And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rereward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.

JOSHUA 6:13KJV
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Joshua 6:13 (KJV)

What does Joshua 6:13 mean?

Joshua 6:13 describes how seven priests, each carrying a ram’s horn trumpet, walked in front of the Ark of the LORD, blowing their trumpets as they went, while armed soldiers marched ahead of them and a rear guard followed behind the Ark. This verse gives a detailed picture of the procession as the Israelites circled Jericho.

The scene takes place as Joshua leads the Israelites in following God’s instructions to conquer Jericho. The priests and soldiers are carrying out a specific ritual: circling the city with the Ark at the center, priests blowing trumpets, and armed men forming the front and rear. This careful order highlights the sacredness and seriousness of the event, showing that the Ark—the symbol of God’s presence—is central to their actions.

The Hebrew behind Joshua 6:13

  • "Trumpets" (שׁוֹפָר, shofar): This word refers to a ram’s horn, not a metal trumpet. The use of the shofar signals a religious or ceremonial act, not just a military one.
  • "Ark" (אָרוֹן, aron): This is the Ark of the Covenant, the sacred chest representing God’s presence among the people. Its position in the procession emphasizes its importance.
  • "Rereward" (אָסַף, asaph): This word means the rear guard or those who gather behind. It shows that the people were protected on all sides, with the Ark in the center.

Why Joshua 6:13 matters

  • Joshua 6:13 clarifies that the Israelites’ actions around Jericho were not a typical military maneuver but a divinely ordered ritual, with the Ark and priests at the center.
  • The verse emphasizes the careful obedience of the people to God’s instructions, showing the importance of order and reverence in their approach.
  • This detail connects to the larger story of Jericho’s fall, highlighting that victory comes through following God’s unique guidance, not through conventional warfare.

Where else these words appear

“horns” Hebrew H3104 · used in 25 verses

  • Exodus 19:13 There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.
  • Leviticus 25:31 But the houses of the villages which have no wall round about them shall be counted as the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall go out in the jubile.
  • Leviticus 27:21 But the field, when it goeth out in the jubile, shall be holy unto the LORD, as a field devoted; the possession thereof shall be the priest's.

“men” Hebrew H2502 · used in 44 verses

  • Leviticus 14:40 Then the priest shall command that they take away the stones in which the plague is, and they shall cast them into an unclean place without the city:
  • Joshua 4:13 About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.
  • Psalms 50:15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

“blew” Hebrew H8628 · used in 62 verses

  • Genesis 31:25 Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead.
  • Judges 7:20 And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.
  • Proverbs 6:1 My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,

“trumpets” Hebrew H7782 · used in 63 verses

  • Exodus 19:16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
  • 2 Samuel 2:28 So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.
  • Isaiah 27:13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.