Bible Commentaries
Joshua 6

Verses 1-27

Chapter 6

So in chapter six we begin the conquering of the land. The method by which they took Jericho was very fascinating indeed.

The Lord said to Joshua, I have given to you the city of Jericho, and its king, and his mighty men. Now you're to encircle the city, all of your men of war. You're to walk around the city once, and you're to do this for six days. And the seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and on the seventh day ye shall circle the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. It will come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him. And so Joshua called the priests, told them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord. And he said to the people, Pass on, and encircle the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the Lord. And so it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of the rams' horns passed on before the Lord, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them. And Joshua commanded the people, You're not to shout or make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day that I bid you to shout; then shout ( Joshua 6:2-8 , Joshua 6:10 ).

So I could imagine that those that were in the city of Jericho began to get a little quizzical after a few days. Here is his army that is coming to take their city. Here are seven guys going around with these rams' horns and behind it these other fellows are carrying this box between the staves. Then all of the army just walking around, not saying a word then going back home. Every day here these guys are out there pacing around for six days. Then the seventh day back again early in the morning, "Woke us up this morning." After the seventh time around on the seventh day, then the long blast with the trumpets, and the people began to shout, and as they did, the walls of Jericho fell.

Now this is a very unlikely story, but it's true. You should have no problem with it if your God is big enough. So God brought down the walls of Jericho, and the city was taken by Joshua and the children of Israel.

Now they were commanded that they were not to take any of the spoil of Jericho to themselves. This is the first city in the land that they are conquering. Any gold or silver or brass or iron that is there is given unto the Lord. It goes into the Lord's treasury. This is the firstfruits; the firstfruit always belongs to God. So they weren't to take any treasures of the city to themselves.

So the walls fell, the city was conquered. Joshua, there in verse twenty-six pronounced an interesting prophecy and curse.

Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the Lord, that rises up and builds this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son he will set up the gates of it ( Joshua 6:26 ).

Now how did Joshua know that? It didn't happen for several hundred years, but you will read in first Kings, the sixteenth chapter, and the thirty-fourth verse where the king decided to rebuild the city of Jericho, and they started building it in the time of his firstborn son. Then when his youngest son was born, they set the gate of the city of Jericho. The prophecy here of Joshua was literally fulfilled. The man was cursed also, so the whole prophecy was fulfilled.

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