Joshua 6:6-19

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 6:17-27

The people had religiously observed the orders given them concerning the besieging of Jericho, and now at length Joshua had told them (Josh. 6:16), ?The Lord hath given you the city, enter and take possession.? Accordingly in these verses we have, I. The rules they were to observe in taking possession. God gives it to them, and therefore may direct it to what uses and intents, and clog it with what provisos and limitations he thinks fit. It is given to them to be devoted to God, as the first... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 6:6

And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests ,.... Not the Levites and Kohathites, whose business it was in common to bear the ark, but upon this occasion the priests; not all of them, but as many as were sufficient for the purpose: and said unto them, take up the ark of the covenant ; by putting the staves into the rings of it, and so carry it, Exodus 25:14 ; see Numbers 7:9 , and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord : See Gill on ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 6:7

And he said unto the people, pass on, and compass the city ,.... The women and children, the young men under twenty years of age, the unarmed part of the camp, as distinguished from the armed men: and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the Lord ; to guard the ark, protect the priests, and defend the people, should any sally be made by the enemy upon them. These seem to design all the males that were above twenty years of age able to bear arms, and fit for war; though some... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 6:8

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 6:9

And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets ,.... Whom Jarchi, Kimchi, and Abarbinel, interpret of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh; that is, as many of them as Joshua took with him over Jordan; though rather all the armed men in the camp are meant; at least along with those mentioned went the standards of Judah and Ephraim: and the rereward came after the ark ; because the tribe of Dan was the rereward in journeying, Numbers 2:31 ; hence the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 6:10

And Joshua had commanded the people ,.... When he gave them their orders to pass on, and compass the city, Joshua 6:7 , saying, ye shall not shout ; that is, on any of the six days as they went round the city, only on the seventh; for this being a sign of victory, it was not to be made until the day when it should be obtained; otherwise, had they shouted, and nothing followed on it, it would have exposed them to the contempt of the inhabitants of Jericho, and would have put them in... read more

John Gill

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 6:12

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 6:13

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 6:14

And the second day they compassed the city once ,.... Went round it one time only; as on the first: and returned into the camp : which was at Gilgal, Joshua 5:10 , so they did six days : four more after these two successively, and proceeded in the same order and manner as on those two days. read more

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