Joshua 6:4-5
Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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What's easy to miss is that the "trumpets of rams' horns" were likely special "jubilee trumpets," not common ones. These instruments, associated with declaring freedom and a time of divine favor, were used in a ritual that pointed to God's ultimate victory and liberation, not just military might. The repetition of the number seven throughout the instructions underscores the completeness and sacred nature of God's plan unfolding.
Before this instruction, the formidable walls of Jericho stood as an impenetrable barrier, and the Israelites had just miraculously crossed the Jordan River. Now, God gives Joshua a highly unusual strategy: a silent, week-long procession around the city with the Ark of the Covenant, culminating in a loud blast of trumpets on the seventh day, which is meant to bring down the walls.
Ever wondered about the specific instruments used in this pivotal battle? The text uses a word that points to something more significant than just animal horns.
Joshua 6:4 mentions 'trumpets of rams' horns.' However, the original Hebrew word, yobelim, is better understood as 'jubilee trumpets.' These weren't just any horns; they were the specific instruments blown to announce the year of Jubilee, a time of release and restoration.
A Symbol of Freedom
This connection is profound. The Jubilee trumpet was a call to freedom. By using these instruments to march around Jericho, God wasn't just orchestrating a military strategy; He was symbolically announcing liberation and judgment upon the city, echoing the principles of His covenant people who were to be set free.
Not Just for Warfare
Unlike the straight silver trumpets used for signaling the Israelite army (Numbers 10:2), these jubilee trumpets were curved and sounded a distinct call. Their use here underscores that this victory was not solely a military conquest but a divinely ordained act of judgment and deliverance, announced with instruments that proclaimed freedom.
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Why seven priests, seven trumpets, seven days, and seven circuits? The number seven permeates this command, hinting at a deeper divine meaning.
The repetition of the number seven in Joshua 6:4 is no accident. In Scripture, seven often symbolizes completeness, perfection, and divine fulfillment.
A Pattern of Perfection
We see seven priests, carrying seven trumpets, marching around the city. This wasn't just a count; it was a deliberate, divinely appointed pattern. The act was to be repeated daily for six days, culminating on the seventh day with seven circuits and seven blows of the trumpets. This meticulous ordering points to God's perfect plan and His complete control over the situation.
Completeness in Action
On the seventh day, the repetition seven times signifies the completion of the process. It was not until this final, complete act that the walls fell. This emphasizes that obedience, carried out with patience and adherence to God's specific instructions, leads to the fulfillment of His promises. The number seven here is a stamp of God's holy work.
What was at the heart of this procession? The ark, symbolizing God's presence, was central to this unconventional siege.
Joshua 6:4 instructs that the priests bearing trumpets are to go 'before the ark.' This placement is crucial, highlighting the ark's significance as the symbol of God's presence with His people.
God at the Forefront
The ark wasn't just an object; it represented God's covenant and His active involvement in Israel's journey. By placing it at the center of the procession, God emphasized that this victory was not due to Israel's military might but to His own power and presence leading them.
Faith in Divine Power
This procession was a profound act of faith. The people were to trust that God, symbolized by the ark, was directing their every step and would bring about the victory. The ark moving forward, followed by priests with trumpets, and then the armed men, showed a divinely ordered progression where God's presence was the ultimate guarantee of success.
Understand the original words
aron · Hebrew Noun
A portable, sacred chest representing the presence and throne of God among His people. It contained the tablets of the Law and served as a focal point for Israel's worship and military campaigns.
shophar · Hebrew Noun
A wind instrument used in ancient Israel for religious and military purposes. They were used to signal the beginning of religious festivals, announce the presence of God, or sound alarms and commands during warfare.
teruah · Hebrew Noun
A communal vocal expression used in biblical contexts to celebrate victory, express joy in God, or signify the onset of divine judgment. It represents the people's faith and active participation in the act of God.
~1406 BC
Israelites Cross the Jordan River
After 40 years in the wilderness, the Israelites miraculously crossed the Jordan River on dry ground, marking their entry into the Promised Land. This event immediately preceded the campaign against Jericho.
~1406 BC
Joshua Encounters the Commander of the Lord's Army
Joshua met a divine messenger outside Jericho, who revealed God's plan for the city's conquest. This encounter confirmed God's direct involvement and the miraculous nature of the upcoming victory.
~1406 BC— this verse
Jericho's Walls Fall
Following God's specific instructions, the Israelites marched around Jericho for seven days. On the seventh day, after a loud blast from trumpets and the people's shout, the city walls miraculously collapsed, allowing for its conquest.
This passage describes the sounding of the 'ram's horn' or jubilee trumpet on the Day of Atonement to proclaim liberty throughout the land, highlighting the symbolic significance of this specific instrument in Joshua's instructions.
Numbers 10:9This verse instructs Israel to blow trumpets to remind God of them in times of distress, showing a pattern of using trumpets in conjunction with divine remembrance and action, echoing the purpose behind the trumpets at Jericho.
Hebrews 11:30This New Testament passage directly references the fall of Jericho, stating that the walls fell 'after they had been encamped for seven days,' underscoring the faith aspect of the miraculous victory.
1 Corinthians 10:1-4This passage draws a parallel between Israel's miraculous journey through the Red Sea and their provision of spiritual food and drink in the wilderness with Christ as the source, suggesting that the Jericho victory, like other miracles, had a spiritual dimension pointing to God's provision and power.
cambridgeJoshua 6:4: "And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets."
4 . trumpets of rams’ horns ] Rather, trumpets of soundings, or, of jubilee; “seuen trompes, vhose use is in the jubile.” Not the long straight trumpets generally used, but the same kind that were to be employed on the first day of the seventh month ( Leviticus 23:24 ), and to announce the year of Jubile…
gillJoshua 6:4: "And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets."
And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns,.... The ark was to be taken up and carried by priests round the city. Ben Gersom observes, that this was to direct the Israelites to keep and do according to all that was written in it; that is, in the law, which was contained in…
What's easy to miss is that the "trumpets of rams' horns" were likely special "jubilee trumpets," not common ones. These instruments, associated with declaring freedom and a time of divine favor, were used in a ritual that pointed to God's ultimate victory and liberation, not just military might. The repetition of the number seven throughout the instructions underscores the completeness and sacred nature of God's plan unfolding.
Before this instruction, the formidable walls of Jericho stood as an impenetrable barrier, and the Israelites had just miraculously crossed the Jordan River. Now, God gives Joshua a highly unusual strategy: a silent, week-long procession around the city with the Ark of the Covenant, culminating in a loud blast of trumpets on the seventh day, which is meant to bring down the walls.
Before this instruction, the formidable walls of Jericho stood as an impenetrable barrier, and the Israelites had just miraculously crossed the Jordan River. Now, God gives Joshua a highly unusual strategy: a silent, week-long procession around the city with the Ark of the Covenant, culminating in a loud blast of trumpets on the seventh day, which is meant to bring down the walls.
"Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you h…" — What's easy to miss is that the "trumpets of rams' horns" were likely special "jubilee trumpets," not common ones. These instruments, associated with declaring freedom and a time of divine favor, wer…
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