Joshua 6:7

7 He said to the people, "Go forward. Circle the city. Let the armed soldiers go in front of the LORD's chest."

Joshua 6:7 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 6:7

And he said unto the people, pass on, and compass the city,
&c.] The women and children, the young men under twenty years of age, the unarmed part of the camp, as distinguished from the armed men:

and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the Lord;
to guard the ark, protect the priests, and defend the people, should any sally be made by the enemy upon them. These seem to design all the males that were above twenty years of age able to bear arms, and fit for war; though some restrain it to the forty thousand of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, ( Joshua 1:14 ) ( 4:12 ) .

Joshua 6:7 In-Context

5 "Have them blow a long blast on the ram's horn. As soon as you hear that trumpet blast, have all the people shout out a loud war cry. Then the city wall will collapse, and the people will rise up, attacking straight ahead."

6 So Joshua, Nun's son, called the priests. He said to them, "Lift up the covenant chest. Let seven priests carry seven trumpets made from rams' horns in front of the LORD's chest."

7 He said to the people, "Go forward. Circle the city. Let the armed soldiers go in front of the LORD's chest."

8 As soon as Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying seven ram's horn trumpets moved forward in front of the LORD. They blew the trumpets. The LORD's covenant chest followed.

9 The initial group of soldiers was going in front of the priests who were blowing the trumpets. The rear guard was coming behind the chest, with trumpets blowing continuously.