-25 covers the fighting in summary fashion. That section points out the results of what could have been an intense battle. It describes the falling of the wall, the killing of the population, the burning of the city, and the rescue of Rahab and her family. Most of the chapter details marching instructions to Joshua and subsequently to the people and the liturgical march around the city. This format emphasizes not the violence of the warfare but rather the sounding of the trumpets and the war whoop of the ritual. The chapter makes the point that Jericho falls because of the power of God and the faithfulness of the people instead of battlefield strategy or skills.”

Harris J. Gordon et al. Joshua Judges Ruth. Hendrickson Publishers ; Paternoster Press 2000. p. 47.

“In verses 1-7 the Lord gives instructions to Joshua about the capture of Jericho; it is the Lord’s doing (verse 2), and the city walls will fall without the use of human force (verses 3-5). Joshua tells the Lord’s instructions to the priests (verse 6) and to the people (verse 7), and all is ready. Jericho is in a state of siege (verse 1), which may indicate that considerable time has passed since the Israelites encamped at Gilgal.

Bratcher Robert G and Barclay Moon Newman. A Handbook on the Book of Joshua. United Bible Societies 1992. p. 69.