Berean Study Bible The Walls of JerichoJericho stood near the Jordan River opposite Israel’s camp at Gilgal, guarding access into the central hill country of Canaan. Its fortified walls and secured gates made it a formidable stronghold, yet its defenses revealed fear rather than confidence. Neh 7:3 “Do not open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is hot.”… because of the Israelites. News of Israel’s crossing of the Jordan and of the Lord’s earlier deliverance at the Red Sea had already shaken the Canaanite peoples (Joshua 2:9–11; 5:1). Jericho faced not merely an advancing army but the God who had promised the land to Abraham’s descendants. Jos 5:1 Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan… No one went out and no one came in. The city was completely sealed against trade, travel, escape, and infiltration. Human fortifications could not prevent the Lord from carrying out His judgment on Jericho or fulfilling His promise to give Israel the land. Neh 13:19 When the evening shadows began to fall on the gates… And the LORD said to Joshua, God continued to lead Israel through Joshua as He had led Moses. The conquest of Canaan proceeded under divine direction, not human ambition, calling Joshua and the nation to trust and obey the Lord’s commands. Jos 8:1 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid… “Behold, I have delivered Jericho into your hand, God declared the outcome before Israel began the battle. Jericho stood as the first fortified stronghold blocking Israel’s entrance into the land promised to Abraham and his descendants. Its fall would demonstrate that the Lord Himself was giving Israel their inheritance. Deu 2:24 Arise, set out, and cross the Arnon Valley.… along with its king Jericho’s ruler and governing authority would not escape God’s judgment. The city’s political power, military leadership, and false security stood under the authority of the God of Israel. Jos 12:9 the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai,… and its mighty men of valor. Jericho possessed capable warriors and strong defenses, yet neither could resist the Lord. Israel’s victory would come through God’s power rather than conventional military strength, teaching His people that faith and obedience were essential in possessing the land. 2Ch 14:8 Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah… March around the city Jericho stood as a fortified gateway into Canaan, yet God directed Israel to confront it through obedient faith rather than customary siege warfare. The daily procession publicly declared that the city belonged to the Lord and that Israel’s victory would come by His power. The silent, ordered march also confronted Jericho’s inhabitants with the certainty of divine judgment. Psa 48:12-13 March around Zion, encircle her, count her towers,… with all the men of war, Israel’s fighting force participated together, submitting military skill and strength to God’s command. The warriors were not excluded from battle; they were taught that courage and readiness must remain under the authority of the Lord. Their unity displayed the covenant nation acting as one people in obedience. Jos 8:3 So Joshua and the whole army set out to attack Ai.… circling the city one time. One circuit each day required restraint, patience, and confidence in a result not yet visible. Israel did not attack according to human impulse but waited for God’s appointed moment. The march marked the city as under divine claim while teaching God’s people to walk by faith rather than by sight. Psa 55:10-11 Day and night they encircle the walls, while… Do this for six days. The repeated command tested Israel’s perseverance and prepared them for the completion God would bring on the seventh day. Six days of obedient waiting showed that the fall of Jericho would not be credited to Israel’s strategy or force, but to the Lord who fulfills His promises. Exo 16:26 For six days you may gather, but on the seventh day… Have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark. Seven priests and seven shofars mark the conquest of Jericho as an act ordered and accomplished by God. The priests led before the ark, the visible sign of the Lord’s covenant presence, just as the ark had gone before Israel through the Jordan (Joshua 3:3–4). Israel’s first battle in Canaan was not entrusted to military strength or siegecraft. God Himself went before His people, and the priests’ sacred ministry declared that Jericho’s fall belonged to Him. 1Ch 15:24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai…… Then on the seventh day, march around the city seven times, The sevenfold march brought the commanded pattern to its appointed completion. Israel was required to persist in quiet, disciplined obedience through a strategy that offered no natural military advantage. Their faith rested in God’s word rather than in what their eyes could see. Hebrews recalls that “by faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days” (Hebrews 11:30). Heb 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had… while the priests blow the horns. The shofars sounded God’s presence, authority, and impending judgment. Rams’ horns were used in Israel to summon the people, proclaim holy occasions, and signal battle (Leviticus 25:9; Judges 3:27). At Jericho, their sound announced that the Lord was acting against a city filled with idolatry and violence. The procession united worship and warfare, showing that victory came through God’s power and the faithful obedience of His people. Num 10:8-10 The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to sound the trumpets.