Joshua 6:11 Study Bible: So he caused the ark of the LORD to go around the city, going about it once. Then they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.

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So he had the ark of the LORD carried around the city, circling it once. And the people returned to the camp and spent the night there.

Study Bible

So he had the ark of the LORD carried around the city
The Ark of the Covenant symbolizes God's presence among His people. In the context of Joshua 6, the Ark's procession around Jericho signifies divine authority and the centrality of God in the conquest. The Ark's presence underscores the battle as a spiritual endeavor rather than a mere military campaign. This act of carrying the Ark around the city is reminiscent of the Israelites' journey through the wilderness, where the Ark led them (Numbers 10:33). The Ark's role here prefigures Christ, who leads His people to victory over sin and death.

circling it once
The act of circling the city once each day for six days (as detailed in the surrounding verses) is a demonstration of obedience and faith. This unusual military strategy highlights reliance on God's power rather than human strength. The number seven, which will culminate in the final day's seven circuits, often represents completeness or perfection in biblical numerology, pointing to the complete victory God will provide. This action also serves as a test of faith for the Israelites, similar to the faith required to follow Christ's teachings.

And the people returned to the camp
Returning to the camp each day emphasizes the discipline and patience required in following God's instructions. It reflects a rhythm of action and rest, reminiscent of the Sabbath principle. This return to the camp can be seen as a time for reflection and preparation, much like the Christian life involves periods of active service and quiet reflection in God's presence.

and spent the night there
Spending the night in the camp suggests a period of waiting and trust in God's timing. It mirrors the anticipation of the Israelites as they awaited the fulfillment of God's promise to deliver Jericho into their hands. This waiting period can be likened to the Christian anticipation of Christ's return, where believers are called to remain faithful and vigilant. The night also symbolizes a time of rest and renewal, preparing the people for the next day's obedience, much like the spiritual renewal found in Christ.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Joshua
The leader of the Israelites, who succeeded Moses and led the people into the Promised Land. He is a central figure in the conquest of Jericho.

2. The Ark of the LORD
A sacred chest that held the tablets of the Ten Commandments, representing God's presence among His people. It played a crucial role in the Israelites' spiritual and military endeavors.

3. The City of Jericho
A fortified city in Canaan, known for its strong walls. It was the first city conquered by the Israelites as they entered the Promised Land.

4. The Israelites
The people of God, chosen to inherit the Promised Land. They followed Joshua's leadership in obedience to God's commands.

5. The Priests
Those who carried the Ark of the LORD, signifying their role as mediators between God and the people.

Teaching Points

Obedience to God's Instructions
The Israelites' success at Jericho was contingent upon their strict adherence to God's commands. This teaches us the importance of obedience in our spiritual journey.

The Presence of God
The Ark symbolized God's presence. In our lives, we must prioritize seeking and acknowledging God's presence in all circumstances.

Faith in Action
The Israelites' march around Jericho was an act of faith. We are called to put our faith into action, trusting God's promises even when the outcome is not immediately visible.

Spiritual Warfare
The battle of Jericho was not won by conventional means but through spiritual obedience. This reminds us that our battles are often spiritual and require spiritual solutions.

Community and Unity
The Israelites acted as one body, unified in purpose. In our Christian walk, unity and community are vital for achieving God's purposes.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does the obedience of the Israelites in Joshua 6:11 challenge us in our daily walk with God?

2. In what ways can we ensure that we are carrying the "Ark of the LORD" (God's presence) in our lives today?

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

4. What lessons can we learn from the Israelites' unity and collective action in the conquest of Jericho?

5. How can we apply the concept of spiritual warfare from Joshua 6:11 to the challenges we face in our lives today?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Exodus 25:10-22
Describes the construction of the Ark of the Covenant, emphasizing its significance as the dwelling place of God's presence.

Hebrews 11:30
References the faith of the Israelites in the fall of Jericho, highlighting the importance of faith in God's promises.

1 Samuel 4:3-11
Illustrates the consequences of misusing the Ark, underscoring the need for reverence and obedience to God.

Sermons

Joshua Taking Jericho

D. Davies.

Joshua 6:6-11

People

Israelites, Joshua, Nun, Rahab

Places

Jericho

Topics

Ark, Camp, Carried, Caused, Circling, Compass, Compassed, Encompassing, Lodge, Lodged, Returned, Round, Spent, Tents, Town

Dictionary of Bible Themes

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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