Joshua 6:10
But Joshua had commanded the people: "Do not give a battle cry or let your voice be heard; do not let one word come out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you are to shout!"
But Joshua had commanded the people:

Joshua carried out the instructions the Lord had given for Jericho, directing Israel with the authority entrusted to him as Moses’ successor.

Deu 31:7-8 Then Moses called for Joshua and said to him…
Jos 1:10-11 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people:…
Jos 3:5 Then Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves,…

“Do not give a battle cry or let your voice be heard;

Israel was not to rely on the usual sounds of warfare to threaten Jericho or stir their own courage. Their silence set this march apart from an ordinary military assault.

Exo 14:14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Psa 46:10 Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted…
Isa 30:15 For the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said:…

do not let one word come out of your mouth

The people were required to exercise complete restraint as they marched around the city. Their obedience showed trust in God’s plan despite its unusual character.

Psa 39:1 For the choirmaster. For Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.…
Pro 13:3 He who guards his mouth protects his life…
Pro 10:19 When words are many, sin is unavoidable,…

until the day I tell you to shout.

The command required patience through the six days of marching. The people were to wait for Joshua’s signal, given according to God’s appointed time.

Hab 2:3 For the vision awaits an appointed time;…
Ecc 8:6 For there is a right time and procedure to every purpose…
Psa 27:14 Wait patiently for the LORD; be strong and courageous.…

Then you are to shout!”

On the seventh day, Israel’s shout would accompany the priests’ trumpet blast, and the Lord would bring down Jericho’s walls. The victory would belong to God, not to Israel’s military strength.

Jdg 7:20-22 The three companies blew their horns and shattered their jars.…
2Ch 13:15 and the men of Judah raised the battle cry.…
Psa 47:1 For the choirmaster. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Joshua
The leader of the Israelites after Moses, tasked with leading the people into the Promised Land. He is a central figure in this passage, giving specific instructions to the Israelites.

2. The Israelites
The people of God, who are following Joshua's leadership as they prepare to conquer Jericho, a key city in the Promised Land.

3. Jericho
A fortified city in Canaan, representing the first major obstacle for the Israelites in their conquest of the land promised to them by God.

4. The Command
Joshua's instruction to the Israelites to remain silent until the appointed time to shout, demonstrating obedience and discipline.

5. The Event
The impending fall of Jericho, which will occur through divine intervention as the Israelites follow God's unusual battle plan.
Teaching Points
Obedience to God's Instructions
Joshua's command to remain silent until the appointed time teaches us the importance of following God's instructions precisely, even when they seem unusual or counterintuitive.

The Power of Silence
The Israelites' silence can be seen as a form of worship and trust, reminding us that sometimes our greatest act of faith is to wait quietly for God's timing.

Faith in Action
The Israelites' march around Jericho without speaking demonstrates active faith. We are called to act in faith, trusting that God will fulfill His promises.

The Role of Leadership
Joshua's leadership is crucial in this event. It reminds us of the importance of godly leadership and the responsibility leaders have to guide others in obedience to God.

God's Sovereignty in Battle
The fall of Jericho illustrates that victory comes not by human might but by God's power. We are reminded to rely on God's strength in our battles.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Joshua's command to remain silent until the appointed time challenge our understanding of obedience and faith in our own lives?

2. In what ways can we practice "being still" and trusting in God's timing in our current circumstances?

3. How does the account of Jericho encourage us to act in faith, even when God's instructions seem unconventional?

4. What can we learn from Joshua's leadership about guiding others in faith and obedience?

5. How does the fall of Jericho demonstrate God's sovereignty, and how can this understanding impact the way we face our personal battles?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 14:14
This verse highlights the importance of silence and trust in God's deliverance, similar to the Israelites' silence before the fall of Jericho.

Psalm 46:10
"Be still, and know that I am God" connects to the theme of waiting on God's timing and trusting in His plan.

