And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.

JOSHUA 6:18KJV
Know the Bible

Joshua 6:18 (KJV)

What does Joshua 6:18 mean?

Joshua 6:18 is a warning to the Israelites not to take anything that has been devoted to destruction (“the accursed thing”) from Jericho, because doing so would bring a curse upon themselves and the whole community. The verse stresses that disobeying this command would not only harm the individual but also cause trouble for all of Israel.

Joshua is speaking to the Israelites as they prepare to conquer Jericho. He tells them that certain things in the city are set apart for destruction and must not be taken. The warning is serious: if anyone takes these forbidden things, it will bring guilt and disaster on the entire camp, not just the person who disobeys.

The Hebrew behind Joshua 6:18

  • The word “accursed thing” is חֵרֶם (ḥērem), which means something devoted or set apart—often for destruction as an offering to God. This word signals that these items are not just ordinary spoils but are under a special ban.
  • The verb “keep” is שָׁמַר (shāmar), meaning to guard or watch carefully. Joshua is telling the people to be vigilant and deliberate in avoiding what is forbidden.
  • The phrase “make the camp of Israel a curse” uses חֵרֶם (ḥērem) again, showing that the whole community could become set apart for destruction if even one person disobeys. This highlights the collective responsibility in ancient Israel.

Why Joshua 6:18 matters

  • Joshua 6:18 clarifies that the consequences of disobedience are not just personal but communal; one person’s actions can affect the entire group.
  • The verse explains why the Israelites were not allowed to take spoils from Jericho, setting up the seriousness of the events that follow in Joshua 7.
  • Understanding the use of חֵרֶם (ḥērem) helps the reader see that this was not just about theft or greed, but about respecting what God had set apart and the boundaries He established for the community.

Where else these words appear

“trouble” Hebrew H5916 · used in 13 verses

  • Genesis 34:30 And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.
  • 1 Kings 18:17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
  • Proverbs 11:17 The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.

“wise” Hebrew H7535 · used in 16 verses

  • Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
  • Judges 3:2 Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;
  • 1 Kings 11:13 Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen.

“thing” Hebrew H2764 · used in 31 verses

  • 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.
  • Joshua 7:13 Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.
  • Ezekiel 26:14 And I will make thee like the top of a rock: thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I the LORD have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.

“accursed” Hebrew H2763 · used in 48 verses

  • Exodus 22:20 He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed.
  • Joshua 10:28 And that day Joshua took Makkedah, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof he utterly destroyed, them, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain: and he did to the king of Makkedah as he did unto the king of Jericho.
  • 1 Samuel 15:20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.