… And when there is a long blast of the ram’s horn The ram’s horn marked sacred occasions, announced the Year of Jubilee, and summoned Israel in times of battle. Its prolonged sound at Jericho signaled that the decisive moment had come by God’s command, not by Israel’s military strength. Exo 19:13 No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned… and you hear its sound, Israel was to listen carefully and respond together. Their victory depended upon trusting the Lord’s instructions, even when those instructions differed from ordinary warfare. Exo 19:16 On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder… have all the people give a mighty shout. The united shout was an open declaration of faith in the God who had promised the city to them. Worship, obedience, and confidence in the Lord joined together as Israel awaited His action. 1Sa 4:5 When the ark of the covenant of the LORD entered the camp… Then the wall of the city will collapse Jericho’s strong defenses could not withstand the power of God. The fall of its walls demonstrated that the Lord gives victory to His people and fulfills what He has promised. Hebrews 11:30 remembers Jericho’s fall as an act accomplished through faith. Heb 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had… and all your people will charge straight into the city.” Israel would enter by the way God opened, receiving the land He had pledged to Abraham’s descendants. The command required courage, but the path into the city was made possible by the Lord Himself. Num 13:30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said,… So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests Joshua acted as Israel’s covenant leader, carrying forward the commission he had received from Moses and from the LORD. He did not begin the assault on Jericho by gathering soldiers or devising siege tactics, but by calling the priests, for the coming victory would display God’s power rather than Israel’s strength. 1Ch 15:11-12 David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar… and said, “Take up the ark of the covenant The ark represented the holy presence of the LORD among His covenant people and testified to His faithfulness to the law given at Sinai. Its place in the procession declared that the LORD Himself was leading Israel against Jericho, just as He had gone before them through the wilderness and across the Jordan. Num 10:33-36 So they set out on a three-day journey from the mountain… and have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns Seven priests bearing seven horns reflected the completeness of God’s appointed order. Rams’ horns were used to assemble Israel, announce sacred occasions, and sound alarms in war. Their continual sounding before Jericho would proclaim that the battle belonged to the LORD and that His judgment was approaching the city. 1Ch 15:24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai…… in front of the ark of the LORD.” The priests went before the ark in obedient service, placing worship and God’s presence at the center of Israel’s actions. Jericho’s fall would not result from ordinary military force, but from faith expressed through careful obedience to the LORD’s command. 1Ch 16:4-6 David appointed some of the Levites to minister… And he told the people, Joshua faithfully communicated the command he had received from the LORD. As Moses’ appointed successor, he led Israel in obedience at the threshold of the inheritance God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jos 3:5 Then Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves,… “Advance and march around the city, Jericho was the first fortified city Israel faced west of the Jordan. God’s strategy required visible trust rather than ordinary siege warfare: Israel would surround the city according to His command and wait for Him to give the victory. Heb 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had… with the armed troops going ahead Israel’s soldiers were prepared for battle, but their weapons would not bring down Jericho’s walls. Their ordered procession showed that God’s people were not passive, yet their strength rested in submission to the LORD rather than military power. Num 32:17 But we will arm ourselves and be ready to go ahead… of the ark of the LORD.” The ark represented the LORD’s covenant presence in the midst of Israel. Carried by the priests and accompanied by trumpet blasts, it declared that the God who had led His people through the Jordan would go before them against Jericho. The victory would belong to Him, foreshadowing the greater deliverance accomplished by Christ, who brings His people into their promised inheritance. Num 10:33-36 So they set out on a three-day journey from the mountain… After Joshua had spoken to the people, Joshua faithfully carries out the command he received from the LORD, directing Israel not by human military strategy but by God’s revealed plan. Like Moses before him, Joshua serves as God’s appointed leader, calling the nation to trust and obedience at a decisive moment. Jos 1:10-11 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people:… seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns Seven priests bearing seven shofars form a sacred procession before the army. The repeated number seven reflects the completeness of God’s purpose, while the horns join worship to warfare. Israel’s coming victory will be attributed to the LORD rather than to superior weapons or strength. Lev 25:9-10 Then you are to sound the horn far and wide on the tenth day… before the LORD The priests march as servants in the presence of the covenant God who has pledged the land to Israel. Jericho’s conquest is therefore not merely a military campaign but an act of divine judgment and covenant fulfillment. Deu 16:16 Three times a year all your men appear before the LORD… advanced