Joshua 6

1 Now Jericho [a city in Palestine, the first conquered by the Israelites] was tightly shut up [straitly shut, closed and barred] because of the Israelites [the children of Israel, God’s chosen people]. No one [none, not a single person] went out [came out, departed] and no one [none, not a single person] came in [entered, approached]. word study 2 And the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said to Joshua [the leader, successor of Moses], “Behold [see, look], I have delivered [given, handed over] Jericho [the city, its moon] into your hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share], along with its king [the royal person, ruler] and its mighty men of valor [strong warriors, champions of war]. word study 3 March [go around, circle] around the city [excitement, a place with a wall] with all [every single one] the men [individuals, warriors] of war [battle, conflict], circling [surrounding, enclosing] the city [the town, a settlement] one [single, united] time [occasion, instance]. Do [make, perform] this [thus, in this manner] for six [the number six, a specific quantity] days [a period of time, a 24-hour cycle]. word study 4 Have seven priests [spiritual leaders, mediators between God and people] carry [lift, bear] seven rams’ horns [trumpets, jubilee horns] in front of [before, in the presence of] the ark [a chest]. Then on the [a day of rest and completion] seventh day, march [go around, surround] around the city [a place of human dwelling, a community] seven times [repeatedly, with emphasis], while the priests [those who serve God] blow [sound, trumpet] the horns [ram’s horns]. word study 5 And when there is a long blast [a prolonged, loud sound] of the ram’s horn [a trumpet made from a ram’s horn] and you hear [listen, pay attention to] its sound, have all [every single one] the people [nation, community] give a mighty [great, loud] shout [a joyful or triumphant cry]. Then the wall [barrier, fortification] of the city [urban center, settlement] will collapse [fall down, crumble] and all [every single one] your people [nation, community] will charge [march, advance] straight into the city [with confidence, without hesitation]. ” word study 6 So Joshua [the son of Nun, a leader in Israel] son of Nun summoned [called out to, invited] the priests [spiritual leaders, mediators between God and people] and said, “Take up [lift, carry] the ark [a chest, a container for the covenant] of the covenant [a promise, an agreement between God and people] and have seven priests carry [lift, bear] seven rams’ horns [trumpets, jubilee horns] in front of [before, in the presence of] the ark [a box or chest] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God].” word study 7 And he told the people [to advance, move forward], “Advance [pass on, go forward] and march [compass, circle] around the city [town, settlement], with the armed [equipped for war] troops [armed men, warriors] going ahead [before, in front of] of the ark [sacred chest, covenant box] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God].” word study 8 After Joshua [the leader] had spoken to the people [the nation, Amaw], seven priests [spiritual leaders] carrying seven rams’ horns [jubilee trumpets] before the LORD [Yehovah] advanced [passed over, transitioned] and blew the horns [with a loud blast, to signal], and the ark [a chest, a container] of the covenant [a promise, an agreement] of the LORD [the supreme God] followed them [after, in their rear]. word study 9 While the horns [trumpets] continued to sound, the armed troops [men of war, equipped for battle] marched ahead of the priests [spiritual leaders, mediators] who blew the horns [trumpets, making a loud blast], and the rear guard [gathered assembly, those who follow] followed the ark [chest]. word study 10 But Joshua [the leader] had commanded [given orders, appointed] the people [Amaw, a nation]: “Do not give a battle cry [shout, make a loud noise] or let your voice [sound, utterance] be heard; do not let one word [thing, matter] come out of your mouth [lips, edge] until the day [time, period] I tell you to shout [cry out, make a joyful sound]. Then you are to shout [cry out, give a loud cry]!” word study 11 So he had the ark [sacred chest] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] carried around the city [excitement, a place with a wall or watchman], circling [to turn, surround] it once [a single time, uniquely]. And the people returned [to go or come, entering a place] to the camp [a group of people, army] and spent the night [to lodge, rest] there. word study 12 Joshua [the leader] got up early [rose before day, at the break of day] the next morning [the time of new beginnings], and the priests [the spiritual leaders, Levites] took [lifted, bore] the ark [the sacred chest, box of the covenant] of the LORD [Yehovah]. word study 13 And the seven priests [spiritual leaders, mediators between God and people] carrying seven rams’ horns [jubilee trumpets, signaling freedom] kept marching ahead of the ark [a chest] of the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] and blowing the horns [a ram’s horn trumpet]. The armed troops [equipped warriors, prepared for battle] went in front of them and the rear guard [those gathering, following behind] followed the ark of the LORD, while the horns [instruments of proclamation, worship] kept sounding [continually blowing, announcing God’s presence]. word study 14 So on the second [again] day they marched around the city [a place with a wall or a watchman] once and returned to the camp [a group of people, an army]. They did this [thus, in this manner] for six days. word study 15 Then on the seventh [special or sacred] day, they got up at dawn [the beginning of a new day, a time of new light and hope] and marched around the city [a place with a wall or a watchman] seven times in the same manner [according to the same plan or custom]. That