Have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark.The number seven is significant in biblical literature, often symbolizing completeness or divine perfection. The use of seven priests and seven rams' horns underscores the divine orchestration of the events at Jericho. Priests, as mediators between God and the people, carrying the rams' horns, which are shofars used in religious ceremonies, signifies the sacred nature of this military campaign. The ark represents God's presence among His people, emphasizing that the battle is spiritual and led by God Himself. This mirrors the role of the ark in other biblical narratives, such as its leading position in crossing the Jordan River (
Joshua 3:3-4).
Then on the seventh day, march around the city seven times,
The seventh day is reminiscent of the Sabbath, a day of rest and worship, yet here it is a day of action, indicating a divine intervention that transcends normal human activity. Marching around the city seven times on this day highlights the culmination of God's plan for Jericho. This act of faith and obedience by the Israelites is a test of their trust in God's unconventional methods. The repetitive marching can be seen as a form of spiritual warfare, where persistence in faith leads to victory. This is echoed in the New Testament, where perseverance in faith is encouraged (Hebrews 11:30).
while the priests blow the horns.
The blowing of the rams' horns, or shofars, is a call to worship and a signal of God's presence and power. In ancient Israel, the shofar was used to announce significant events, such as the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:9) and to rally troops for battle (Judges 3:27). Here, it serves as a divine proclamation of impending victory and the fall of Jericho's walls. The sound of the shofar is also associated with the voice of God, as seen at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:16), symbolizing divine authority and intervention. This act foreshadows the ultimate victory of Christ, who will return with the sound of a trumpet (1 Thessalonians 4:16).
Persons / Places / Events
1.
JoshuaThe 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.
PriestsReligious leaders among the Israelites, tasked with carrying the rams' horns and leading the procession around Jericho.
3.
Rams' Horns (Shofars)Instruments used in religious ceremonies and battles, symbolizing God's presence and power.
4.
The Ark of the CovenantA sacred chest that held the tablets of the Ten Commandments, representing God's covenant with Israel and His presence among His people.
5.
JerichoA fortified city in Canaan, the first major conquest for the Israelites in the Promised Land.
Teaching Points
Obedience to God's InstructionsThe Israelites' victory at Jericho was contingent upon their strict adherence to God's specific instructions. This teaches us the importance of following God's guidance in our lives, even when it seems unconventional.
The Power of FaithThe Israelites' faith in God's promise led to the miraculous fall of Jericho's walls. Our faith can also lead to overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
Symbolism of the Number SevenThe repeated use of the number seven (seven priests, seven horns, seven days) signifies completeness and divine perfection, reminding us of God's perfect plan and timing.
The Role of Worship in Spiritual WarfareThe blowing of the rams' horns and the presence of the Ark highlight the role of worship and God's presence in achieving victory over spiritual battles.
Community and UnityThe entire community of Israel participated in the march around Jericho, emphasizing the importance of unity and collective faith in achieving God's purposes.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Joshua 6:4?
2.How does Joshua 6:4 demonstrate God's strategic plan for victory in battles?
3.What role do the priests play in Joshua 6:4, and why is it significant?
4.How does the use of trumpets in Joshua 6:4 connect to other biblical events?
5.How can we apply the obedience shown in Joshua 6:4 to our lives?
6.What does Joshua 6:4 teach about faith in God's unconventional methods?
7.How does Joshua 6:4 align with God's character of love and mercy?
8.Why did God choose trumpets and marching to conquer Jericho in Joshua 6:4?
9.What archaeological evidence supports the events described in Joshua 6:4?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Joshua 6?
11.What musical instruments are mentioned in the Old Testament?
12.How did Joshua lead the Israelites into the Promised Land?
13.What caused the collapse of Jericho's walls?
