King James Version
Joshua 6
27 verses with commentary
The Fall of Jericho
Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. was: Heb. did shut up, and was shut up
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Jericho was straitly shut up</strong> (סֹגֶרֶת וּמְסֻגֶּרֶת, <em>sogeret u-mesugeret</em>)—The Hebrew doubling emphasizes absolute closure: 'shut up and being shut up,' a hendiadys expressing Jericho's desperate lockdown. Archaeological evidence confirms Jericho's massive double walls (outer wall 6 feet thick, inner wall 12 feet thick) made it seemingly impregnable.<br><br><strong>Because ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
VI.
(1) **Now Jericho . . .**—This verse should be read parenthetically, and Joshua 6:2-5 should be taken as the orders given to Joshua by the captain of the Lord’s host.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
Chapter Outline
The siege of Jericho.(1-5)
The city is compassed.(6-16)
Jericho is taken, Rahab and her family are saved.(17-27)
**Verses 1-5**
Jericho resolves Israel shall not be its master. It shut itself up, being strongly fortified both by art and nature. Thus were they foolish, and their hearts hardened to their destruction; the miserable case of all that stre...
Read full commentary →And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.
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KJV Study Commentary
God's declaration—'See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour'—uses past tense ('I have given') for future conquest. From divine perspective, victory is already accomplished; Israel simply receives what God provides. This grammatical choice teaches faith to claim promises before seeing fulfillment. The comprehensive gift includes city, king, and w...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 32 De 32:1-43. Moses' Song, Which Sets Forth the Perfections of God.
**1. Give ear, O ye heavens; ... hear, O earth--**The magnificence of the exordium, the grandeur of the theme, the frequent and sudden transitions, the elevated strain of the sentiments and language, entitle this song to be ranked amongst the noblest specimens of poetry to be found in the Scriptures.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
Chapter Outline
The siege of Jericho.(1-5)
The city is compassed.(6-16)
Jericho is taken, Rahab and her family are saved.(17-27)
**Verses 1-5**
Jericho resolves Israel shall not be its master. It shut itself up, being strongly fortified both by art and nature. Thus were they foolish, and their hearts hardened to their destruction; the miserable case of all that stre...
Read full commentary →And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once . Thus shalt thou do six days.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.</strong><br><br>God's battle strategy defies military logic. The command to "compass the city" (<em>vesabbotum et-ha'ir</em>, וְסַבֹּתֶם אֶת־הָעִיר) means to circle or march around Jericho's perimeter. The phrase "all ye men of war" (<em>kol-anshei hamilchamah</em>, כָּל־אַנְשֵׁ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2-3. My doctrine shall drop, &c.--**The language may justly be taken as uttered in the form of a wish or prayer, and the comparison of wholesome instruction to the pure, gentle, and insinuating influence of rain or dew, is frequently made by the sacred writers (Is 5:6; 55:10, 11).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
Chapter Outline
The siege of Jericho.(1-5)
The city is compassed.(6-16)
Jericho is taken, Rahab and her family are saved.(17-27)
**Verses 1-5**
Jericho resolves Israel shall not be its master. It shut itself up, being strongly fortified both by art and nature. Thus were they foolish, and their hearts hardened to their destruction; the miserable case of all that stre...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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.</strong><br><br>This verse introduces liturgical elements: seven priests, seven trumpets, seven circuits on the seventh day. The Hebrew <em>shofar</em> (שׁוֹפָר, "trumpets of rams' horns") were ceremonial instrum...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **Seven trumpets of rams’ horns.**—Literally, *trumpets of jubilee*—i.e., of loud or joyful sound.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2-3. My doctrine shall drop, &c.--**The language may justly be taken as uttered in the form of a wish or prayer, and the comparison of wholesome instruction to the pure, gentle, and insinuating influence of rain or dew, is frequently made by the sacred writers (Is 5:6; 55:10, 11).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
Chapter Outline
The siege of Jericho.(1-5)
The city is compassed.(6-16)
Jericho is taken, Rahab and her family are saved.(17-27)
**Verses 1-5**
Jericho resolves Israel shall not be its master. It shut itself up, being strongly fortified both by art and nature. Thus were they foolish, and their hearts hardened to their destruction; the miserable case of all that stre...