and blew the horns, The continual sound of the horns announces the LORD’s authority over Jericho and summons Israel to reverent confidence. The people are being taught that God’s power, not their own noise or effort, will bring down the city. Num 10:5-7 When you sound short blasts, the camps on the east side… and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them. The ark visibly declares that the LORD is present with His people and remains faithful to His covenant promises. As Israel proceeds around Jericho, the ark assures them that the God who led them through the wilderness now leads them into the land He promised. Num 10:33-36 So they set out on a three-day journey from the mountain… While the horns continued to sound, The sounding of horns, specifically the shofar or ram’s horn, was significant in ancient Israelite culture. It was used for various purposes, including religious ceremonies, signaling, and warfare. In the context of Joshua 6, the continuous sounding of the horns signified the presence and power of God, as well as a call to spiritual and physical readiness. The use of the shofar in this passage connects to other biblical events, such as the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:16) and the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:9), symbolizing liberation and divine intervention. Exo 19:19 And as the sound of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder,… the armed troops marched ahead of the priests who blew the horns, Israel’s soldiers remained prepared for battle, yet their weapons were not the source of victory. Priests, trumpets, and the ark stood at the center of the procession, showing that Israel fought under God’s command. The army’s disciplined silence and orderly movement revealed faith expressed through obedience. Num 31:6 And Moses sent the thousand from each tribe into battle,… and the rear guard followed the ark. The ark, carried by the priests, represented the Lord’s covenant presence among His people. Its place within the procession assured Israel that God was leading and surrounding them as they carried out His word. As the ark had gone before Israel at the Jordan River, its presence at Jericho confirmed that the God who brought them into the land would give them the city. Num 10:25 Finally, the divisions of the camp of Dan set out… But Joshua had commanded the people: Joshua exercised the authority entrusted to him by the Lord and directed Israel with the obedience expected of God’s covenant people. Like Moses during the exodus, Joshua led by receiving God’s instruction and requiring the nation to follow it. Deu 31:7-8 Then Moses called for Joshua and said to him… “Do not give a battle cry or let your voice be heard; Israel’s silence set this march apart from ordinary warfare. No intimidation, boasting, or human display would contribute to Jericho’s fall. The people were to depend wholly on the Lord, who had already promised them the city. Exo 14:14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” do not let one word come out of your mouth The command required discipline from every person in the procession. Israel had often sinned through fearful complaints and unbelieving speech in the wilderness; now the nation was called to wait quietly under God’s direction. Their restraint demonstrated trust in a plan they could not yet fully understand. Psa 39:1 For the choirmaster. For Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.… until the day I tell you to shout. Joshua alone would give the signal at the appointed time, showing that the victory would come according to God’s timing rather than Israel’s impulse. Faith includes patient obedience when the Lord’s purpose is not immediately visible. Hab 2:3 For the vision awaits an appointed time;… Then you are to shout!” The shout would be an act of united obedience and a public acknowledgment of the Lord’s victory. When Jericho fell, Israel would know that the walls had not been overcome by military power, but by the faithfulness of the God who keeps His promises. Jdg 7:20-22 The three companies blew their horns and shattered their jars.… So he had the ark of the LORD carried around the city, The Ark of the Covenant represented the holy presence and kingship of the LORD among Israel. Jericho was not being conquered by Israel’s military strength but by the God who had brought His people through the wilderness and across the Jordan. As the Ark had gone before Israel in the wilderness and at the Jordan River, it now led them before the fortified city. The procession declared that the LORD Himself was directing the battle and fulfilling His promise to give the land to His people. Num 10:33-36 So they set out on a three-day journey from the mountain… circling it once. Israel’s restrained and unusual march required faith in God’s command rather than confidence in ordinary warfare. The single circuit on each of six days prepared the people for the seventh day, when seven circuits would culminate in the city’s fall. Their obedience demonstrated that victory belonged to the LORD and foreshadowed the complete triumph He would accomplish according to His appointed time. Heb 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had… And the people returned to the camp After carrying out the command, Israel returned without attacking, shouting, or attempting to force an outcome. The people were learning patient obedience, trusting that God’s promise would be fulfilled through the means He had prescribed. Their return to camp also preserved the distinction between the LORD’s work and human ambition. Jos 4:19 On the tenth day of the first month the people went up… and spent the night there. Each night of waiting called Israel to remain