DAWN
Daily Arts Web Nucleus
Discover the Arts! Each day a different image from the Literary, Performing, or Visual Arts representing a portion of Scripture plus an explanation with links and a discussion forum 2014 April 22
Battle of Jericho (1452)
Jean Fouquet (1420-1480)
Northern Renaissance Style
Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, France
Image Source: Christ Images
Explanation: Joshua 6 describes the destruction of Jericho. Jericho was shut up because of the children of Israel. And the LORD told Joshua that he had given Jericho to him together with its king and its warriors. He told Joshua to march the soldiers around the city once a day for six days. Seven priests with seven ram's horn trumpets were to go in their midst blowing the trumpets. Behind them would be priests who were carrying the Ark, followed by a rear guard of Israelite soldiers. On the seventh day they were to do this seven times. The priests were then to make a long blast with the trumpets; and the people were to shout with a great shout. The walls would then fall down flat and the soldiers were to enter straight into the city. Joshua then told the priests to take up the Ark and to position seven priests before them with seven rams horn trumpets. Joshua then told the people to surround the city, and he told the soldiers to go ahead of the ark to the city (1-7). So the entourage of soldiers, trumpeters, Ark-bearers, and rear-guard began to surround Jericho. And Joshua commanded the people to be silent until he ordered them to shout. And the Ark went around the city once and came back to the camp (8-11). This they did for six days (12-14).
On the seventh day, at dawn, they went around the city seven times. On the seventh time, when the priests were about to bow the trumpets, Joshua told the people to shout because the LORD has given them city. He said that everyone and everything within the city, except Rahab and those who were with her, were accursed and were to be destroyed. He warned them not to bring any accursed thing into the camp lest they bring a curse upon themselves and upon Israel. But the silver, gold, brass, and iron was to be consecrated to the LORD and to be brought into the treasury. Then the priests blew the trumpets, the people shouted, the wall fell down flat, and the soldiers entered straight into the city and overwhelmed it, destroying everything -- men, women, children, and animals (15-21). But Joshua sent the two spies whom Rahab helped to her house to remove her and everyone inside together with their possessions. Rahab and her father's house were among the Israelites at the time that this portion of the account was written (22-25).
As noted by Jamieson, Fausset, Brown, concerning a parallel phrase in chapter 4 this was "at least twenty years [c. 1380 B.C.] after the event, if we reckon by the date of this history (Joshua 24:26)." And, as mentioned in the comments on Joshua 2, Rahab became an ancestor of Christ (Matthew 1:5). For a confutation of alternate views see the comments on Joshua 6:25 by Keil and Delitzsch.
Those who are interested in the chronological debate surrounding this event can consult the following articles: Jericho Chronology Dispute; Extra-Biblical Evidence; The Walls of Jericho.
The chapter ends with a curse by Joshua: "Cursed be the man before the LORD, that rises up and builds this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it." This curse was fulfilled several hundred years later (c. 856 B.C.) when Hiel the Bethelite, rebuilt Jericho during the reign of Ahab -- 874-853 B.C. Hiel may have done this to give Ahab a strategic fortress at a key crossing point of the Jordan. This was one of many confirmations of the ministry of Joshua by the hand of the LORD, most of which came during his lifetime. And the LORD was with Joshua and his fame spread throughout all the land (26-27).
Joshua 6
1 Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.
2 And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.
3 And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.
4 And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.
5 And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.
6 And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD.
7 And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the LORD.
8 And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns passed on before the LORD, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them.
9 And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and the rereward came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.
10 And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout.
11 So the ark of the LORD compassed the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.
12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.
13 And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rereward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.
14 And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days.
15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times.
16 And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city.
17 And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
18 And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.
19 But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.
20 So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.
21 And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.
22 But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her.
23 And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel.
24 And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD.
25 And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
26 And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.
27 So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country.
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