Joshua 6:10-11
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.” So he caused the ark of the LORD to circle the city, going about it once. And they came into the camp and spent the night in the camp.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This command for absolute silence isn't just about stealth; it's a profound test of obedience and trust. By forbidding even a single word, God strips away any reliance on human strategy or communication, forcing them to listen solely to His voice and await His precise timing for victory.
Joshua is leading the Israelites to conquer Jericho, a heavily fortified city. God has given them a peculiar strategy: march around the city silently for six days, and then seven times on the seventh day, with priests blowing trumpets. This specific command from Joshua emphasizes the absolute silence required during these processions, forbidding even a single word until God's appointed time for them to shout for victory.
Why would God command an entire army to stay silent? It seems counterintuitive, even weak, in the face of a fortified city. But this silence was not a sign of fear, but of profound trust and strategic patience.
Joshua's command for absolute silence – "You shall not shout or make your voice heard, neither shall any word go out of your mouth" – wasn't about holding back noise. It was about
Active Restraint:
God wasn't asking them to passively wait; He was commanding an active form of obedience. Every step, every circuit, every day required immense self-control, resisting the urge to act on their own strength or strategy.
Trust in Divine Timing:
The silence was a testament to their faith in God's plan and His timing. They didn't know when or how the victory would come, only that it would. This restraint kept their focus solely on God's command, not on their own efforts.
Strategic Ingenuity:
This silence was also strategic. It baffled and likely intimidated the people of Jericho, who were used to the sounds of normal life and warfare. It created an eerie, suspenseful atmosphere, demonstrating that Israel's power came from a source beyond human understanding.
The walls of Jericho didn't fall from battering rams or siege engines. They fell because God intervened. This story highlights that sometimes, our greatest victories are won not by physical might, but by spiritual obedience.
The instructions for conquering Jericho were unlike any military strategy known to man.
A 'Child's Play' Strategy:
To the people of Jericho, the Israelites' silent, repetitive marching must have looked utterly ridiculous. There was no visible assault, no sign of force. This outward 'weakness' was a deliberate tactic to obscure God's power until the appointed moment.
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.
'arown · Hebrew Noun
The sacred chest symbolizing God’s presence, holiness, and covenant with Israel; it served as the footstool of God's throne on earth.
Yahweh · Hebrew Noun
The covenant name of the Creator and Redeemer God of Israel, revealed to Moses, signifying His self-existence, faithfulness, and eternal nature.
`iyr · Hebrew Noun
A fortified urban settlement; in this context, it represents the kingdoms of Canaan that stood in opposition to God's promised inheritance for His people.
This instruction highlights the radical obedience God required from Israel. Their silence and restraint, not their military might, were the key elements in this divinely orchestrated victory, demonstrating their complete reliance on God's power.
~1446 BC
Israel Exits Egypt
Following 400 years of slavery, God miraculously led the Israelites out of Egypt under Moses.
~1406 BC
Israel Enters the Promised Land
After 40 years wandering in the wilderness, the Israelites, now led by Joshua, crossed the Jordan River into Canaan.
~1406 BC— this verse
Jericho is Fortified
The city of Jericho, a crucial stronghold in Canaan, was heavily fortified and shut up tightly against the approaching Israelites.
~1406 BC
The Seven-Day Siege Begins
Joshua implemented God's unusual strategy: silent processions around the city for six days, with the ark and trumpets, followed by a final, loud procession and shout on the seventh day.
This passage calls for silence and reverence before the Lord, much like the silent procession around Jericho, emphasizing God's presence and sovereign power in His temple.
1 Corinthians 1:27-29God chooses the weak and foolish things of the world to shame the wise and strong, mirroring how God used a seemingly nonsensical and silent march to defeat Jericho, highlighting that victory comes from Him, not human strength or strategy.
Romans 8:13The call for silence and restraint in Joshua 6 parallels the need to 'put to death the deeds of the body' through the Spirit, emphasizing the discipline required to align with God's will rather than our own immediate impulses.
Hebrews 11:30The walls of Jericho falling after seven days is a testament to faith, showing how obedience to God's unusual commands, even when they seem illogical, leads to miraculous results.
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…
This command for absolute silence isn't just about stealth; it's a profound test of obedience and trust. By forbidding even a single word, God strips away any reliance on human strategy or communication, forcing them to listen solely to His voice and await His precise timing for victory.
Joshua is leading the Israelites to conquer Jericho, a heavily fortified city. God has given them a peculiar strategy: march around the city silently for six days, and then seven times on the seventh day, with priests blowing trumpets. This specific command from Joshua emphasizes the absolute silence required during these processions, forbidding even a single word until God's appointed time for them to shout for victory.
Joshua is leading the Israelites to conquer Jericho, a heavily fortified city. God has given them a peculiar strategy: march around the city silently for six days, and then seven times on the seventh day, with priests blowing trumpets. This specific command from Joshua emphasizes the absolute silence required during these processions, forbidding even a single word until God's appointed time for them to shout for victory.
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Faith Over Sight:
The Israelites had to walk by faith, not by sight. Their obedience in marching silently, day after day, was an act of profound trust. They weren't fighting with swords and shields in this phase, but with unwavering obedience.
God's Mighty Act:
When the time came, it was God who acted. The walls didn't crumble from the Israelites' shouts alone; their shout was the signal for God's miraculous intervention. This reminds us that our efforts, when aligned with God's will, become the conduits for His supernatural power.
~1406 BC
The Walls of Jericho Fall
On the seventh day, after marching around the city seven times and the priests blowing trumpets, the people shouted, and the walls miraculously collapsed.
"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.” So he caused the ark of the LORD to circle the city, goi…" — This command for absolute silence isn't just about stealth; it's a profound test of obedience and trust. By forbidding even a single word, God strips away any reliance on human strategy or communicat…