ready for the next day’s command. The delay did not weaken God’s promise; it trained His people to trust His timing. God’s people still await His final victory with the same call to faithful obedience, resting in the certainty that Christ leads them into triumph over sin and death. Gen 28:11-16 On reaching a certain place, he spent the night there… Joshua got up early the next morning, Joshua again acted without delay, carrying out the Lord’s instructions with disciplined obedience. His promptness modeled the faith and readiness required of Israel’s leader, as Abraham rose early to obey God’s command (Genesis 22:3) and David sought the Lord in the morning (Psalm 5:3). God’s mission took precedence over personal comfort, and Joshua’s example called the nation to trust God’s unusual plan for Jericho. Jos 3:1 Early the next morning Joshua got up and left Shittim… and the priests took the ark of the LORD. The ark represented the holy presence of the covenant God who went before His people. Israel’s victory would not come through military strength or siegecraft but through the Lord’s power and faithfulness. The priests bore the ark according to God’s established order, emphasizing both His nearness and His holiness. As the ark had led Israel through the wilderness and across the Jordan (Numbers 10:33–36; Joshua 3:14–17), it now led them before Jericho. God’s presence among His people ultimately points to Jesus Christ, Immanuel, through whom God dwells with and brings salvation to His people (John 1:14; Hebrews 9:11–12). 1Ki 8:3 When all the elders of Israel had arrived,… And the seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns Seven underscores the completeness of God’s appointed work, recalling the finished creation week. The priests bore the shofars as servants of the Lord, declaring that Jericho’s fall would come by divine power rather than Israel’s military strength. Rams’ horns were used in Israel’s worship, sacred assemblies, and proclamations of God’s rule, including the Year of Jubilee. 1Ch 15:24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai…… kept marching ahead of the ark of the LORD The ark represented the covenant presence of the Lord among Israel, though God Himself could not be contained within it. The priests advanced before the ark in reverence and obedience, while the Lord went forth as Israel’s true King and Warrior. As the ark had led Israel through the wilderness and across the Jordan, it now led them against the fortified city. 1Ch 15:25-28 So David, the elders of Israel, and the commanders… and blowing the horns. The repeated blasts proclaimed the Lord’s presence and summoned Israel to faith-filled attention. Trumpet sounds had accompanied God’s revelation at Sinai and would later mark holy convocations and national deliverance. The sound surrounding Jericho announced that the God of the covenant had come to fulfill His word. 2Ch 13:12-14 Now behold, God Himself is with us as our head,… The armed troops went in front of them Israel’s soldiers took their assigned place, showing that obedience did not remove the need for disciplined human action. Yet the army marched in submission to the Lord’s command, not according to ordinary siege strategy. The arrangement made clear that Israel fought under God’s authority. Num 32:17-22 But we will arm ourselves and be ready to go ahead… and the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, The rear guard completed and protected the procession, preserving the ordered movement of the people around the ark. Israel’s conquest was not a disordered assault but a holy march directed by the Lord. Every rank had a place beneath His command. Num 10:25 Finally, the divisions of the camp of Dan set out… while the horns kept sounding. The unbroken sound testified to the persistence of God’s purpose during the days of marching. Israel was called to wait, listen, and obey until the Lord brought down the walls at His appointed time. 2Ch 29:25-28 Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD… So on the second day Israel continued exactly as the Lord had commanded through Joshua. The repeated obedience tested the people’s faith, since no visible change appeared in Jericho after the first march. Their steadfastness bore witness that victory depended on God’s promise rather than immediate evidence. Num 7:18 On the second day Nethanel son of Zuar, the leader… they marched around the city once The armed men, priests carrying the ark, and rear guard encircled Jericho in ordered silence. Israel did not attack its walls or rely on siege equipment. The ark’s presence declared that the Lord Himself was leading His people against the fortified Canaanite city. Heb 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had… and returned to the camp. Each day ended with a return to the Israelite camp at Gilgal, where the nation waited upon God’s appointed time. Their restraint showed that faith includes both acting when God commands and waiting when He has not yet acted. Jos 10:15 Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal. They did this for six days. The six days of identical marches prepared Israel for the climactic seventh day, when the Lord would bring down Jericho’s walls. The pattern recalls the order of creation, in which six days preceded God’s completed work on the seventh. Israel’s perseverance demonstrated that the promised victory would come by God’s power, not human strength. Exo 24:16 and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai.