Joshua Chapter 6
The Fall of Jericho
A. Obedience before the fall of the city of Jericho
1. (Joshua 6:1–5) Instructions for the battle
“Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.
And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.
And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.
And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.
And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.”
a. Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: Jericho stood in full lockdown. From a human viewpoint, the city was impenetrable and the battle seemed impossible. Yet God spoke in past tense, saying, “I have given into thine hand Jericho,” showing that what appeared impossible on earth was already accomplished in the will of God. Before Israel lifted a weapon, the victory was already secured by divine decree.
i. Everything up to this point—crossing Jordan, circumcision at Gilgal, Passover observance, and the appearance of the Captain of the host of the LORD—was preparation. Now Israel stood before their first true test in Canaan. The inhabitants had to be dispossessed before the promises of God could be enjoyed. Faith must now become action.
ii. Jericho was not vast in size, but it was massively fortified. Archaeology confirms double walls, steep embankments, and a defensive structure meant to intimidate. If Israel could overcome Jericho, they could overcome every other Canaanite stronghold. God leads His people to face the greatest obstacle first, so that after witnessing His power, all lesser enemies appear small.
b. Ye shall compass the city: God’s battle plan defied all human logic. Instead of siege ramps, scaling ladders, or battering rams, Israel was commanded to walk in silence around the city once a day for six days, with only the priests blowing the rams’ horns before the ark of the covenant.
i. This required great faith from Joshua, who had to tell his captains and warriors to march without striking a blow, trusting that God’s word was enough.
ii. It also required great faith from the priests, the elders, and the people to obey such instructions without complaint or alteration. They had to trust that God’s method, though unconventional, was perfect.
c. The wall of the city shall fall down flat: God promised that after the seventh day’s seven marches, at the blast of the trumpets and the unified shout of faith, the walls would collapse. Every man would then go straight forward, without resistance or obstruction.
i. The plan ensured that the victory could only be attributed to the LORD. Israel still had a role to play—marching, bearing the ark, blowing trumpets, shouting—but the power belonged entirely to God. He could have done it without them, but He chose to involve His people, as He still does in His work today.
2. (Joshua 6:6–7) Joshua tells the priests and the people
“And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD.
And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the LORD.”
a. Then Joshua the son of Nun called the priests: Joshua first turns to the priests because their role in this battle was not common. The priests were not warriors and the ark was not typically carried into open conflict except at God’s explicit command. Yet here, God Himself had ordered that the ark—the symbol of His throne and presence—would lead. This means the battle was not primarily military, but spiritual. The presence of God was to be at the forefront, not swords, shields, or chariots.
i. This also shows Joshua’s obedience as a leader. He does not question God’s unusual method, nor does he modify it to make it more practical. He simply relays it to those responsible to carry it out. True leadership is not innovation against God’s Word, but submission to it, even when it does not make sense to human strategy.
b. Take up the ark of the covenant: Joshua makes clear that the ark is central to this campaign. Just as the ark went first into the Jordan River and the waters parted, so now the ark goes before the people in this conquest. By doing so, God teaches Israel to keep their eyes not on the height of Jericho’s walls, but on the presence of the LORD among them.
i. The ark represented the holiness of God, the mercy seat, and the covenant promises sealed with blood. Its presence in front of the army declared that God Himself was fighting for Israel. This was not man’s war but the LORD’s.
ii. Placing the ark at the center of the march also taught Israel that victory comes not from strength or weapons, but from faith and obedience. Israel was not to trust in numbers, experience, or strategy, but in the God who sat between the cherubim.
c. And he said to the people: Joshua then speaks to the people, because what God commanded was not a normal battle tactic. They were instructed not to attack, not to shout until the appointed time, but to walk silently while priests blew trumpets and the ark was carried. No siege engines, no battering rams, only disciplined obedience.
i. From a human perspective, this looked foolish. But God often requires His people to act in faith before He acts in power. Marching around a fortified city six days in a row without a fight tested their patience, their trust, and their submission.
ii. The armed men were placed before the ark, not to wage war in their own strength, but to protect and honor the presence of God. Their real strength was behind them, not in front of them.
