Joshua 6 7

Joshua 6:7 kjv

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.

Joshua 6:7 nkjv

And he said to the people, "Proceed, and march around the city, and let him who is armed advance before the ark of the LORD."

Joshua 6:7 niv

And he ordered the army, "Advance! March around the city, with an armed guard going ahead of the ark of the LORD."

Joshua 6:7 esv

And he said to the people, "Go forward. March around the city and let the armed men pass on before the ark of the LORD."

Joshua 6:7 nlt

Then he gave orders to the people: "March around the town, and the armed men will lead the way in front of the Ark of the LORD."

Joshua 6 verses

Joshua 6 7 Meaning

Joshua 6:7 conveys Joshua's explicit instructions to the Israelite people regarding the peculiar marching order for the siege of Jericho. It commands the people to go around the city, specifying that the armed warriors must lead the procession, preceding the priests who carry the Ark of the LORD. This order underscores the blending of military preparedness with a profound reliance on God's direct presence and intervention as the true source of power for the conquest.

Joshua 6 7 Context

Joshua 6 presents the unique and divinely orchestrated strategy for the capture of Jericho, the first fortified city in Canaan that Israel encountered. Following God's explicit revelation of the plan to Joshua in verses 2-5, Joshua relays these precise instructions. Verse 6 addresses the priests, commissioning them with their specific duties concerning the Ark and trumpets. Joshua 6:7, however, is addressed more broadly "to the people," providing them with their marching order within the overall procession. This instruction is not based on conventional military tactics, which would involve battering rams or scaling ladders, but rather on a ritualistic, obedient act of faith. The heavily fortified city of Jericho, situated strategically at a key entry point to Canaan, represented an imposing natural and military obstacle. The divine strategy bypassed human ingenuity, emphasizing Israel's utter dependence on the miraculous power and direct leadership of the LORD, making it a display of God's sovereignty over all human endeavors and strongholds.

Joshua 6 7 Word analysis

• "he said" (וַיֹּאמֶר - vayyō’mer): A common Hebrew narrative conjunction and verb, signifying Joshua's act of relaying instructions. It points to Joshua acting as the immediate human agent through whom God's commands are communicated to the people.
• "to the people" (אֶל-הָעָם - ’el-hā‘ām): Directs the command to the entire assembly of Israel, not just specific leaders or military units. This highlights that the conquest was a collective act of faith and obedience from the whole community.
• "Go forward" (עִבְרוּ - ‘iḇrū): Imperative verb meaning "pass over," "cross over," or "proceed." This term, famously used for the crossing of the Jordan (Josh 3:1), signifies intentional movement and progress, tying this new miraculous act to God's prior work in bringing them into the land.
• "and compass" (וְסֹבּוּ - wəṣōḇḇū): "And surround," "go around." This verb defines the primary, repeated action required – not a direct assault, but a circuitous movement. It highlights the ritualistic, rather than strictly military, nature of the initial engagement.
• "the city" (אֶת-הָעִיר - ’eṯ-hā‘îr): Specifies Jericho. This focus emphasizes the target of the divine command and the tangible, imposing obstacle that God intends to overcome in a spectacular fashion.
• "and let him that is armed" (וְהֶחָלוּץ - wəheḥālûṣ): Refers to the "armed one" or the vanguard, the trained and prepared warriors. The term implies readiness for battle (as in Num 32:20-21, Deut 3:18). Their presence acknowledges human responsibility to be prepared, even when ultimate victory is divine.
• "pass on before" (יַעֲבֹר לִפְנֵי - ya‘ăḇōr lifnê): Literally, "he shall pass before the face of." This precisely details the procession's order. It signifies leading the way, clearing, or protecting the path for what follows, particularly the sacred Ark.
• "the ark of the LORD" (אֲרוֹן יְהוָה - ’ărôn YHWH): The Ark of the Covenant, representing God's throne, presence, power, and covenant faithfulness. Its central placement underscores that the battle is the LORD's, fought under His direct leadership and through His manifest power. Its inclusion elevates the military action into a sacred demonstration.

• "he said to the people, 'Go forward, and compass the city'": This instruction encapsulates the fundamental act of faith required from the entire Israelite community. It reveals that the method of "attack" was not human military strategy but a divinely ordained, ritualistic procession around the formidable city walls, setting the stage for God's miraculous intervention. It emphasizes the communal nature of obedience.
• "and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the LORD'": This phrase specifies the hierarchical arrangement of the procession. The placement of the armed men before the Ark is highly symbolic. While demonstrating Israel's preparedness for battle and their military capacity, their role is subsidiary to the Ark's sacred presence. This sequence signals that human strength and readiness are necessary components, but they are effective only when undergirded and empowered by the explicit presence and authority of God. Victory at Jericho would be through divine power, not human might.

Joshua 6 7 Bonus section

• The ritualistic circumambulation of Jericho for seven days, culminating on the seventh day (details found in the surrounding verses), likely served multiple purposes: a test of Israel's persistent obedience, a public declaration to Jericho of Israel's divine backing, and a gradual escalation of tension leading to God's final, climactic act.
• The use of armed men as a vanguard, alongside the priests and the Ark, illustrates the biblical principle of active faith – God requires His people to be prepared and step out in obedience, even when the victory mechanism is entirely supernatural. It's not a call to passivity but to disciplined and trusting action in alignment with God's commands.
• The unusualness of this siege tactic powerfully communicates that Yahweh fights for His people, overturning conventional military wisdom and demonstrating His complete sovereignty over physical barriers and human strongholds.

Joshua 6 7 Commentary

Joshua 6:7 is a concise, declarative statement setting forth a specific, non-conventional military command. Joshua is relaying God's precise blueprint for taking Jericho. The ordering of "him that is armed" to precede "the Ark of the LORD" is crucial. It juxtaposes human military preparedness with divine authority. While Israel's armed forces were to be present and lead the charge, their position was not one of independent strength. Instead, they were to act as the vanguard, making way for the true source of victory—the manifest presence of the LORD, symbolized by the Ark. This arrangement profoundly demonstrated that the battle for Jericho would be God's, won by His power and specific command, not by human strategy, force, or conventional warfare. It demanded absolute obedience and faith from the people, turning a military siege into a profound act of worship and reliance upon God's promise. The command to "compass the city" repeatedly reinforced this ritualistic and faith-driven approach over brute force, laying the theological groundwork for the ensuing miracle.