Joshua 6:16
And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the LORD has given you the city.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Joshua doesn't just say "Shout, we've won!" He declares, "Shout, for the LORD has given you the city." This shifts the focus from their action of shouting to God's completed action of gifting them the victory, framing the coming triumph as a divine bestowal, not just a earned reward.
After six days of silently marching around Jericho once each day, this is the seventh and final day of the unconventional siege. On this crucial seventh circuit, the priests blow the trumpets a seventh time, signaling Joshua to command the people to let out a mighty shout, believing that God has already secured their victory over the fortified city.
Why did God command Israel to march in silence for six days, only to erupt in a mighty shout on the seventh? This wasn't just a parade; it was a divine lesson in obedience and faith.
The instructions for Jericho's fall were bizarre: march around the city daily for six days in complete silence, then seven times on the seventh day, accompanied by the blast of trumpets and a great shout.
The Test of Silence
For six days, the Israelites were commanded to be silent. They couldn't cry out, taunt, or even make noise. This enforced silence was a profound test of their faith and obedience. It required them to trust God's plan completely, even when it made no human sense and offered no visible signs of progress. Their obedience in silence demonstrated their willingness to submit to God's way, not their own.
The Climax of Faith
On the seventh day, after marching seven times and hearing the trumpets, Joshua commanded them to shout. This shout wasn't just noise; it was an expression of their faith in God's promise that victory was already secured. It was a shout of praise, thanksgiving, and confidence, proclaiming God's power even before the walls physically crumbled. This moment highlights how faith, when tested by obedience, culminates in a powerful declaration of God's faithfulness.
Joshua's declaration, 'the LORD has given you the city,' isn't just an announcement of future success. It’s a theological statement about the nature of God's gifts and our role in receiving them.
Joshua’s command to shout is rooted in a powerful theological truth: the victory belongs to God, and Israel’s role is to receive it by faith.
Divine Sovereignty in Warfare
The text repeatedly emphasizes that the conquest of Jericho was not achieved by Israel's military might but by God's direct intervention. The strange marching and trumpeting were the means God ordained, but the power to collapse the walls was entirely His. Joshua's words declare this sovereignty: the city was to them by the Lord. This reframes the conquest from an act of human strength to an act of divine grace and power.
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal name of the one true God of Israel, revealing His covenant nature and faithfulness. It signifies His absolute sovereignty and holiness.
shophar · Hebrew Noun
An instrument made of a ram's horn used in Israel for signaling, announcing, or in cultic worship. It signifies the call to battle, the declaration of God’s presence, or the heralding of divine events.
The remarkable conquest of Jericho wasn't about military might but about radical obedience and faith in God's power. The unconventional, prolonged strategy, culminating in a shout, tested Israel's trust and demonstrated that victory comes from God alone.
c. 1406 BC
Israelites Enter Promised Land
After 40 years in the wilderness, Joshua leads the Israelites across the Jordan River into the land of Canaan, marking the beginning of their conquest.
c. 1406 BC— this verse
Divine Instructions for Jericho
God instructs Joshua on a unique strategy to conquer Jericho: marching around the city for seven days, with priests blowing trumpets, culminating in a loud shout on the seventh day.
c. 1406 BC
Fall of Jericho
Following God's instructions, the walls of Jericho miraculously collapse after the Israelites shout and blow trumpets on the seventh day, leading to the city's destruction.
c. 1406 BC
Sin of Achan
Despite the ban on plunder, Achan takes forbidden items from Jericho, leading to Israel's defeat at Ai and revealing the need for obedience.
This passage directly references the fall of Jericho, highlighting how faith, demonstrated through obedience to God's unusual instructions, was the key to victory.
1 Corinthians 1:27-29This New Testament passage echoes the principle seen at Jericho: God often uses what is considered weak or foolish by the world to shame the wise and strong, emphasizing His power working through human frailty and obedience.
Romans 10:17The command to 'Shout' in Joshua 6:16 comes after a period of hearing God's word and obeying. This passage emphasizes that faith comes from hearing the message about Christ, aligning with the idea that the Israelites' shout was a response of faith to God's promise.
Exodus 14:13-14Similar to the Red Sea crossing, the Israelites were commanded to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, trusting in His power rather than their own strength. Joshua's command to shout, 'for the LORD has given you the city,' reflects this same reliance on God's intervention.
gillJoshua 6:16: "And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city."
And it came to pass at the seventh time,.... Of their going round the city on the seventh day: and at the seventh time: when the priests blew with the trumpets; as they did every time they compassed the city: Joshua said unto the people, shout; both those that were armed, and those that were not; they were to make one grand an…
bensonJoshua 6:16: "And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city."
Joshua 6:16 . At the seventh time Joshua said, Shout — To testify your faith in God’s promise, and thankfulness for this glorious mercy; to encourage yourselves and brethren, and to strike a terror into your enemies. The Lord hath given you the city — It is given to you to be devoted to God, as the first (and perhaps the worst…
Joshua doesn't just say "Shout, we've won!" He declares, "Shout, for the LORD has given you the city." This shifts the focus from their action of shouting to God's completed action of gifting them the victory, framing the coming triumph as a divine bestowal, not just a earned reward.
After six days of silently marching around Jericho once each day, this is the seventh and final day of the unconventional siege. On this crucial seventh circuit, the priests blow the trumpets a seventh time, signaling Joshua to command the people to let out a mighty shout, believing that God has already secured their victory over the fortified city.
After six days of silently marching around Jericho once each day, this is the seventh and final day of the unconventional siege. On this crucial seventh circuit, the priests blow the trumpets a seventh time, signaling Joshua to command the people to let out a mighty shout, believing that God has already secured their victory over the fortified city.
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Faith as Reception
Israel's task was to receive what God had given. The shout is the audible expression of this reception. It’s an act of faith that appropriates the promised victory. It’s like receiving a gift – you don't earn it, but you must reach out and take it. The people of Jericho were overcome not by Israel’s swords, but by God’s power unleashed through their faithful obedience. This principle applies to our spiritual lives too; our victories over sin and challenges are gifts from God, received through faith and obedience.
c. 1405 BC
Conquest of Ai
After dealing with Achan's sin and adjusting their strategy, the Israelites successfully conquer the city of Ai.
c. 1400 BC
Division of Canaan
The land of Canaan is systematically divided among the twelve tribes of Israel, establishing their inheritance.
"And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the LORD has given you the city." — Joshua doesn't just say "Shout, we've won!" He declares, "Shout, for the LORD has given you the city." This shifts the focus from their action of shouting to God's completed action of gifting them…
