Jos 5:13-6:27 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Josh 5:13-15: 5:13-15 The commander of the Lord ’s army gave Joshua instructions for conducting the siege of Jericho (6:2-5 ). Like God’s earlier message to Joshua (1:1-9 ), this encounter was to encourage Joshua on the eve of action against the enemy. 5:13 Joshua was scouting the land and the city’s defenses near the town of Jericho to follow up on the report of the two spies (2:23-24 ). Joshua demonstrated personal courage when he approached the unknown figure whose sword was already drawn.

Summary for Josh 5:13-15: 5:13-15 ^a The commander of the Lord’s army gave Joshua instructions for conducting the siege of Jericho (6:2-5 ^b). Like God’s earlier message to Joshua (1:1-9 ^c), this encounter was to encourage Joshua on the eve of action against the enemy. 5:13 ^d Joshua was scouting the land and the city’s defenses near the town of Jericho to follow up on the report of the two spies (2:23-24 ^e). Joshua demonstrated personal courage when he approached the unknown figure whose sword was already drawn.
5:14 ^f Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence when he understood who stood before him. Joshua’s action demonstrated that he was available for God’s service, wholeheartedly and without reservation.

• Scholars disagree whether the commander was an appearance of God, the pre-incarnate Christ, or an angel. His reference to himself as commander of the Lord’s army might imply that he was an angel. However, he did not prevent Joshua from worshiping him, as angels usually did (e.g., Rev 22:8-9 ^g; cp. Acts 10:25-26 ^h).
5:15 ⁱ Take off your sandals, for the place ... is holy: This was what God told Moses at the burning bush (Exod 3:5 ^j). Joshua certainly recognized the similarity. This encounter would have encouraged Joshua of God’s blessing on Israel’s first action against Canaan.

‏ Joshua 6

6:1 ^k Jericho guarded two important entrances into the heart of the hill country. If the Israelites did not conquer the city first, they would leave a well-armed enemy at their back, standing between the Israelite forces and their families encamped at Gilgal. They had to conquer Jericho first.
6:2 ^l God’s reassuring words, “I have given you Jericho,” must have lifted Joshua’s spirits. All Joshua had to do was obey God, and he had a lifetime of practice at that.
6:4 ^m Seven is a biblical number of perfection.

• The seven priests were to precede the Ark, the emblem of God’s presence, at the head of Israel’s forces. This arrangement symbolized that God himself fought against the town. Israel had only to march and observe, then shout and observe, and finally mop up after God delivered the town into their hands.

• The ram’s horn (Hebrew shofar) could sound several pitches to signal either battle or worship. In battle, the shofar alerted troops or townsfolk to an enemy’s approach or sounded the call to advance or retreat.
Summary for Josh 6:6-9: 6:6-9 ⁿ The Ark, the priests blowing the horns, and the military honor guard all symbolized God’s presence and his leadership of the siege.
Summary for Josh 6:10-11: 6:10-11 ^o Warriors would often shout in battle to lift their morale and intimidate the enemy.

• until I tell you: After thirteen circuits of Jericho by Israel’s army with only the sound of trumpets, the psychological shock when Jericho’s defenders heard shouting would be devastating.
6:15 ^p Marching around Jericho seven times on the seventh day again symbolized that this was God’s battle.
6:16 ^q Joshua’s command, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the town!” was not a device to cause Jericho’s walls to fall. Rather, Joshua exhorted the Israelites to celebrate God’s victory.
6:17 ^r completely destroyed: Joshua reminded his troops that the town and everything in it belonged to God as the firstfruits of their inheritance in the land of Canaan. See Lev 27:28-29 ^s; 1 Sam 15:3 ^t.

• Rahab: See Josh 2:12-21 ^u.
6:20 ^v Following Joshua’s last-minute commands, a final blast of the rams’ horns signaled the climax.
Summary for Josh 6:22-23: 6:22-23 ^w The two spies fulfilled Joshua’s command and their oath to Rahab. Through the actions of God’s people, a pagan household saw that God is trustworthy.

• the prostitute’s house: See study note on 2:1.

• Moving Rahab and her family near the camp of Israel provided security.
Summary for Josh 6:24-27: 6:24-27 ^x Jericho’s citizens had already been executed (6:21 ^y). Now Joshua destroyed the town and its contents. The firstfruits of the spoils of war, as with all else, belonged to God. 6:24 ^z The fire melted and purified the silver, gold, bronze, and iron. These metals had probably been used for the figures of pagan gods. As these images melted, the metals were purified and made fit for dedication to God.
6:25 ^aa The statement that Rahab lives among the Israelites to this day affirms the breadth and depth of God’s grace. Rahab was not only accepted into Israel; she ultimately was an ancestor of the Messiah (see Matt 1:5 ^ab).
6:26 ^ac Joshua placed a curse upon the site because Jericho was the first Canaanite town to resist God’s purposes in bringing Israel into the land. Jericho was also the first town to experience God’s judgment upon Canaan’s great wickedness. As the firstfruits of Israel’s conquest of Canaan, it belonged to God (Exod 13:2 ^ad; 23:19 ^ae). God executed Joshua’s curse on the first man to defy it (1 Kgs 16:34 ^af; cp. Josh 7 ^ag).
6:27 ^ah As the first chapter in Israel’s conquest of Canaan closed, both the Israelites and the Canaanites could see that the Lord was with Joshua, as he had promised (1:5 ^ai, 9 ^aj; cp. 4:14 ^ak). Crossing the Jordan and taking Jericho established Israel’s presence in the land, causing the people of Canaan to fear Israel and Israel’s God.