Hebrews 11:30

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they had been encircled for seven days.

Hebrews 11:30 Meaning and Commentary

Hebrews 11:30

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down
Of themselves, not from any natural cause: the Jews say ^F14 they sunk right down into the ground, and were swallowed up; even the whole wall fell round about, as the Septuagint version in ( Joshua 6:20 ) expresses it: or, it may be, only that which was over against the camp of Israel, as Kimchi observes; since Rahab's house was built upon the wall, and yet fell not. And this was by the faith of Joshua, and the Israelites, who believed the walls would fall, at the sound of the rams' horns, as God said they should: after they were compassed about seven days; which was a trial of their faith and patience: the Jews say ^F15 it was on the sabbath day that they fell: this was a preternatural act, and cannot be ascribed to any second cause; nothing is impossible with God; no defences, ever so strong, are anything against him; unlikely means are sometimes made use of by him; faith stops at nothing, when it has the word of God to rest upon; and what God does, be does in his own time, and in his own way. This may be an emblem of the fall of the walls of the hearts of unregenerate men; of their unbelief, hardness, enmity, and vain confidence; and of the conversion and subjection of them unto Christ, through the preaching of the Gospel; which, in the eyes of men, is as mean and despicable, and as unlikely to bring about such an event, as the sounding of the rams' horns might be to the inhabitants of Jericho: and it may be also an emblem of the fall of Babylon, and other antichristian cities, ( Revelation 16:19 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F14 Targum Jon. Jarchi & Kimchi in Josh. vi. 5.
F15 Jarchi & Kimchi in ver. 15.

Hebrews 11:30 In-Context

28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.

29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted to do so they were drowned.

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they had been encircled for seven days.

31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had received the spies in peace.

32 And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—