Joshua 6: The Fall of Jericho

Short answer: Joshua 6 tells how Israel conquered Jericho by marching around the city for seven days, shouting as the walls fell. Rahab and her family were spared because she had hidden the spies, and the city was devoted to destruction.

What Joshua 6 says

The chapter opens with Jericho shut tight, no one entering or leaving. Yahweh speaks to Joshua, declaring that He has already given Jericho into his hand, along with its king and warriors. The plan is unusual: all the men of war are to march around the city once a day for six days. Seven priests carrying seven trumpets of rams' horns will go before the ark, and on the seventh day they will march seven times and blow the trumpets. When the long blast sounds and the people shout, the wall will fall flat, and each man will go straight in. Joshua relays these instructions to the priests and the people, and they begin the procession, with armed men before the priests and the ark following. Joshua commands silence until the day of shouting.

For six days, Israel follows the strange orders. Each day they rise early, the priests take up the ark, and the armed men lead the way. The seven priests blow their trumpets continually as they walk, and the rear guard follows the ark. They march around the city once, then return to camp. No shout is raised, no sword is drawn. The text notes that they did this for six days. On the seventh day, they rise at dawn and march around the city seven times, the only day they do so. After the seventh circuit, the priests blow the trumpets, and Joshua gives the command to shout, for Yahweh has given them the city. He also warns that the city is devoted to destruction, and the people must not take any of the devoted things, lest they bring trouble on the camp. The silver, gold, and vessels of bronze and iron are holy to Yahweh and must go into His treasury.

The people shout, the trumpets blast, and the wall falls flat. Every man charges straight ahead into the city, and they take it. They utterly destroy all living things in Jericho: men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys. But Joshua remembers the promise made to Rahab. He sends the two spies to bring her out, along with her father, mother, brothers, and all her relatives. They set them outside the camp of Israel. Then they burn the city and everything in it, except the silver, gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, which are placed in Yahweh's treasury. Rahab and her household are saved alive, and she lives among Israel to this day because she hid the messengers.

Joshua then pronounces a curse on anyone who rebuilds Jericho: at the cost of his firstborn he will lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son he will set up its gates. The chapter closes by noting that Yahweh was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land. The victory is complete, but it is not attributed to Israel's military might or clever strategy. It is Yahweh who gave the city, and the unusual means underscore that the battle belongs to Him. The salvation of Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute, stands as a striking exception within the destruction, highlighting that faith and allegiance to Yahweh's messengers brought deliverance.

Verses that carry the chapter

• “Yahweh said to Joshua, “Behold, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the mighty men of valor.” (Joshua 6:2) — Yahweh declares that He has already given Jericho into Joshua's hand, setting the tone of divine initiative before any human action.
• “It shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the city wall shall fall down flat, and the people shall go up, every man straight in front of him.”” (Joshua 6:5) — This verse details the exact moment and means by which the wall will fall, tying the miracle to the shout of the people and the blast of the trumpets.
• “So the people shouted and the priests blew the trumpets. When the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight in front of him, and they took the city.” (Joshua 6:20) — The climax of the chapter: the people shout, the wall falls, and Israel takes the city, fulfilling the promise given in verse 2.
• “But Rahab the prostitute, her father’s household, and all that she had, Joshua saved alive. She lives in the middle of Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.” (Joshua 6:25) — Rahab and her household are saved, demonstrating that allegiance to Yahweh's messengers brings deliverance even amid judgment.

Gospel connection

The fall of Jericho points forward to the greater conquest of sin and death through Jesus Christ. Just as Yahweh gave the city into Joshua's hand, so God has given all authority to His Son, who leads His people not by military might but by faith. The walls that fell at a shout anticipate the powers that crumble before the proclamation of the gospel. Rahab, a foreigner and a prostitute, is saved by faith and becomes part of Israel's story, even appearing in the genealogy of Jesus. Her deliverance shows that God's grace extends beyond ethnic boundaries to all who trust Him. The destruction of Jericho also foreshadows the final judgment, where God's justice will be fully executed, yet those who are in Christ are spared. The chapter reminds us that salvation is God's work, received by faith, not achieved by human strength.

Application

This chapter asks the reader to trust God's methods even when they seem foolish or slow. Israel marched in silence for six days, doing nothing that looked like warfare. We are often tempted to force outcomes, to shout before the appointed time, or to rely on our own strategies. But God calls us to obedient patience, to follow His instructions step by step, even when we cannot see how the walls will fall. The command to keep silent until the shout also challenges our tongues: not every thought needs to be spoken, and sometimes faithfulness means waiting on the Lord's timing. The warning against taking devoted things confronts our temptation to grasp what God has set apart. Finally, Rahab's salvation invites us to extend grace to those who seem outside, remembering that God's family is built on faith, not background.

Biblical fidelity check

The chapter does not explain how the walls fell beyond the shout and trumpet blast, nor does it describe the size of the city or the number of inhabitants. It does not tell us what Rahab's family thought or whether they converted. It does not say that Israel used battering rams or siege engines. It does not name the king of Jericho or give his response. It does not state how long the march took each day or the distance around the city. It does not mention any casualties among Israel. It does not describe the interior of the city or the fate of its animals beyond their destruction. It does not explain why God chose this method, nor does it record any doubt or objection from the people. The text is silent on the later history of Rahab beyond her living among Israel.

Questions for study

1. Why do you think God chose a seven-day marching plan instead of a direct assault, and what does that reveal about how He works?
2. What might the six days of silence have been like for the Israelites, and how does that challenge our own impatience?
3. Joshua warned the people not to take devoted things. What are some 'devoted things' in our lives that we are tempted to grasp?
4. Rahab was saved because she hid the spies. How does her story encourage us to trust God's mercy for ourselves and others?
5. The chapter ends with Joshua's fame spreading. How do we handle success in a way that gives glory to God rather than to ourselves?

Keep reading

Related studies: Joshua 10 Bible Study, Joshua 11 Bible Study, Joshua 12 Bible Study, Joshua 13 Bible Study.

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FAQ

Why did God command the destruction of everyone in Jericho?

The text presents it as an act of divine judgment, devoting the city to Yahweh. It does not explain the moral reasoning beyond the command itself, but it shows that God's justice is severe and that He keeps His word to Israel.

How was Rahab saved from the destruction?

Because she hid the spies, Joshua sent the two men to bring her and all her relatives out of the city. They were set outside the camp of Israel and spared.

What happened to the silver, gold, and bronze and iron vessels?

They were considered holy to Yahweh and were placed into the treasury of Yahweh's house. The rest of the city was burned with fire.