Pamela Y.

Cook
CH 261 Orientation to the Older Testament
Exegetical Paper 2: Joshua 6

Joshua fit the battle of Jericho

The lyrics of the African American spiritual referenced above are based on the

biblical story of Israel's defeat of Jericho. They represent a well-liked and commonly

used narrative in the black Baptist church in which I grew up. This account of how a

small band of faithful people defeat a seemingly unconquerable enemy and begin to

take possession of the Promised Land was certainly an inspiration to a similarly

oppressed community. Yet, based on archeological evidence, it is likely that this

event did not occur or at least it did not happen in the way Joshua 6 details it.1 Even

the biblical record contains contradictions about this military campaign. While

Joshua 6 and 9-12 report a complete conquest of Canaan, Judges 9 describes a

partial conquest. On the other hand, scholars have also advanced the peaceful

infiltration, peasant revolt/social revolution, and symbiotic models to explain how

Israel emerged from Canaan.2 Although the Fritz/Dever symbiosis model best

explains the historical emergence of Israel in Canaan, the Joshua version especially

Joshua 6 provides the best theological account.

Joshua 6 gives an account of the first battle in the conquest of Canaan and it

marks the beginning of the fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise to occupy the

1
Hershel Shanks, William G. Dever, Baruch Halpern and P. Kyle McCarter, The Rise of Ancient Israel:
Symposium at the Smithsonian Institution October 26, 1991 (Washington, DC: Biblical Archaeology
Society, 1992), page 32.
2
Ibid, 1-85.

1
Promised Land. In verse 1 Israel confronts a dilemma. How do they attack a city

surrounded by well fortified walls? Normal military tactics will not work in this

situation, but in verse 2 they receive their answer. The Lord declares that Jericho's

defeat is already accomplished. While a human assessment sees Jericho with

impenetrable walls, God views Jericho already in the hands of Israel. Such an

assertion shows that it will be God's help and not Israel's military strength that will

bring about the victory.

In verses 3-5 the Lord explains her strategy. For six days the warriors will

march around Jericho one time. They will be led by seven priests with seven horns

who accompany the ark of the covenant. On the seventh day, they will march

around the city seven times with the priests blowing their trumpets. When the

people hear the trumpet, the people will give a great shout and the walls of Jericho

will fall and they will attack the city. Then Joshua shares this plan with the priests

and the people (v.5-6). Although this approach must have seemed odd and

ineffective to them, Israel is expected to trust God and follow her instructions.

In verse 8 the people begin to implement the Lord's plan. The seven priests

with the seven trumpets blowing lead the procession followed by the ark of the

covenant. Not only are the people cognizant of divine intervention with the sacred

number of seven, but they also experience it with the physical presence of the Lord

in the ark of the covenant. This strategy will succeed because it is devised and

guided by the Lord.

Then Joshua reminds the people that they should be silent as they march

around the city (v.10). Surely this silent march must have seemed to be a weak and

2
ineffective move by Israel. However, God's ways are not our ways. The purpose of

this time of silence may have been for them to pray and reflect on what God was

doing. Moreover, as they walked in silence around the walls of Jericho, they could

see the strength of its fortifications and realize that they could not win without the

Lord's help.

For six days, Joshua led the people in carrying out the Lord's strategy (v.12-

14). Undoubtedly, they must have felt they needed to do more, but they continued

to follow the plan. On the seventh day, they march around the city seven times

(v.15). Joshua instructs the people, "Shout! For the Lord has given you the city"

(v.16). Like the Lord in verse two, Joshua uses the present perfect tense indicating

an action that has happened in the past! He is reminding the people that even

though they cannot see it, God is on their side and they already have the victory.

In verses 17-19, Joshua explains why and how Jericho must be destroyed. The

people of Jericho were engaged in religious practices that would threaten the

survival of Israel. For this reason, Israel was commanded to not allow anything to

survive that could lure Israel into idolatrous practices and away from God.

Therefore, with the exception of Rahab and her family3 as well as metals that were

sacred to the Lord, everything in the city would be destroyed.

When the people heard the trumpets, "they raised a great shout" and the

walls of the city fell (v. 20). As instructed, Israel completely destroyed the city

including women and children (v.21). This behavior can be troubling to our 21st

century ears. Although some extrabiblical evidence indicates that such destruction

3
Rahab was the woman who had confessed her faith in Israel's God and helped Israel's spies. In
return for her assistance, the spies promised that she and her family would be saved.

3
may have occurred,4 I do not interpret it literally. The theological point is that Israel

must create an environment in which there are no other gods, i.e. they must follow

the first commandment- "Do not have any other gods before me."5 Hence, the total

destruction of Jericho is a warning against idolatry.

This pericope ends with the conclusion that the Lord is with Joshua as he was

with Moses and Abraham. Israel is finally completing the journey they had begun

with Moses. At last they are entering the Promised Land as God promised Abraham.

Like the Exodus narrative, this Jericho saga serves as a theological paradigm.

In our lives we will have Jericho situations in which the odds seem insurmountable,

situations in which a solution does not seem humanly possible. Yet, the Lord will

guide us to victory. With God on our side, we will make a way out of no way. God's

strategy may not seem plausible to our human understanding but as long as we

follow her instructions, the triumph is already ours. When we exhibit great faith like

Rahab, when we forsake the idols of our time like greed, materialism, and selfish

individualism, we will be remembered, protected, and rescued. Although a symbiotic

model may best explain historically how Israel emerged from Canaan, it does not

give us faith lessons that we will need over and over again. While historical

accounts are important, the theology of Joshua 6, as intended by its

deuteronomistic writers, gave hope and continues to give hope in hopeless

situations to God's people.

4
Hershel Shanks, William G. Dever, Baruch Halpern and P. Kyle McCarter, The Rise of Ancient Israel:
Symposium at the Smithsonian Institution October 26, 1991 (Washington, DC: Biblical Archaeology
Society, 1992), page nr.
5
Exodus 20:3

4
Bibliography

The New Oxford Annotated Study Bible with the Apocrypha, New Revised Standard
Version, Third Edition (Oxford Study Bible)

Shanks, Hershel, et al. The Rise of Ancient Israel, Washington, D.C.: Biblical
Archaeology Society, 1992 pp. 1-85.