14.Numbers 10:1–2: How could two silver trumpets effectively coordinate such a large multitude across vast desert distances?What Does Joshua 6:4 Mean
Have seven priestsGod instructs Joshua to appoint exactly seven priests. The number seven, used repeatedly in Scripture for completeness and divine perfection (Genesis 2:2–3;Revelation 1:4), signals that this coming victory will be wholly God-orchestrated. These are not soldiers but priests—the mediators between God and His people—standing as reminders that the battle is spiritual as well as physical. Just as the priest accompanies the army inDeuteronomy 20:2, these priests lead Israel, underscoring that success flows from obedience to God’s Word, not military might.
carry seven rams’ hornsRams’ horns (shofars) were blown to announce God’s presence, call His people to worship, and proclaim liberty (Leviticus 25:9). By equipping each priest with a horn, God turns the entire procession into a moving proclamation that He Himself is about to act. InJudges 7:18, Gideon’s men blow trumpets to confuse Midian; here, the horns will level walls. Every blast is a faith-filled declaration that “the LORD of Hosts is with us” (Psalm 46:7).
in front of the arkThe Ark of the Covenant represents the throne of God on earth (Exodus 25:22). When it led Israel through the Jordan (Joshua 3:3–6) or into battle (1 Samuel 4:5), it declared, “The LORD goes before you” (Deuteronomy 31:8). By placing the priests and horns ahead of the Ark yet keeping the Ark central to the procession, God shows that worship and obedience clear the way, but His holy presence secures the victory. Walls crumble because the living God is marching.
Then on the seventh dayFor six days the people circle Jericho once, patiently trusting God’s timing. On day seven—again that number of divine completeness—the tempo changes. The Sabbath pattern (Exodus 20:8–11) teaches rest in God’s finished work; likewise, Israel will see walls fall by resting in His promise, not their own strength. Naaman’s sevenfold dip in the Jordan (2 Kings 5:14) and Elijah’s servant looking seven times for rain (1 Kings 18:43) echo the same theme: persistence until God’s appointed moment.
march around the city seven timesThe final day’s seven-fold circuit intensifies Israel’s obedience.Hebrews 11:30 affirms, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.” Each lap shouts faith louder than words:
• We cannot breach Jericho, but God can.
• We will keep walking until He speaks.
• We believe His promise before we see results.
This humble, persistent obedience contrasts sharply with human strategies and highlights the sufficiency of God’s plan (Proverbs 21:31).
while the priests blow the hornsThe continuous trumpet blast turns the march into nonstop praise.Numbers 10:9–10 declares that trumpets remind God of His covenant and bring deliverance. When trumpets sound at Sinai (Exodus 19:16) or herald Christ’s return (1 Thessalonians 4:16), God’s people are summoned to awe and victory. Here, the horns announce impending judgment on Jericho and salvation for Israel—both accomplished by the same sovereign Lord.
summaryJoshua 6:4 weaves worship, obedience, and divine presence into a single act of faith. Seven priests, seven horns, seven days, and seven circuits all emphasize that victory is God’s work from start to finish. Israel’s role is simple: follow the Ark, keep sounding praise, and trust the Lord’s timing. When God’s people align themselves with His Word, walls—literal or otherwise—cannot stand.
(4)
Seven trumpets of rams' horns.--Literally,
trumpets of jubilee--i.e., of loud or joyful sound.
Verse 4. -
And seven priests shall bear before the ark. The Vulgate puts "on the seventh day" in connection with this part of the sentence; Luther also translates thus. The LXX., which Calvin and our translators and the majority of commentators follow, regard this part of the sentence as stating what was to be done on the six days, and rightly so, as vers. 8-14 clearly show. That the historian, as has been before remarked, did not always give the full instructions Joshua received is evident from this passage. The priests are not said to have been instructed to sound the trumpet on the six days; yet we learn from Joshua 5:13 that they did so. It is rather implied than expressed that the ark was also to be borne in procession; but that this was (lone is evident from ver. 8.
