Joshua 6:21
Then they devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse specifies that even the animals – the oxen, sheep, and donkeys – were put to the sword, not just the people. This detail emphasizes that the destruction wasn't for personal gain or plunder; Israel was meant to show God's complete vengeance, leaving nothing for themselves.
After the miraculous collapse of Jericho's walls, Joshua commanded the Israelites to utterly destroy everything within the city as a divine judgment. This included all people, from the youngest to the oldest, and all livestock, ensuring nothing would be plundered and that the destruction would be a clear act of God's justice against the city's wickedness. Only Rahab and her family were spared, a testament to her faith and an exception to the otherwise total annihilation.
Why did God command the complete annihilation of Jericho, sparing no one, not even animals?
The word 'devoted' here isn't just about destruction; it signifies something set apart for God, in this case, for judgment. This wasn't a typical battle where spoils were taken.
A Holy Wrath
God's command was clear: everything and everyone in Jericho was to be utterly destroyed. This was a divine judgment on the Canaanites for their extreme wickedness, a judgment they had been accumulating for centuries.
No Plunder, Only Judgment
Even the animals – oxen, sheep, and donkeys – were destroyed. This emphasized that the conquest of Jericho was not about Israelite gain but about executing God's righteous sentence. It was to be a stark demonstration of God's holiness and justice, not a source of wealth for the Israelites.
If Jericho was to be utterly destroyed, why was Rahab and her family spared?
While Joshua 6:21 describes the total destruction of Jericho, the preceding and following verses reveal a crucial exception: Rahab the prostitute and her household.
Faith Recognized
Rahab had shown faith by hiding the Israelite spies and had confessed her belief in the God of Israel. Her act of espionage and subsequent protection of the spies set her apart from the rest of the city's inhabitants.
Divine Grace in Action
Joshua's command to spare Rahab and her family wasn't a deviation from God's plan but a demonstration of His grace. She and her household were saved not by chance, but because of her faith and the covenant Joshua made with her, a testament that God's mercy can extend even to those within condemned cities.
Understand the original words
cherem · Hebrew Noun/Verb
The act of setting something apart as holy, often involving the total destruction of items or people devoted to God as a judgment or a consecration. It signifies that the object or entity is no longer for human use but belongs entirely to the Lord.
The utter destruction of Jericho and all within it, including animals, wasn't about plunder but a divinely mandated judgment on the Canaanites' deep wickedness. It served as a stark demonstration of God's justice and a warning against sin.
~1446 BC
Israelites Enter the Promised Land
After 40 years in the wilderness, Joshua leads the Israelites into Canaan, beginning their conquest of the land.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
The Conquest of Jericho
Under Joshua's command and by divine instruction, the Israelites march around Jericho for seven days, then shout, causing the city walls to collapse. They then utterly destroy the city and all its inhabitants and possessions.
c. 1446 BC
Rahab and Her Family Saved
Rahab, who had hidden the Israelite spies, is spared along with her family, preserving them from the destruction of Jericho.
c. 1446 BC
The Curse on Rebuilding Jericho
Joshua pronounces a curse upon anyone who attempts to rebuild the city of Jericho, declaring it will be founded on his firstborn and its gates set up on his youngest son.
This passage sets the stage for the destruction of the Canaanites, explaining that God commanded Israel to drive out and utterly destroy the nations before them, which directly parallels the action taken at Jericho.
Leviticus 27:28-29These verses describe the concept of 'utter destruction' or 'devotion to destruction' for things devoted to God, explaining that such things could not be redeemed and were to be destroyed, which is the theological principle behind the destruction of Jericho and its inhabitants.
1 Samuel 15:3This passage recounts God's command to Saul to go and utterly destroy the Amalekites, sparing nothing, which is a strong thematic parallel to the destruction of Jericho and highlights the consistent divine command for total destruction in certain contexts.
Hebrews 11:30-31This passage highlights Rahab's faith in hiding the spies and her subsequent salvation, contrasting with the destruction of Jericho, showing how faith offered a way of escape from the judgment that befell the city.
clarkeJoshua 6:21: "And they utterly destroyed 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."
They utterly destroyed - both man, and woman, etc. - As this act was ordered by God himself, who is the Maker and Judge of all men, it must be right: for the Judge of all the earth cannot do wrong. Nothing that breathed was permitted to live; hence the oxen, sheep, and asses, were destroyed, as well as the inhabitants.
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 specifies that even the animals – the oxen, sheep, and donkeys – were put to the sword, not just the people. This detail emphasizes that the destruction wasn't for personal gain or plunder; Israel was meant to show God's complete vengeance, leaving nothing for themselves.
After the miraculous collapse of Jericho's walls, Joshua commanded the Israelites to utterly destroy everything within the city as a divine judgment. This included all people, from the youngest to the oldest, and all livestock, ensuring nothing would be plundered and that the destruction would be a clear act of God's justice against the city's wickedness. Only Rahab and her family were spared, a testament to her faith and an exception to the otherwise total annihilation.
After the miraculous collapse of Jericho's walls, Joshua commanded the Israelites to utterly destroy everything within the city as a divine judgment. This included all people, from the youngest to the oldest, and all livestock, ensuring nothing would be plundered and that the destruction would be a clear act of God's justice against the city's wickedness. Only Rahab and her family were spared, a testament to her faith and an exception to the otherwise total annihilation.
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c. 875 BC
Hiel Rebuilds Jericho
Centuries later, Hiel of Bethel rebuilds Jericho, defying Joshua's curse and losing his sons in the process, demonstrating the consequences of defying God's decree.
"Then they devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword." — The verse specifies that even the animals – the oxen, sheep, and donkeys – were put to the sword, not just the people. This detail emphasizes that the destruction wasn't for personal gain or plunder;…