Read full commentary →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. flat: Heb. under it
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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.</strong><br><br>This verse describes the climactic moment when supernatural intervention would manifest. The phr...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4. He is the Rock--**a word expressive of power and stability. The application of it in this passage is to declare that God had been true to His covenant with their fathers and them. Nothing that He had promised had failed; so that if their national experience had been painfully checkered by severe and protracted trials, notwithstanding the brightest promises, that result was traceable to their ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
Chapter Outline
The siege of Jericho.(1-5)
The city is compassed.(6-16)
Jericho is taken, Rahab and her family are saved.(17-27)
**Verses 1-5**
Jericho resolves Israel shall not be its master. It shut itself up, being strongly fortified both by art and nature. Thus were they foolish, and their hearts hardened to their destruction; the miserable case of all that stre...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
Joshua commands the priests to take up the ark and march before it, with armed men preceding the ark-bearing priests. The Hebrew <em>nasa'</em> (נָשָׂא) means to lift, carry, bear—emphasizing the sacred responsibility of transporting God's presence. The ark of the covenant (<em>aron habberit</em>, אֲרוֹן הַבְּרִית) represented Yahweh's throne and presence among His people. By placing the ark at th...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5. They have corrupted themselves--**that is, the Israelites by their frequent lapses and their inveterate attachment to idolatry.
**their spot is not the spot of his children--**This is an allusion to the marks which idolaters inscribe on their foreheads or their arms with paint or other substances, in various colors and forms--straight, oval, or circular, according to the favorite idol of th...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-16**
Wherever the ark went, the people attended it. God's ministers, by the trumpet of the everlasting gospel, which proclaims liberty and victory, must encourage the followers of Christ in their spiritual warfare. As promised deliverances must be expected in God's way, so they must be expected in his time. At last the people were to shout: they did so, and the walls fell. This was ...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
The command 'Pass on' (<em>abar</em>, עָבַר—to cross over) initiates the procession. The armed men going before the ark provides military escort, but their weapons are secondary to God's presence. This order—armed guard, seven priests with trumpets, ark, rear guard—places the ark at the strategic center. The procession's movement <em>around</em> the city rather than <em>against</em> it defies mili...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **Pass on, and compass the city.**—The meaning of this proceeding becomes clearer when we remember that the centre of the procession is the written law of God. The ark is the vessel that contains it. The armed men that precede it are its executioners. The priests who blow the trumpets are its heralds. It was this law that had brought Israel over Jordan; this law that was henceforth to be estab...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6. is not he thy father that hath bought thee--**or emancipated thee from Egyptian bondage.
**and made thee--**advanced the nation to unprecedented and peculiar privileges.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-16**
Wherever the ark went, the people attended it. God's ministers, by the trumpet of the everlasting gospel, which proclaims liberty and victory, must encourage the followers of Christ in their spiritual warfare. As promised deliverances must be expected in God's way, so they must be expected in his time. At last the people were to shout: they did so, and the walls fell. This was ...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
The people's immediate obedience—'as Joshua had spoken'—demonstrates covenant faithfulness. The seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns (<em>shophar yobel</em>, שׁוֹפַר יוֹבֵל) before Yahweh emphasizes the theocentric nature of this military operation. These weren't battle trumpets but ritual instruments, particularly associated with Jubilee celebrations (Leviticus 25:9) and divine rev...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-16**
Wherever the ark went, the people attended it. God's ministers, by the trumpet of the everlasting gospel, which proclaims liberty and victory, must encourage the followers of Christ in their spiritual warfare. As promised deliverances must be expected in God's way, so they must be expected in his time. At last the people were to shout: they did so, and the walls fell. This was ...
Read full commentary →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. rereward: Heb. gathering host
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KJV Study Commentary
The military formation—armed men before the priests, rear guard after the ark—creates a protective envelope around the ark while prioritizing spiritual over martial elements. The phrase 'priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets' emphasizes continuous action (<em>halok v'taqa</em>, הָלוֹךְ וְתָקַע—walking and blowing). The Hebrew construction indicates sustained, ongoing trumpet blasts throu...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8-9. When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance--**In the division of the earth, which Noah is believed to have made by divine direction (Ge 10:5; De 2:5-9; Ac 17:26, 27), Palestine was reserved by the wisdom and goodness of Heaven for the possession of His peculiar people and the display of the most stupendous wonders. The theater was small, but admirably suited for the conveni...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-16**
Wherever the ark went, the people attended it. God's ministers, by the trumpet of the everlasting gospel, which proclaims liberty and victory, must encourage the followers of Christ in their spiritual warfare. As promised deliverances must be expected in God's way, so they must be expected in his time. At last the people were to shout: they did so, and the walls fell. This was ...
