Joshua's pronouncement isn't just a ban; it's a prophetic prediction woven into an oath. The devastating imagery of laying foundations and setting gates "at the cost of his firstborn" and "youngest son" underscores that any attempt to rebuild this cursed place would be met with the complete loss of a builder's legacy and offspring. This isn't simply a curse; it's a foreshadowing of divine judgment, revealing that the rebuilding of Jericho would demand the ultimate price.
Joshua laid an oath on them at that time, saying, “Cursed before the LORD be the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho. “At the cost of his firstborn shall he lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son shall he set up its gates.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
After the miraculous destruction of Jericho, Joshua imposes a solemn oath and curse upon the Israelites, forbidding anyone from ever rebuilding the city. This decree ensures that the ruins will serve as a permanent testament to God's power and judgment against wickedness, a visible reminder that would echo through generations. The curse even predicts a tragic consequence for anyone who dares to defy this divine command by rebuilding, foretelling immense personal loss tied directly to the act.
Why would God want the ruins of a city to stand as a perpetual reminder? What does this tell us about His justice and His heart?
Joshua's curse on Jericho wasn't just a personal vow; it was a divine mandate. God wanted the ruins to remain as a stark, visible monument to His judgment against idolatry and wickedness.
A Warning to All Ages
The destruction of Jericho was a powerful demonstration of God's power and His unwavering stance against sin. By preserving its ruins and pronouncing a curse on anyone who would rebuild it, God ensured that this event would serve as a constant reminder:
What does it mean for a curse to be fulfilled not just in death, but in the very act of rebuilding? Explore the profound cost of ignoring God's warnings.
The specific wording of Joshua's curse on Jericho is striking: 'At the cost of his firstborn shall he lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son shall he set up its gates.' This wasn't just a general pronouncement of doom; it was a prophecy detailing the devastating personal loss that would accompany any attempt to defy God's command.
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A Prophetic Prediction
This curse acted as a dire prediction, signifying that the individual who dared to rebuild Jericho would experience profound grief and loss throughout the entire process of construction:
This prediction wasn't merely symbolic; it was literally fulfilled centuries later in Hiel the Bethelite, who lost his sons Abiram and Segub during the rebuilding of Jericho, serving as a stark testament to the authority of God's word.
Beyond a single city, what does Jericho represent in the larger story of God's kingdom? How does its destruction and forbidden rebuilding speak to us today?
The story of Jericho's destruction and the subsequent curse on its rebuilding carries profound symbolic weight, extending beyond the immediate historical event.
Echoes of Spiritual Warfare
Many interpreters see Jericho as a type, or symbol, of the powers and systems that stand in opposition to God's kingdom:
Just as rebuilding Jericho would be an affront to God's power and a dangerous re-establishment of what He had judged, so too, in our lives, we are called to reject and remain free from the spiritual 'foundations' of sin and the world's resistance to God, recognizing that Christ has already secured the victory.
Understand the original words
shebu'ah · Hebrew Noun
A solemn appeal to God to witness the truth of a statement or the binding nature of a promise, often involving a conditional self-imprecation if the oath is broken. It functions as a public, divinely sanctioned commitment.
arur · Hebrew Adjective/Participle
To be under the formal sentence or judgment of God, resulting in separation from divine favor and life. It signifies a state of being devoted to destruction or suffering the consequences of God's active disfavor.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The covenant name of the one true God of Israel (Yahweh), representing His eternal, self-existent, and personal nature as the Redeemer and Judge of His people.
bekor · Hebrew Noun
The first-born male child in a family, holding a position of honor, authority, and inheritance rights. Biblically, the firstborn was often dedicated to the Lord or viewed as representing the strength and future of the family line.
Joshua's curse wasn't just a warning; it was a prophetic declaration of divine judgment that would fall upon anyone who dared to defy God's command by rebuilding the cursed city, a truth starkly confirmed centuries later.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jericho
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites miraculously conquer and utterly destroy the city of Jericho, dedicating it to the LORD.
