The "rams' horns" mentioned here weren't just any old horns; they were specifically "jubilee trumpets." This signals that the conquest of Jericho wasn't just a military maneuver, but a sacred act of celebration and a pronouncement of God's victory. The repeated use of the number seven throughout the command also emphasizes completion and divine perfection, pointing to God's complete control over the situation.
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)
Joshua is commanded to lead the Israelites in a unique siege of Jericho, a city with impossibly high walls. After crossing the Jordan River, this act of faith is meant to demonstrate that God alone grants victory, not human might. The instructions involve a symbolic procession around the city for seven days, with specific roles for the priests, the Ark of the Covenant, and the blowing of trumpets, culminating in a great shout.
The instruments God commanded for Jericho's fall weren't standard military trumpets. What did these special 'jubilee trumpets' signify?
The trumpets used at Jericho weren't the typical straight silver trumpets of the Israelite army (like those used for signalling). Instead, they were the 'jubilee trumpets,' likely curved instruments made from rams' horns. This specific instrument carried a profound symbolic weight.
More Than Just Noise
The number seven appears repeatedly in the instructions for Jericho. What's the big deal about this sacred number?
The repeated emphasis on the number seven is intentional and deeply symbolic, pointing to God's perfect and complete work.
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Completeness and Divine Action
The ark of the covenant, a symbol of God's presence, played a crucial role. What does its placement reveal about the nature of this victory?
The positioning of the Ark of the Covenant within the procession is a vital clue to understanding the fall of Jericho.
Leading the Way
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.
The extraordinary method of conquering Jericho, involving ritualistic processions with trumpets, highlights that Israel's victories were not due to military might but God's direct intervention, a crucial lesson for the Canaanites and the Israelites themselves.
c. 1400 BC
Israelites Enter the Promised Land
After wandering in the desert for 40 years, the Israelites, led by Joshua, cross the Jordan River and prepare to conquer the land of Canaan.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Jericho's Walls are Impregnable
Jericho is a strongly fortified city, described as 'shut up' and 'very strongly fenced,' posing a significant obstacle to Israel's advance.
c. 1400 BC
Divine Instructions for Conquest
God gives Joshua a unique and seemingly strange battle plan: march around the city for six days, and then on the seventh day, march around it seven times with priests blowing trumpets.
c. 1400 BC
The Fall of Jericho
Following God's instructions, the walls of Jericho miraculously collapse after the Israelites march around it and the priests blow the trumpets, leading to the city's conquest.
This passage describes the blowing of the trumpet on the Day of Atonement to announce the Jubilee year, highlighting the specific use of the 'jubilee trumpet' that is referenced in the context of Jericho.
Numbers 10:1-10This section details the use of two silver trumpets for signaling the Israelite camp and for calling assemblies, providing a contrast to the specific 'jubilee trumpets' used at Jericho.
Hebrews 11:30This verse directly alludes to the fall of Jericho after walls were surrounded, emphasizing that faith, not military might, was the key to this miraculous event.
1 Samuel 7:9-11Here, Samuel offers a sacrifice and cries out to the Lord, who responds with thunder, leading to the Philistines' defeat, showing God's intervention when His people call on Him, similar to the divine power displayed at Jericho.
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…
The "rams' horns" mentioned here weren't just any old horns; they were specifically "jubilee trumpets." This signals that the conquest of Jericho wasn't just a military maneuver, but a sacred act of celebration and a pronouncement of God's victory. The repeated use of the number seven throughout the command also emphasizes completion and divine perfection, pointing to God's complete control over the situation.
Joshua is commanded to lead the Israelites in a unique siege of Jericho, a city with impossibly high walls. After crossing the Jordan River, this act of faith is meant to demonstrate that God alone grants victory, not human might. The instructions involve a symbolic procession around the city for seven days, with specific roles for the priests, the Ark of the Covenant, and the blowing of trumpets, culminating in a great shout.
Joshua is commanded to lead the Israelites in a unique siege of Jericho, a city with impossibly high walls. After crossing the Jordan River, this act of faith is meant to demonstrate that God alone grants victory, not human might. The instructions involve a symbolic procession around the city for seven days, with specific roles for the priests, the Ark of the Covenant, and the blowing of trumpets, culminating in a great shout.
"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…" — The "rams' horns" mentioned here weren't just any old horns; they were specifically "jubilee trumpets." This signals that the conquest of Jericho wasn't just a military maneuver, but a sacred act of…
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Last reviewed October 2026