3. (Joshua 6:8–14) The march of the first six days
“And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns passed on before the LORD, and blew with the trumpets, and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them.
And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and the rereward came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.
And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout, then shall ye shout.
So the ark of the LORD compassed the city, going about it once, and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.
And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.
And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with the trumpets, and the armed men went before them, but the rereward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.
And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp, so they did six days.”
a. When Joshua had spoken unto the people: Joshua immediately obeyed what the LORD commanded. He delayed nothing and altered nothing. True faith reveals itself in prompt obedience. Many times hesitation and delay expose a lack of confidence in God’s Word. Joshua trusted that God’s way, though unusual, was perfect, and he moved the priests and the people to action without questioning.
b. So he had the ark of the LORD compass the city, going about it once: The ark, representing the presence of God, was at the center of the procession. Jericho was not a vast city and could be circled in less than an hour. From the walls, the inhabitants would have seen a silent army, priests blowing trumpets, and the sacred ark in their midst. This silent, relentless procession would have struck fear into their hearts. It was a declaration that the true King had come, not with siege engines, but with divine authority.
c. So they did six days: It took courage for Israel to do this. From a military perspective, they were vulnerable. They marched in open ground while their enemies watched from high fortified walls. For six days the people obeyed, even though nothing happened. No walls trembled, no stones fell, there was only silence, trumpets, and footsteps. Courage is not the absence of fear, it is obedience in the presence of danger.
d. So they did six days: It took endurance to do this. They repeated the same march again and again. No change, no progress, no visible results. Yet they returned each morning and did exactly as God commanded. Obedience is not only doing what God says once, it is continuing to do it until He says stop. There was no room for impatience or complaining, only disciplined faith.
e. So they did six days: In this, the helplessness of Israel was revealed. Each day they walked silently beneath massive stone walls. They saw up close the impossibility of the task. The more they marched, the more they understood their weakness. They could not conquer Jericho in their own strength. God was teaching them to look at the walls until they fully realized that only He could bring them down. The silence humbled Israel and exalted God.
4. (Joshua 6:15–16) The march of the seventh day
“And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times, only on that day they compassed the city seven times.
And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout, for the LORD hath given you the city.”
a. On the seventh day: Unlike the first six days, on the seventh day Israel rose before sunrise and began their march early. But instead of circling the city once, they compassed it seven times in complete obedience to God’s command. This means one of those days of marching was the Sabbath, but this was not ordinary labor. This was not human effort seeking to win God’s favor. This was God’s sovereign act of grace and power, carried out in obedience. Just as the priests worked in the temple on the Sabbath and were blameless because it was the work of God, so here Israel marched under divine command. God was teaching His people that victory does not come by works of human strength, but by trusting and obeying His Word.
i. Seven in Scripture represents completion and divine perfection. For six days they had marched once, but on the seventh day they marched seven times, bringing God’s appointed plan to completion. This was the fullness of God’s timing. Not one day early, not one day late.
b. Shout, for the LORD hath given you the city: After six days of silence, the moment finally came. The priests blew the trumpets, and Joshua commanded the people to shout. This was not a shout of battle rage, but a shout of faith. They were not shouting to cause the walls to fall. They were shouting because the LORD had already given them the city. God speaks in past tense, victory is already settled in heaven before it appears on earth.
i. Their shout acknowledged that the battle belonged to the LORD. The walls were still standing when they shouted, but they shouted because they believed the Word of God more than what they saw with their eyes. Faith always acts before it sees the result.
ii. The silence of the first six days taught them humility and dependence. The shout of the seventh day expressed faith and obedience. It was not the volume of their voices, but the power of God responding to believing hearts that brought the walls down.
