1Und Jericho hatte zugeschlossen, und es war verschlossen vor den Söhnen Israels; Niemand ging heraus, und Niemand kam hinein. 2Und Jehova sprach zu Josua: Siehe! ich habe in deine Hand gegeben Jericho, und seinen König, die tapferen Männer. 3Und ihr sollet einmal rings um die Stadt gehen, sämmtliche Kriegsleute; so sollst du sechs Tage thun. 4Und sieben Priester sollen sieben Jobeltrompeten tragen vor der Lade her; und am siebenten Tage sollet ihr siebenmal um die Stadt gehen, und die Priester sollen in die Trompeten stoßen. 5Und es soll geschehen, wann man das Jobelhorn bläst, wann ihr den Schall der Trompete höret; so soll das ganze Volk ein großes Geschrei erheben; dann wird die Mauer der Stadt umstürzen an ihrer Stelle; und das Volk soll hinaufsteigen, Jeder vor sich hin. 6Da rief Josua, der Sohn Nuns, den Priestern, und sprach zu ihnen: Traget die Bundeslade; und sieben Priester sollen sieben Jobeltrompeten tragen vor der Lade Jehova's her. 7Und zum Volke sprach er: Ziehet hin, und gehet um die Stadt, und die Bewaffneten sollen vor der Lade Jehova's herziehen! 8Und es geschah, wie Josua dieß zum Volke gesagt hatte, da gingen die sieben Priester, welche die sieben Jobeltrompeten trugen, vor Jehova her, und stießen in die Trompeten; und die Bundeslade Jehova's ging hinter ihnen her. 9Und die Bewaffneten gingen vor den Priestern, welche in die Trompeten stießen; und der hintere Haufe folgte der Lade nach, während man in die Trompeten stieß. 10Und dem Volke gebot Josua, und sprach: Ihr sollet kein Geschrei erheben und nicht hören lassen eure Stimme; kein Wort soll aus eurem Munde gehen, bis zu dem Tage, wo ich euch sagen werde: Erhebet Geschrei! dann erhebet Geschrei. 11Also ging die Lade Jehova's einmal rings um die Stadt; dann kamen sie ins Lager, und übernachteten im Lager. 12Und Josua machte sich des Morgens früh auf, und die Priester trugen die Lade Jehova's. 13Und die sieben Priester, welche die sieben Jobeltrompeten trugen, gingen vor der Lade Jehova's her, und stießen in die Trompeten; und die Bewaffneten gingen vor ihnen her, und der hintere Haufe folgte der Lade Jehova's nach, während man in die Trompeten stieß. 14Und sie gingen am zweiten Tage einmal um die Stadt; und kehrten in das Lager zurück; so machten sie es sechs Tage. 15Und es geschah am siebenten Tage, da machten sie sich früh auf mit dem Aufgange der Morgenröthe, und gingen auf dieselbe Weise siebenmal um die Stadt; nur an diesem Tage gingen sie siebenmal um die Stadt. 16Und es geschah beim siebenten Male, wie die Priester in die Trompeten stießen, da sprach Josua zu dem Volke: Erhebet Geschrei! denn Jehova hat euch die Stadt gegeben. 17Und die Stadt soll zur gottverschwornen Vertilgung werden, sie und Alles, was darin ist, für Jehova; nur Rahab, die Hure, soll leben, sie und Jeder, der bei ihr im Hause ist; weil sie verborgen hat die Boten, die wir sandten. 18Nur hütet ihr selbst euch vor diesem gottverschwornen Vertilgungsfluche, daß ihr ihn nicht euch selbst aufladet, und von den gottverschwornen Vertilgungssachen nehmet, und das Lager Israels zur gottverschwornen Vertilgung machet, und es in's Unglück bringet. 19Und alles Silber, und Gold, alle ehernen und eisernen Geräthe sollen Jehova heilig seyn; in Jehova's Schatz soll es kommen. 20Da erhob das Volk Geschrei, und man stieß in die Trompeten. Und es geschah, wie das Volk den Schall der Trompeten hörte, erhob es ein großes Geschrei; und es fiel die Mauer auf ihrer Stelle; und das Volk stieg hinauf in die Stadt, ein Jeder vor sich hin, und sie nahmen die Stadt ein. 21Und sie gaben Alles, was in der Stadt war, der gottverschwornen Vertilgung preis, Mann und Weib, Knabe und Greis, Großvieh und Kleinvieh, und Esel, mit der Schärfe des Schwertes. 22Und zu den zwei Männern, welche das Land ausgekundschaftet hatten, sprach Josua: Gehet in das Haus der Hure und führet aus demselben das Weib mit Allem, was ihr angehört, wie ihr es ihr geschworen habet. 