Now the city and everything in it must be devoted to the LORD for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all those with her in her house will live, because she hid the spies we sent. Now the city and everything in it must be devoted to the LORD for destruction.Jericho was placed under the ban (herem, meaning something devoted to God) as an offering wholly belonging to the Lord. As Israel’s first major conquest in Canaan, its people and possessions were not to enrich the army but to testify that the land was received by God’s power and according to His promise. The city also stood under divine judgment for Canaanite idolatry, immorality, and long-standing rebellion against God. Israel was commanded to remove what would draw the nation into the worship of false gods. The precious metals were reserved for the Lord’s treasury, while the city itself was destroyed. Achan’s later theft of devoted items revealed the seriousness of disobeying God’s command and treating what belonged to Him as personal gain. Deu 7:2 and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you…
Deu 20:16-17 However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God…
1Sa 15:3 Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote…
Only Rahab the prostitute and all those with her in her house will live, Rahab and those gathered under her roof were spared amid Jericho’s judgment because she had entrusted herself to the God of Israel. Her deliverance displayed both God’s holiness in judging sin and His mercy toward everyone who turns to Him in faith. The scarlet cord in her window identified the house protected by Joshua’s oath, recalling the protection given to Israelite homes marked by blood at the first Passover. Rahab left her former people and became part of Israel; she later appears in the line of David and of Jesus Christ, showing that God’s covenant mercy extends to believing Gentiles. Jos 2:12-13 Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD…
Jos 2:18-19 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied…
Heb 11:31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed…
because she hid the spies we sent. Rahab acted at great personal risk when she received and protected the Israelite spies. Her actions arose from her confession that the Lord is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. Hebrews commends her faith, and James points to her protection of the spies as evidence that genuine faith acts in obedience. God used a woman from a condemned city to preserve Israel’s messengers and to advance His redemptive purpose. Jos 2:4-6 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them.…
Jos 2:15-16 Then Rahab let them down by a rope through the window,…
Jas 2:25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute…
Persons / Places / Events 1. JerichoA fortified city in Canaan, the first city conquered by the Israelites under Joshua's leadership. It represents the beginning of the Israelites' conquest of the Promised Land. 2. JoshuaThe leader of the Israelites after Moses, tasked with leading the people into the Promised Land. He is a central figure in the conquest of Jericho. 3. RahabA prostitute living in Jericho who hid the Israelite spies. Her faith and actions led to her and her family's salvation during the city's destruction. 4. The SpiesIsraelite men sent by Joshua to scout Jericho. Their mission was crucial in the strategic planning for the city's conquest. 5. The LORDThe God of Israel, who commanded the destruction of Jericho and the sparing of Rahab, demonstrating His justice and mercy. Teaching Points Devotion to God’s CommandsThe destruction of Jericho illustrates the importance of complete obedience to God's instructions, even when they are difficult or seem harsh. Faith and ActionRahab's account demonstrates that true faith is accompanied by actions. Her faith led her to protect the spies, resulting in her salvation. God’s Mercy and RedemptionRahab's inclusion in the lineage of Jesus highlights God's mercy and His willingness to redeem those who turn to Him, regardless of their past. The Consequences of SinThe destruction of Jericho serves as a reminder of the seriousness of sin and the consequences of living in opposition to God. The Role of Faith in SalvationRahab's faith was instrumental in her salvation, pointing to the New Testament teaching that faith is essential for salvation. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the account of Jericho's destruction challenge our understanding of God's justice and mercy? 2. In what ways does Rahab's faith inspire you to act courageously in your own life? 3. How can we apply the principle of being "devoted to the LORD" in our daily decisions and actions? 4. What does Rahab's inclusion in the genealogy of Jesus teach us about God's plan for redemption? 5. How can the account of Jericho and Rahab encourage us to trust in God's promises, even when they seem impossible? Connections to Other Scriptures Hebrews 11:31This verse highlights Rahab's faith, which led to her being spared. It connects her actions to the broader theme of faith in the New Testament. James 2:25This passage emphasizes Rahab's works as evidence of her faith, illustrating the relationship between faith and actions. Deuteronomy 20:16-18Provides context for the command to devote certain cities to destruction, emphasizing the need to remove influences that could lead Israel away from God. Matthew 1:5Rahab is listed in the genealogy of Jesus, showing God's redemptive plan and inclusion of Gentiles in His covenant. | Booty Given to God | C. S. Bushnell. | Joshua 6:12-27 | | Discipline | J. Parker, D. D. | Joshua 6:12-27 | | Jericho Captured | Spurgeon, Charles Haddon | Joshua 6:12-27 | | Jericho Taken | W. M. Taylor, D. D. | Joshua 6:12-27 | | Lessons from the Fall of Jericho | W. E. Griffis. | Joshua 6:12-27 | | Rahab Saved | W. G. Blaikie, D. D. | Joshua 6:12-27 | | Seems not This Too Severe to Forbid the Soldiers the Spoils of the City | C. Ness. | Joshua 6:12-27 | | The Christian Conflict | Chas. Leach, D. D. | Joshua 6:12-27 | | The Curse of Jericho | A. B. Mackay. | Joshua 6:12-27 | | The Fall of Jericho | C. Bradley, M. A. | Joshua 6:12-27 | | The Fall of Jericho | British Weekly Pulpit | Joshua 6:12-27 | | The Fall of Jericho | S. E. Bushnell. | Joshua 6:12-27 | | The Fight of Faith | A. B. Mackay. | Joshua 6:12-27 | | The Lofty City, He Layeth it Low | A. Maclaren, D. D. | Joshua 6:12-27 | | The Overthrow of Jericho | John McNeill. | Joshua 6:12-27 | | The Potency of Inadequate Instrumentalities | W. G. Blaikie, D. D. | Joshua 6:12-27 | | The Siege of Jericho | C. D. Marston, M. A. | Joshua 6:12-27 | | The Unprosperous Builder | | Joshua 6:12-27 | | The Walls of Jericho | F. B. Meyer, B. A. | Joshua 6:12-27 | | Too Polluted to be Spared | W. Seaton. | Joshua 6:12-27 |