… Then on the seventh day, The seventh day marked the completion of the pattern God had appointed. Throughout Scripture, seven often accompanies the fullness of God’s work, recalling the completion of creation in Genesis 2:2–3. Israel’s victory would come at the time God had determined, not through a plan devised by Joshua or the strength of the army. Gen 2:2-3 And by the seventh day God had finished the work;… they got up at dawn Israel began promptly and deliberately, showing readiness to obey without delay. Early rising frequently accompanies decisive obedience in Scripture, as when Abraham rose early to offer Isaac according to God’s command (Genesis 22:3). The people faced the final day with disciplined faith rather than hesitation. Mrk 1:35 Early in the morning, while it was still dark,… and marched around the city seven times The repeated circuit made clear that Jericho would not fall by conventional siege tactics. Israel followed the ark of the covenant, the priests, and the appointed trumpet blasts, placing the presence and power of the Lord at the center of the campaign. The seven circuits tested patient obedience and prepared the nation to witness a victory that belonged entirely to God. Lev 14:7 Seven times he shall sprinkle the one to be cleansed… in the same manner. Israel maintained the order God had given through Joshua, without changing the instructions after six uneventful days. Their perseverance demonstrated faith in God’s promise even while the walls still stood before them. Faithful obedience often requires continuing in God’s command before His purpose becomes visible. Num 2:34 So the Israelites did everything the LORD commanded Moses;… That was the only day they circled the city seven times. The final day set apart the decisive moment of God’s intervention. After Israel completed every instruction, the walls would fall at the sound of the trumpet and the people’s shout (Joshua 6:20). Hebrews 11:30 identifies Jericho’s fall as the result of faith, while the rescue of Rahab would show that God’s judgment and mercy were both at work. Jos 10:13-14 So the sun stood still and the moon stopped… After the seventh time around, Israel completed the pattern God had commanded: one circuit on each of six days and seven circuits on the seventh day. The number seven recalls the completion of God’s work in creation (Genesis 2:2–3) and marks the fulfillment of His appointed plan for Jericho. 2Ki 5:14 So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan… the priests blew the horns, The ram’s horns sounded the signal of God’s intervention. Israel did not rely on siege engines or military strategy; the Lord was acting for His covenant people. Trumpets also accompanied holy assemblies and proclaimed God’s rule among Israel (Leviticus 25:9). Num 10:8-10 The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to sound the trumpets.… and Joshua commanded the people, Joshua gave the order at the time the Lord had prescribed. After commanding silence during the earlier marches (Joshua 6:10), he now called the people to respond in united obedience. His leadership depended on carrying out God’s word rather than asserting human strength. Jos 1:10-11 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people:… “Shout! The shout came before the walls fell, making it an act of faith in God’s promise. Hebrews 11:30 identifies Jericho’s fall as a victory received through faith. Israel’s confidence rested in the Lord’s power, not in what their eyes could yet see. Psa 47:1 For the choirmaster. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.… For the LORD has given you the city! Joshua announced the victory as already certain because God had decreed it. Jericho, the first major Canaanite city taken by Israel, would be devoted to the Lord (Joshua 6:17–19). Its fall displayed God’s judgment on entrenched rebellion, His faithfulness to His promises, and His power to save those who, like Rahab, turned to Him in faith. Jos 8:1 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid… Now the city and everything in it must be devoted to the LORD for destruction. Jericho was placed under the ban (herem, meaning something devoted to God) as an offering wholly belonging to the Lord. As Israel’s first major conquest in Canaan, its people and possessions were not to enrich the army but to testify that the land was received by God’s power and according to His promise. The city also stood under divine judgment for Canaanite idolatry, immorality, and long-standing rebellion against God. Israel was commanded to remove what would draw the nation into the worship of false gods. The precious metals were reserved for the Lord’s treasury, while the city itself was destroyed. Achan’s later theft of devoted items revealed the seriousness of disobeying God’s command and treating what belonged to Him as personal gain. Deu 7:2 and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you… Only Rahab the prostitute and all those with her in her house will live, Rahab and those gathered under her roof were spared amid Jericho’s judgment because she had entrusted herself to the God of Israel. Her deliverance displayed both God’s holiness in judging sin and His mercy toward everyone who turns to Him in faith. The scarlet cord in her window identified the house protected by Joshua’s oath, recalling the protection given to Israelite homes marked by blood at the first Passover. Rahab left her former people and became part of Israel; she later appears in the line of David and of Jesus Christ, showing that God’s covenant mercy extends to believing Gentiles. Jos 2:12-13 Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD… because she hid the spies we sent. Rahab acted at great personal risk when she received and protected the Israelite spies. Her actions arose from her confession that the Lord is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. Hebrews commends her faith, and James points to her protection of the spies as evidence that genuine faith acts in obedience. God used a woman from a condemned city to preserve Israel’s messengers and to advance His redemptive purpose. Jos 2:4-6 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them.