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the symbolical act of "loosing the shoe off his foot," in reverent acknowledgment of the
Holy One of Israel, recalled the vision of Moses, and at the same time connected it with
that of his successor. Having assured Joshua of complete victory, the Angel of Jehovah
gave him detailed directions how Israel was to compass Jericho, under the leadership of
the Ark of the Lord, and how, when the wall of the city had fallen, the people were to
act. Implicit obedience of what in its nature was symbolical, was absolutely requisite,
and Joshua communicated the command of the Lord both to priests and people.
And now a marvelous sight would be witnessed from the walls of Jericho. Day by day,
a solemn procession left the camp of Israel. First came lightly armed men,^78 then
followed seven priests blowing continually, not the customary silver trumpets, but large
horns, the loud sound of which penetrated to the far distance, such as had been heard at
Sinai (Exodus 19:16, 19; 20:18). The same kind of horns were to be used on the first
day of the seventh month (Leviticus 23:24), and to announce the year of Jubilee
(Leviticus 25:9).
Thus heralded, came the Ark of Jehovah, borne by the priests, and after it "the
rereward" of Israel. So they did for six days, each day once encompassing the walls of
Jericho, but in solemn silence, save for the short sharp tones, or the long-drawn blasts of
the priests' horns. The impression made by this long, solemn procession, which
appeared and disappeared, and did its work, in solemn silence, only broken by the loud
shrill notes of the horns, must have been peculiar. At length came the seventh day. Its
work began earlier than on the others - "about the dawning of the day." In the same
order as before, they encompassed the city, only now seven times. "And it came to pass
at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the
people, Shout; for Jehovah hath given you the city." "And it came to pass, when the
people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that
the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight
before him, and they took the city." As for Jericho itself, Joshua had by Divine
command declared it "cherem," or "devoted" to Jehovah (Joshua 6:17). In such cases,
according to Leviticus 27:28, 29, no redemption was possible, but, as indicated in
Deuteronomy 13:16, alike the inhabitants and all the spoil of the city was to be
destroyed, "only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron" being
reserved and "put into the treasury of the house of Jehovah" (Joshua 6:24; comp.
Numbers 31:22, 23, 50-54). This was not the ordinary sentence against all the cities of
Canaan. In all other cases the inhabitants alone were "smitten with the edge of the
sword" (Joshua 8:26; 10:28; comp. Deuteronomy 2:34; 3:6; 8:2; 20:16), while the cattle
and the spoil were preserved. But in the case of Jericho, for reasons to be afterwards
stated, the whole city, with all that it contained, was cherem. Only Rahab, "and her
father's household, and all that she had," were saved from the general wreck.
(^)