Read full commentary →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. any noise: Heb. your voice to be heard
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KJV Study Commentary
Joshua's command 'Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice' imposes disciplined silence on the entire congregation except for the trumpet blasts. The Hebrew <em>taru'ah</em> (תְּרוּעָה) means a war cry or shout of triumph—which was to be withheld until the appointed time. This required extraordinary self-control and faith. Natural human instinct during military operations is to shout...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8-9. When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance--**In the division of the earth, which Noah is believed to have made by divine direction (Ge 10:5; De 2:5-9; Ac 17:26, 27), Palestine was reserved by the wisdom and goodness of Heaven for the possession of His peculiar people and the display of the most stupendous wonders. The theater was small, but admirably suited for the conveni...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-16**
Wherever the ark went, the people attended it. God's ministers, by the trumpet of the everlasting gospel, which proclaims liberty and victory, must encourage the followers of Christ in their spiritual warfare. As promised deliverances must be expected in God's way, so they must be expected in his time. At last the people were to shout: they did so, and the walls fell. This was ...
Read full commentary →So the ark of the LORD compassed the city, going about it once : and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.
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KJV Study Commentary
The ark of the LORD compassing the city once completes the first day's obedient procession. The verb <em>sabab</em> (סָבַב—to go around, compass) is repeated, emphasizing the deliberate, complete encirclement. They returned to camp, demonstrating patient faith—no immediate results, yet obedience continues. This single circuit on day one establishes the pattern to be repeated for six days before th...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**10. found him in a desert land--**took him into a covenant relation at Sinai, or rather "sustained," "provided for him" in a desert land.
**a waste howling wilderness--**a common Oriental expression for a desert infested by wild beasts.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-16**
Wherever the ark went, the people attended it. God's ministers, by the trumpet of the everlasting gospel, which proclaims liberty and victory, must encourage the followers of Christ in their spiritual warfare. As promised deliverances must be expected in God's way, so they must be expected in his time. At last the people were to shout: they did so, and the walls fell. This was ...
Read full commentary →And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.
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KJV Study Commentary
Joshua's early rising demonstrates leadership diligence and spiritual priority—seeking God first (cf. Mark 1:35). The priests taking up the ark on the second day shows continued obedience without variation. The repetition of the pattern—day after identical day—tests faithfulness when novelty fades. Human nature craves variety and immediate results; God often works through mundane repetition. The p...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11. As an eagle ... fluttereth over her young--**This beautiful and expressive metaphor is founded on the extraordinary care and attachment which the female eagle cherishes for her young. When her newly fledged progeny are sufficiently advanced to soar in their native element, she, in their first attempts at flying, supports them on the tip of her wing, encouraging, directing, and aiding their f...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-16**
Wherever the ark went, the people attended it. God's ministers, by the trumpet of the everlasting gospel, which proclaims liberty and victory, must encourage the followers of Christ in their spiritual warfare. As promised deliverances must be expected in God's way, so they must be expected in his time. At last the people were to shout: they did so, and the walls fell. This was ...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
The seven priests bearing seven trumpets continue their processional before the ark, maintaining the sacred order established on day one. The emphasis on 'went on continually' (<em>halok v'taqa</em>, הָלוֹךְ וְתָקַע) stresses unceasing proclamation. They blew the trumpets without stopping throughout the entire circuit. This sustained witness proclaimed God's sovereignty without wavering. The armed...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **The priests going on.**—Literally, *with a going, and a blowing with the trumpets.*” The priests” is inserted by the Targum.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-16**
Wherever the ark went, the people attended it. God's ministers, by the trumpet of the everlasting gospel, which proclaims liberty and victory, must encourage the followers of Christ in their spiritual warfare. As promised deliverances must be expected in God's way, so they must be expected in his time. At last the people were to shout: they did so, and the walls fell. This was ...
