Joshua 6:5

Analysis & Commentary

And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.

This verse describes the climactic moment when supernatural intervention would manifest. The phrase "long blast" (mashakh beqeren hayovel, מָשַׁךְ בְּקֶרֶן הַיּוֹבֵל) literally means drawing out the Jubilee horn—extended sound versus short blasts. The Jubilee connection is significant: Jubilee proclaimed liberty, debt cancellation, and land restoration (Leviticus 25). Jericho's fall would liberate Canaan from Canaanite wickedness and restore Abraham's promised inheritance to his descendants.

The command for "all the people" to "shout with a great shout" (yari'u...teru'ah gedolah, יָרִיעוּ...תְּרוּעָה גְדוֹלָה) indicates corporate participation. This wasn't mere noise but liturgical acclamation recognizing God's victory. The Hebrew teru'ah (תְּרוּעָה) denotes joyful shout or battle cry, used in worship (Psalm 47:5) and warfare (Joshua 6:20). The shout proclaimed faith in God's promise before visible fulfillment.

The promise "the wall...shall fall down flat" (venaphlah chomat ha'ir tachteyha, וְנָפְלָה חוֹמַת הָעִיר תַּחְתֶּיהָ) literally means fall down beneath itself—complete collapse creating accessible entry. The phrase "every man straight before him" (ish negdo, אִישׁ נֶגְדּוֹ) indicates direct ascent into the city without siege equipment or climbing. God's supernatural intervention would remove all obstacles, requiring only faith and obedience. Theologically, this illustrates Ephesians 2:8-9—salvation is God's work, not human achievement. Israel's role was believing and obeying; God's role was accomplishing victory.

Historical Context

Archaeological excavation at Jericho (Tell es-Sultan) by Kathleen Kenyon found evidence of collapsed walls from the Late Bronze Age period. Excavator Bryant Wood argues evidence supports a 15th century BCE destruction consistent with biblical chronology, though dating remains debated. Physical evidence confirms that Jericho experienced catastrophic destruction, with walls collapsing outward and downward, creating accessible rubble ramps—exactly as Scripture describes.

Ancient city walls were formidable defenses. Jericho's fortifications included double walls—outer wall 6 feet thick and inner wall 12 feet thick, separated by 15 feet. The walls stood on earthen ramparts 35-40 feet high. For such massive structures to collapse simultaneously requires supernatural intervention—no human agency could accomplish it. The collapse pattern (falling outward/downward creating ramps) defies normal siege results where walls fall inward from battering or undermining.

The liturgical shout accompanying wall collapse connects worship and warfare. Similar shouts appear at ark's movement (2 Samuel 6:15), temple dedication (Ezra 3:11), and eschatologically at Christ's return (1 Thessalonians 4:16). The shout expressed corporate faith, celebrated anticipated victory, and acknowledged God's sovereign power. This corporate worship participation prefigures the church's mission—proclaiming gospel truth that brings down strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

Questions for Reflection

• How does Jericho's wall collapse through shouting and trumpet blast illustrate that spiritual victories come through proclamation and worship, not human effort?
• What 'walls' in your spiritual life require God's supernatural intervention rather than your strategic planning to overcome?
• How does the connection between Jubilee trumpets and Jericho's fall point to gospel themes of liberation and restoration?
• In what ways do you struggle to 'shout' (proclaim faith) before seeing visible evidence of God's promises being fulfilled?
• How does this miracle prefigure the greater miracle of salvation—God removing sin's barriers through Christ's finished work?