Joshua 6:6-14

Joshua 6:6-14

[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;  [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  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. 

What does Joshua 6:6-14 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

The terms "Lord" and "ark" occur interchangeably here ( Joshua 6:8). The Lord was over the ark, and the ark represented the Lord"s presence.
Evidently the whole Israelite nation did not march around the walls of Jericho. Only warriors and priests circled the city ( Joshua 6:3-4; Joshua 6:6; Joshua 6:9, et al.). The "people" referred to in the context ( Joshua 6:7; Joshua 6:16, et al.) were these people, not all the Israelites. Probably representatives of the tribes participated in this march rather than all the soldiers of Israel. The line of march was as follows: soldiers, priests, the ark, and more soldiers ( Joshua 6:6-9; Joshua 6:13).
Jericho was not a large city. Archaeological excavations have revealed that its walls enclosed only about eight and one-half acres.
The trumpets the priests blew ( Joshua 6:4; Joshua 6:9, et al.) were not the long silver trumpets but rams horns (shophars). The blowing of trumpets in Israel reminded the people of God"s activity for them. The priests used them to call the people to follow God who was going before them in the wilderness. Both functions were applicable on this occasion. The trumpet blasts signaled judgment to the Canaanites but victory to the Israelites (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17).
"The first time that we read of a trumpet-blast is at Sinai, where the Lord announced His descent upon the mount to the people assembled at the foot to receive Him, not only by other fearful phenomena, but also by a loud and long-continued trumpet-blast (Ex. xix16 , 19 , xx14 (18). After this we find the blowing of trumpets prescribed as part of the Israelitish worship in connection with the observance of the seventh new moon"s day (Lev. xxiii24), and at the proclamation of the great year of jubilee (Lev. xxv9). Just as the trumpet-blast heard by the people when the covenant was made at Sinai was as it were a herald"s call, announcing to the tribes of Israel the arrival of the Lord their God to complete His covenant and establish His kingdom upon earth; so the blowing of trumpets in connection with the round of feasts was intended partly to bring the people into remembrance before the Lord year by year at the commencement of the sabbatical month, that He might come to them and grant them the Sabbath rest of His kingdom, and partly at the end of every seven times seven years to announce on the great day of atonement the coming of the great year of grace and freedom, which was to bring to the people of God deliverance from bondage, return to their own possessions, and deliverance from the bitter labours of this earth, and to give them a foretaste of the blessed and glorious liberty to which the children of God would attain at the return of the Lord to perfect His kingdom (vid. Pentateuch, vol. ii, p466-7). But when the Lord comes to found, to build up, and to perfect His kingdom upon earth, He also comes to overthrow and destroy the worldly power which opposes His kingdom. The revelation of the grace and mercy of God to His children, goes ever side by side with the revelation of justice and judgment towards the ungodly who are His foes. If therefore the blast of trumpets was the signal to the congregation of Israel of the gracious arrival of the Lord its God to enter into fellowship with it, no less did it proclaim the advent of judgment to an ungodly world." [1]