Joshua 6
The Story of the Fall of Jericho
Israel marches around Jericho in obedience, and the walls fall by the power of the Lord.
Setting and Context
Jericho stands at the entrance to the land. After crossing the Jordan, Israel faces a fortified city. Joshua 6 teaches that conquest begins with trust in God's word more than in military convention.
The Story
The Lord tells Joshua that Jericho is delivered into his hand. The armed men, priests, and ark are to compass the city once a day for six days, with trumpets of rams' horns before the ark.
On the seventh day they rise early and compass the city seven times. At Joshua's command the people shout after the long blast of the trumpets, and the wall falls down flat.
Israel goes up into the city, every man straight before him. Rahab and her household are spared as promised. The victory is presented as the Lord's doing through obedient faith.
Meaning and Importance
God gives Joshua a strange battle plan: march around Jericho for six days, then seven times on the seventh day with trumpets and a shout. The walls fall flat, and the city is taken according to the word of the Lord.
The fall of Jericho shows that God's strategies may look foolish to human eyes yet prove decisive. Faith obeys before results appear. The fallen wall becomes a witness that the battle belongs to the Lord.
Biblical Art Connected to This Story
Key KJV Verses
Joshua 6:2
“And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.”
Read Joshua 6Joshua 6:16
“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.”
Read Joshua 6Joshua 6:20
“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.”
Read Joshua 6Joshua 6:25
“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.”
Read Joshua 6What This Story Teaches
- Obedience can look strange and still be faithful.
- Victory belongs to the Lord, not to human strength.
- God keeps covenant promises, including mercy to Rahab.
Questions about Fall of Jericho
Where is the fall of Jericho in the Bible?
The fall of Jericho is recorded in Joshua 6.
How did the walls of Jericho fall?
After Israel marched as God commanded and shouted on the seventh day, the wall fell down flat.
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