After 1400 BC
Jericho remains in ruins
For centuries, the site of Jericho remains desolate, serving as a stark reminder of God's judgment on the Canaanites and His power.
c. 1350 BC
Jericho is resettled
The city of palm trees, possibly Jericho or a nearby settlement, is mentioned as inhabited shortly after Joshua's conquest.
c. 1000 BC
Jericho used as a lodging place
David's ambassadors are instructed to wait in Jericho after being insulted by the Ammonites, indicating the city's existence.
c. 870 BC
Hiel the Bethelite rebuilds Jericho
During the reign of King Ahab, Hiel of Bethel attempts to rebuild Jericho, violating Joshua's curse and losing his firstborn son, Abiram, at the foundation and his youngest son, Segub, at the gates.
c. 850 BC
Elisha heals Jericho's waters
The prophet Elisha miraculously purifies the water supply of Jericho, showing the city has been rebuilt and is functional.
This passage directly shows the fulfillment of Joshua's curse, detailing how Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho and lost his firstborn son at the foundation and his youngest at the gates, proving the curse's divine authority.
Deuteronomy 13:15-17This passage establishes the principle of 'cherem' (devotion to destruction) for utterly condemned cities, providing the theological basis for why Jericho was cursed and forbidden to be rebuilt.
Luke 19:1-9This account of Jesus visiting Jericho and encountering Zacchaeus highlights that while the specific city structure was cursed, the land and its people were not perpetually excluded from God's redemptive purposes, showing a nuanced application of the curse.
1 Thessalonians 4:16The imagery of divine judgment and overthrow described in this New Testament passage, particularly the 'trumpet call' and the descent of judgment, echoes the miraculous destruction of Jericho's walls, suggesting a prophetic foreshadowing of future divine judgment.
clarkeJoshua 6:26: "And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it."
And Joshua adjured them at that time - It appears that he had received intimations from God that this idolatrous city should continue a monument of the Divine displeasure: and having convened the princes and elders of the people, he bound them b…
bensonJoshua 6:26: "And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it."
Joshua 6:26 . Joshua adjured them at that time — Hebrew, ישׁבע , jashbang, he made them to swear. As soon as the city was destroyed, it seems, he convened the heads of the tribes, to signify to them that it was the will of God this idolatrous ci…
Joshua's pronouncement isn't just a ban; it's a prophetic prediction woven into an oath. The devastating imagery of laying foundations and setting gates "at the cost of his firstborn" and "youngest son" underscores that any attempt to rebuild this cursed place would be met with the complete loss of a builder's legacy and offspring. This isn't simply a curse; it's a foreshadowing of divine judgment, revealing that the rebuilding of Jericho would demand the ultimate price.
After the miraculous destruction of Jericho, Joshua imposes a solemn oath and curse upon the Israelites, forbidding anyone from ever rebuilding the city. This decree ensures that the ruins will serve as a permanent testament to God's power and judgment against wickedness, a visible reminder that would echo through generations. The curse even predicts a tragic consequence for anyone who dares to defy this divine command by rebuilding, foretelling immense personal loss tied directly to the act.
After the miraculous destruction of Jericho, Joshua imposes a solemn oath and curse upon the Israelites, forbidding anyone from ever rebuilding the city. This decree ensures that the ruins will serve as a permanent testament to God's power and judgment against wickedness, a visible reminder that would echo through generations. The curse even predicts a tragic consequence for anyone who dares to defy this divine command by rebuilding, foretelling immense personal loss tied directly to the act.
"Joshua laid an oath on them at that time, saying, “Cursed before the LORD be the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho.
“At the cost of his firstborn
shall he lay its foundation,
and at the cost of his youngest…" — Joshua's pronouncement isn't just a ban; it's a prophetic prediction woven into an oath. The devastating imagery of laying foundations and setting gates "at the cost of his firstborn" and "youngest s…
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Last reviewed October 2026