682 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho,.... Or "in Jericho" (i); not in the city itself, but in the border of it, as Kimchi and Ben Melech; or on the side of it, as Jarchi; on one side of which he was reconnoitring by himself, very probably seeking for a proper place where to make his first attack; or if he could find out some avenue to...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he said, nay,.... Not for or on the side of their adversaries was he come, as Joshua suspected at the first sight of him; the Septuagint version is, "he said unto him", taking לא for לו, as it sometimes is: but [as] Captain of the host of the Lord am I now come; of the host of the Lord both in heaven and in earth, angels and men, and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the Captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua,.... As a trial and proof of his obedience to him: loose thy shoe from off thy foot; which is to be understood literally, as when the like was commanded Moses at Horeb, Exodus 3:5; though some interpret it figuratively; as Abarbinel, "remove from thee such thoughts that thou shall take this city...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Joshua 6 In this chapter Joshua is assured, though Jericho was closely shut up, it should be delivered into his hands, Joshua 6:1; and he is directed, with the army, to go round the city six days together, seven priests bearing the ark of the Lord, with seven trumpets sounding; and on the seventh day to go round it seven times in...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Now Jericho was straitly shut up, because of the children of Israel,.... Or "it shut up", or "was shutting, and was shut up" (u); that is, the king and the inhabitants shut it up within; the Targum says with iron doors, and bars of brass, and it was blocked up without by the children of Israel: none went out and none came in; none of their forces...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the Lord said unto Joshua,.... The same divine Person called in the preceding chapter the Captain of the Lord's host, Joshua 5:14, now with him, and who gave him the following orders, instructions, and assurances: see, I have given into thy hand Jericho, and the king thereof: which might be concluded from the fear that was fallen upon the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And ye shall compass the city, all [ye] men of war,.... Joshua their chief commander under the Lord, and all that were able to make war, even all above twenty years of age; these were to compass the city, not in the form of a siege, but by a procession around it: [and] go round about the city once; or one time, for the first once in a day, and no...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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 it; but no doubt the design of it was to...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long [blast] with the ram's horn,.... Continue blowing, and protracting, and drawing out the sound a long time; which they did only on the seventh day; on the other days it was but a short blast they made at a time; so that this being different, it would be a good sign and token to the people to do...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests,.... Not the Levites and Kohathites, whose business it was in common to bear the ark, but upon this occasion the priests; not all of them, but as many as were sufficient for the purpose: and said unto them, take up the ark of the covenant; by putting the staves into the rings of it, and so carry it,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he said unto the people, pass on, and compass the city,.... The women and children, the young men under twenty years of age, the unarmed part of the camp, as distinguished from the armed men: and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the Lord; to guard the ark, protect the priests, and defend the people, should any sally be made by...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken to the people,.... Both armed and unarmed; had finished the orders and directions he gave them before mentioned: that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns passed on before the Lord; in his sight, and by his direction, and at his command given by Joshua, and before the ark, the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets,.... Whom Jarchi, Kimchi, and Abarbinel, interpret of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh; that is, as many of them as Joshua took with him over Jordan; though rather all the armed men in the camp are meant; at least along with those mentioned went the standards of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Joshua had commanded the people,.... When he gave them their orders to pass on, and compass the city, Joshua 6:7; saying, ye shall not shout; that is, on any of the six days as they went round the city, only on the seventh; for this being a sign of victory, it was not to be made until the day when it should be obtained; otherwise, had they...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
So the ark of the Lord compassed the city,.... Being bore by the priests, who carried it round the city; it may as well be rendered and interpreted as it is by Kimchi, "he, i.e. Joshua, caused the ark of the Lord to compass the city;'' that is, he gave orders to the priests to take it up, and go round with it on the first day: going about [it]...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Joshua rose early in the morning,.... Of the second day; to take care of, direct, and prepare everything for another procession on that day; so active and diligent was he to do the will and work of God, exactly and punctually: and the priests took up the ark of the Lord; and carried it about as they had done the day before.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord,.... [See comments on Joshua 6:4]; went on continually; or, "going they went" (b): kept on going, making no stop at all, until they had compassed the city: and blew with the trumpets; as they went along: and the armed men went before them, but the rereward came...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the second day they compassed the city once,.... Went round it one time only; as on the first: and returned into the camp: which was at Gilgal, Joshua 5:10; so they did six days: four more after these two successively, and proceeded in the same order and manner as on those two days.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And it came to pass on the seventh day,.... Which Jarchi says was the Sabbath day, and which is a common notion of the Jews (c); but whether it was or not, it is certain that one of these seven days must be a sabbath, in which the several things ordered were done, and the procession made. Kimchi observes, that their Rabbins say this was the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And it came to pass at the seventh time,.... Of their going round the city on the seventh day: and at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets; as they did every time they compassed the city: Joshua said unto the people, shout; both those that were armed, and those that were not; they were to make one grand and general shout at...