5. (Joshua 6:17–19) The command to destroy the city and to save Rahab is given
“And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD, only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.
But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD, they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.”
a. Only Rahab the harlot shall live: In the midst of a city appointed for destruction, God remembers mercy. Rahab, though a harlot, believed the God of Israel and acted upon that faith by hiding the spies. Her deliverance is not based on her past but on the grace of God and her faith in Him. Joshua makes certain that she and all in her house are spared exactly as promised. Her salvation stands as a picture of how God honors genuine faith, even when it is found in unlikely places.
i. Rahab’s inclusion reveals the heart of God. Judgment is real, but mercy is offered to all who turn in faith. Rahab later becomes part of Israel, marries Salmon, and becomes the ancestor of David and of Jesus Christ according to the flesh. This shows that God not only saves sinners, He restores them fully into His purposes.
b. By all means abstain from the accursed things: Joshua warns the people to avoid taking any of the devoted or accursed things. These were objects associated with pagan worship, idolatry, and demonic practices. To take them would not only defile the individual but would make the entire camp of Israel guilty and bring God’s judgment upon them.
i. The destruction of Jericho was not a random act of violence. The Canaanites were deeply corrupted by idolatry, child sacrifice, ritual prostitution, and occult practices. Archaeological discoveries from this era show symbols of demonic worship and perverse rituals. Their destruction was a righteous judgment from God on a culture that had rejected Him and polluted the earth with sin. The land itself, as Genesis 15:16 says, could no longer bear their iniquity.
ii. God demanded separation from these things because His people were to be holy. To take even a small portion of what God had condemned would bring trouble upon the whole nation. This warning prepares the reader for the sin of Achan in the next chapter.
c. But all the silver and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: Though the people were forbidden from taking anything for themselves, the precious metals of Jericho were set apart for the treasury of the LORD. Jericho was the first city conquered in Canaan. Therefore, it was the firstfruits to God. Everything valuable belonged to Him.
i. This teaches the principle that the first belongs to God. Before Israel enjoyed any of the land, they were to give the first victory entirely to the LORD. They would receive from later cities, but Jericho was wholly His. To take from it was to rob God.
ii. True victory begins with consecration. Before Israel could inherit the Promised Land, the first fruits of battle had to be laid at the feet of God. Only when He receives what is His does He give what He has promised.
B. The taking of the city of Jericho
1. (Joshua 6:20–21) The walls fall and the city is destroyed
“So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets, and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.
And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.”
a. The wall fell down flat: At the exact moment God had ordained, when the priests blew the trumpets and the people shouted in obedience and faith, the walls of Jericho collapsed. This had never been seen before in warfare. No siege engines, no catapults, no scaling ladders, only the power of God responding to believing obedience. Israel did not push the walls down. God did it, just as He had promised in Joshua 6:5. Their faith was not in their shout but in the Word of the LORD.
i. We should not be surprised when God keeps His Word, yet often we are. The Israelites may have stood in awe as the walls crumbled before their eyes. The people of Jericho, who had trusted in their walls for security, were certainly struck with terror when those same walls became their ruin. What God says, He performs. What He promises, He fulfills.
b. They utterly destroyed all that was in the city: Once the walls fell, Israel entered and carried out God’s command to destroy every living thing in Jericho. This may seem severe to the modern mind, but Scripture explains that this judgment came because of the extreme wickedness of the Canaanite people. They practiced child sacrifice, sexual perversion, witchcraft, idolatry, and demonic worship. God warned Israel beforehand in Deuteronomy 18:9–14:
“When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.
