Joshua 6:10
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.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The most striking detail here is the absolute silence commanded: not a shout, not a noise, not even a word spoken aloud. This isn't just about saving their breath for the final shout; it's a radical call to trust God's timing and method, even when it looks utterly passive and even foolish to outsiders. It forces the people to rely completely on God's power, not their own strength or strategy.
The Israelites are preparing to conquer Jericho, a heavily fortified city. Joshua has just instructed the priests to carry the Ark of the Covenant and blow trumpets, and the armed men to march around the city once each day for six days, with the people following in solemn silence. This specific command for silence emphasizes that the victory will not be through conventional warfare but through a divine, miraculous act, and highlights the absolute obedience required from the people.
Imagine marching around a fortified city for six days, day after day, in complete silence. Why such an unusual command?
God’s instructions for taking Jericho were far from conventional warfare. 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.'
A Test of Faith
This wasn't just about keeping quiet; it was a profound act of obedience and trust.
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What was the strategic, spiritual, and even psychological value of this intense, prolonged silence?
Joshua's command for silence served multiple crucial purposes, going beyond mere instruction:
Strategic and Psychological Impact
Understand the original words
ruwa' · Hebrew Verb/Noun
A loud, vocalized sound often associated with victory, praise, or battle. In Scripture, it is frequently used to express the joy of deliverance or to signify the decisive act of God in overcoming His people’s enemies.
This instruction for silence, a key part of God's unusual battle plan, highlights the importance of faith and obedience over human strategy, requiring immense self-control from the Israelites as they faced a heavily fortified city.
c. 1400 BC
Israelites Enter the Promised Land
After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, Joshua leads the Israelites across the Jordan River into the land of Canaan, as promised by God.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Jericho Found Strongly Fortified
The city of Jericho, the first major obstacle for the Israelites, is described as 'shut up', 'barred', and 'strongly fortified' due to fear of the approaching army.
c. 1400 BC
Divine Strategy Revealed to Joshua
God reveals a unique and unconventional plan for capturing Jericho to Joshua, involving a silent procession and eventual shout.
c. 1400 BC
Six Days of Silent Marching
For six days, the Israelite army, priests with trumpets, and the Ark of the Covenant silently march around Jericho once each day, following God's command for silence.
c. 1400 BC
The Seventh Day's Final Circuit
On the seventh day, the Israelites march around Jericho seven times, with the priests blowing trumpets.
c. 1400 BC
The Walls of Jericho Fall
Following Joshua's command to shout after the final trumpet blast, the walls of Jericho miraculously collapse, allowing the Israelites to conquer the city.
This verse echoes the silence required at Jericho, stating that the Lord is in his holy temple and all the earth should keep silent before him, highlighting the reverence due to God's presence and power.
1 Samuel 4:4When the Ark of the Covenant was brought into battle at Ebenezer, the people shouted, but God's presence was not with them, and they were defeated, contrasting with the obedience and silence that preceded victory at Jericho.
Exodus 14:13-14Moses tells the Israelites 'The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent,' which mirrors the instructed silence at Jericho, showing that God often works powerfully when His people refrain from human effort and trust Him.
Isaiah 30:15This passage commands 'For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust is your strength.”' This directly relates to the faith required to remain silent and trust God's timing and method for victory.
gillJoshua 6:10: "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."
And Joshua had commanded the people,.... When he gave them their orders to pass on, and compass the city, Joshua 6:7 , saying, ye shall not shout; that is, on any of the six days as they went round the city, only on the seventh; for this being a sign of victory, it was not to be m…
calvinJoshua 6:1-19: "Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in."
And you shall compass the city, all you men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shall thou do six days.
Circuibitis itaque urbem, omnes viri bellatores, circundando eam semel: sic facies sex diebus.
And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day you shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blo…
The most striking detail here is the absolute silence commanded: not a shout, not a noise, not even a word spoken aloud. This isn't just about saving their breath for the final shout; it's a radical call to trust God's timing and method, even when it looks utterly passive and even foolish to outsiders. It forces the people to rely completely on God's power, not their own strength or strategy.
The Israelites are preparing to conquer Jericho, a heavily fortified city. Joshua has just instructed the priests to carry the Ark of the Covenant and blow trumpets, and the armed men to march around the city once each day for six days, with the people following in solemn silence. This specific command for silence emphasizes that the victory will not be through conventional warfare but through a divine, miraculous act, and highlights the absolute obedience required from the people.
The Israelites are preparing to conquer Jericho, a heavily fortified city. Joshua has just instructed the priests to carry the Ark of the Covenant and blow trumpets, and the armed men to march around the city once each day for six days, with the people following in solemn silence. This specific command for silence emphasizes that the victory will not be through conventional warfare but through a divine, miraculous act, and highlights the absolute obedience required from the people.
"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.”" — The most striking detail here is the absolute silence commanded: not a shout, not a noise, not even a word spoken aloud. This isn't just about saving their breath for the final shout; it's a radical…
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