Yehoshua 6

1 Now Yericho was closely shut up because of the Bnei Yisroel; none went out, and none came in.

2 And Hashem said unto Yehoshua, See, I have given into thine yad Yericho, and the melech thereof, and the gibborei hechayil.

3 And ye shall march around the Ir, all ye anshei hamilchamah, and go around the Ir once. Thus shalt thou do sheshet yamim.

4 And shivah Kohanim shall bear before the Aron shivah shoferot hayovelim; and the Yom HaShevi’i ye shall march around the Ir sheva times, and the Kohanim shall sound the shoferot.

5 And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the keren hayovel, when ye hear the sound of the shofar, Kol HaAm shall shout with a teruah gedolah; and the Chomat HaIr shall fall down, and HaAm shall go up every ish charging straight in.

6 And Yehoshua ben Nun called the Kohanim, and said unto them, Take up the Aron HaBrit, and let shivah Kohanim bear shivah shoferot yovelim (seven ram-shofars) before the Aron Hashem.

7 And he ordered HaAm, Pass on, and march on the Ir, and let him that is armed pass on ahead of the Aron Hashem.

8 And it came to pass, when Yehoshua had spoken unto HaAm, that the shivah Kohanim bearing the shivah shoferot hayovelim passed on before Hashem, and sounded the shoferot; and the Aron Brit Hashem followed after them.

9 And the armed men marched ahead of the Kohanim that blew with the shoferot, and the rear guard came after the Aron, with the shoferot of the Kohanim going on sounding.

10 Yehoshua had commanded HaAm, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any davar proceed out of your mouth, until the Yom I tell you to shout; then shall ye shout.

11 So the Aron Hashem circled the Ir, going about it once; and they returned to the machaneh, and spent the night in the machaneh.

12 And Yehoshua rose early in the boker, and the Kohanim took up the Aron Hashem.

13 And shivah kohanim bearing shivah shoferot hayovelim before the Aron Hashem went on continually, and sounded the shoferot; and the armed men went before them; with the rearguard after the Aron Hashem, the Kohanim going on, and sounding the shoferot.

14 And the Yom HaSheni they circled the Ir once, and returned to the machaneh; so they did sheshet yamim.

15 And it came to pass on the Yom HaShevi’i, that they got up early about shachar, circled the Ir after the same manner sheva times; only on that Yom they marched around the Ir sheva p’amim.

16 And it came to pass on the Shevi’it, when the Kohanim sounded the shoferot, Yehoshua said unto HaAm, Shout; for Hashem hath given you the Ir.

17 And the Ir shall be cherem, even it, and all that are therein, to Hashem; only Rachav the zonah shall live, she and all that are with her in the bais, because she hid the malachim that we sent.

18 And ye, be shomer to keep yourselves from the cherem, lest ye make yourselves cherem, when ye take of the cherem, and make the Machaneh Yisroel cherem, and trouble it.

19 But all the kesef, zahav, and vessels of nechoshet and barzel, are kodesh unto Hashem; they shall come into the Otzar Hashem.

20 So HaAm shouted when the Kohanim sounded the shoferot; and it came to pass, when HaAm heard the kol (sound) of the shofar, and HaAm shouted with a teruah gedolah, that the chomah fell down, so that HaAm went up into the Ir, every ish straight before him, and they took the Ir.

21 And they utterly destroyed [devoted as cherem] all that was in the Ir, both ish and isha, na’ar and zaken, and shor, and seh, and chamor, with the edge of the cherev.

22 But Yehoshua had said unto the two anashim that had spied out HaAretz, Go into the bais haisha hazonah, and bring out from there the isha, and all that she hath, just as ye swore unto her.

23 And hane’arim (the young men) that were spies went in, and brought out Rachav, and her av, and her em, and her achim, and all that she had; and they brought out all her mishpechot, and put them outside the Machaneh Yisroel.

24 And they burned the Ir with eish, and all that was therein; only the kesef, and the zahav, and the vessels of nechoshet and of barzel (iron), they put into the Otzar Bais Hashem.

25 And Yehoshua saved Rachav the zonah alive, and her Bais Avi, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Yisroel even unto this day; because she hid the malachim, which Yehoshua sent to spy out Yericho.

26 And Yehoshua made them take this shevu’ah, saying, Arur (cursed) be the ish before Hashem, that riseth up and rebuildeth this Ir Yericho; he shall lay the foundation thereof with his bechor, and with his tza’ir (youngest son) shall he set up the delatot (gates) thereof [See fulfillment 1Kgs 16:34].

27 So Hashem was with Yehoshua; and his fame was noised throughout kol HaAretz.

Yehoshua 6 Commentary

Chapter 6

The siege of Jericho. (1-5) The city is compassed. (6-16) Jericho is taken, Rahab and her family are saved. (17-27)

Verses 1-5 Jericho resolves Israel shall not be its master. It shut itself up, being strongly fortified both by art and nature. Thus were they foolish, and their hearts hardened to their destruction; the miserable case of all that strengthen themselves against the Almighty. God resolves Israel shall be its master, and that quickly. No warlike preparations were to be made. By the uncommon method of besieging the city, the Lord honoured the ark, as the symbol of his presence, and showed that all the victories were from him. The faith and patience of the people were proved and increased.

Verses 6-16 Wherever the ark went, the people attended it. God's ministers, by the trumpet of the everlasting gospel, which proclaims liberty and victory, must encourage the followers of Christ in their spiritual warfare. As promised deliverances must be expected in God's way, so they must be expected in his time. At last the people were to shout: they did so, and the walls fell. This was a shout of faith; they believed the walls of Jericho would fall. It was a shout of prayer; they cry to Heaven for help, and help came.

Verses 17-27 Jericho was to be a solemn and awful sacrifice to the justice of God, upon those who had filled up the measure of their sins. So He appoints, from whom, as creatures, they received their lives, and to whom, as sinners, they had forfeited them. Rahab perished not with them that believed not, ( Hebrews 11:31 ) . All her kindred were saved with her; thus faith in Christ brings salvation to the house, ( Acts 14:31 ) . She, and they with her, were plucked as brands from the burning. With Rahab, or with the men of Jericho; our portion must be assigned, as we posses or disregard the sign of salvation; even faith in Christ, which worketh by love. Let us remember what depends upon our choice, and let us choose accordingly. God shows the weight of a Divine curse; where it rests there is no getting from under it; for it brings ruin without remedy.

Chapter Summary

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.