… But keep away from the things devoted to destruction, Jericho belonged wholly to the Lord as the first city conquered in Canaan. Its people, animals, and possessions were under God’s judgment, while its silver, gold, bronze, and iron were reserved for the Lord’s treasury (Joshua 6:19). Israel was not to treat the victory as an opportunity for personal gain. Deu 13:17 Nothing devoted to destruction shall cling to your hands,… lest you yourself be set apart for destruction. Taking what God had placed under judgment would make the offender liable to that judgment. The holiness of God required Israel to honor His command without compromise, especially in a land long corrupted by idolatry and violence. Deu 7:26 And you must not bring any detestable thing into your house,… If you take any of these, Israel’s obedience would be tested at the point of covetousness. God had promised His people the land and its future provisions, but He required them to trust Him rather than seize what He had forbidden. Achan later took devoted items from Jericho, revealing how hidden sin can grow from a heart that desires what God has withheld (Joshua 7:20–21). Jos 7:20 “It is true,” Achan replied, “I have sinned… you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction Achan’s sin did not remain a private matter. His disobedience brought guilt and defeat upon the nation, and Israel fell before Ai until the sin was exposed and judged. God’s covenant people were bound together in their calling to walk faithfully before Him. Jos 7:12 This is why the Israelites cannot stand… and bring disaster upon it. The warning was fulfilled when Israel’s army suffered loss at Ai because devoted goods had been kept within the camp. Judgment upon Achan and his household showed that God would not permit His people to carry the corruption of Jericho into the life of Israel. Jos 7:25 “Why have you brought this trouble upon us?” said Joshua.… For all the silver and gold and all the articles of bronze and iron Jericho, the first city conquered in Canaan, belonged wholly to the LORD as the firstfruits of Israel’s inheritance. Unlike later battles in which spoil could be distributed, the precious metals of Jericho were reserved for God. Silver, gold, bronze, and iron represented durable wealth and could be used in the service of the sanctuary. 1Ch 29:2 Now with all my ability I have made provision… are holy to the LORD; Items taken from Jericho were set apart from ordinary use because the victory belonged to God. Israel could not treat the conquest as an opportunity for personal enrichment. Dedication of the spoils acknowledged the LORD as the giver of victory and the true owner of all that Israel received in the land. Exo 28:36 You are to make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it… they must go into His treasury.” The metals were to be placed among the resources devoted to the LORD’s worship, likely in connection with the tabernacle treasury. Their preservation distinguished them from the rest of Jericho, which was placed under judgment and burned. Achan’s later theft of devoted silver and gold showed the seriousness of taking for oneself what God had claimed as holy. 1Ki 7:51 So all the work that King Solomon had performed…… So when the rams’ horns sounded, the people shouted. The priests’ shofars marked the divinely appointed moment after seven days of silent procession around Jericho. Israel did not attack by ordinary military strategy; they waited for the command God had given through Joshua. The sounding horns joined worship, holy warfare, and obedience, declaring that the battle belonged to the Lord. Psa 98:6 With trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn shout for joy… When they heard the blast of the horn, the people gave a great shout, The united shout came only when Joshua commanded it, demonstrating the people’s trust in God’s promise. Israel acted together under God’s revealed order rather than fear or human calculation. Hebrews 11:30 identifies the fall of Jericho’s walls as an act received by faith after the people had marched around them for seven days. Their cry also anticipated the Lord’s power displayed later through Gideon’s small army, where God secured victory so that no one could claim it by human strength. 2Ch 15:14 They took an oath to the LORD with a loud voice… and the wall collapsed. God brought down the defenses of a strongly fortified Canaanite city without Israel’s siege engines or assault ramps. The fallen wall fulfilled the Lord’s promise in Joshua 6:2 that He had given Jericho into Joshua’s hand. Jericho’s defeat showed that the God who had opened the Jordan could also remove every barrier standing against His covenant purposes. Heb 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had… Then all the people charged straight into the city and captured it. The collapse gave each Israelite a direct path into the city, and the army immediately carried out the command to take Jericho. This first victory in Canaan confirmed God’s faithfulness to His promise of the land and established Joshua as Israel’s God-appointed leader. Jericho stood as a witness that God’s people advance not through self-reliance, but through faith expressed in careful obedience. Jos 8:19 They rushed forward, entered the city, captured it… With the edge of the sword The Israelite army carried out the judgment God commanded after Jericho’s walls fell. The sword displayed God’s righteous judgment against a city whose iniquity had reached its