61 Now Jericho was tightly shut because e of the sons of Israel ; no one went out and no one came in. 2 The Lord said to Joshua , "See , I have given Jericho into your hand , with its king and the valiant warriors . 3 "You shall march around the city , all the men of war circling the city once e . You shall do so for six days . 4 "Also seven priests shall carry seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark ; then on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times , and the priests shall blow the trumpets . 5 "It shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn , and when you hear the sound of the trumpet , all the people shall shout with a great shout ; and the wall of the city will fall down flat , and the people will go up every man straight ahead ."
6 So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant , and let seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord ." 7 Then he said to the people , "Go forward , and march around the city , and let the armed men go on before the ark of the Lord ." 8 And it was so, that when Joshua had spoken to the people , the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the Lord went forward and blew the trumpets ; and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed e them. 9 The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets , and the rear guard came after the ark , while they continued to blow the trumpets . 10 But Joshua commanded the people , saying , "You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard nor let a word proceed out of your mouth , until the day I tell you, 'Shout !' Then you shall shout !" 11 So he had the ark of the Lord taken around the city , circling it once e ; then they came into the camp and spent the night in the camp . 12 Now Joshua rose early in the morning , and the priests took up the ark of the Lord . 13 The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually , and blew the trumpets ; and the armed men went before them and the rear guard came after the ark of the Lord , while they continued to blow the trumpets . 14 Thus the second day they marched around the city once e and returned to the camp ; they did so for six days . 15 Then on the seventh day they rose early at the dawning of the day and marched around the city in the same manner seven times ; only on that day they marched around the city seven times . 16 At the seventh time , when the priests blew the trumpets , Joshua said to the people , " Shout ! For the Lord has given you the city .
17 "The city shall be under the ban , it and all that is in it belongs to the Lord ; only Rahab the harlot and all who are with her in the house shall live , because she hid the messengers whom we sent . 18 "But as for you, only keep yourselves from the things under the ban , so that you do not covet them and take some of the things under the ban , and make the camp of Israel accursed and bring trouble on it. 19 " But all the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron are holy to the Lord ; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord ." 20 So the people shouted , and priests blew the trumpets ; and when the people heard the sound of the trumpet , the people shouted with a great shout and the wall fell down flat , so that the people went up into the city , every man straight ahead , and they took the city .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Joshua 6:1-20
Commentary on Joshua 6:1-5
(Read Joshua 6:1-5)
Jericho resolves Israel shall not be its master. It shut itself up, being strongly fortified both by art and nature. Thus were they foolish, and their hearts hardened to their destruction; the miserable case of all that strengthen themselves against the Almighty. God resolves Israel shall be its master, and that quickly. No warlike preparations were to be made. By the uncommon method of besieging the city, the Lord honoured the ark, as the symbol of his presence, and showed that all the victories were from him. The faith and patience of the people were proved and increased.
Commentary on Joshua 6:6-16
(Read Joshua 6:6-16)
Wherever the ark went, the people attended it. God's ministers, by the trumpet of the everlasting gospel, which proclaims liberty and victory, must encourage the followers of Christ in their spiritual warfare. As promised deliverances must be expected in God's way, so they must be expected in his time. At last the people were to shout: they did so, and the walls fell. This was a shout of faith; they believed the walls of Jericho would fall. It was a shout of prayer; they cry to Heaven for help, and help came.
Commentary on Joshua 6:17-27
(Read Joshua 6:17-27)
Jericho was to be a solemn and awful sacrifice to the justice of God, upon those who had filled up the measure of their sins. So He appoints, from whom, as creatures, they received their lives, and to whom, as sinners, they had forfeited them. Rahab perished not with them that believed not, Acts 14:31. She, and they with her, were plucked as brands from the burning. With Rahab, or with the men of Jericho; our portion must be assigned, as we posses or disregard the sign of salvation; even faith in Christ, which worketh by love. Let us remember what depends upon our choice, and let us choose accordingly. God shows the weight of a Divine curse; where it rests there is no getting from under it; for it brings ruin without remedy.