The Fall of Jericho

Biblical Account

The fall of Jericho took place after Israel, led by Joshua, crossed the Jordan River. Jericho was the first city Israel captured in Canaan, and the account is found in chapter 6 of the Book of Joshua. Chapter 2 tells the story of Rahab, who hid the spies, and the end of chapter 5 describes the appearance of "the captain of the host of the LORD" to Joshua.

God commanded the soldiers to march around the city once a day for six days. In the procession, seven priests carrying trumpets of rams' horns walked before the Ark of the Covenant. On the seventh day they circled the city seven times, and when the people gave a great shout at the sound of the trumpets, the wall fell down flat (Joshua 6:20). The city was regarded as "devoted" to God and was utterly destroyed. The silver, gold, and vessels of brass and iron were brought into the treasury of the LORD, and Rahab and her family were spared, as had been promised.

Joshua declared that anyone who rebuilt the city would be cursed (6:26). First Kings 16:34 records that in the days of Ahab, Hiel the Bethelite lost two of his sons while rebuilding Jericho, in accordance with these words.

Background

Jericho is an oasis town in the lowlands west of the Jordan River and north of the Dead Sea. It was also called "the city of palm trees" (Deuteronomy 34:3). The site of Tell es-Sultan is commonly identified as Jericho, but scholars differ in how they date the excavated walls and destruction layers. The relationship between the site and the biblical event is therefore difficult to establish with certainty.

The Hebrew word herem, rendered "devoted," refers to something given over wholly to God and thus withdrawn from human use. In the context of war, it denotes utter destruction.

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

The text emphasizes that the victory came not from military strength but from obedience to God's command. Immediately afterward, in chapter 7, Achan secretly takes some of the devoted things, and as a result Israel is defeated in the battle at Ai.

In the New Testament, the "faith chapter" states, "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days" (Hebrews 11:30), and immediately goes on to cite the faith of Rahab (11:31). Rahab appears in the Epistle of James 2:25 as an example of faith accompanied by works. In the Gospel of Matthew 1:5 she is listed in the genealogy of Jesus as the mother of Boaz.

Interpretations and Debates

• The command to destroy: The destruction of every person and animal in the city has been interpreted in several ways.
• Some interpret it as God's judgment on the sins of the Canaanites (compare Genesis 15:16).
• Some hold that it was a command applicable only to a particular moment in redemptive history and is therefore not a norm to be imitated today.
• Others argue that the hyperbolic language common in ancient war accounts must be taken into account.
• The scarlet cord: One tradition reads the scarlet cord that Rahab tied in her window (2:18) as a type pointing to the blood of Christ. This interpretation appears as early as the writings of the early church. The text itself, however, presents the scarlet cord only as a sign identifying the house to be spared.
• Interpretations read into the text: Some explanations treat the command not to shout during the march (6:10) as "silent prayer," or link the circling of the city directly to particular prayer practices of today. The text itself does not state these things.

In the Korean Church

The fall of Jericho is frequently used as a sermon text on obedience and faith. Some churches call seven-day special early-morning prayer meetings or dedicated prayer periods "Jericho prayer meetings."

Some churches and mission organizations link this text to so-called "land-treading" (ttangbapgi), the practice of praying while walking around a region or building. In 2010, a video of several Christians conducting land-treading prayers at a Buddhist temple became public and drew criticism both inside and outside the church. Since then, discussion has continued over whether it is appropriate to turn events narrated in Scripture into prayer methods for today.