For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners, but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.”
i. This judgment is harsh because sin is harsh, and rebellion against God brings death. At rare and specific times in history, God has commanded human instruments to carry out His judgment, as at Jericho, or He has executed judgment Himself directly, as in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19:24–25. Jericho was not destroyed because it stood in Israel’s way, but because it stood in opposition to God.
c. They took the city: Israel entered and possessed the city only after God had given it. In Joshua 6:2 the LORD said, “See, I have given into thine hand Jericho.” God gave, but Israel had to take by obedient faith. The divine gift did not cancel human responsibility. They did not sit and wait. They rose, marched, shouted, and entered in God’s strength.
i. So it is in the Christian life. Victory is given to us in Jesus Christ, yet we must take it by obedient, persistent faith. God gives the promise, but we must walk in it. He opens the way, but we must enter.
2. (Joshua 6:22–25) Finishing up the battle
“But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot’s house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her.
And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had, and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel.
And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein, only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD.
And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father’s household, and all that she had, and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day, because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.”
a. Bring out the woman and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her: Joshua does not forget the promise made to Rahab. The two spies who pledged to protect her are now commanded to fulfill that oath. Rahab’s faith was not passive. She believed the God of Israel and acted by tying the scarlet cord in her window, just as the messengers instructed in Joshua 2:17–19. Because of that obedience, every person in her house was spared. What had been a house of shame became a house of salvation.
b. They burned the city and all that was therein with fire, only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. Joshua spared Rahab the harlot: Here we see the clear contrast between judgment and mercy. The same God who brought down the walls brought out Rahab. All Jericho had heard of the God of Israel, how He dried up the Red Sea and defeated kings (Joshua 2:9–11), yet only Rahab responded with faith. Judgment fell on unbelief, but mercy was extended to those who believed.
i. The burning of the city symbolized complete judgment. Nothing was to remain that belonged to idolatry or demonic worship. Yet in the midst of fire and destruction, Rahab and her family stood safe, covered by the promise of God. This is a picture of salvation. When judgment falls, only those under the protection of God’s covenant are saved.
c. So she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day: This phrase shows that the Book of Joshua was written during or shortly after Joshua’s lifetime. It is not the invention of a later writer, but the record of an eyewitness. Rahab was still living among Israel when this was written. She not only lived among Israel, she became part of Israel. She married Salmon, became the mother of Boaz, and appears in the genealogy of Jesus Christ in Matthew 1:5.
i. Rahab’s life is a testimony of grace. Once a Canaanite harlot, now a daughter of Israel, a link in the lineage of the Messiah. God not only saves sinners, He gives them a new place, a new name, and a new legacy.
3. (Joshua 6:26–27) Joshua curses the man who would rebuild Jericho
“And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho, he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.
So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame was noised throughout all the country.”
a. Cursed be the man before the LORD that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: After the destruction of Jericho, Joshua pronounced a solemn curse from the LORD. No one was to rebuild Jericho as a fortified city. If any man attempted it, he would do so at the cost of his children. He would lay its foundation with the death of his firstborn and set up its gates with the death of his youngest. This was not spoken out of personal bitterness, but by divine authority. Jericho was the first city judged by God in Canaan, a symbol of rebellion, idolatry, and resistance against the LORD. To rebuild it in defiance of God would invite judgment.
i. This curse was fulfilled exactly as Joshua declared. In 1 Kings 16:34, the Bible says,
“In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho, he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun.”
Centuries later, Hiel ignored the Word of God and attempted to rebuild Jericho. God’s judgment fell, proving His Word true and unbreakable.
b. So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame was noised throughout all the country: The chapter concludes by emphasizing that the LORD was with Joshua. The true strength and success of Israel did not come from military power, but from the presence of God with their leader. Joshua’s name spread throughout the land, not because of his genius, but because God fought for Israel.
i. This completes the record of the victory at Jericho. Several marks of their victory stand out clearly. Joshua and Israel believed the Word of God, which is faith. They did exactly what God commanded, which is obedience. They did so even when surrounded by danger, which is courage. They continued day after day when nothing changed, which is endurance. And they did not depend on human weapons or strategies, but trusted entirely in the power of the LORD. These same qualities are needed for every spiritual victory in the life of the believer.