23Und die Jünglinge, die Kundschafter, gingen hinein, und führten heraus Rahab, und ihren Vater, und ihre Mutter, und ihre Brüder, und alles, was ihr angehörte, und alle ihre Geschlechter führten sie heraus, und ließen sie außerhalb des Lagers Israels. 24Und sie verbrannten die Stadt mit Feuer, und Alles, was darin war; nur das Silber, Gold, und alle ehernen und eisernen Geräthe legten sie in den Schatz des Hauses Jehova's. 25Und die Hure Rahab, und das Haus ihres Vaters, und Alles, was ihr angehörte, ließ Josua am Leben; und sie wohnte mitten unter Israel bis auf diesen Tag; weil sie die Boten verborgen hatte, die Josua ausgesandt, Jericho auszukundschaften. 26Und Josua schwur in dieser Zeit und sprach: Verflucht sey der Mann vor Jehova, der aufsteht und bauet diese Stadt Jericho! Um seinen Erstgebornen mag er sie gründen; und um seinen Jüngsten mag er einsetzen ihre Thore. 27So war Jehova mit Josua, und sein Ruf war im ganzen Lande.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 JERICHO SHUT UP. (
Josh 6:1-
Josh 6:7)
Now Jericho was straitly shut up--This verse is a parenthesis introduced to prepare the way for the directions given by the Captain of the Lord's host.
2 See, I have given into thine hand Jericho--The language intimates that a purpose already formed was about to be carried into immediate execution; and that, although the king and inhabitants of Jericho were fierce and experienced warriors, who would make a stout and determined resistance, the Lord promised a certain and easy victory over them.
3 ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war. . . . Thus shalt thou do six days, &c.--Directions are here given as to the mode of procedure. Hebrew, "horns of jubilee"; that is, the bent or crooked trumpets with which the jubilee was proclaimed. It is probable that the horns of this animal were used at first; and that afterwards, when metallic trumpets were introduced, the primitive name, as well as form of them, was traditionally continued. The design of this whole proceeding was obviously to impress the Canaanites with a sense of the divine omnipotence, to teach the Israelites a memorable lesson of faith and confidence in God's promises, and to inspire sentiments of respect and reverence for the ark as the symbol of His presence. The length of time during which those circuits were made tended the more intensely to arrest the attention, and to deepen the impressions, both of the Israelites and the enemy. The number seven was among the Israelites the symbolic seal of the covenant between God and their nation [KEIL, HENGSTENBERG].
6 Joshua . . . called the priests--The pious leader, whatever military preparations he had made, surrendered all his own views, at once and unreservedly, to the declared will of God.
8 THE CITY COMPASSED SIX DAYS. (
Josh 6:8-
Josh 6:19)
the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets . . . passed on before the Lord--before the ark, called "the ark of the covenant," for it contained the tables on which the covenant was inscribed. The procession was made in deep and solemn silence, conforming to the instructions given to the people by their leader at the outset, that they were to refrain from all acclamation and noise of any kind until he should give them a signal. It must have been a strange sight; no mound was raised, no sword drawn, no engine planted, no pioneers undermining--here were armed men, but no stroke given; they must walk and not fight. Doubtless the people of Jericho made themselves merry with the spectacle [BISHOP HALL].
12 Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord--The second day's procession seems to have taken place in the morning. In all other respects, down even to the smallest details, the arrangements of the first day continued to be the rule followed on the other six.
