The Meaning of Joshua 6:26 Explained

Joshua 6:26

KJV: 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.

YLT: And Joshua adjureth them at that time, saying, 'Cursed is the man before Jehovah who raiseth up and hath built this city, even Jericho; in his first-born he doth lay its foundation, and in his youngest he doth set up its doors;'

Darby: And Joshua swore at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before Jehovah who shall rise up and build this city Jericho! In his first-born shall he lay its foundation, and in his youngest son shall he set up its gates.

ASV: And Joshua charged them with an oath at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before Jehovah, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: with the loss of his first-born shall he lay the foundation thereof, and with the loss of his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Joshua 6:26 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 6:22-27 - Spared When Others Perished
It is not the amount of truth that we know which saves us, but the grasp with which we hold it. All that Rahab knew was very slight and partial, but she held to it with all the tenacity of her soul, and it was accounted to her for righteousness, Romans 4:15. Also her works approved her faith. She identified herself with Israel by the scarlet thread, gathered her kinsfolk under her roof, and waited in anticipation of deliverance, James 2:25.
She had yet to be delivered from falsehood and lying, but that God-consciousness which is the first ray of dawn had broken upon her, and would necessarily result in perfect day. Poor outcast though she was, she became incorporated with Israel and the type of Gentile sinners who are permitted to sit with Christ in heavenly places. See Ephesians 2:17-18.
The city was devoted to destruction, lest the microbe of corruption should, through Israel, infect the world. See 1 Kings 16:34, r.v. But remember Luke 19:1-10. [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 6:26 mean?

And charged [them] Joshua at time that saying Cursed [be] the man before Yahweh who rises up and builds - city this Jericho with his firstborn he shall lay its foundation and with his youngest shall he set up its gates
וַיַּשְׁבַּ֣ע יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִ֖יא לֵאמֹ֑ר אָר֨וּר הָאִ֜ישׁ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר יָקוּם֙ וּבָנָ֞ה אֶת־ הָעִ֤יר הַזֹּאת֙ יְרִיח֔וֹ בִּבְכֹר֣וֹ יְיַסְּדֶ֔נָּה וּבִצְעִיר֖וֹ יַצִּ֥יב דְּלָתֶֽיהָ

וַיַּשְׁבַּ֣ע  And  charged  [them] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁבַע  
Sense: to swear, adjure.
יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ  Joshua 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹושֻׁעַ  
Sense: son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim and successor to Moses as the leader of the children of Israel; led the conquest of Canaan.
בָּעֵ֥ת  at  time 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
הַהִ֖יא  that 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person feminine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
לֵאמֹ֑ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אָר֨וּר  Cursed  [be] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: אָרַר  
Sense: to curse.
הָאִ֜ישׁ  the  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
לִפְנֵ֣י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
יָקוּם֙  rises  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
וּבָנָ֞ה  and  builds 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
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.
הָעִ֤יר  city 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
הַזֹּאת֙  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
יְרִיח֔וֹ  Jericho 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרִחֹו 
Sense: a city 5 miles (8 km) west of the Jordan and 7 miles (.
בִּבְכֹר֣וֹ  with  his  firstborn 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בְּכֹר  
Sense: firstborn, firstling.
יְיַסְּדֶ֔נָּה  he  shall  lay  its  foundation 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: יָסַד 
Sense: to found, fix, establish, lay foundation.
וּבִצְעִיר֖וֹ  and  with  his  youngest 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Adjective, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: צָעִיר  
Sense: little, insignificant, young.
יַצִּ֥יב  shall  he  set  up 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הֻצַּב 
Sense: to stand, take one’s stand, stand upright, be set (over), establish.
דְּלָתֶֽיהָ  its  gates 
Parse: Noun, fdc, third person feminine singular
Root: דַּל 
Sense: door, gate.