Joshua 6:8

_AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN JOSHUA HAD SPOKEN UNTO THE PEOPLE, THAT THE SEVEN PRIESTS BEARING THE SEVEN TRUMPETS OF RAMS' HORNS PASSED ON BEFORE THE LORD, AND BLEW WITH THE TRUMPETS: AND THE ARK OF THE COVENANT OF THE LORD FOLLOWED THEM._ 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....

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....

EXPOSITION THE VICTORY.— JOSHUA 6:1 This verse (see above) is parenthetical. It explains why the captain of the Lord's host appeared unto Joshua. The inhabitants of Jericho, though in a state of the utmost alarm, were nevertheless fully on their guard against the children of Israel. The commencement of hostilities imposed a great responsibility on Joshua. Success at the outset was, humanly speaking, indispensable. We may see what defeat involved for him by his distress in consequence of the check at Ai. The alternative was victory or annihilation, for the Israelites had no homes or fortresses to which they could retire. Joshua was therefore encouraged by a visible proof that he was under the protection of the Most High, to be yet farther assured by the marvels that were to follow. The use of the Pual participle with its

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 given by Joshua, and before the ark, the symbol of his presence: AND BLEW WITH THE TRUMPETS; a short blast as they went along; this they did on each of the six days: AND THE ARK OF THE COVENANT OF THE LORD FOLLOWED THEM; being borne by priests, Joshua 6:6....

6. THE FALL OF JERICHO CHAPTER 6 _ 1. The divine instruction (Joshua 6:1)_ 2. The instructions followed (Joshua 6:6) 3. The fall of Jericho (Joshua 6:20) 4. Rahab remembered (Joshua 6:22) 5. The curse upon Jericho (Joshua 6:26) We do not enlarge upon the history of the chapter, which needs no comment. The fall of Jericho by the power of God, as described in this chapter, has also been ridiculed by infidels. Others have tried to explain the occurrence in a natural way. It has been said that the marching Israelites, b

JOSHUA 5:13 TO JOSHUA 6:27. THE CAPTURE OF JERICHO. The narrative begins at Joshua 5:13; Joshua 6:1 is an insertion (observe that RV places it in brackets), so that Joshua 6:2 should immediately follow Joshua 5:15. The captain of Yahweh's host is therefore Yahweh Himself. In the rest of the chapter we have a composite narrative, so skilfully compiled that at first sight there is not much fault to find. Closer inspection, however, shows that there are two signals for the fall of the walls (_a)_

BEFORE. Some codices, with five early printed editions, and Aramaean, Syriac, and Vulgate, add "the ark of"....

Capture and Destruction of Jericho 6. _And Joshua_ In obedience to the commands thus received Joshua implicitly carries out the instructions given him and issues the needful orders to the host....

_VER._ 7-9. _AND HE SAID UNTO THE PEOPLE, PASS ON_— We apprehend, that it was not only the soldiers who formed this procession, but that all the people joined in it; that the armed men went before the ark; and that after it came the rest of the people, making as it were the _rear-ward._ It is certain, however, that Onkelos, and the Rabbis Solomon, Jarchi, and Kimchi, understand by the _rear-ward,_ the single tribe of Dan, which was thus appointed, Numbers 10:25.; and they suppose, that before the ark went armed only the troops of the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and of the half tribe of Manasseh. But we keep to our version, which follows the LXX and Vulgate. The Hebrew word ףּמאס _measeph,_ which we translate _rear-ward,_ signifies, literally, _gathered up; i.e._ that company which closed the march, and collected together all that belonged to the procession. W

_Instructions for Attacking Jericho Joshua 6:1-11_ Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. 2 And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor. 3 And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. 4 And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams-' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. 5 And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him. 6 And Joshua the son of