Read full commentary →And the second day they compassed the city once , and returned into the camp: so they did six days.
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KJV Study Commentary
The pattern continues—compassing the city once on the second day, then returning to camp. The repetition emphasizes the test of faith through waiting. God doesn't explain why six days of circling are necessary before the seventh day's climax. Israel must trust and obey without full understanding of the plan's logic. This models the Christian walk: we often don't understand God's timing or methods,...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-14. He made him ride on the high places, &c.--**All these expressions seem to have peculiar reference to their home in the trans-jordanic territory, that being the extent of Palestine that they had seen at the time when Moses is represented as uttering these words. "The high places" and "the fields" are specially applicable to the tablelands of Gilead as are the allusions to the herds and...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-16**
Wherever the ark went, the people attended it. God's ministers, by the trumpet of the everlasting gospel, which proclaims liberty and victory, must encourage the followers of Christ in their spiritual warfare. As promised deliverances must be expected in God's way, so they must be expected in his time. At last the people were to shout: they did so, and the walls fell. This was ...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
The seventh day marks the climax—they rose early, about the dawning of the day. The Hebrew <em>sha'ar hashachar</em> (שַׁעַר הַשָּׁחַר) means the gates of dawn, emphasizing the earliest light. This special timing sets the seventh day apart. Rising earlier than previous days shows heightened anticipation and obedience. They compass the city <em>seven times</em> on this day—a complete, divine number...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-14. He made him ride on the high places, &c.--**All these expressions seem to have peculiar reference to their home in the trans-jordanic territory, that being the extent of Palestine that they had seen at the time when Moses is represented as uttering these words. "The high places" and "the fields" are specially applicable to the tablelands of Gilead as are the allusions to the herds and...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-16**
Wherever the ark went, the people attended it. God's ministers, by the trumpet of the everlasting gospel, which proclaims liberty and victory, must encourage the followers of Christ in their spiritual warfare. As promised deliverances must be expected in God's way, so they must be expected in his time. At last the people were to shout: they did so, and the walls fell. This was ...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
At the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua commanded the people to shout. The moment of silence ends with explosive proclamation. The Hebrew <em>hari'u</em> (הָרִיעוּ) is imperative—'Shout!' This shout isn't self-generated enthusiasm but commanded obedience to God's word through Joshua. 'For the LORD hath given you the city'—note the past tense. In God's sovereign decree, vict...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**15. But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked--**This is a poetical name for Israel. The metaphor here used is derived from a pampered animal, which, instead of being tame and gentle, becomes mischievous and vicious, in consequence of good living and kind treatment. So did the Israelites conduct themselves by their various acts of rebellion, murmuring, and idolatrous apostasy.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-16**
Wherever the ark went, the people attended it. God's ministers, by the trumpet of the everlasting gospel, which proclaims liberty and victory, must encourage the followers of Christ in their spiritual warfare. As promised deliverances must be expected in God's way, so they must be expected in his time. At last the people were to shout: they did so, and the walls fell. This was ...
Read full commentary →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. accursed: or, devoted
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KJV Study Commentary
The herem (devoted to destruction) command—'And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live'—required total destruction except Rahab's family. The term 'accursed' (Hebrew herem) means devoted exclusively to God, requiring either consecration or destruction. Jericho's wealth went to God's treasury, not Israel's pockets. This demonstra...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17) **The city shall be accursed.**—Heb., *shall be chêrem, *“a devoted or accursed thing”; and so Joshua 6:18, “from the accursed thing.” (See Note on Deuteronomy 7:26.) The combination of the two ideas of devotion to God and utter destruction may be seen in the sin offering (Leviticus 6:25), which is called “holy of holies,” or most holy, and yet, when offered for the priest or congregation, mu...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-27**
Jericho was to be a solemn and awful sacrifice to the justice of God, upon those who had filled up the measure of their sins. So He appoints, from whom, as creatures, they received their lives, and to whom, as sinners, they had forfeited them. Rahab perished not with them that believed not, He 11:31. All her kindred were saved with her; thus faith in Christ brings salvation to...
