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6
1 Jericho's gates were shut and barred because of the Israelites. Nobody was allowed in or out. 2 But the Lord told Joshua, “I'm handing over the city of Jericho to you, along with its king and its army of warriors. 3 March around the city with your armed men once a day for six days. 4 Seven 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. 5 When 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.”
6 So 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.” 7 Then he told the people, “Move out! March around the city with the armed men up front ahead of the Ark of the Lord!” 8 When 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. 9 Some of the armed men marched ahead of the priests blowing the horns, while some followed the Ark, the horns being blown continually. 10 However, Joshua ordered them, “Don't shout, don't even talk. Don't say anything until I tell you all to shout—then shout!” 11 So the Ark of the Lord was carried around the city, circling it once. Then they returned to the camp and spent the night there.
12 Joshua got up early in the morning, and the priests picked up the Ark of the Lord. 13 The 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. 14 So 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.
15 On 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. 16 The seventh time around when the priests blew the horns, Joshua told the people, “Shout! For today the Lord has given the city to you! 17 The city and everything in it is to be set apart for the Lord and destroyed.*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. 18 But 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. 19 All 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.”
20 So as soon as they heard the sound of the horns, the people gave a loud shout,†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. 21 They destroyed everything in the city: men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, and donkeys, all were killed by the sword.
22 Joshua 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.” 23 So 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.
24 Then 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. 25 Joshua 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.
26 At 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.”
27 So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.

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*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.

†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.

© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher