Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse emphasizes Jericho's complete isolation: "none went out, and none came in." This wasn't just a defensive posture, but a consequence of God's power already at work, making the city a sealed-off entity under divine judgment before the battle even began. It highlights that their enclosure was not merely a choice, but a condition set by God, signaling their impending doom.
Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The people of Israel have just crossed the Jordan River and are preparing to conquer the Promised Land, and the fortified city of Jericho stands as their first major obstacle. Jericho's gates are sealed shut, cutting off all entry and exit, as its people fear the approaching Israelites and prepare for a siege. This verse sets the stage for God's unusual instructions to Joshua on how to bring down the city's walls.
Jericho wasn't just a walled city; it was a city sealed tight. What was behind that intense lockdown?
Joshua 6:1 paints a picture of Jericho as a city completely cut off. The Hebrew suggests a deliberate and thorough sealing – gates barred, defenses manned, and no one in or out. This wasn't just a passive state; it was an active response to the terrifying presence of the Israelites camped nearby.
The Reason for the Seal
With Jericho sealed tight, how could Israel possibly breach its walls? God's plan involved more than just military might.
While Jericho's strategy was to seal itself off, God's strategy was to reveal Himself through an unconventional method. This verse sets the stage for a divine intervention that completely bypasses conventional warfare.
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A Different Kind of Battle
The intense security of Jericho, described as 'shut up,' highlights their defiance and reliance on physical defenses, setting the stage for God's miraculous intervention that demonstrated His power over human fortifications.
c. 1400 BC
Israelites Enter Promised Land
After wandering for 40 years, the Israelites, led by Joshua, cross the Jordan River and enter the land of Canaan.
c. 1400 BC
Conquest of Canaan Begins
Following God's command, Joshua initiates the military campaign to conquer the Canaanite city-states.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Jericho Fortifies Itself
The city of Jericho, a major stronghold, closes its gates and strengthens its defenses due to the imminent threat of the Israelite army. The inhabitants refuse any offers of peace and prepare for a siege, believing their walls will protect them.
c. 1400 BC
Divine Strategy Revealed
God instructs Joshua on an unconventional method for conquering Jericho: marching around the city for seven days, with priests blowing trumpets, culminating in a great shout on the seventh day.
c. 1400 BC
Fall of Jericho
As instructed, the Israelites march around Jericho. On the seventh day, after circling the city seven times and the priests blowing the trumpets, the city walls miraculously collapse, allowing the Israelites to conquer it.
Similar to Jericho's locked gates, the Red Sea presented an insurmountable barrier, yet God commanded His people to stand still and witness His salvation, demonstrating His power over seemingly impossible circumstances.
Judges 7:4-7Just as God reduced Gideon's army to a small force and used unconventional methods to defeat the Midianites, the strategy at Jericho highlights God's preference for demonstrating His power through means that confound human logic and strength.
1 Samuel 17:45-47David faced Goliath, a seemingly invincible giant, declaring that victory comes not by sword or spear, but by the name of the Lord, echoing the principle that God's intervention, not human might, secures conquest, as it did at Jericho.
2 Chronicles 20:15-17In a similar situation of overwhelming odds, King Jehoshaphat was told to 'stand still and see the salvation of the Lord,' a strategy that relied on God's direct intervention, much like the Israelites' silent march around Jericho.
Hebrews 11:30This verse directly references the fall of Jericho through faith, stating that 'by faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been encamped around for seven days,' underscoring the spiritual principle behind this seemingly strange military operation.
gillJoshua 6:1: "Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in."
Now Jericho was straitly shut up, because of the children of Israel,.... Or "it shut up", or "was shutting, and was shut up" (u); that is, the king and the inhabitants shut it up within; the Targum says with iron doors, and bars of brass, and it was blocked up without by the children of Israel: none went out and none came in; none of their forces went out to make a sally on the Isr…
clarkeJoshua 6:1: "Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in."
Now Jericho was straitly shut up - The king of Jericho, finding that the spies had escaped, though the city was always kept shut by night, took the most proper precaution to prevent every thing of the kind in future, by keeping the city shut both day and night, having, no doubt, laid in a sufficiency of provisions to stand a siege, being determined to defend himself to the uttermos…
The verse emphasizes Jericho's complete isolation: "none went out, and none came in." This wasn't just a defensive posture, but a consequence of God's power already at work, making the city a sealed-off entity under divine judgment before the battle even began. It highlights that their enclosure was not merely a choice, but a condition set by God, signaling their impending doom.
The people of Israel have just crossed the Jordan River and are preparing to conquer the Promised Land, and the fortified city of Jericho stands as their first major obstacle. Jericho's gates are sealed shut, cutting off all entry and exit, as its people fear the approaching Israelites and prepare for a siege. This verse sets the stage for God's unusual instructions to Joshua on how to bring down the city's walls.
The people of Israel have just crossed the Jordan River and are preparing to conquer the Promised Land, and the fortified city of Jericho stands as their first major obstacle. Jericho's gates are sealed shut, cutting off all entry and exit, as its people fear the approaching Israelites and prepare for a siege. This verse sets the stage for God's unusual instructions to Joshua on how to bring down the city's walls.
"Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in." — The verse emphasizes Jericho's complete isolation: "none went out, and none came in." This wasn't just a defensive posture, but a consequence of God's power already at work, making the city a sealed-…
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Last reviewed October 2026