The verse emphasizes that the people didn't just shout after the wall fell; they shouted when they heard the trumpet, and then the wall fell. This highlights that their unified shout, a deliberate act of obedience to God's command, was intrinsically linked to the miraculous collapse, not merely a reaction to it.
So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After six days of marching around Jericho in silence, followed by seven circuits on the seventh day with priests blowing trumpets, this is the climax. The people are commanded to shout, and at that moment, God intervenes supernaturally, causing the impregnable walls to collapse. This allows the Israelite army to enter the city and carry out God's judgment.
Jericho's walls were famously strong, designed to keep invaders out. But this battle wasn't won by military might.
The story of Jericho's fall is a powerful reminder that no defense is too strong for God. The text explicitly states the wall "fell down flat" after the people shouted and the trumpets sounded.
A Divine Intervention
Commentaries highlight that this event was supernatural. There was no natural explanation for how those massive walls collapsed. It wasn't engineering or brute force; it was God stepping in.
Faith in Action
This was a test of faith for the Israelites. They had to trust God's instructions, even when they seemed strange or impossible. Their obedience – marching, shouting, and blowing trumpets – wasn't the cause of the wall falling, but the condition God set for His miraculous intervention.
The Israelites were told to do something incredibly unusual: march around a city and then shout. What does this tell us about obedience?
This account is a prime example of obedience being directly linked to God's miraculous power. Joshua gave clear instructions, and the people followed them precisely.
The Sound of Obedience
The trumpets were blown, and then the people shouted. This wasn't just noise; it was a unified, commanded action. Their obedience was the channel through which God displayed His power. The text emphasizes that they shouted "a great shout" immediately after hearing the trumpet's sound, showing immediate compliance.
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Faith and Action Are Linked
When God's people obey His specific commands, even the ones that seem odd, they position themselves to see His power at work. This wasn't about the volume of the shout or the type of trumpet; it was about the people's willingness to do exactly what God told them to do.
The conquest of Jericho involved the complete destruction of the city and its inhabitants. This is a difficult part of the Bible to grapple with.
The Bible doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of warfare and God's judgment. The account of Jericho's fall includes a command for complete annihilation.
Divine Justice
Commentaries note that the Canaanites had, over centuries, filled the measure of their iniquity with idolatry and severe wickedness. God's judgment, carried out through Israel, was a response to this deep-seated corruption. The command was to "utterly destroy all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword." This was not a random act of violence but a specific, divinely ordained judgment.
A Glimpse of Mercy
Even within this severe judgment, we see God's mercy. Rahab and her family were saved because of her faith and her act of hiding the Israelite spies. This shows that God's judgment, while absolute, also makes room for those who turn to Him in faith, even from within a condemned city.
God's Sovereign Will
The entire event underscores God's sovereignty. He uses His people to execute His justice, demonstrating that He alone has the right to determine the fate of nations and individuals. The utter destruction also served as a stark warning to other nations and to Israel itself about the consequences of sin.
Understand the original words
teruw'ah · Hebrew Noun
A loud, vocal utterance, often used in the Bible as a response to divine victory, the manifestation of God’s power, or during corporate worship. It serves as an expression of praise, faith, or the proclamation of triumph.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Israelites Encamp East of Jericho
Following their miraculous crossing of the Jordan River, the Israelite army made camp on the plains east of Jericho, preparing to take the heavily fortified city.
c. 1400 BC
The Siege of Jericho Begins
For six days, the Israelite army marched silently around Jericho, with priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant and blowing trumpets, a strange and intimidating display.
c. 1400 BC
The Seventh Day's Battle Plan
On the seventh day, the Israelites marched around the city seven times, with increased intensity, culminating in a great shout and the blast of trumpets as commanded by Joshua.
c. 1400 BC
Fall of Jericho
In response to the people's shout and the priests' trumpets, the walls of Jericho miraculously collapsed, allowing the Israelites to enter and conquer the city.
c. 1400 BC
Destruction and Rahab's Salvation
The city and all its inhabitants were destroyed, except for Rahab the prostitute and her household, who had aided Joshua's spies.
c. 1400 BC
Curse on Rebuilding Jericho
Joshua pronounced a solemn curse upon anyone who would attempt to rebuild the city, warning of great loss at the foundation and gate.
This passage directly attributes the fall of Jericho's walls to faith, highlighting the supernatural power at work, not human might.
1 Samuel 17:45-47David's victory over Goliath, like the fall of Jericho, shows God delivering His people through seemingly unlikely means and divine intervention, not by conventional warfare.
Exodus 14:21-31The parting of the Red Sea demonstrates God's powerful intervention to save His people from insurmountable obstacles, echoing the miraculous nature of Jericho's walls falling.
2 Corinthians 10:4This verse explains that the 'weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,' paralleling how God used non-military means to conquer Jericho's defenses.
Nehemiah 4:16-20During the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls, Nehemiah's people worked with tools in one hand and weapons in the other, showing a reliance on God's protection and power even amidst defense efforts, a contrast to Jericho's complete divine demolition.
gillJoshua 6:20: "So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city."
So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets,.... As Joshua had charged them, Joshua 6:16 , and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and…
calvinJoshua 6:20-27: "So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city."
- So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout,…
The verse emphasizes that the people didn't just shout after the wall fell; they shouted when they heard the trumpet, and then the wall fell. This highlights that their unified shout, a deliberate act of obedience to God's command, was intrinsically linked to the miraculous collapse, not merely a reaction to it.
After six days of marching around Jericho in silence, followed by seven circuits on the seventh day with priests blowing trumpets, this is the climax. The people are commanded to shout, and at that moment, God intervenes supernaturally, causing the impregnable walls to collapse. This allows the Israelite army to enter the city and carry out God's judgment.
After six days of marching around Jericho in silence, followed by seven circuits on the seventh day with priests blowing trumpets, this is the climax. The people are commanded to shout, and at that moment, God intervenes supernaturally, causing the impregnable walls to collapse. This allows the Israelite army to enter the city and carry out God's judgment.
"So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before hi…" — The verse emphasizes that the people didn't just shout after the wall fell; they shouted when they heard the trumpet, and then the wall fell. This highlights that their unified shout, a deliber…
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Last reviewed October 2026
