And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.

JOSHUA 6:26KJV
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Joshua 6:26 (KJV)

What does Joshua 6:26 mean?

Joshua 6:26 records Joshua placing a solemn curse on anyone who would try to rebuild the city of Jericho, declaring that whoever does so will lose his firstborn when laying the foundation and his youngest when setting up the gates. This verse warns that rebuilding Jericho would come at a terrible personal cost, as a sign of God's judgment.

Joshua is speaking to the Israelites after the destruction of Jericho, making a public and serious declaration. The curse is meant to keep the people from undoing what God had accomplished in defeating Jericho, emphasizing that the city's ruin should remain as a testimony to God's power and judgment. The language is strong and specific, showing the seriousness of disregarding God's actions.

The Hebrew behind Joshua 6:26

  • "Adjured" (שָׁבַע, shavaʿ): This word means to make someone swear an oath or to bind them with a solemn promise. Joshua is not just making a suggestion; he is placing the people under a binding, sacred warning.
  • "Cursed" (אָרַר, arar): This word refers to being under a divine curse or ban, not just facing bad luck. It signals that God's judgment will fall on anyone who rebuilds Jericho.
  • "Firstborn" (בְּכוֹר, bekhor) and "youngest" (צָעִיר, tsaʿir): These words highlight that the curse involves the builder's own children, from the oldest to the youngest, making the warning deeply personal and tragic.

Why Joshua 6:26 matters

  • Joshua 6:26 explains why Jericho remained in ruins for generations, showing that the city's destruction was meant to be permanent as a sign of God's victory.
  • The verse clarifies that the curse was not just a threat but a solemn, binding oath, and later in the Bible (1 Kings 16:34), it is fulfilled exactly as stated.
  • Joshua's warning reveals the seriousness with which God wanted His people to treat His acts of judgment and the importance of remembering what He had done for them.

Where else these words appear

“youngest” Hebrew H6810 · used in 22 verses

  • Genesis 19:31 And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:
  • Genesis 48:14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.
  • Psalms 119:141 I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts.

“foundation” Hebrew H3245 · used in 41 verses

  • Exodus 9:18 Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.
  • Job 38:4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
  • Isaiah 14:32 What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.

“Cursed” Hebrew H779 · used in 52 verses

  • Genesis 3:14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
  • Numbers 24:9 He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.
  • Joshua 9:23 Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.

“Jericho” Hebrew H3405 · used in 53 verses

  • Numbers 22:1 And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho.
  • Joshua 4:19 And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.
  • Joshua 18:21 Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho, and Bethhoglah, and the valley of Keziz,