Joshua 6
1 Jericho is shut up.
2 God instructs Joshua how to beseige it.
12 The city is compassed.
17 It must be accursed.
20 The walls fall down.
22 Rahab is saved.
26 The builder of Jericho is cursed.
shut tightly <05462> [was straitly. Heb. did shut up, and was shut up.]
because <06440> [because.]
Lord <03068> [the Lord.]
See <07200 05414> [See, I have.]
king <04428> [the king.]
around <05437> [ye shall.]
horns ...................... horns <07782> [trumpets of rams'.]
The words {shopheroth hyyovelim,} should rather be rendered jubilee, trumpets, i.e., such as were used on the jubilee, which were probably made of horn or silver: for the entrance of the Israelites into Canaan was indeed a jubilee to them (See Note on Le 25:11): instead of the dreadful trumpet of war, they were ordered to sound the trumpet of joy, as already conquerors.
seven .... seven ................. seven times <07651 06471> [seven times.]
<04900> [make a long.]
army ............... warriors <05971> [the people.]
wall <02346> [and the wall.]
The words {wenaphelah chomath hair tachteyha,} are literally, "and the wall of the city shall fall down under itself;" which appears simply to mean, that the wall shall fall down from its very foundation; which was probably the case in every part, though large breaches in different places might have been amply sufficient first to admit the armed men, after whom the host might enter to destroy the city. There is no ground for the supposition that the walls sunk into the earth.
<08478> [flat. Heb. under it.]
Pick up ... ark ......... carry ......... ark <0727 05375> [Take up the ark.]
armed <02502> [that is armed.]
before ... Lord ................ Lord <06440 03068> [before the Lord.]
guard <0622> [and the rereward. Heb. gathering. host.]
raise ... voices <06963 08085> [any noise with your voice. Heb. your voice to be heard.]
day <03117> [until the day.]
early ..... Joshua <03091 07925> [Joshua rose.]
priests <03548> [the priests.]
marched along ....... marched ......... followed <01980> [went on.]
<05927> [about the dawning.]
On .... day ................... time <03117> [only on that day.]
cry <07321> [Shout.]
<02764> [accursed. or, devoted.]
Rahab <07343> [only Rahab.]
hid <02244> [because.]
But <07535> [in any wise.]
setting apart <02763> [lest ye make.]
make .... camp <04264 07760> [make the camp.]
disaster <05916> [and trouble it.]
silver <03701> [all the silver.]
<06944> [consecrated. Heb. holiness.]
treasury <0214> [the treasury.]
wall <02346> [the wall.]
collapsed <05307> [flat. Heb. under it.]
annihilated <02763> [And they.]
The Canaanites were ripe for destruction; and God was pleased, instead of destroying them by a pestilence, a famine, or an earthquake, to employ the Israelites as the executioners of his vengeance. Had an angel been commissioned to slay them, who would have charged him with iniquity or cruelty? In all public calamities infants are involved; and tens of thousands of infants die in great agony every year. Now, either God is not the agent in these calamities, (which opinion, though often implied in men's reasonings on these subjects, is not far from atheism;) or they must consist with the most perfect justice and goodness.
annihilated <02763> [utterly.]
Joshua <03091> [Joshua.]
promised <07650> [as ye sware unto her.]
brought out Rahab ............. brought out <07343 03318> [out Rahab.]
family <04940> [kindred. Heb. families. left them.]
burned <08313> [burnt.]
silver <03701> [only the silver.]
Rahab <07343> [Rahab.]
lives <03427> [she dwelleth.]
day <03117> [unto.]
hid <02244> [because.]
solemn <07650> [adjured.]
This is to be regarded as a prediction, that he who rebuilded this city should lose all his children in the interim between the laying of the foundation to the completion of the walls.
declaration <0779> [Cursed.]
Lord <03068> [the Lord.]
famous <08089> [his fame.]
