This verse underscores complete obedience to God by placing His presence at the center of Israel’s strategies.
“The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark, while they continued to blow the trumpets.” (v.9)
In this verse, we see God’s people of Israel obeying specific instructions for taking the city of Jericho. The text states that “The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets” (v.9), demonstrating a well-ordered procession that placed the priests in a prominent role. These priests bore trumpets (made from ram’s horns, or shofars), continually sounding them as a sign of worship and an announcement of holy war. Meanwhile, “the rear guard came after the ark” (v.9), which was the sacred Chest containing the Ten Commandments, symbolizing God’s presence among His people (see Exodus 25:21-22). Jericho was located near the Jordan River in the lower Jordan Valley, not far from the Dead Sea. It was a fortified city that served as the first stronghold to be conquered as Israel entered Canaan. This took place around the late 15th or 14th century BC, as Joshua, Moses’s successor, led the nation of Israel after Moses’s death.
Further meaning unfolds in the phrase, “while they continued to blow the trumpets” (v.9). In ancient Israel, blowing trumpets was often associated with calling upon God’s power, worship, and signaling the presence of the Almighty in battle. Their unceasing blasts remind believers that God is the one who grants victory when His people faithfully follow His commands. The armed men’s position in front emphasizes the readiness to engage, while the priests and the ark of the covenant in the midst symbolize that Israel’s true hope depended on the Lord’s intervention. Just as God had promised in previous passages, victory would come not primarily by Israel’s strength but by the power of His presence (Exodus 23:20-23).
Moreover, this event can be seen as foreshadowing the trust-centered victories of God’s people, which the New Testament reveals most perfectly through Jesus Christ. Jesus, like Joshua whose name means “Yahweh is salvation,” demonstrates that victory over sin and spiritual strongholds is always accomplished by faith grounded in God’s Word and presence (Hebrews 11:30). As the Israelites marched in obedience, the walls of Jericho ultimately fell (Joshua 6:20).
With all this in mind, Joshua 6:9 shows how the procession’s order and the continual sounding of trumpets embody faithful obedience, worship, and reliance on the Almighty for victory.
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Joshua 6:9 meaning
“The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark, while they continued to blow the trumpets.” (v.9)
In this verse, we see God’s people of Israel obeying specific instructions for taking the city of Jericho. The text states that “The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets” (v.9), demonstrating a well-ordered procession that placed the priests in a prominent role. These priests bore trumpets (made from ram’s horns, or shofars), continually sounding them as a sign of worship and an announcement of holy war. Meanwhile, “the rear guard came after the ark” (v.9), which was the sacred Chest containing the Ten Commandments, symbolizing God’s presence among His people (see Exodus 25:21-22). Jericho was located near the Jordan River in the lower Jordan Valley, not far from the Dead Sea. It was a fortified city that served as the first stronghold to be conquered as Israel entered Canaan. This took place around the late 15th or 14th century BC, as Joshua, Moses’s successor, led the nation of Israel after Moses’s death.
Further meaning unfolds in the phrase, “while they continued to blow the trumpets” (v.9). In ancient Israel, blowing trumpets was often associated with calling upon God’s power, worship, and signaling the presence of the Almighty in battle. Their unceasing blasts remind believers that God is the one who grants victory when His people faithfully follow His commands. The armed men’s position in front emphasizes the readiness to engage, while the priests and the ark of the covenant in the midst symbolize that Israel’s true hope depended on the Lord’s intervention. Just as God had promised in previous passages, victory would come not primarily by Israel’s strength but by the power of His presence (Exodus 23:20-23).
Moreover, this event can be seen as foreshadowing the trust-centered victories of God’s people, which the New Testament reveals most perfectly through Jesus Christ. Jesus, like Joshua whose name means “Yahweh is salvation,” demonstrates that victory over sin and spiritual strongholds is always accomplished by faith grounded in God’s Word and presence (Hebrews 11:30). As the Israelites marched in obedience, the walls of Jericho ultimately fell (Joshua 6:20).
With all this in mind, Joshua 6:9 shows how the procession’s order and the continual sounding of trumpets embody faithful obedience, worship, and reliance on the Almighty for victory.