Joshua 6:12-22

12 Now Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.

13 ¹The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew the trumpets; and the armed men went before them and ²the rear guard came after the ark of the LORD, while they continued to blow the trumpets.

14 Thus the second day they marched around the city once * and returned to the camp; they did so for six days.

15 Then on the seventh day they rose early at the dawning of the day and marched around the city in the same manner seven times; only on that day they marched around the city seven times.

16 At the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, "³Shout! For the LORD has given you the city.

17 "The city shall be ⁴under the ban, it and all that is in it belongs to the LORD; only Rahab the harlot and all who are with her in the house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent.

18 "But as for you, only keep yourselves from the things under the ban, so that you do not covet them and ⁵take some of the things under the ban, and make the camp of Israel accursed and bring trouble on it.

19 "⁶But all the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron are holy to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD."

20 So the people shouted, and priests blew the trumpets; and when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout and the ⁷wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight ahead, and they took the city.

21 ⁸They utterly destroyed everything in the city, both * man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword.

22 Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, "⁹Go into the harlot's * house and bring the woman and all she has out of there, as you have sworn to her."

Joshua 6:12-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 6

In this chapter Joshua is assured, though Jericho was closely shut up, it should be delivered into his hands, Jos 6:1,2; and he is directed, with the army, to go round the city six days together, seven priests bearing the ark of the Lord, with seven trumpets sounding; and on the seventh day to go round it seven times in like manner, when its wall should fall, Jos 6:3-5; which order Joshua communicated to the priests, and to the people, and which was put into execution by them, with some other instructions he gave them, Jos 6:6-16; particularly that the city, and all in it, should be devoted to the Lord, and none spared, but Rahab and her family, Jos 6:17-19; the success was according to the assurance given by the Lord, Jos 6:20; when all in the city were destroyed, and that was burnt with fire, and the gold, silver, brass, and iron, brought into the house of the Lord, and Rahab and her father's household were saved alive, Jos 6:21-25; and the chapter is closed with an adjuration of Joshua, cursing the man that should rebuild the city; and with this observation, that the fame of Joshua upon this was spread abroad throughout the country, Jos 6:26,27.

Cross References

• 1. Joshua 6:4
• 2. Joshua 6:9
• 3. 2 Chronicles 13:14
• 4. Leviticus 27:28; Deuteronomy 20:17
• 5. Joshua 7:1
• 6. Num 31:11, 12, 21-23
• 7. Hebrews 11:30
• 8. Deuteronomy 20:16
• 9. Joshua 2:12-19

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "she and all"
• [b] Lit "devote"
• [c] Or "they"
• [d] Lit "in its place"
• [e] Lit "before himself"
• [f] Or "put under the ban"