Joshua 6
6
1 Now Jericho#map For location see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1. was shut tightly#tn Heb “was shutting and shut up.” HALOT 2:743 paraphrases, “blocking [any way of access] and blocked [against any who would leave].” because of the Israelites. No one was allowed to leave or enter.#tn Heb “there was no one going out and there was no one coming in.” 2 The Lord told Joshua, “See, I am about to defeat Jericho for you,#tn Heb “I have given into your hand Jericho.” The Hebrew verb נָתַתִּי (natatti, “I have given”) is probably best understood as a perfect of certitude, indicating the certainty of the action. The Hebrew pronominal suffix “your” is singular, being addressed to Joshua as the leader and representative of the nation. To convey to the modern reader what is about to happen and who is doing it, the translation “I am about to defeat Jericho for you” has been used. along with its king and its warriors. 3 Have all the warriors march around the city one time;#tn Heb “and go around the city, all [you] men of war, encircling the city one time.” The Hebrew verb וְסַבֹּתֶם (vÿsabbotem, “and go around”) is plural, being addressed to the whole army. do this for six days. 4 Have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns#tn Heb “rams’ horns, trumpets.” in front of the ark. On the seventh day march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the horns. 5 When you hear the signal from the ram’s horn,#tn Heb “and it will be at the sounding of the horn, the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the ram’s horn.” The text of Josh 6:5 seems to be unduly repetitive, so for the sake of English style and readability, it is best to streamline the text here. The reading in the Hebrew looks like a conflation of variant readings, with the second (“when you hear the sound of the ram’s horn”) being an interpolation that assimilates the text to verse 20 (“when the army heard the sound of the horn”). Note that the words “when you hear the sound of the ram's horn” do not appear in the LXX of verse 5. have the whole army give a loud battle cry.#tn Heb “all the people will shout with a loud shout.” Then the city wall will collapse#tn Heb “fall in its place.” and the warriors should charge straight ahead.”#tn Heb “and the people will go up, each man straight ahead.”
6 So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and instructed them, “Pick up the ark of the covenant, and seven priests must carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark of the Lord.” 7 And he told#tn An alternative reading is “and they said.” In this case the subject is indefinite and the verb should be translated as passive, “[the army] was told.” the army,#tn Heb “the people.” “Move ahead#tn Heb “pass by.” and march around the city, with armed troops going ahead of the ark of the Lord.”
8 When Joshua gave the army its orders,#tn Heb “when Joshua spoke to the people.” the seven priests carrying the seven rams’ horns before the Lord moved ahead and blew the horns as the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed behind. 9 Armed troops marched ahead of the priests blowing the horns, while the rear guard followed along behind the ark blowing rams’ horns. 10 Now Joshua had instructed the army,#tn Heb “the people.” “Do not give a battle cry#tn Or “the shout.” or raise your voices; say nothing#tn Heb “do not let a word come out of your mouths.” until the day I tell you, ‘Give the battle cry.’#tn Or “the shout.” Then give the battle cry!”#tn Or “the shout.” 11 So Joshua made sure they marched the ark of the Lord around the city one time.#tn Heb “and he made the ark of the Lord go around the city, encircling one time.” Then they went back to the camp and spent the night there.#tn Heb “and they entered the camp and spent the night in the camp.”
12 Bright and early the next morning Joshua had the priests pick up the ark of the Lord.#tn Heb “Joshua rose early in the morning and the priests picked up the ark of the Lord.” 13 The seven priests carrying the seven rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord marched along blowing their horns. Armed troops marched ahead of them, while the rear guard followed along behind the ark of the Lord blowing rams’ horns. 14 They marched around the city one time on the second day, then returned to the camp. They did this six days in all.
15 On the seventh day they were up at the crack of dawn#tn Heb “On the seventh day they rose early, when the dawn ascended.” and marched around the city as before – only this time they marched around it seven times.#tn Heb “and they went around the city according to this manner seven times, only on that day they went around the city seven times.” 16 The seventh time around, the priests blew the rams’ horns and Joshua told the army,#tn Heb “the people.” “Give the battle cry,#tn Or “the shout.” for the Lord is handing the city over to you!#tn Heb “for the Lord has given to you the city.” The verbal form is a perfect, probably indicating certitude here. 17 The city and all that is in it must be set apart for the Lord,#tn Or “dedicated to the Lord.”sn To make the city set apart for the Lord would involve annihilating all the people and animals and placing its riches in the Lord’s treasury (vv. 19, 21, 24). except for Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house, because she hid the spies#tn Heb “messengers.” we sent. 18 But be careful when you are setting apart the riches for the Lord. If you take any of it, you will make the Israelite camp subject to annihilation and cause a disaster.#tn Heb “Only you keep [away] from what is set apart [to the Lord] so that you might not, as you are setting [it] apart, take some of what is set apart [to the Lord] and make the camp of Israel set apart [to destruction by the Lord] and bring trouble on it.” 19 All the silver and gold, as well as bronze and iron items, belong to the Lord.#tn Heb “it is holy to the Lord.” They must go into the Lord’s treasury.”
