In this chapter Joshua is assured, though Jericho was closely shut up, it should be delivered into his hands, Josh. 6:1, Josh. 6:2; and he is directed, with the army, to go round the city six days together, seven priests bearing the ark of the Lord, with seven trumpets sounding; and on the seventh…

Now Jericho was straitly shut up, because of the children of Israel Or “it shut up”, or “was shutting, and was shut up” [[19]]; that is, the king and the inhabitants shut it up within; the Targum says with iron doors, and bars of brass, and it was blocked up without by the children of Israel: none…

And the Lord said unto Joshua The same divine Person called in the preceding chapter the Captain of the Lord’s host, , now with him, and who gave him the following orders, instructions, and assurances: see, I have given into thy hand Jericho, and the king thereof: which might be concluded from the…

And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war Joshua their chief commander under the Lord, and all that were able to make war, even all above twenty years of age; these were to compass the city, not in the form of a siege, but by a procession around it: and go round about the city once; or one…

And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns The ark was to be taken up and carried by priests round the city. Ben Gersom observes, that this was to direct the Israelites to keep and do according to all that was written in it; that is, in the law, which was contained in…

And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn Continue blowing, and protracting, and drawing out the sound a long time; which they did only on the seventh day; on the other days it was but a short blast they made at a time; so that this being different, it would be…

And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests Not the Levites and Kohathites, whose business it was in common to bear the ark, but upon this occasion the priests; not all of them, but as many as were sufficient for the purpose: and said unto them, take up the ark of the covenant; by putting the…

And he said unto the people, pass on, and compass the city, &c.] The women and children, the young men under twenty years of age, the unarmed part of the camp, as distinguished from the armed men: and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the Lord; to guard the ark, protect the priests,…

And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken to the people Both armed and unarmed; had finished the orders and directions he gave them before mentioned: that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns passed on before the Lord; in his sight, and by his direction, and at his command…

And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets Whom Jarchi, Kimchi, and Abarbinel, interpret of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh; that is, as many of them as Joshua took with him over Jordan; though rather all the armed men in the camp are meant; at least along…

And Joshua had commanded the people When he gave them their orders to pass on, and compass the city, ; saying, ye shall not shout; that is, on any of the six days as they went round the city, only on the seventh; for this being a sign of victory, it was not to be made until the day when it should…

So the ark of the Lord compassed the city Being bore by the priests, who carried it round the city; it may as well be rendered and interpreted as it is by Kimchi, “he, i.e.

And Joshua rose early in the morning Of the second day; to take care of, direct, and prepare everything for another procession on that day; so active and diligent was he to do the will and work of God, exactly and punctually: and the priests took up the ark of the Lord; and carried it about as they…

And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord (See Gill on Josh. 6:4); went on continually; or, “going they went” [[1]]: kept on going, making no stop at all, until they had compassed the city: and blew with the trumpets; as they went along: and the armed men…

And the second day they compassed the city once Went round it one time only; as on the first: and returned into the camp: which was at Gilgal, ; so they did six days: four more after these two successively, and proceeded in the same order and manner as on those two days.

And it came to pass on the seventh day Which Jarchi says was the Sabbath day, and which is a common notion of the Jews [[2]]; but whether it was or not, it is certain that one of these seven days must be a sabbath, in which the several things ordered were done, and the procession made.

And it came to pass at the seventh time Of their going round the city on the seventh day: and at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets; as they did every time they compassed the city: Joshua said unto the people, shout; both those that were armed, and those that were not; they…

And the city shall be accursed Or, be a “cherem”, devoted to the Lord, as it follows: even it and all that are therein, to the Lord; the city and the inhabitants of it should be devoted to destruction, and the riches and spoil of it dedicated to sacred uses, and not become the property of the…

And you in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing From laying hold on, secreting, and enjoying as their own, what was devoted to another use: lest ye make yourselves accursed; or a “cherem”, also devoted to destruction: when ye take of the accursed thing; any part of it, be it what it…

But all the silver and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated to the Lord Or rather, “for all the silver”, &c. as the particle here used sometimes signifies, and is so rendered [[3]]: each of these metals, and whatsoever were made of them, were set apart for the Lord, and dedicated to…

So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets As Joshua had charged them, ; and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout; that is, gave a loud shout, on hearing the long blast of the trumpets blown by the priests the…

And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city All the inhabitants of it, by the direction of Joshua, and according to the order of the Lord, (Deut. 7:1, Deut.

But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country Whom he had sent on that errand, ; and what follows he had said unto them before the people entered into the city, and perhaps before the walls of it fell; and indeed from (Josh. 6:16, Josh.

And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab Not only went into the city, but into Rahab’s house, which they knew again by the scarlet thread hung out at the window of it.

And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein As Babylon the great, of which this city was an emblem, as has been observed, (See Gill on Josh.

And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive From perishing by the sword, as the rest of the inhabitants did. Kimchi says, some interpret it of his giving her food, and an inheritance by which she might live; and Josephus [[5]] intimates the same: he says, he gave her fields, and had her in great honour…

And Joshua adjured them at that time When the city was burnt and spoiled; not that he adjured the people individually, or one by one, which was not very practicable, but in a general way: saying, cursed be the man before the Lord; let him be cursed by him with the curses written in the book of the…

So the Lord was with Joshua Counselling and directing him what to do, prospering and succeeding him in all that he engaged; the Targum is, “the Word of the Lord was for the help of Joshua;” the essential Word, Christ the Son of God, called the Captain of the Lord’s host, (Josh. 5:14, Josh.