15 on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city . . . seven times--on account of the seven circuits they had to make that day. It is evident, however, that the militia only of the Israelites had been called to the march--for it is inconceivable that two millions of people could have gone so frequently round the city in a day.
16 it came to pass at the seventh time, . . . Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city--This delay brought out their faith and obedience in so remarkable a manner, that it is celebrated by the apostle (
Heb 11:30).
17 And the city shall be accursed--(See on
Lev 27:28). The cherem, or "anathema," was a devotion to utter destruction (
Deut 7:2;
Deut 20:17;
1Sam 15:3). When such a ban was pronounced against a hostile city, the men and animals were killed--no booty was allowed to be taken. The idols and all the precious ornaments on them were to be burned (
Deut 7:25; compare
1Chr 14:12). Everything was either to be destroyed or consecrated to the sanctuary. Joshua pronounced this ban on Jericho, a great and wealthy city, evidently by divine direction. The severity of the doom, accordant with the requirements of a law which was holy, just, and good, was justified, not only by the fact of its inhabitants being part of a race who had filled up their iniquities, but by their resisting the light of the recent astonishing miracle at the Jordan. Besides, as Jericho seems to have been defended by reinforcements from all the country (
Josh 24:11), its destruction would paralyze all the rest of the devoted people, and thus tend to facilitate the conquest of the land; showing, as so astounding a military miracle did, that it was done, not by man, but by the power and through the anger, of God.
18 and ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing--Generally they were at liberty to take the spoil of other cities that were captured (
Deut 2:35;
Deut 3:7;
Josh 8:27). But this, as the first fruits of Canaan, was made an exception; nothing was to be spared but Rahab and those in her house [
Josh 6:17]. A violation of these stringent orders would not only render the guilty persons obnoxious to the curse, but entail distress and adversity upon all Israel, by provoking the divine displeasure. These were the instructions given, or repeated (
Deut 13:17;
Deut 7:26), previous to the last act of the siege.
20 THE WALLS FALL DOWN. (
Josh 6:20-
Josh 6:21)
So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets--Towards the close of the seventh circuit, the signal was given by Joshua, and on the Israelites' raising their loud war cry, the walls fell down, doubtless burying multitudes of the inhabitants in the ruins, while the besiegers, rushing in, consigned everything animate and inanimate to indiscriminate destruction (
Deut 20:16-
Deut 20:17). Jewish writers mention it as an immemorial tradition that the city fell on the Sabbath. It should be remembered that the Canaanites were incorrigible idolaters, addicted to the most horrible vices, and that the righteous judgment of God might sweep them away by the sword, as well as by famine or pestilence. There was mercy mingled with judgment in employing the sword as the instrument of punishing the guilty Canaanites, for while it was directed against one place, time was afforded for others to repent.
22 RAHAB IS SAVED. (
Josh 6:22-
Josh 6:25)
Joshua had said . . . Go into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath--It is evident that the town walls were not demolished universally, at least all at once, for Rahab's house was allowed to stand until her relatives were rescued according to promise.
23 they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel--a temporary exclusion, in order that they might be cleansed from the defilement of their native idolatries and gradually trained for admission into the society of God's people.
24 burned the city . . . and all . . . therein--except the silver, gold, and other metals, which, as they would not burn, were added to the treasury of the sanctuary.
25 she--Rahab
dwelleth in Israel unto this day--a proof that this book was written not long after the events related.
26 THE REBUILDER OF JERICHO CURSED. (
Josh 6:26-
Josh 6:27)
Joshua adjured them at that time--that is, imposed upon his countrymen a solemn oath, binding on themselves as well as their posterity, that they would never rebuild that city. Its destruction was designed by God to be a permanent memorial of His abhorrence of idolatry and its attendant vices.
Cursed be the man . . . that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho--that is, makes the daring attempt to build.
he shall lay the foundation thereof in his first-born, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it--shall become childless--the first beginning being marked by the death of his oldest son, and his only surviving child dying at the time of its completion. This curse was accomplished five hundred fifty years after its denunciation (see on
1Kgs 16:34).