20 The rams’ horns sounded#tc Heb “and the people shouted and they blew the rams’ horns.” The initial statement (“and the people shouted”) seems premature, since the verse goes on to explain that the battle cry followed the blowing of the horns. The statement has probably been accidentally duplicated from what follows. It is omitted in the LXX. and when the army#tn Heb “the people.” heard the signal,#tn Heb “the sound of the horn.” they gave a loud battle cry.#tn Heb “they shouted with a loud shout.” The wall collapsed#tn Heb “fell in its place.” and the warriors charged straight ahead into the city and captured it.#tn Heb “and the people went up into the city, each one straight ahead, and they captured the city.” 21 They annihilated with the sword everything that breathed in the city,#tn Heb “all which was in the city.” including men and women, young and old, as well as cattle, sheep, and donkeys. 22 Joshua told the two men who had spied on the land, “Enter the prostitute’s house#tn Heb “the house of the woman, the prostitute.” and bring out the woman and all who belong to her as you promised her.”#tn Heb “and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her as you swore on oath to her.” 23 So the young spies went and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and took them to a place outside#tn Or “placed them outside.” the Israelite camp. 24 But they burned#tn The Hebrew text adds “with fire.” the city and all that was in it, except for the silver, gold, and bronze and iron items they put in the treasury of the Lord’s house.#tn Heb “the treasury of the house of the Lord.” Technically the Lord did not have a “house” yet, so perhaps this refers to the tabernacle using later terminology. 25 Yet Joshua spared#tn Heb “kept alive.” Rahab the prostitute, her father’s family,#tn Heb the house of her father.” and all who belonged to her. She lives in Israel#tn Or “among the Israelites”; Heb “in the midst of Israel.” to this very day because she hid the messengers Joshua sent to spy on Jericho.#map For location see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1. 26 At that time Joshua made this solemn declaration:#tn Normally the Hiphil of שָׁבַע (shava’) has a causative sense (“make [someone] take an oath”; see Josh 2:17, 20), but here (see also Josh 23:7) no object is stated or implied. If Joshua is calling divine judgment down upon the one who attempts to rebuild Jericho, then “make a solemn appeal [to God as judge]” or “pronounce a curse” would be an appropriate translation. However, the tone seems stronger. Joshua appears to be announcing the certain punishment of the violator. 1 Kgs 16:34, which records the fulfillment of Joshua’s prediction, supports this. Casting Joshua in a prophetic role, it refers to Joshua’s statement as the “word of the Lord” spoken through Joshua. “The man who attempts to rebuild#tn Heb “rises up and builds.” this city of Jericho#tc The LXX omits “Jericho.” It is probably a scribal addition. will stand condemned before the Lord.#tn The Hebrew phrase אָרוּר לִפְנֵי יְהוָה (’arur lifney yÿhvah, “cursed [i.e., condemned] before the Lord”) also occurs in 1 Sam 26:19. He will lose his firstborn son when he lays its foundations and his youngest son when he erects its gates!”#tn Heb “With his firstborn he will lay its foundations and with his youngest he will erect its gates.” The Hebrew verb יַצִּיב (yatsiv, “he will erect”) is imperfect, not jussive, suggesting Joshua’s statement is a prediction, not an imprecation. 27 The Lord was with Joshua and he became famous throughout the land.#tn Heb “and the report about him was in all the land.” The Hebrew term אֶרֶץ (’erets, “land”) may also be translated “earth.”
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Joshua 6: NET
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Joshua 6
6
1 Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the children of Israel. No one went out, and no one came in. 2The LORD said to Joshua, “Behold, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the mighty men of valor. 3All of your men of war shall march around the city, going around the city once. You shall do this six days. 4Seven priests shall bear seven shofars#6:4 or, trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day, you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the shofars#6:4 or, trumpets. 5It shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the shofar, all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the city wall will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, every man straight in front of him.”
6 Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven shofars#6:6 or, trumpets of rams’ horns before the LORD’s ark.”
7 They said to the people, “Advance! March around the city, and let the armed men pass on before the LORD’s ark.”
8 It was so, that when Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests bearing the seven shofars#6:8 or, trumpets of rams’ horns before the LORD advanced and blew the shofars#6:8 or, trumpets, and the ark of the LORD’s covenant followed them. 9The armed men went before the priests who blew the shofars#6:9 or, trumpets, and the ark went after them. The shofars#6:9 or, trumpets sounded as they went.
10 Joshua commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout.” 11So he caused the LORD’s ark to go around the city, circling it once. Then they came into the camp, and stayed in the camp. 12Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the LORD’s ark. 13The seven priests bearing the seven shofars#6:13 or, trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the LORD’s ark went on continually, and blew the shofars#6:13 or, trumpets. The armed men went in front of them. The rear guard came after the LORD’s ark. The shofars#6:13 or, trumpets sounded as they went. 14The second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. They did this six days.
15 On the seventh day, they rose early at the dawning of the day, and marched around the city in the same way seven times. On this day only they marched around the city seven times. 16At the seventh time, when the priests blew the shofars#6:16 or, trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the LORD has given you the city! 17The city shall be devoted, even it and all that is in it, to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. 18But as for you, only keep yourselves from what is devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted it, you take of the devoted thing; so you would make the camp of Israel accursed and trouble it. 19But all the silver, gold, and vessels of bronze and iron are holy to the LORD. They shall come into the LORD’s treasury.”
20 So the people shouted and the priests blew the shofars#6:20 or, trumpets. When the people heard the sound of the shofar, the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight in front of him, and they took the city. 21They utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, both young and old, and ox, sheep, and donkey, with the edge of the sword. 22Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house, and bring the woman and all that she has out from there, as you swore to her.” 23The young men who were spies went in, and brought out Rahab with her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. They also brought out all of her relatives, and they set them outside of the camp of Israel. 24They burned the city with fire, and all that was in it. Only they put the silver, the gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron into the treasury of the LORD’s house. 25But Rahab the prostitute, her father’s household, and all that she had, Joshua saved alive. She lives in the middle of Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
26 Joshua commanded them with an oath at that time, saying, “Cursed is the man before the LORD who rises up and builds this city Jericho. With the loss of his firstborn he will lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son he will set up its gates.” 27So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was in all the land.
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