Hebrews 11:30
This verse references the faith of the Israelites in the fall of Jericho, emphasizing the role of faith in God's promises.
The Siege of JerichoAlexander MaclarenJoshua 6:10
Joshua Taking JerichoD. Davies.Joshua 6:6-11
People
Israelites, Joshua, Nun, Rahab
Places
Jericho
Topics
Bid, Cause, Commanded, Cry, Joshua, Loud, Mouth, Noise, Order, Proceed, Raise, Saying, Shout, Shouted, Till, Voice, Voices, War
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Joshua 6:10

     5950   silence

Joshua 6:1-21

     8131   guidance, results

Joshua 6:2-20

     5595   trumpet

Joshua 6:3-14

     1653   numbers, 6-10

Joshua 6:4-16

     7306   ark of the covenant

Library
Rahab
'And Joanna paved Rahab the harlot alive... and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day.'--JOSHUA vi. 25. This story comes in like an oasis in these terrible narratives of Canaanite extermination. There is much about it that is beautiful and striking, but the main thing is that it teaches the universality of God's mercy, and the great truth that trust in Him unites to Him and brings deliverance, how black soever may have been the previous life. I need not tell over again the story, told with such
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Siege of Jericho
'And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, ... until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout. 11. So the ark of the Lord compassed the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.'-- JOSHUA vi.10, 11. The cheerful uniform obedience of Israel to Joshua stands in very remarkable contrast with their perpetual murmurings and rebellions under Moses. Many reasons probably concurred in bringing about this
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Shout of Faith
"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." The shout of a steadfast faith is an experience that is in direct contrast to the moans of a wavering faith, and to the wails of discouraged hearts, both of which we have been considering in our last two chapters. In the history of the children of Israel there were many occasions when they indulged
Hannah Whitall Smith—The God of All Comfort

Jericho Itself.
We read, that this city was not only wasted by Joshua with fire and sword, but cursed also. "Cursed be he before the Lord, who shall rise up and build that city Jericho," Joshua 6:26. "Nor was another city to be built (says the Talmudists), which was to be called by the name of Jericho: nor was Jericho itself to be built, although to be called by another name." And yet I know not by what chance this city crept out of dust and rubbish, lived again, and flourished, and became the second city to Jerusalem.
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

Whether it is Lawful for Clerics and Bishops to Fight?
Objection 1: It would seem lawful for clerics and bishops to fight. For, as stated above [2661](A[1]), wars are lawful and just in so far as they protect the poor and the entire common weal from suffering at the hands of the foe. Now this seems to be above all the duty of prelates, for Gregory says (Hom. in Ev. xiv): "The wolf comes upon the sheep, when any unjust and rapacious man oppresses those who are faithful and humble. But he who was thought to be the shepherd, and was not, leaveth the sheep,
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Five Kings in a Cave
TEXT: "And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them. And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies against whom ye fight."--Joshua 10:24-25. The history of the
J. Wilbur Chapman—And Judas Iscariot

The Assyrian Revival and the Struggle for Syria
Assur-nazir-pal (885-860) and Shalmaneser III. (860-825)--The kingdom of Urartu and its conquering princes: Menuas and Argistis. Assyria was the first to reappear on the scene of action. Less hampered by an ancient past than Egypt and Chaldaea, she was the sooner able to recover her strength after any disastrous crisis, and to assume again the offensive along the whole of her frontier line. Image Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a bas-relief at Koyunjik of the time of Sennacherib. The initial cut,
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 7

Memoir of John Bunyan
THE FIRST PERIOD. THIS GREAT MAN DESCENDED FROM IGNOBLE PARENTS--BORN IN POVERTY--HIS EDUCATION AND EVIL HABITS--FOLLOWS HIS FATHER'S BUSINESS AS A BRAZIER--ENLISTS FOR A SOLDIER--RETURNS FROM THE WARS AND OBTAINS AN AMIABLE, RELIGIOUS WIFE--HER DOWER. 'We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.'--2 Cor 4:7 'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.'--Isaiah 55:8. 'Though ye have lien among the
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

He Does Battle for the Faith; He Restores Peace among those who were at Variance; He Takes in Hand to Build a Stone Church.
57. (32). There was a certain clerk in Lismore whose life, as it is said, was good, but his faith not so. He was a man of some knowledge in his own eyes, and dared to say that in the Eucharist there is only a sacrament and not the fact[718] of the sacrament, that is, mere sanctification and not the truth of the Body. On this subject he was often addressed by Malachy in secret, but in vain; and finally he was called before a public assembly, the laity however being excluded, in order that if it were
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh

Joshua
The book of Joshua is the natural complement of the Pentateuch. Moses is dead, but the people are on the verge of the promised land, and the story of early Israel would be incomplete, did it not record the conquest of that land and her establishment upon it. The divine purpose moves restlessly on, until it is accomplished; so "after the death of Moses, Jehovah spake to Joshua," i. 1. The book falls naturally into three divisions: (a) the conquest of Canaan (i.-xii.), (b) the settlement of the
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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