full measure (Genesis 15:16; Isaiah 34:5–6). Deu 20:13 When the LORD your God has delivered it into your hand… they devoted to destruction Jericho was placed wholly under God’s ban, with no spoil taken for personal gain. As the first Canaanite city conquered, it belonged to the Lord; its precious metals were reserved for His treasury (Joshua 6:19, 24). Deu 7:2 and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you… everything in the city— Nothing under the ban was to remain as a source of wealth, idolatry, or corruption for Israel. Rahab and her family were spared because she trusted the God of Israel and sheltered His messengers (Joshua 6:22–25). Deu 20:16 However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God… man and woman, young and old, The extent of the judgment reveals the seriousness of Canaan’s entrenched rebellion and idolatry. God had waited generations before bringing judgment, and Israel was warned that the same covenant-breaking sins would bring judgment upon them as well (Deuteronomy 9:4–5). Deu 2:34 At that time we captured all his cities… oxen, sheep, and donkeys. Even the city’s livestock was destroyed, preventing Israel from profiting from what God had devoted to judgment. Israel’s later failure to obey a similar command against Amalek brought severe consequences for Saul (1 Samuel 15:3, 22–23). 1Sa 15:3 Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote… Meanwhile, Joshua told the two men who had spied out the land, Joshua entrusted Rahab’s rescue to the same spies she had sheltered in Jericho. Sent from Shittim before Israel crossed the Jordan, they had returned convinced that the Lord had given the land into Israel’s hand. Their mission continued the pattern of Moses’ earlier reconnaissance of Canaan while confirming Joshua’s careful and faithful leadership. Jos 2:23-24 Then the two men started back, came down from the hill… “Go into the house of the prostitute Rahab lived on Jericho’s city wall, where her home had provided the spies both refuge and an escape route. Though known by her former life, she had confessed faith in the Lord as the God of heaven and earth and had cast her hope on His mercy. Her deliverance displays God’s grace toward those who turn to Him in faith. Jos 2:1 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies… and bring out the woman and all who are with her, Rahab’s parents, brothers, and others gathered within her house were spared according to the oath the spies had made. The scarlet cord hanging from her window marked the house as protected, recalling the blood-marked homes of Israel at Passover. Safety was found by remaining under the provision God had appointed. Jos 2:18-19 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied… just as you promised her.” Israel’s victory over Jericho did not cancel its obligation to keep a righteous promise. Joshua honored the oath made in the Lord’s name, reflecting the faithfulness of God Himself. Rahab was later received into Israel and became part of the line leading to David and ultimately to Christ. Jos 2:12-14 Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD… So the young spies went in The two men Joshua had sent to Jericho returned in faithfulness to the oath they had sworn to Rahab. Their obedience showed that Israel’s victory did not cancel its covenant obligations. Jos 2:1 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies… and brought out Rahab, Rahab trusted the God of Israel and acted on that faith by receiving and protecting the spies. Her rescue demonstrated that the Lord’s mercy extended even to a Canaanite woman who turned from her former life to seek refuge in Him. Rahab later became part of Israel and stands in the line of the Messiah (Matthew 1:5; Hebrews 11:31). Jos 2:18-19 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied… her father and mother and brothers, and all who belonged to her. Everyone who gathered with Rahab under the protection marked by the scarlet cord was spared. Their deliverance fulfilled the spies’ promise and displayed the blessing that came to her household through her faith and allegiance to the Lord. Jos 2:13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother,… They brought out her whole family Israel kept its word completely, rescuing every person Rahab had brought into her home. The salvation of her family forms a striking contrast with the destruction of Jericho, showing that divine judgment does not erase God’s mercy toward those who believe Him. Gen 19:15-16 At daybreak the angels hurried Lot along, saying,… and settled them outside the camp of Israel. Rahab and her family were initially kept outside Israel’s camp, likely until they could be received in accordance with the laws of ceremonial cleansing. They were not abandoned or treated as enemies; Rahab later “lived in Israel to this day” (Joshua 6:25), anticipating the gathering of believing Gentiles into the people of God. Lev 13:46 As long as he has the infection, he remains unclean.