Joshua 6

Jos 6:1-7.

JERICHO

SHUT

UP.

1. Now Jericho was straitly shut up--This verse is a parenthesis

introduced to prepare the way for the directions given by the Captain

of the Lord's host.

2. See, I have given into thine hand Jericho--The language intimates

that a purpose already formed was about to be carried into immediate

execution; and that, although the king and inhabitants of Jericho were

fierce and experienced warriors, who would make a stout and determined

resistance, the Lord promised a certain and easy victory over them.

3-5. ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war. . . .

Thus shalt thou do six days, &c.--Directions are here given as to

the mode of procedure. Hebrew, "horns of jubilee"; that is, the

bent or crooked trumpets with which the jubilee was proclaimed. It is

probable that the horns of this animal were used at first; and that

afterwards, when metallic trumpets were introduced, the primitive name,

as well as form of them, was traditionally continued. The design of

this whole proceeding was obviously to impress the Canaanites with a

sense of the divine omnipotence, to teach the Israelites a memorable

lesson of faith and confidence in God's promises, and to inspire

sentiments of respect and reverence for the ark as the symbol of His

presence. The length of time during which those circuits were made

tended the more intensely to arrest the attention, and to deepen the

impressions, both of the Israelites and the enemy. The number seven was

among the Israelites the symbolic seal of the covenant between God and

their nation [KEIL, HENGSTENBERG].

6, 7. Joshua . . . called the priests--The pious leader, whatever

military preparations he had made, surrendered all his own views, at

once and unreservedly, to the declared will of God.

Jos 6:8-19.

THE

CITY

COMPASSED

SIX

DAYS.

8-11. the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets . . . passed on

before the Lord--before the ark, called "the ark of the covenant,"

for it contained the tables on which the covenant was inscribed. The

procession was made in deep and solemn silence, conforming to the

instructions given to the people by their leader at the outset, that

they were to refrain from all acclamation and noise of any kind until

he should give them a signal. It must have been a strange sight; no

mound was raised, no sword drawn, no engine planted, no pioneers

undermining--here were armed men, but no stroke given; they must walk

and not fight. Doubtless the people of Jericho made themselves merry

with the spectacle [BISHOP

HALL].

12-14. Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the

ark of the Lord--The second day's procession seems to have taken place

in the morning. In all other respects, down even to the smallest

details, the arrangements of the first day continued to be the rule

followed on the other six.

15. on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the

day, and compassed the city . . . seven times--on account of the seven

circuits they had to make that day. It is evident, however, that the

militia only of the Israelites had been called to the march--for it is

inconceivable that two millions of people could have gone so frequently

round the city in a day.

16. it came to pass at the seventh time, . . . Joshua said unto the

people, Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city--This delay brought

out their faith and obedience in so remarkable a manner, that it is

celebrated by the apostle

(Heb 11:30).

17-19. And the city shall be

accursed--(See on

Le 27:28).

The cherem, or "anathema," was a devotion to utter destruction

(De 7:2; 20:17;

1Sa 15:3).

When such a ban was pronounced against a hostile city, the men and

animals were killed--no booty was allowed to be taken. The idols and

all the precious ornaments on them were to be burned

(De 7:25;

compare 1Ch 14:12).

Everything was either to be destroyed or consecrated to the sanctuary.

Joshua pronounced this ban on Jericho, a great and wealthy city,

evidently by divine direction. The severity of the doom, accordant

with the requirements of a law which was holy, just, and good, was

justified, not only by the fact of its inhabitants being part of a race

who had filled up their iniquities, but by their resisting the light of

the recent astonishing miracle at the Jordan. Besides, as Jericho seems

to have been defended by reinforcements from all the country

(Jos 24:11),

its destruction would paralyze all the rest of the devoted people, and

thus tend to facilitate the conquest of the land; showing, as so

astounding a military miracle did, that it was done, not by man, but by

the power and through the anger, of God.

18. and ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed

thing--Generally they were at liberty to take the spoil of other cities

that were captured

(De 2:35; 3:7;

Jos 8:27).

But this, as the first fruits of Canaan, was made an exception; nothing

was to be spared but Rahab and those in her house

[Jos 6:17].

A violation of these stringent orders would not only render the guilty

persons obnoxious to the curse, but entail distress and adversity upon

all Israel, by provoking the divine displeasure. These were the

instructions given, or repeated

(De 13:17; 7:26),

previous to the last act of the siege.

Jos 6:20, 21.

THE

WALLS

FALL

DOWN.

20, 21. So the people shouted when the priests blew with the

trumpets--Towards the close of the seventh circuit, the signal was

given by Joshua, and on the Israelites' raising their loud war cry, the

walls fell down, doubtless burying multitudes of the inhabitants in the

ruins, while the besiegers, rushing in, consigned everything animate

and inanimate to indiscriminate destruction

(De 20:16, 17).

Jewish writers mention it as an immemorial tradition that the city fell

on the Sabbath. It should be remembered that the Canaanites were

incorrigible idolaters, addicted to the most horrible vices, and that

the righteous judgment of God might sweep them away by the sword, as

well as by famine or pestilence. There was mercy mingled with judgment

in employing the sword as the instrument of punishing the guilty

Canaanites, for while it was directed against one place, time was

afforded for others to repent.

Jos 6:22-25.

RAHAB

IS

SAVED.

22, 23. Joshua had said . . . Go into the harlot's house, and bring out

thence the woman, and all that she hath--It is evident that the town

walls were not demolished universally, at least all at once, for

Rahab's house was allowed to stand until her relatives were rescued

according to promise.

23. they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of

Israel--a temporary exclusion, in order that they might be cleansed

from the defilement of their native idolatries and gradually trained

for admission into the society of God's people.

24. burned the city . . . and all . . . therein--except the silver,

gold, and other metals, which, as they would not burn, were added to

the treasury of the sanctuary.

25. she--Rahab

dwelleth in Israel unto this day--a proof that this book was written

not long after the events related.

Jos 6:26, 27.

THE

REBUILDER OF

JERICHO

CURSED.

26. Joshua adjured them at that time--that is, imposed upon his

countrymen a solemn oath, binding on themselves as well as their

posterity, that they would never rebuild that city. Its destruction was

designed by God to be a permanent memorial of His abhorrence of

idolatry and its attendant vices.

Cursed be the man . . . that riseth up and buildeth this city

Jericho--that is, makes the daring attempt to build.

he shall lay the foundation thereof in his first-born, and in his

youngest son shall he set up the gates of it--shall become

childless--the first beginning being marked by the death of his oldest

son, and his only surviving child dying at the time of its completion.

This curse was accomplished five hundred fifty years after its

denunciation

(see on

1Ki 16:34).