Joshua 6:10 But Joshua had commanded the people: "Do not give a battle cry or let your voice be heard; do not let one word come out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you are to shout!"

◄ Joshua 6:10 ►

New International Version
But Joshua had commanded the army, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!”

New Living Translation
“Do not shout; do not even talk,” Joshua commanded. “Not a single word from any of you until I tell you to shout. Then shout!”

English Standard Version
But Joshua commanded the people, “You shall not shout or make your voice heard, neither shall any word go out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout.”

Berean Standard Bible
But Joshua had commanded the people: “Do not give a battle cry or let your voice be heard; do not let one word come out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you are to shout!”

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Now Joshua had commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, nor shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I say to you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout.”

New American Standard Bible
But Joshua commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard, nor let a word proceed from your mouth, until the day I tell you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout!”

NASB 1995
But Joshua commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard nor let a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I tell you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout!”

NASB 1977
But Joshua commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard, nor let a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I tell you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout!”

Legacy Standard Bible
But Joshua commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard nor let a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I tell you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout!”

Amplified Bible
But Joshua commanded the people, “You shall not shout [the battle cry] nor let your voice be heard nor let a word come out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout!”

Christian Standard Bible
But Joshua had commanded the troops, “Do not shout or let your voice be heard. Don’t let one word come out of your mouth until the time I say, ‘Shout! ’ Then you are to shout.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But Joshua had commanded the people: “Do not shout or let your voice be heard. Don’t let one word come out of your mouth until the time I say, ‘Shout!’ Then you are to shout.”

American Standard Version
And Joshua commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor let your voice be heard, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout.

English Revised Version
And Joshua commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor let your voice be heard, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Joshua ordered the troops, "Don't shout, make any noise, or let one word come out of your mouth until I tell you to shout. Then shout!"

Good News Translation
But Joshua had ordered the people not to shout, not to say a word until he gave the order.

International Standard Version
Joshua issued orders to the army: "You are not to shout or even let your voice be heard. Don't utter a word until I tell you to shout. Then shout!"

Majority Standard Bible
But Joshua had commanded the people: ?Do not give a battle cry or let your voice be heard; do not let one word come out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you are to shout!?

NET Bible
Now Joshua had instructed the army, "Do not give a battle cry or raise your voices; say nothing until the day I tell you, 'Give the battle cry.' Then give the battle cry!"

New Heart English Bible
Joshua commanded the people, saying, "You shall not shout, nor let your voice be heard, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout."

Webster's Bible Translation
And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed from your mouth, until the day I bid you shout, then shall ye shout.

World English Bible
Joshua commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout.”

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
and Joshua has commanded the people, saying, “Do not shout, nor cause your voice to be heard, nor does a word go out from your mouth, until the day of my saying to you, Shout! Then you have shouted.”

Young's Literal Translation
and the people hath Joshua commanded, saying, 'Ye do not shout, nor cause your voice to be heard, nor doth there go out from your mouth a word, till the day of my saying unto you, Shout ye -- then ye have shouted.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And Joshua commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, and ye shall not cause your voice to be heard, and a word shall not go forth out of your mouth till the day I said to you, Shout, and shout ye.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
But Josue had commanded the people, saying: You shall not shout, nor shall your voice be heard, nor any word go out of your mouth: until the day come wherein I shall say to you: Cry, and shout.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But Joshua had instructed the people, saying, “You shall not cry out, nor shall your voice be heard, and no word at all shall proceed from your mouth, until the day arrives on which I will say to you, ‘Cry out, and shout.’ ”

New American Bible
But Joshua had commanded the people, “Do not shout or make any noise or outcry until I tell you, ‘Shout!’ Then you must shout.”

New Revised Standard Version
To the people Joshua gave this command: “You shall not shout or let your voice be heard, nor shall you utter a word, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout.”