People Israelites, Joshua, Nun, RahabPlaces JerichoTopics Accursed, Ban, Belongs, Curse, Destruction, Devoted, Harlot, Hid, Kept, Loose, Messengers, Prostitute, Rahab, Safe, Secret, Spared, Spies, Therein, Town, WithinDictionary of Bible Themes Joshua 6:17 5025 killing
5552 spies
5812 concealment
5876 helpfulness Joshua 6:1-21 8131 guidance, results Joshua 6:2-20 5595 trumpet Joshua 6:15-19 4336 iron Joshua 6:17-19 6691 mercy, human Library Rahab
'And Joanna paved Rahab the harlot alive... and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day.'--JOSHUA vi. 25. This story comes in like an oasis in these terrible narratives of Canaanite extermination. There is much about it that is beautiful and striking, but the main thing is that it teaches the universality of God's mercy, and the great truth that trust in Him unites to Him and brings deliverance, how black soever may have been the previous life. I need not tell over again the story, told with such …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureThe Siege of Jericho
'And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, ... until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye 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.'-- JOSHUA vi.10, 11. The cheerful uniform obedience of Israel to Joshua stands in very remarkable contrast with their perpetual murmurings and rebellions under Moses. Many reasons probably concurred in bringing about this …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The Shout of Faith
"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." The shout of a steadfast faith is an experience that is in direct contrast to the moans of a wavering faith, and to the wails of discouraged hearts, both of which we have been considering in our last two chapters. In the history of the children of Israel there were many occasions when they indulged …
Hannah Whitall Smith—The God of All Comfort Jericho Itself.
We read, that this city was not only wasted by Joshua with fire and sword, but cursed also. "Cursed be he before the Lord, who shall rise up and build that city Jericho," Joshua 6:26. "Nor was another city to be built (says the Talmudists), which was to be called by the name of Jericho: nor was Jericho itself to be built, although to be called by another name." And yet I know not by what chance this city crept out of dust and rubbish, lived again, and flourished, and became the second city to Jerusalem. …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica Whether it is Lawful for Clerics and Bishops to Fight?
Objection 1: It would seem lawful for clerics and bishops to fight. For, as stated above [2661](A[1]), wars are lawful and just in so far as they protect the poor and the entire common weal from suffering at the hands of the foe. Now this seems to be above all the duty of prelates, for Gregory says (Hom. in Ev. xiv): "The wolf comes upon the sheep, when any unjust and rapacious man oppresses those who are faithful and humble. But he who was thought to be the shepherd, and was not, leaveth the sheep, …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica Five Kings in a Cave
TEXT: "And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them. And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies against whom ye fight."--Joshua 10:24-25. The history of the …
J. Wilbur Chapman—And Judas Iscariot The Assyrian Revival and the Struggle for Syria
Assur-nazir-pal (885-860) and Shalmaneser III. (860-825)--The kingdom of Urartu and its conquering princes: Menuas and Argistis. Assyria was the first to reappear on the scene of action. Less hampered by an ancient past than Egypt and Chaldaea, she was the sooner able to recover her strength after any disastrous crisis, and to assume again the offensive along the whole of her frontier line. Image Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a bas-relief at Koyunjik of the time of Sennacherib. The initial cut, …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 7 Memoir of John Bunyan
THE FIRST PERIOD. THIS GREAT MAN DESCENDED FROM IGNOBLE PARENTS--BORN IN POVERTY--HIS EDUCATION AND EVIL HABITS--FOLLOWS HIS FATHER'S BUSINESS AS A BRAZIER--ENLISTS FOR A SOLDIER--RETURNS FROM THE WARS AND OBTAINS AN AMIABLE, RELIGIOUS WIFE--HER DOWER. 'We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.'--2 Cor 4:7 'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.'--Isaiah 55:8. 'Though ye have lien among the …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 He Does Battle for the Faith; He Restores Peace among those who were at Variance; He Takes in Hand to Build a Stone Church.
57. (32). There was a certain clerk in Lismore whose life, as it is said, was good, but his faith not so. He was a man of some knowledge in his own eyes, and dared to say that in the Eucharist there is only a sacrament and not the fact[718] of the sacrament, that is, mere sanctification and not the truth of the Body. On this subject he was often addressed by Malachy in secret, but in vain; and finally he was called before a public assembly, the laity however being excluded, in order that if it were …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh Joshua
The book of Joshua is the natural complement of the Pentateuch. Moses is dead, but the people are on the verge of the promised land, and the story of early Israel would be incomplete, did it not record the conquest of that land and her establishment upon it. The divine purpose moves restlessly on, until it is accomplished; so "after the death of Moses, Jehovah spake to Joshua," i. 1. The book falls naturally into three divisions: (a) the conquest of Canaan (i.-xii.), (b) the settlement of the …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Joshua 6:17 NIVJoshua 6:17 NLTJoshua 6:17 ESVJoshua 6:17 NASBJoshua 6:17 KJV
Joshua 6:17 Commentaries
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