Joshua 6
6
1Jericho's gates were shut and barred because of the Israelites. Nobody was allowed in or out. 2But the Lord told Joshua, “I'm handing over the city of Jericho to you, along with its king and its army of warriors. 3March around the city with your armed men once a day for six days. 4Seven priests are to go ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram's horn. On the seventh day, march seven times around the city, with the priests blowing their rams' horns. 5When you hear a long blast on the rams' horns, everyone shall give a really loud shout. The city walls will collapse, and every man can go right in.”
6So Joshua, son of Nun, sent for the priests, and told them, “Pick up the Ark of Agreement, and have seven priests carry seven rams' horns and go ahead of the Ark of the Lord.” 7Then he told the people, “Move out! March around the city with the armed men up front ahead of the Ark of the Lord!” 8When Joshua finished speaking to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven rams' horns in the presence of the Lord started out, blowing the horns, with the Ark following behind. 9Some of the armed men marched ahead of the priests blowing the horns, while some followed the Ark, the horns being blown continually. 10However, Joshua ordered them, “Don't shout, don't even talk. Don't say anything until I tell you all to shout—then shout!” 11So the Ark of the Lord was carried around the city, circling it once. Then they returned to the camp and spent the night there.
12Joshua got up early in the morning, and the priests picked up the Ark of the Lord. 13The seven priests with the seven rams' horns went ahead of the Ark of the Lord, blowing the horns. The armed men went before them and behind the Ark of the Lord, the horns being blown continually. 14So on the second day they marched around the city, circling it once, and returned to the camp. They did this for a total of six days.
15On the seventh day they got up at dawn and marched around the city in the usual way, except that this day they circled the city seven times. 16The seventh time around when the priests blew the horns, Joshua told the people, “Shout! For today the Lord has given the city to you! 17The city and everything in it is to be set apart for the Lord and destroyed.#6:17. The term used means that it is “set apart,” “consecrated,” or “devoted” to the Lord, which in this instance meant that no one was to benefit from anything in Jericho—all had to be destroyed. This is similar to the idea of the “sacred” and the “holy”—dedicated solely to God. In some ways the “setting apart” of Jericho was similar to a ban—it belonged to God alone. Only Rahab the prostitute and all those with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. 18But stay away from everything set apart for the Lord, for if you were to take anything you too would be liable to be destroyed, and you would also bring disaster on the camp of Israel. 19All the silver and the gold, and everything made of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord and they must be placed in the Lord's treasury.”
20So as soon as they heard the sound of the horns, the people gave a loud shout,#6:20. The Hebrew text states that the people shouted and the horns blew, and then that when they heard the horns, the people shouted. Since it is considered that there was just one event, the repetition of the horns and the shout seems superfluous. and the city walls collapsed. The men went in right away and captured the city. 21They destroyed everything in the city: men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, and donkeys, all were killed by the sword.
22Joshua had told the two men who had gone to explore the land, “Go to the house of Rahab the prostitute and bring her out together with all her family, as you promised.” 23So the spies went and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, and all who were with her. They brought out the whole family and took them to a place near the Israelite camp.
24Then the Israelites burned down the city and everything in it, except for the silver and the gold, and everything made of bronze and iron, which they placed in the treasury of the Lord's house. 25Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute and her family because she hid the men Joshua had sent to spy out Jericho. And she lives among the Israelites to this day.
26At that time Joshua declared a curse, saying: “Cursed before the Lord is anyone who attempts to rebuild this city of Jericho. He lays its foundation at the cost of his firstborn son; he sets up its gates at the cost of his youngest son.”
27So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Joshua 6
6
The Conquest of Jericho
1Now Jericho was strongly fortified because of the Israelites — no one leaving or entering. 2The Lord said to Joshua, “Look, I have handed Jericho, its king, and its best soldiers over to you.#Dt 7:24; Jos 2:9,24; 8:1; Neh 9:24 3March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. Do this for six days. 4Have seven priests carry seven ram’s-horn trumpets in front of the ark. But on the seventh day, march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the rams’ horns.#Ex 19:13; Ps 24:7; Is 18:3; 1Co 15:52; 1Th 4:16; Rv 11:15 5When there is a prolonged blast of the horn and you hear its sound, have all the troops give a mighty shout. Then the city wall will collapse, and the troops will advance, each man straight ahead.”
6So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant and have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark of the Lord.” 7He said to the troops, “Move forward, march around the city, and have the armed men go ahead of the ark of the Lord.”
8After Joshua had spoken to the troops, seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns before the Lord moved forward and blew the rams’ horns; the ark of the Lord’s covenant followed them. 9While the rams’ horns were blowing, the armed men went in front of the priests who blew the rams’ horns, and the rear guard went behind the ark.#Is 52:12 10But Joshua had commanded the troops, “Do not shout or let your voice be heard. Don’t let one word come out of your mouth until the time I say, ‘Shout! ’ Then you are to shout.” 11So the ark of the Lord was carried around the city, circling it once. They returned to the camp and spent the night there.#6:11 Lit at the camp
12Joshua got up early the next morning. The priests took the ark of the Lord, 13and the seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns marched in front of the ark of the Lord. While the rams’ horns were blowing, the armed men went in front of them, and the rear guard went behind the ark of the Lord. 14On the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.
15Early on the seventh day, they started at dawn and marched around the city seven times in the same way. That was the only day they marched around the city seven times. 16After the seventh time, the priests blew the rams’ horns, and Joshua said to the troops, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city. 17But the city and everything in it are set apart to the Lord for destruction.#Lv 27:29; Dt 7:26; 13:17; Jos 7:1 Only Rahab the prostitute and everyone with her in the house will live,#Dt 7:2 because she hid the messengers we sent. 18But keep yourselves from the things set apart, or you will be set apart for destruction. If you#6:18 LXX reads you covet and; Jos 7:21 take any of those things, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and make trouble for it. 19For all the silver and gold, and the articles of bronze and iron, are dedicated to the Lord and must go into the Lord’s treasury.”#1Kg 7:51; 14:26; 15:18
20So the troops shouted, and the rams’ horns sounded. When they heard the blast of the ram’s horn, the troops gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed.#Heb 11:30 The troops advanced into the city, each man straight ahead, and they captured the city. 21They completely destroyed#Jos 2:10; 8:26 everything in the city with the sword — every man and woman, both young and old, and every ox, sheep, and donkey.
Rahab and Her Family Spared
22Joshua said to the two men who had scouted the land, “Go to the prostitute’s house and bring the woman out of there, and all who are with her, just as you swore to her.”#Jos 2:14 23So the young men who had scouted went in and brought out Rahab and her father, mother, brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and settled them outside the camp of Israel.
24They burned the city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the Lord’s house. 25However, Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, her father’s family, and all who belonged to her, because she hid the messengers Joshua had sent to spy on Jericho, and she still lives in Israel#Ex 6:23; Ru 4:21–22; 1Ch 2:10–12; Mt 1:4–5 today.#Jos 4:9; 5:9; 7:26; 14:14; 15:63
26At that time Joshua imposed this curse:
The man who undertakes
the rebuilding of this city, Jericho,
is cursed before the Lord.#Dt 27:15; 1Sm 14:24; Jr 11:3; 20:15
He will lay its foundation
at the cost of his firstborn;
he will finish its gates
at the cost of his youngest.#1Kg 16:34
27And the Lord was with Joshua,#Gn 39:2,21; Jdg 1:19,22; 2:18; 1Sm 3:19; 18:12; 1Kg 1:37; 2Kg 18:7; 1Ch 9:20; 2Ch 17:3 and his fame spread throughout the land.
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