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
But Joshua had commanded the people, saying, You shall not shout, nor let your voice be heard, neither shall any word come out of your mouth, until the day that I bid you to shout; then shall you shout.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Yeshua commanded the people and he said: “You shall not shout and you shall not make your voice heard, and a word shall not go out of your mouth until the day that I say to you, ‘Shout!’, and then you shall shout”

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Joshua commanded the people, saying: 'Ye shall not shout, nor let your voice be heard, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Joshua commanded the people, saying, Cry not out, nor let any one hear your voice, until he himself declare to you the time to cry out, and then ye shall cry out.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Walls of Jericho
…9While the horns continued to sound, the armed troops marched ahead of the priests who blew the horns, and the rear guard followed the ark. 10 But Joshua had commanded the people: “Do not give a battle cry or let your voice be heard; do not let one word come out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you are to shout!” 11So he had the ark of the LORD carried around the city, circling it once. And the people returned to the camp and spent the night there.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Exodus 14:14
The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

2 Chronicles 20:17
You need not fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out and face them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you.’”

Isaiah 30:15
For the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said: “By repentance and rest you would be saved; your strength would lie in quiet confidence—but you were not willing.”

Psalm 46:10
“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted over the earth.”

Habakkuk 2:20
But the LORD is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.

Zechariah 2:13
Be silent before the LORD, all people, for He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling.”

1 Samuel 14:9-10
If they say, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stay where we are and will not go up to them. / But if they say, ‘Come on up,’ then we will go up, because this will be our sign that the LORD has delivered them into our hands.”

1 Kings 19:12
After the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a still, small voice.

Ecclesiastes 3:7
a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,

Proverbs 17:28
Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent, and discerning when he holds his tongue.

Matthew 12:19
He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear His voice in the streets.

Mark 9:25
When Jesus saw that a crowd had come running, He rebuked the unclean spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” He said, “I command you to come out and never enter him again.”

Luke 23:9
Herod questioned Jesus at great length, but He gave no answer.

John 19:9
and he went back into the Praetorium. “Where are You from?” he asked. But Jesus gave no answer.

Acts 15:12
The whole assembly fell silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul describing the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.

Treasury of Scripture

And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, You 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 you shout.

Isaiah 42:2
He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

Matthew 12:19
He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.

until the day

2 Samuel 5:23,24
And when David inquired of the LORD, he said, Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees…

Isaiah 28:16
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

Luke 24:49
And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

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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

Berean Study Bible

But Joshua had commanded the people
The phrase begins with "But," indicating a contrast or a specific instruction that follows previous commands. Joshua, whose name means "The LORD is salvation," is the leader appointed by God to succeed Moses. His command to the people reflects his role as a divinely appointed leader, emphasizing obedience and discipline. The Hebrew root for "commanded" (צָוָה, tsavah) implies a directive with authority, underscoring the importance of following God's ordained leadership.

Do not give a war cry
The "war cry" was a common practice in ancient warfare, intended to intimidate the enemy and rally the troops. By instructing the Israelites not to give a war cry, Joshua emphasizes reliance on God's power rather than human strength or psychological tactics. This command highlights the spiritual nature of the battle, where victory is achieved through faith and obedience to God's instructions.

do not raise your voices
This phrase further emphasizes silence and restraint. In a historical context, raising voices could signify chaos or lack of discipline. The Hebrew culture often associated silence with reverence and expectation. By maintaining silence, the Israelites demonstrate their trust in God's plan and timing, preparing their hearts for His miraculous intervention.

do not say a word
The repetition of commands regarding silence underscores its importance. The Hebrew word for "word" (דָּבָר, davar) can also mean "matter" or "thing," suggesting a complete abstention from any form of communication. This silence is a form of worship and submission, allowing the people to focus on God's presence and power rather than their own thoughts or strategies.

until the day I tell you to shout
The phrase "until the day" introduces a period of waiting and anticipation. It reflects the biblical theme of patience and trust in God's timing. The Hebrew concept of "day" (יוֹם, yom) often signifies a divinely appointed time. Joshua's instruction to wait for his command to "shout" indicates that the victory will come at God's appointed moment, not through human effort.