… Then the Israelites burned up the city and everything in it. Jericho, the first major Canaanite stronghold encountered west of the Jordan, was placed under the ban of complete destruction according to the LORD’s command. Its fall displayed God’s judgment against entrenched Canaanite wickedness and confirmed that Israel’s victory came by His power rather than military strength. The destruction also warned the surrounding nations that the God of Israel was faithful to fulfill His word. Rahab and her household alone were spared because she trusted the LORD and acted in faith. Jericho’s judgment anticipates the final overthrow of evil, when God will decisively establish His righteous kingdom. Deu 13:16 And you are to gather all its plunder in the public square… However, they put the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the LORD’s house. Unlike the inhabitants and common goods of Jericho, these metals were holy to the LORD and could not be taken for private use. As the firstfruits of Israel’s conquest in Canaan, they were dedicated to God alone, acknowledging that the land and its victories belonged to Him. The treasury was associated with the tabernacle, where Israel worshiped in the LORD’s presence. Achan’s later theft of devoted items showed the seriousness of withholding for oneself what God had claimed. The consecrated treasure pointed Israel beyond earthly gain to the greater truth that all worship, victory, and provision belong to the LORD. 1Ki 7:51 So all the work that King Solomon had performed…… And Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, Rahab’s past did not exclude her from God’s mercy. Having confessed that the Lord is God in heaven above and on earth beneath, she cast herself upon His mercy and acted in faith by receiving Israel’s spies. Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25 commemorate her faith as one that trusted God enough to risk everything in obedience. Matthew 1:5 records her place in the genealogy of Jesus Christ, showing that God brings repentant sinners into His redemptive purposes. Heb 11:31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed… with her father’s household and all who belonged to her, Joshua faithfully kept the oath sworn by the spies. Rahab had gathered her family into her house, and all who remained under the protection marked by the scarlet cord were spared when Jericho fell. Her faith became a means of deliverance to her household, though each person’s safety depended upon receiving the provision God had appointed. Exo 12:21-23 Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel… because she hid the men Joshua had sent to spy out Jericho. Rahab had openly identified herself with the God and people of Israel before the battle began. Her protection of the spies revealed that she believed the Lord had given the land to Israel and that Jericho’s judgment was certain. God preserved her amid the city’s destruction, demonstrating His power to save those who turn from rebellion to faith. 1Ki 18:4 for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD… So she has lived among the Israelites to this day. Rahab was not merely rescued from judgment but received into Israel’s community. Her inclusion foreshadowed God’s purpose to bless the nations through Abraham’s offspring and to bring Gentiles near through faith. The former inhabitant of a condemned city became part of the people through whom the promised Messiah would come. Mat 1:5 Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab,… At that time Joshua invoked this solemn oath: After Jericho fell and its walls were destroyed, Joshua bound Israel to remember the city as a monument to the LORD’s judgment and saving power. As Israel’s appointed leader, Joshua pronounced an oath that called God Himself as witness and judge. Num 5:21-22 and the priest shall have the woman swear… “Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho; Jericho, the first fortified city taken in Canaan, had been devoted to destruction under God’s command. Rebuilding its foundations and restoring its gates would reject the judgment God had enacted and diminish the testimony of His victory. The curse concerned rebuilding Jericho as a fortified city, not merely living in the surrounding area. 1Ki 16:34 In Ahab’s days, Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho.… at the cost of his firstborn he will lay its foundations; The rebuilding would begin under the shadow of devastating loss. The death of the firstborn struck at a man’s inheritance, future, and family name, revealing the seriousness of defying the word spoken before the LORD. 2Ki 3:27 So he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him,… at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates.” The loss of the youngest son at the completion of the work portrays judgment reaching from beginning to end. Centuries later, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho during Ahab’s reign, and his sons Abiram and Segub died according to Joshua’s oath (1 Kings 16:34). God’s word did not lose its force with the passing of generations; His judgments and promises stand sure. 1Sa 16:11-13 And Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons”… So the LORD was with Joshua, The Lord fulfilled His promise to remain with Joshua as He had been with Moses (Joshua 1:5). Israel’s victory at Jericho came by God’s power, not by conventional military strength, and Joshua’s authority was publicly confirmed through the Lord’s presence. Joshua’s leadership points forward to Christ, the greater Savior who brings God’s people into their promised inheritance. God’s abiding presence with His servants also anticipates Immanuel, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). Jos 3:7 Now the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin… and his fame spread throughout the land. The defeat of Jericho announced to the Canaanite nations that Israel’s God was acting for His people. Rahab had already testified that fear of the Lord had fallen upon the inhabitants of the land because of what He had done (Joshua 2:9–11). Joshua’s renown therefore served as a witness to the holiness and power of the Lord and prepared the way for Israel’s continued conquest of Canaan. 2Ch 26:8 The Ammonites brought tribute to Uzziah,… This is a draft of the Berean Study Bible. Please send all comments and recommendations to bereanstudybible@aol.com. Bible Hub |
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