Joshua 6 3

Joshua 6:3 kjv

And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.

Joshua 6:3 nkjv

You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days.

Joshua 6:3 niv

March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days.

Joshua 6:3 esv

You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days.

Joshua 6:3 nlt

You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days.

Joshua 6 verses

Joshua 6 3 Meaning

Joshua 6:3 records God's direct instruction to Joshua and the Israelite army concerning the siege of Jericho. It commands all the men of war to march around the fortified city once each day for six days. This was not a conventional military strategy of attack, but a divine directive demanding unwavering obedience, collective discipline, and a profound act of faith in God's unconventional methods for victory. It emphasizes a prolonged period of ritualistic obedience leading up to God's promised intervention.

Joshua 6 3 Context

Joshua 6:3 is part of God's detailed instruction for the conquest of Jericho, the first and strategically crucial city encountered by Israel in Canaan after crossing the Jordan River. Following a miraculous crossing of the Jordan (Jos 3-4) and the reaffirmation of their covenant through circumcision and Passover observance at Gilgal (Jos 5), Joshua receives a unique battle plan directly from God. This plan bypasses conventional siege warfare entirely, highlighting that the victory would not come through human strength or military tactics, but by divine power and the Israelites' faithful obedience. The specific command to "march around the city... once" for six days establishes a ritualistic and repetitive act, building suspense, testing endurance, and underscoring that the battle belongs to the Lord. Jericho, heavily fortified, served as a symbolic first fruit of Canaan, demonstrating God's promise to deliver the land into Israel's hands.

Joshua 6 3 Word analysis

• You shall march around: (Hebrew: Sabbū - סַבּוּ) This is a Qal imperative, plural, indicating a direct command for active movement in a circular fashion. It denotes "surrounding" or "encircling." This specific verb implies not just walking, but a deliberate, disciplined military maneuver, yet without engaging in combat. It signals a divine strategy beyond human comprehension or conventional military thinking.
• the city: (Hebrew: et-ha'ir - אֶת־הָעִיר) The direct object, specifying "the city" (Jericho). This clearly indicates the target of their circular movement. The definite article highlights Jericho's singular importance as the initial, major stronghold blocking their path into Canaan.
• all the men of war: (Hebrew: kol anshei hammilchama - כֹּל אַנְשֵׁי הַמִּלְחָמָה) Emphasizes inclusivity. Not a select few, but the entire fighting force. This showcases a unified act of national obedience and a public display of faith. It would have been an awe-inspiring, possibly terrifying, sight to the inhabitants of Jericho—a silent, powerful parade rather than an immediate assault. Despite their warrior status, their role here is passive in combat terms, active in obedience.
• circling: (Hebrew: hakkei ef - הַקֵּף) This is a Hiphil infinitive absolute, serving as an intensive verbal participle. It reinforces the command to march around, adding emphasis to the action of encircling. It can be seen as "encircling, yes, encircling!" or "by encircling." Its repetition of the root "Q-P-P" underscores the nature of the action and its importance.
• the city: (Hebrew: et-ha'ir - אֶת־הָעִיר) Again, pointing to Jericho. The repetition further clarifies the target of the encirclement.
• once: (Hebrew: pa'am echath - פַּעַם אֶחָת) Means "one time" or "one turn." This is a crucial detail for precision. It prevents unnecessary weariness or confusion and reinforces the highly controlled nature of God's instructions. It ensures discipline and focuses their energy for the final, climactic day.
• Thus you shall do: (Hebrew: ko ta'aseh - כֹּה תַעֲשֶׂה) A general instruction, "in this manner you shall act/do." It generalizes the specific instruction of circling once, preparing the listener for the subsequent time frame. It highlights the ritualistic and repetitive nature of the command.
• for six days: (Hebrew: sheshet yamim - שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים) Specifies the duration. This period is significant, reminiscent of the six days of creation before the Sabbath rest and completion. It implies a time of preparation, endurance, and testing of faith, building up to the seventh day's dramatic culmination. It also sets apart this period as a time of specific, repeated divine action before a final, decisive event.

• "You shall march around the city, all the men of war": This grouping highlights the active participation of the entire military force in a non-combative, symbolic, and obedient act. It transforms their usual role from direct conflict to disciplined performance of a divine ritual. The command underscores that victory will not come through their conventional military might but through their conformity to God's precise instructions.
• "circling the city once. Thus you shall do": This combination emphasizes the precision and repetitiveness of the task. It's a specific action to be repeated in an exact manner. The seemingly simple yet repetitive nature tests patience, obedience, and focus. It forces a complete reliance on the unseen power of God, as there's no visible strategic advantage gained from mere marching.
• "for six days": This specifies the duration and period of waiting. It signifies a prolonged test of faith and endurance. The six-day cycle, mirroring creation, suggests a period of human labor or preparation leading to a divine completion. It implies a divine timing for victory, not an immediate gratification.

Joshua 6 3 Bonus section

The seemingly peculiar nature of this command (marching daily without attack) would have had multiple impacts. For the Israelites, it was a daily exercise in discipline and unwavering faith. It would have quashed any lingering self-reliance and enforced total dependence on God. Psychologically, for the people within Jericho, this silent, daily circling of a massive army carrying the Ark of the Covenant—symbol of God's presence—would have been profoundly unnerving, slowly eroding their morale and filling them with dread more effectively than any immediate assault. This divine "psychological warfare" was part of God's strategy. Furthermore, the number six, recurring throughout Scripture, often relates to human labor or incompleteness without the divine seventh day of rest/completion. Here, six days of human effort/obedience lead to God's climactic intervention on the seventh, mirroring the creation account. The conquest of Jericho thus became an iconic example throughout biblical history of God accomplishing His purposes through humble and counter-intuitive means, prioritizing faith over force.

Joshua 6 3 Commentary

Joshua 6:3 encapsulates a radical departure from conventional military tactics, underscoring the spiritual nature of Israel's conquest of Canaan. This command, given directly by God, transforms a battle into an act of worship and obedience. The "marching around" was not a military maneuver to weaken walls or find entry points, but a prolonged, public display of faith, discipline, and reliance on God's unique strategy. For six days, the Israelite army, along with the priests carrying the Ark, engaged in an outwardly passive act, trusting that God's plan, however illogical it seemed to human eyes, would lead to success. It highlighted that the victory at Jericho would be solely God's, removing any ground for human boasting or reliance on their own strength. This waiting period also served to amplify the awe and impact of the eventual collapse, demonstrating divine power in a way no human siege could. The verse teaches that faithful obedience to God's peculiar commands, even when understanding is limited, is paramount for witnessing His mighty acts.