Then you are to shout!
The command to "shout" marks the culmination of obedience and faith. The Hebrew word for "shout" (רוּעַ, ruach) can also mean "to raise a sound" or "to cry out," often associated with joy and triumph. This shout is not just a physical act but a spiritual declaration of God's victory. It signifies the release of faith and the manifestation of God's promise, as the walls of Jericho fall by divine intervention.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 10. ? Ye shall not shout. No sign of triumph was to be raised; but the Israelites, their priests, and the ark of their covenant were in solemn silence to encompass the city day by day, until they were commanded to raise the shout of victory. The people of Jericho knew only too well what this religious procession meant. As a military manoeuvre (so Calvin) it was worse than useless, it was ridiculous. It actually invited attack; nay, it afforded, if the interpretation in the note on ver. 8 be correct, an admirable opportunity for the slaughter of defenceless women and children by a sudden sally from the city. But the history of the Exodus was not unknown to the king and people of Jericho. The inspired law giver, with his miraculous powers, and his claim to direct intercourse with the Most High, was a personage only too well known to them, and his mission was only too sure a token of the Divine sanction which rested on their proceedings. His supernatural qualifications had evidently descended to his successor, and now it was terribly clear that this awful silent march, with the army equipped for battle, but not attempting to engage in it, the seven priests with their seven trumpets, the visible symbol of the Presence of the God of Israel, attended by the awestruck multitude awaiting the Divine pleasure, was but the prelude to some new interposition from on high, the mysterious foreshadowing of some hitherto unheard of calamity which should befall the devoted city. There seems in this narrative no choice between rejecting the whole as an absurd fable, or accepting it as the record of a "notable miracle." The account is minute in its detail. The historian, if he be an historian, is distinctly impressed with the idea that he is relating a miracle. The obvious course for Joshua, if he were not relying on supernatural aid, was either to assault or to blockade the city. To perambulate it for days in the expectation of some convulsion of nature such as, we are told, frequently happened in that volcanic region, would have been the extreme of childish folly, and quite contrary to that common sense and military skill with which, as we have seen, Joshua undoubtedly was endowed. If he were possessed, seven days beforehand, with a conviction that an earthquake were imminent, such a persuasion would be of itself miraculous. Paulus' idea of a mine having been sprung is still less compatible with our narrative. Von Lengerke, in his 'Cana supposes that the astonishing success of the Israelites grew into a wonder in the hands of the narrator. But this involves the entire falsehood, not only of the command given to Joshua by Jehovah, but of the seven days' perambulation of Jericho, and the remaining incidents of the siege, a theory not easily reconcilable with the minute accuracy of detail displayed throughout the narrative. The seven days' circuit of Jericho must, therefore, either be denied altogether, in spite of the numerous evidences of genuineness which meet us in the narrative; or, if explained, the only explanation which is consistent with the fact is, that Joshua had received an intimation that he was not to expect to effect the reduction of the city by natural means, but was to wait patiently for an interposition from on high.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

But Joshua
יְהוֹשֻׁ֜עַ (yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3091: Joshua -- 'the LORD is salvation', Moses' successor, also the name of a number of Israelites

had commanded
צִוָּ֨ה (ṣiw·wāh)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6680: To lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command, order

the people:
הָעָם֩ (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

“Do not
לֹ֤א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

give a battle cry
תָרִ֙יעוּ֙ (ṯā·rî·‘ū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 7321: To mar, to split the ears, shout

or let your voice
קוֹלְכֶ֔ם (qō·wl·ḵem)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 6963: A voice, sound

be heard;
תַשְׁמִ֣יעוּ (ṯaš·mî·‘ū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

do not
וְלֹֽא־ (wə·lō-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

let one word
דָּבָ֑ר (dā·ḇār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

come out
יֵצֵ֥א (yê·ṣê)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

of your mouth
מִפִּיכֶ֖ם (mip·pî·ḵem)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to

until
עַ֠ד (‘aḏ)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

the day
י֣וֹם (yō·wm)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

I tell
אָמְרִ֧י (’ā·mə·rî)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | first person common singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

you
אֲלֵיכֶ֛ם (’ă·lê·ḵem)
Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

to shout.
הָרִ֖יעוּ (hā·rî·‘ū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 7321: To mar, to split the ears, shout

Then you are to shout!”
וַהֲרִיעֹתֶֽם׃ (wa·hă·rî·‘ō·ṯem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 7321: To mar, to split the ears, shout

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OT History: Joshua 6:10 Joshua commanded the people saying You shall (Josh. Jos)