Seven trumpets of rams' horns. There is no mention of rams' horns in the original, which is
שׁופְרות trumpets of jubilee,
i.e., of triumph (hardly as Gesenius, "alarm trumpets," though not necessarily, with Dr. Vaughan in his 'Heroes of Faith,' "the emblems of festival, not of warfare"). The word
הַיּובְלִים is derived from the same root as the Latin is in the phrase Io Triumphe (cf. Greek
ἰώ), and according to Gesenius our word "yule" is also derived from this root. The
שׁופַר as the next verse shows, was a curved instrument, in shape like a ram's horn, though not necessarily of that material; whereas the
חַלֺצצְרָה was a straight trumpet.
Seven times. The importance of the number seven as indicative of completeness is here strongly indicated. Seven priests were to carry seven trumpets for seven days. The word for to swear,
נְִשבַּע literally to be
sevened, means to have one's vow consecrated and confirmed by seven sacrifices or seven witnesses (see
Genesis 21:28, 30). The number seven, says Bahr in his 'Symbolik des Alten Testament,' 1, 187, 188, is the sign of the relation, union, communion between God and the world, as represented by the number three and four respectively, just as twelve is in another relation (see note on Joshua 21:3). Its meaning, according to Bahr, among the heathen is somewhat different. There it means the harmony of the universe, and is signified by the seven stars, to which, and neither more nor less, was the power of influencing man's destiny ascribed.
And the priests shall blow with the trumpets. "Fac tibi tribas ductiles, si sacerdos es, immo, quia sacerdos es (gens enim regalis effectus es et sacerdotium sanctum, de te enim scripture est), fac tibi tribas ductiles ex Scripturis sanctis" (Orig., Hom. 7 on Joshua).
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
Have sevenוְשִׁבְעָ֣ה(wə·šiḇ·‘āh)Conjunctive waw | Number - masculine singular
Strong's 7651:Seven, seven times, a week, an indefinite numberpriestsכֹהֲנִ֡ים(ḵō·hă·nîm)Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3548:Priestcarryיִשְׂאוּ֩(yiś·’ū)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5375:To lift, carry, takesevenשִׁבְעָ֨ה(šiḇ·‘āh)Number - masculine singular
Strong's 7651:Seven, seven times, a week, an indefinite numbertrumpetsשׁוֹפְר֤וֹת(šō·wp̄·rō·wṯ)Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 7782:A cornet, curved hornof rams' hornsהַיּֽוֹבְלִים֙(hay·yō·wḇ·lîm)Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3104:A ram, ram's horn (a wind instrument)in frontלִפְנֵ֣י(lip̄·nê)Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440:The faceof the ark.הָאָר֔וֹן(hā·’ā·rō·wn)Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 727:A chest, arkThen on the seventhהַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י(haš·šə·ḇî·‘î)Article | Number - ordinal masculine singular
Strong's 7637:Seventh (an ordinal number)day,וּבַיּוֹם֙(ū·ḇay·yō·wm)Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117:A daymarch aroundתָּסֹ֥בּוּ(tā·sōb·bū)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 5437:To turn about, go around, surroundthe cityהָעִ֖יר(hā·‘îr)Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892:Excitementsevenשֶׁ֣בַע(še·ḇa‘)Number - feminine singular
Strong's 7651:Seven, seven times, a week, an indefinite numbertimes,פְּעָמִ֑ים(pə·‘ā·mîm)Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 6471:A beat, foot, anvil, occurrencewhile the priestsוְהַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔ים(wə·hak·kō·hă·nîm)Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3548:Priestblowיִתְקְע֖וּ(yiṯ·qə·‘ū)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 8628:To clatter, slap, clang, to drive, to become bondsmanthe trumpets.בַּשּׁוֹפָרֽוֹת׃(baš·šō·w·p̄ā·rō·wṯ)Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 7782:A cornet, curved horn
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OT History: Joshua 6:4 Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets (Josh. Jos) 