Read full commentary →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. accursed: or, devoted a curse: or, devoted
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KJV Study Commentary
The scarlet thread (חוּט שָׁנִי) that Rahab let down becomes her salvation marker—a typological foreshadowing of Christ's blood. Just as the Passover lamb's blood on doorposts saved Israelites from death (Exodus 12:13), the scarlet cord saves Rahab's household from Jericho's judgment. The Hebrew שָׁנִי (shani) means scarlet, crimson—the color of blood and sacrifice. Rahab must bind it in the windo...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**17. They sacrificed unto devils--**(See on Le 17:7).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-27**
Jericho was to be a solemn and awful sacrifice to the justice of God, upon those who had filled up the measure of their sins. So He appoints, from whom, as creatures, they received their lives, and to whom, as sinners, they had forfeited them. Rahab perished not with them that believed not, He 11:31. All her kindred were saved with her; thus faith in Christ brings salvation to...
Read full commentary →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. consecrated: Heb. holiness
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KJV Study Commentary
The condition placed on Rahab—'whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head'—emphasizes personal responsibility in salvation. Those who left the protected space forfeited protection. This illustrates that salvation requires remaining in the covenant refuge provided by God. The phrase 'his blood shall be upon his head' uses covenantal language i...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **The silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron . . . into the treasury of the Lord.**—See Numbers 31:22-23; Numbers 31:54, where something similar was done with the spoil of the Midianites.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-27**
Jericho was to be a solemn and awful sacrifice to the justice of God, upon those who had filled up the measure of their sins. So He appoints, from whom, as creatures, they received their lives, and to whom, as sinners, they had forfeited them. Rahab perished not with them that believed not, He 11:31. All her kindred were saved with her; thus faith in Christ brings salvation to...
Read full commentary →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. flat: Heb. under it
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The fall of Jericho's walls stands as one of Scripture's most dramatic miracles, demonstrating God's power to accomplish the impossible through faith and obedience. The Hebrew verb <em>nafal</em> (נָפַל, "fell down") indicates sudden, complete collapse. The phrase "the wall fell down flat" (<em>vatipol hachoma tachteyha</em>, וַתִּפֹּל הַחוֹמָה תַּחְתֶּיהָ) literally means "fell in its place" or "...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-27**
Jericho was to be a solemn and awful sacrifice to the justice of God, upon those who had filled up the measure of their sins. So He appoints, from whom, as creatures, they received their lives, and to whom, as sinners, they had forfeited them. Rahab perished not with them that believed not, He 11:31. All her kindred were saved with her; thus faith in Christ brings salvation to...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
Rahab's response—'According unto your words, so be it'—demonstrates complete submission to the terms of salvation. The Hebrew כְּדִבְרֵיכֶם כֶּן־הוּא (kidivreikhem ken-hu) means literally 'as your words, so it is.' She doesn't negotiate terms, add conditions, or suggest modifications. This exemplifies saving faith: unconditional acceptance of God's provision on His terms. Her immediate action—'she...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(21) **And ox, and sheep, and ass.**—Even the animals must be destroyed, that Israel might not seem to be slaughtering the Canaanites for the sake of plunder. Everything was ordered in such a way as to mark the vengeance of God.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-27**
Jericho was to be a solemn and awful sacrifice to the justice of God, upon those who had filled up the measure of their sins. So He appoints, from whom, as creatures, they received their lives, and to whom, as sinners, they had forfeited them. Rahab perished not with them that believed not, He 11:31. All her kindred were saved with her; thus faith in Christ brings salvation to...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
The spies remained in the mountains three days until their pursuers returned—demonstrating wise caution after Rahab's counsel (verse 16). The number three appears frequently in Scripture associated with divine timing and resurrection (Jonah 1:17, Matthew 12:40). Their waiting tested patience but ensured safety. They trusted Rahab's local knowledge rather than presuming on God's protection through ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**21. those which are not a people--**that is, not favored with such great and peculiar privileges as the Israelites (or, rather poor, despised heathens). The language points to the future calling of the Gentiles.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-27**
Jericho was to be a solemn and awful sacrifice to the justice of God, upon those who had filled up the measure of their sins. So He appoints, from whom, as creatures, they received their lives, and to whom, as sinners, they had forfeited them. Rahab perished not with them that believed not, He 11:31. All her kindred were saved with her; thus faith in Christ brings salvation to...
