And Joshua rose early in the morning ,.... Of the second day; to take care of, direct, and prepare everything for another procession on that day; so active and diligent was he to do the will and work of God, exactly and punctually: and the priests took up the ark of the Lord ; and carried it about as they had done the day before. read more
And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord ,.... See Gill on Joshua 6:4 , went on continually ; or, "going they went" F2 הלכים הלוך "euntes eundo", Montanus. : kept on going, making no stop at all, until they had compassed the city: and blew with the trumpets ; as they went along: and the armed men went before them, but the rereward came after the ark of the Lord ; which the Targum paraphrases as on Joshua 6:9 , the... read more
We come now to the command that was laid on Joshua. And hero we may observe three points. I. SUCCESS WAS CERTAIN IF GOD 'S COMMANDS WERE OBEYED . God does not say, "I will give," but, "I have given" Jericho into thine hand. Not only has the fiat gone forth, but the work is done, when the soldier of the Lord has made up his mind to obey the Lord's commands. Thus, whatever be the work to which we set our hands, be it public or private, in the world or in our own hearts, so... read more
The rereward (see Joshua 5:9 ). Literally, the gathering together and then the body of troops which collects the stragglers, the rear guard, as in Numbers 10:25 ; Isaiah 52:12 ; Isaiah 58:8 . Calvin renders here by quia cogebat agmen. But the LXX . and Vulgate render by ὁ λοιπὸς ὄχλος and vulgus reliquum. So Luther, der Haufe. The LXX ; however, in Isaiah 58:9 translates the same word by οὐραγοῦντες , i.e; " qui extremum agmen ducunt, et quasi caudam... read more
Click image for full-size version6:1-12:24 CONQUEST OF THE LANDDestruction of the CanaanitesThe following chapters show that the Israelites’ conquest of Canaan was well planned. First they won control of the central region (Chapters 6-9). This created a division between the northern and southern regions, and so prevented Canaanite tribes throughout the country from joining forces. Israel then had a much easier task in conquering the rest of Canaan, first the south (Chapter 10), then the north... read more
"And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of Jehovah. And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of Jehovah went on continually, and blew the trumpets; and the armed men went before them; and the rearward came after the ark of Jehovah, the priests blowing the trumpets as they went. And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days."Certainly it must be accepted that this... read more
Ver. 13-15. And seven priests, &c.— Whether Jericho was taken on a sabbath-day, as the Jews pretend, or on another day of the week, it is very certain, that the procession was made on the sabbath round about the city; and, consequently, that the rest of that solemn day was then infringed. He, says Kimchi, who had ordained the observation of the sabbath, commanded the sabbath to be broken for the destruction of Jericho: so that, according to the principles of this learned Jew, we are... read more
12-14. 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. read more
The terms "Lord" and "ark" occur interchangeably here (Joshua 6:8). The Lord was over the ark, and the ark represented the Lord’s presence.Evidently the whole Israelite nation did not march around the walls of Jericho. Only warriors and priests circled the city (Joshua 6:3-4; Joshua 6:6; Joshua 6:9, et al.). The "people" referred to in the context (Joshua 6:7; Joshua 6:16, et al.) were these people, not all the Israelites. Probably representatives of the tribes participated in this march rather... read more
Get Bible verse every day in your inbox
Read on Mobile
John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 6:11
So the ark of the Lord compassed the city ,.... Being bore by the priests, who carried it round the city; it may as well be rendered and interpreted as it is by Kimchi,"he, i.e. Joshua, caused the ark of the Lord to compass the city;' that is, he gave orders to the priests to take it up, and go round with it on the first day: going about it once ; on that day, and no more; keeping at such a distance, as to be out of the reach of stones or arrows cast from the walls of the city: ... read more