was the only day they circled [to turn or surround, to go around] the city seven times. word study 16 After the seventh [at the seventh occurrence] time around, the priests [spiritual leaders, mediators between God and people] blew the horns [trumpets, ram’s horns], and Joshua [God is salvation] commanded the people [nation], “Shout [cry out, give a loud cry]! For the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] has given [delivered, entrusted] you the city [town, fortified place]! word study 17 Now the city [a place of excitement, a walled town] and everything [all things, the entire contents] in it must be devoted [set apart, dedicated] to the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] for destruction [to be an accursed thing, a doomed object]. Only [except] Rahab [a Canaanite woman, a harlot] the prostitute [one who fornicates, is unfaithful] and all those [everyone, the entire household] with her [in close relationship, near her] in her house [a dwelling place, a family home] will live [have life, be spared], because she hid [secreted, protected] the spies [messengers, representatives] we sent [dispatched, commissioned]. word study 18 But keep away [be separated, stay distant] from the things devoted to destruction [set apart for God, doomed], lest [beware, take heed] you yourself be set apart [dedicated, consecrated] for destruction [to be utterly destroyed]. If you take [receive, acquire] any of these [cursed things], you will set apart [devote, consecrate] the camp [assembly, army] of Israel [God’s chosen people] for destruction [to be destroyed, doomed] and bring disaster [trouble, calamity] upon it. word study 19 For all [everything, the entirety] the silver [wealth, treasure] and gold [valuable metal] and all [every single] the articles [utensils, vessels] of bronze [copper, base metal] and iron [strong metal] are holy [set apart, consecrated] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]; they must go [come, enter] into His treasury [storehouse, depository].” word study 20 So when the rams’ horns [trumpets] sounded, the people [Amaw, a nation] shouted [with a great shout, a loud cry]. When they heard the blast of the horn [the sound of the trumpet], the people gave a great [loud, joyful] shout, and the wall [of protection, a barrier] collapsed [fell down flat, was defeated]. Then all the people [every man, as one] charged straight into the city [a place with walls, a town] and captured [took control of, seized] it. word study 21 At the edge [lip, mouth] of the sword [a cutting instrument] they devoted [utterly destroyed, set apart for destruction] to destruction [total annihilation, dedicated to God] everything [all, the whole] in the city [a place with walls, a settlement]—man [a male person, individual] and woman [a female person, wife], young [a boy or girl, from infancy to adolescence] and old [elderly, aged], oxen [cattle, bulls], sheep [a flock, young animal], and donkeys [male donkey]. word study 22 Meanwhile, Joshua [the leader] told the two [a pair, a duo] men who had spied out [explored, surveyed] the land [the territory, the earth], “Go into the house [dwelling place] of the prostitute [harlot] and bring out [rescue, deliver] the woman [the female] and all [everything] who are with her, just as you promised [swore an oath] her [to her, lah].” word study 23 So the young [youth, from infancy to adolescence] spies [those sent to explore or gather information] went in and brought out Rahab [a Canaanite woman who showed faith], her father [male parent or paternal figure] and mother [female parent or maternal figure] and brothers [male siblings or close relatives], and all [everything, every person] who belonged to her [her family, her household]. They brought out her whole family [all her relatives, her entire household] and settled them outside [beyond the boundaries of] the camp [encampment, army] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, referring to his descendants]. word study 24 Then the Israelites burned up [with fire, utterly destroyed] the city [a walled town, a place of refuge] and everything [all that was] in it [within its walls]. However, they put [set aside, dedicated] the silver [precious metal, wealth] and gold [valuable treasure] and articles [utensils, vessels] of bronze [copper, a base metal] and iron [a strong metal] into the treasury [storehouse, depository] of the LORD’s [Yehovah, the supreme God] house [dwelling place, temple]. word study 25 And Joshua spared Rahab [the harlot, a Canaanite woman] the prostitute, with her father’s household [all her relatives, her family] and all who belonged to her [all her possessions, everyone in her care], because she hid [secreted, protected] the men Joshua had sent [dispatched, commissioned] to spy out [explore, reconnoiter] Jericho [the city of palms, a major Canaanite stronghold]. So she has lived [dwelt, resided] among the Israelites [God’s chosen people, the descendants of Jacob] to this day [until now, even today]. word study 26 At that time [in this specific moment, when] Joshua [God is salvation] invoked [declared, swore] this solemn oath: “Cursed [utterly doomed, under God’s judgment] before the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] is the man [human being, individual] who rises up [stands, gets up] and rebuilds [restores, reconstructs] this city, Jericho [the city of the moon]; at the cost of his firstborn [oldest child, first in line] he will lay its foundations [establish, set in place]; at the cost of his youngest [smallest, last-born] he will set up [station, establish] its gates [doors, entrances].” word study 27 So the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] was with [in close relationship, near to] Joshua [a leader, having God’s salvation], and his fame [report, news, reputation] spread [was noised, became known] throughout [in all parts of] the land [country, territory, region]. word study