the Fourth Week of Advent
Click here to join the effort!
Bible Dictionaries
Jericho
Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary
or The name means, his moon—from Jareac. This is the famous city before whose walls the Lord manifested such a miracle of grace to Israel, in causing them to fall to the ground at the blasting of the rams' horns. (See Joshua 6:1-27) It was situated about seven leagues from Jerusalem, and about two from the river Jordan, (Joshua 18:20-21) and was called by Moses the city of palm trees; and, no doubt, in point of pleasantness, must have been a lovely place. (See Deuteronomy 34:3) But we find, in the after days of Israel's history, the barrenness of Jericho spoken of, (2 Kings 2:18-22) See Elisha. There is somewhat particularly striking concerning Jericho being cursed by Joshua before the Lord, and yet that Rahab the harlot should be of this city, concerning whom such blessed things are spoken of in Scripture. (See on the one hand, Joshua 6:26 compared with 1 Kings 16:34; and on the other, see Joshua 2:1-24 with Hebrews 11:31) If the reader will be at the trouble to count the period between Joshua's curse on Jericho, and the rebuilding of Jericho by Hiel the Bethelite, he will find that near five hundred and thirty-seven years had passed between the one and the other. The Hebrews paid great respect to the Cherem, that is, the curse of Joshua. This anathema was carefully remembered by them; and, no doubt, when Hiel in defiance of it began to build Jericho, the pious believers among the Hebrews felt indignant at the daring attempt, and marked the issue in the event that followed on Hiel's two sons.
These files are public domain.
Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Hawker, Robert D.D. Entry for 'Jericho'. Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance and Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/pmd/j/jericho.html. London. 1828.
