The Bible — World English Bible
Joshua 6
In brief
Joshua 6 tells of the capture of Jericho, the first city taken in Canaan. The city is shut up and barricaded, but God tells Joshua that he is giving it to him. The people walk around the city once a day for six days, in silence, with the ark and the trumpets. On the seventh day, after seven circuits, they raise a great shout and the walls collapse. Rahab and her family are spared, Jericho is devoted to God and Joshua pronounces a curse on anyone who would rebuild it.
The chapter in 4 parts
1Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the children of Israel. No one went out, and no one came in.
2Yahweh said to Joshua, “Behold, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the mighty men of valor.
3All of your men of war shall march around the city, going around the city once. You shall do this six days.
4Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day, you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.
5It shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the city wall shall fall down flat, and the people shall go up, every man straight in front of him.”
6Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before Yahweh’s ark.”
7They said to the people, “Advance! March around the city, and let the armed men pass on before Yahweh’s ark.”
8It was so, that when Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before Yahweh advanced and blew the trumpets, and the ark of Yahweh’s covenant followed them.
9The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the ark went after them. The trumpets sounded as they went.
10Joshua commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout.”
11So he caused Yahweh’s ark to go around the city, circling it once. Then they came into the camp, and stayed in the camp.
12Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up Yahweh’s ark.
13The seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns in front of Yahweh’s ark went on continually, and blew the trumpets. The armed men went in front of them. The rear guard came after Yahweh’s ark. The trumpets sounded as they went.
14The second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. They did this six days.
15On the seventh day, they rose early at the dawning of the day, and marched around the city in the same way seven times. On this day only they marched around the city seven times.
16At the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for Yahweh has given you the city!
17The city shall be devoted, even it and all that is in it, to Yahweh. Only Rahab the prostitute shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
18But as for you, only keep yourselves from what is devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted it, you take of the devoted thing; so you would make the camp of Israel accursed and trouble it.
19But all the silver, gold, and vessels of bronze and iron are holy to Yahweh. They shall come into Yahweh’s treasury.”
20So the people shouted and the priests blew the trumpets. When the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight in front of him, and they took the city.
21They utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, both young and old, and ox, sheep, and donkey, with the edge of the sword.
22Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house, and bring the woman and all that she has out from there, as you swore to her.”
23The young men who were spies went in, and brought out Rahab with her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. They also brought out all of her relatives, and they set them outside of the camp of Israel.
24They burned the city with fire, and all that was in it. Only they put the silver, the gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron into the treasury of Yahweh’s house.
25But Rahab the prostitute, her father’s household, and all that she had, Joshua saved alive. She lives in the middle of Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
26Joshua commanded them with an oath at that time, saying, “Cursed is the man before Yahweh who rises up and builds this city Jericho. With the loss of his firstborn he will lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son he will set up its gates.”
27So Yahweh was with Joshua; and his fame was in all the land.
Key verses
Yahweh said to Joshua, “Behold, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the mighty men of valor.
God announces that the city is already given over while its walls are still standing. The promise comes before the visible victory, and Joshua must choose which of the two realities he fixes his eyes on.
Joshua commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout.”
Joshua orders silence before the shout. Several preachers see in this a lesson about the power of words and about discipline before victory.
So the people shouted and the priests blew the trumpets. When the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight in front of him, and they took the city.
At the people's shout and the sound of the trumpets, the walls collapse. The victory is the fruit of obeying a plan that God gave, not of a human military strategy.
But Rahab the prostitute, her father’s household, and all that she had, Joshua saved alive. She lives in the middle of Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
Rahab, a Canaanite woman, is spared with her family and lives in the midst of Israel. The New Testament cites her among the examples of faith.
They utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, both young and old, and ox, sheep, and donkey, with the edge of the sword.
The text describes the total devotion of the city to destruction under the ban, which raises hard questions about the wars of Canaan. They are best read in light of the whole book of Joshua.
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Frequently asked questions about Joshua 6
What does the fall of the walls of Jericho mean?
The walls collapse after six days of marching in silence and then seven circuits on the seventh day, followed by a great shout. The account stresses obedience to a plan given by God: the city is handed over by him, not conquered by force. Several preachers see in it an encouragement to persevere when nothing seems to change.
Why is Rahab spared in Jericho?
Rahab had welcomed and protected the two spies sent by Joshua. According to the promise made to her, she is saved with her family, and she then lives among Israel. The New Testament cites her faith as an example, and Matthew even mentions her in the genealogy of Jesus.
Why does God order the destruction of Jericho?
The text speaks of devotion to destruction under the ban, a judgment that falls on the whole city. Christian readers approach this question in different ways: some stress the judgment on a people, others the moral difficulty, and all invite us to read the passage within the whole book of Joshua.
Articles quoting Joshua 6
World English Bible translation — public domain.