The Meaning of Joshua 6:17 Explained

Joshua 6:17

KJV: 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.

YLT: and the city hath been devoted, it and all that is in it, to Jehovah; only Rahab the harlot doth live, she and all who are with her in the house, for she hid the messengers whom we sent;

Darby: And the city shall be accursed, it and all that is in it, to Jehovah; only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.

ASV: And the city shall be devoted, even it and all that is therein, to Jehovah: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Joshua 6:17 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 6:12-21 - Jericho Taken And "devoted"
"By faith the walls of Jericho fell down," Hebrews 11:30. Whose faith? To some extent it was the faith of the people, who marched round them day by day in full assurance that God would not fail. But Joshua and Caleb pre-eminently were deeply concerned in the wonderful result. See Mark 11:23-24.
To the citizens the action of the Israelite invaders must have appeared incomprehensible and even ludicrous. What do these feeble folk? But God's people were being daily trained in patience, obedience and humility. Let God perform all things for you! Many strongholds of the enemy which now remain obstinate would fall if only all the Church would encompass them in faith, 2 Corinthians 10:4.
The utter destruction of the city and its people was in keeping with the usage of that age. Without doubt the city might have been a prolific source of infection. Still, its fate was terrible. We learn that God can lift human ideals by very slow, protracted processes. [source]

Chapter Summary: Joshua 6

1  Jericho is shut up
2  God instructs Joshua how to beseige it
12  The city is composed
17  It is accursed
20  The walls fall down
22  Rahab is saved
26  The builder of Jericho is cursed

What do the individual words in Joshua 6:17 mean?

And shall be the city doomed to destruction it and all who [are] in it by Yahweh only Rahab the harlot shall live she who [are] with her in the house because she hid - the messengers that we sent
וְהָיְתָ֨ה הָעִ֥יר חֵ֛רֶם הִ֥יא וְכָל־ אֲשֶׁר־ בָּ֖הּ לַֽיהוָ֑ה רַק֩ רָחָ֨ב הַזּוֹנָ֜ה תִּֽחְיֶ֗ה הִ֚יא אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתָּ֣הּ בַּבַּ֔יִת כִּ֣י הֶחְבְּאַ֔תָה אֶת־ הַמַּלְאָכִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁלָֽחְנוּ

וְהָיְתָ֨ה  And  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
הָעִ֥יר  the  city 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
חֵ֛רֶם  doomed  to  destruction 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֵרֶם 
Sense: a thing devoted, thing dedicated, ban, devotion.
וְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
בָּ֖הּ  [are]  in  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
לַֽיהוָ֑ה  by  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
רַק֩  only 
Parse: Adverb
Root: רַק  
Sense: only, altogether, surely.
רָחָ֨ב  Rahab 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: רָחָב  
Sense: a harlot of Jericho who aided the spies to escape; saved from the destruction of Jericho; married Salmon, an ancestor of David and of Christ; commended for her faith in the book of James.
הַזּוֹנָ֜ה  the  harlot 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: זָנָה 
Sense: to commit fornication, be a harlot, play the harlot.
תִּֽחְיֶ֗ה  shall  live 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: חָיָה  
Sense: to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health.
הִ֚יא  she 
Parse: Pronoun, third person feminine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  who  [are] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
אִתָּ֣הּ  with  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
בַּבַּ֔יִת  in  the  house 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
כִּ֣י  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
הֶחְבְּאַ֔תָה  she  hid 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: חָבָא  
Sense: to withdraw, hide.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַמַּלְאָכִ֖ים  the  messengers 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַלְאָךְ  
Sense: messenger, representative.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
שָׁלָֽחְנוּ  we  sent 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.