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More Joshua commentaries
Joshua 3:1-17
Crossing the Jordan
Joshua 4:1-14
Two Memorials of Stone are built
Joshua 4:15-24
A Reminder to Future Generations
Joshua 5:1-15
Preparing for Victory
Joshua 6:1-14
The Destruction of Jericho
Joshua 6:15-27
A shout that shattered the walls
Joshua 7:16-26
The destruction of the stolen goods
Joshua 8:1-29
Israel Destroys the Town of Ai
Joshua 8:30-35
Joshua leads the people to Shechem
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A shout that shattered the walls
Joshua 6:15–27
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)
Every schoolchild in Scotland knows the story of how the thistle saved the country. In the year 1263 when the Scots and Danes were at war, the Danes managed to land unobserved on the coast of Scotland. Under cover of darkness the Danish invaders removed their boots and crept on b … More
Joshua followed God’s instructions (vv. 2-5). On the seventh day their day began early about the dawning of the day(vv. 15-16). They marched around the city just as they had the previous six days. However, this time instead of going back to their camp, they went on marching six times. As they came around the seventh time, Joshua said unto the people, “Shout: for the Lord hath given you the city.” So the priests blew the trumpets and the people shouted with a great shout. As they did this, the strong wall fell in its place (vv. 17-20). They had trusted God and He did the impossible. Who would have ever thought of taking a city with shouts and trumpets? Joshua got up early the next morning and brought each tribe to the place of worship, where the LORD showed that the Judah tribe was guilty. Then Joshua brought the clans of Judah to the LORD, and the LORD showed that the Zerah clan was guilty. “Achan,” Joshua said, “ the LORD God of Israel has decided that you are guilty. Is this true?”
The Israelites utterly destroyed the city of Jericho (v. 21), except Rahab and her family were safe (vv. 22-23) because she had faith in the living God. In return for information, Joshua’s spies had promised to protect Rahab and her family from the battle (2:14-15). Rahab had kept her part of the promise, and now Joshua took time from the battle to tell the spies to keep their part (vv. 24-25). The loot of the city was to be “devoted to God,” the animals and citizens were to be slain. Here we find the Jews obeyed in every detail and God gave them total victory over Jericho (vv. 26-27. God’s purpose was to keep the people’s faith and worship uncontaminated. He did not want the booty to remind Israel of Canaanite practices.
Application
In the destruction of Jericho and its population God is telling us that He will not tolerate compromise with sin in the lives of His people. God’s instructions may require me to do things that don’t make sense. I may not see the logic of God’s plan until after I have obeyed and experienced the victory.
Joshua 6:15-27 (English Standard Version)
On the seventh day they rose early, at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, "Shout, for the LORD has given you the city. And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the LORD for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it. But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD." So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city. Then they devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword. But to the two men who had spied out the land, Joshua said, "Go into the prostitute's house and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, as you swore to her." So the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. And they brought all her relatives and put them outside the camp of Israel. And they burned the city with fire, and everything in it. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. But Rahab the prostitute and her father's household and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive. And she has lived in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. Joshua laid an oath on them at that time, saying, "Cursed before the LORD be the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho. "At the cost of his firstborn shall he lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son shall he set up its gates." So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame was in all the land.
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