Joshua 6

This chapter recounts the first battle in the account of the conquest of Canaan that occupies the first half of the book of Joshua (chapters 1–12). After Israel crossed the Jordan River (Joshua 5), the first city it encountered was Jericho.

Outline

• Verses 1–5 Jericho is tightly shut up. The LORD commands Israel to march around the city once a day for six days, and on the seventh day to circle it seven times and then shout at the sound of the trumpets.
• Verses 6–14 The armed men go first, followed in order by seven priests carrying trumpets of rams' horns, the Ark of the Covenant, and the rear guard. For six days the people circle the city without saying a word.
• Verses 15–19 On the seventh day they march around the city seven times. Joshua commands the people to shout and declares that the city is to be devoted to the LORD, but that the house of Rahab is to be spared.
• Verses 20–21 At the shout the walls collapse, and Israel destroys the people and livestock in the city.
• Verses 22–25 The two spies bring out Rahab's family. The city is burned, and the silver, gold, and vessels of brass and iron are put into the treasury of the LORD.
• Verses 26–27 Joshua pronounces a curse on anyone who rebuilds Jericho, and his fame spreads throughout the land.

Key Verses

• Joshua 6:2 "I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour" — Before the battle begins, victory is declared to be God's gift.
• Joshua 6:20 "The wall fell down flat" — This is the climax of the chapter.

People and Places

• Joshua — The son of Nun and the successor of Moses.
• Rahab — The harlot of Jericho who hid the spies.
• Jericho — A city west of the Jordan River.

Points for Reflection

• The word rendered "devoted" (KJV "accursed") translates the Hebrew herem, which means handing something over to God for destruction so that no human may possess it. Some interpreters regard this command as a judgment limited to that particular time, while others see it as the hyperbolic language characteristic of ancient war accounts. The warning in verse 18 leads into the incident involving Achan in Joshua 7.
• Archaeologists disagree about when the ruins at Jericho were destroyed. The text itself does not explain how the walls fell.
• The curse in verse 26 is linked to 1 Kings 16:34, which records that Hiel lost two sons when he rebuilt Jericho.
• In the New Testament, Hebrews 11 cites the fall of the walls and Rahab as examples of faith, while James 2 cites Rahab as an example of works.

In the Korean Church

The passage is frequently used in Sunday schools to teach obedience and faith. During periods of dedicated prayer, some churches also hold a "Jericho march," in which participants walk around the sanctuary while praying.