Joshua 6:26

6:26 At that time Joshua made this solemn declaration: ¹  “The man who attempts to rebuild ²  this city of Jericho ³  will stand condemned before the Lord. ⁴  He will lose his firstborn son when he lays its foundations and his youngest son when he erects its gates!” ⁵ 

Joshua 23:14-15

23:14 “Look, today I am about to die. ⁶  You know with all your heart and being ⁷  that not even one of all the faithful promises the Lord your God made to you is left unfulfilled; every one was realized – not one promise is unfulfilled! ⁸  23:15 But in the same way every faithful promise the Lord your God made to you has been realized, ⁹  it is just as certain, if you disobey, that the Lord will bring on you every judgment ¹⁰  until he destroys you from this good land which the Lord your God gave you.

Zechariah 1:5

1:5 “As for your ancestors, where are they? And did the prophets live forever?

Matthew 24:35

24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. ¹¹ 

[6:26]  ¹ tn Normally the Hiphil of שָׁבַע (shava’) has a causative sense (“make [someone] take an oath”; see Josh 2:17, 20), but here (see also Josh 23:7) no object is stated or implied. If Joshua is calling divine judgment down upon the one who attempts to rebuild Jericho, then “make a solemn appeal [to God as judge]” or “pronounce a curse” would be an appropriate translation. However, the tone seems stronger. Joshua appears to be announcing the certain punishment of the violator. 1 Kgs 16:34, which records the fulfillment of Joshua’s prediction, supports this. Casting Joshua in a prophetic role, it refers to Joshua’s statement as the “word of the Lord” spoken through Joshua.

[6:26]  ² tn Heb “rises up and builds.”

[6:26]  ³ tc The LXX omits “Jericho.” It is probably a scribal addition.

[6:26]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew phrase אָרוּר לִפְנֵי יְהוָה (’arur lifney yÿhvah, “cursed [i.e., condemned] before the Lord”) also occurs in 1 Sam 26:19.

[6:26]  ⁵ tn Heb “With his firstborn he will lay its foundations and with his youngest he will erect its gates.” The Hebrew verb יַצִּיב (yatsiv, “he will erect”) is imperfect, not jussive, suggesting Joshua’s statement is a prediction, not an imprecation.

[23:14]  ⁶ tn Heb “go the way of all the earth.”

[23:14]  ⁷ tn Or “soul.”

[23:14]  ⁸ tn Heb “one word from all these words which the Lord your God spoke to you has not fallen, the whole has come to pass for you, one word from it has not fallen.”

[23:15]  ⁹ tn Heb “and it will be as every good word which the Lord your God spoke to you has come to pass.”

[23:15]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “so the Lord will bring every injurious [or “evil”] word [or “thing”] upon you.”

[24:35]  ¹¹ sn The words that Jesus predicts here will never pass away. They are more stable and lasting than creation itself. For this kind of image, see Isa 40:8; 55:10-11.