Read full commentary →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. kindred: Heb. families
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KJV Study Commentary
The spies' return and report to Joshua provides closure to chapter 2's narrative. They told him 'all things that befell them'—complete, honest reporting including both dangers faced and deliverance experienced. Transparency in reporting to leadership shows accountability and trust. The conclusion 'truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land' demonstrates faith interpreting circumstan...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(23) **And left them.**—Literally, *caused them to rest.*
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-27**
Jericho was to be a solemn and awful sacrifice to the justice of God, upon those who had filled up the measure of their sins. So He appoints, from whom, as creatures, they received their lives, and to whom, as sinners, they had forfeited them. Rahab perished not with them that believed not, He 11:31. All her kindred were saved with her; thus faith in Christ brings salvation to...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
The phrase 'even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us' reports Canaanite psychological collapse. The Hebrew מוּג (mug—to melt, faint, dissolve) indicates complete demoralization—not mere anxiety but absolute terror rendering them incapable of effective resistance. This fulfills God's promise: 'I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**23. I will spend mine arrows upon them--**War, famine, pestilence (Psa 77:17) are called in Scripture the arrows of the Almighty.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-27**
Jericho was to be a solemn and awful sacrifice to the justice of God, upon those who had filled up the measure of their sins. So He appoints, from whom, as creatures, they received their lives, and to whom, as sinners, they had forfeited them. Rahab perished not with them that believed not, He 11:31. All her kindred were saved with her; thus faith in Christ brings salvation to...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive</strong>—The verb <em>chayah</em> (חָיָה, 'to preserve alive') echoes God's preservation of Noah (Genesis 7:3) and Joseph's family (Genesis 45:7). Rahab's salvation was comprehensive: herself, her household, and possessions. <strong>She dwelleth in Israel even unto this day</strong>—This editorial note confirms the account's early composition and Rahab's...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(25) **And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive.**—“By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not” (Hebrews 11:31). And so Jesus said to her who had ministered to Him in the house of Simon the Pharisee, “Thy sins are forgiven;” and again, “Thy faith hath saved thee: go in peace” Luke 7:48; Luke 7:50). “Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot *justified by works?*” (James 2:25).
...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-27**
Jericho was to be a solemn and awful sacrifice to the justice of God, upon those who had filled up the measure of their sins. So He appoints, from whom, as creatures, they received their lives, and to whom, as sinners, they had forfeited them. Rahab perished not with them that believed not, He 11:31. All her kindred were saved with her; thus faith in Christ brings salvation to...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Joshua adjured them</strong> (וַיַּשְׁבַּע, <em>vayashba</em>)—This solemn oath formula invoked God's name as witness and enforcer. <strong>Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho</strong>—Jericho's ruins were to remain a perpetual testimony to God's judgment, like Sodom (Deuteronomy 29:23). Rebuilding would defy divine decree.<br><br><strong>He sha...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(26) **Cursed be the man . . . that . . . buildeth this city Jericho.**—As the marginal reference indicates, the curse of Joshua was not incurred until Hiel the Bethelite built the city, in the reign of Ahab. But the “city of palm-trees” is (somewhat doubtfully) identified with Jericho, and this was occupied by the Moabites under Eglon, not very long after the time of Joshua (Judges 3:13, &c.), an...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-27**
Jericho was to be a solemn and awful sacrifice to the justice of God, upon those who had filled up the measure of their sins. So He appoints, from whom, as creatures, they received their lives, and to whom, as sinners, they had forfeited them. Rahab perished not with them that believed not, He 11:31. All her kindred were saved with her; thus faith in Christ brings salvation to...
Read full commentary →So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>So the LORD was with Joshua</strong>—This covenant formula (Genesis 26:28; 39:2) signals divine approval and empowerment. God's presence, not military genius, explained Israel's victory. The phrase brackets Joshua's career (Joshua 1:5, 9; 6:27), emphasizing that every conquest testified to Yahweh's faithfulness, not Israel's strength.<br><br><strong>His fame was noised throughout all the c...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-27**
Jericho was to be a solemn and awful sacrifice to the justice of God, upon those who had filled up the measure of their sins. So He appoints, from whom, as creatures, they received their lives, and to whom, as sinners, they had forfeited them. Rahab perished not with them that believed not, He 11:31. All her kindred were saved with her; thus faith in Christ brings salvation to...
Read full commentary →