Joshua 6 · Verse 17

Joshua 6:17

And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
Joshua 6:17, King James Version

Joshua 6:17 in other translations

BSBNow the city and everything in it must be devoted to the LORD for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all those with her in her house will live, because she hid the spies we sent.
WEBThe city shall be devoted, even it and all that is in it, to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
ASVAnd the city shall be devoted, even it and all that is therein, to Jehovah: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
YLTand the city hath been devoted, it and all that is in it, to Jehovah; only Rahab the harlot doth live, she and all who are with her in the house, for she hid the messengers whom we sent;
DARBYAnd the city shall be accursed, it and all that is in it, to Jehovah; only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
BBEAnd the town will be put to the curse, and everything in it will be given to the Lord: only Rahab, the loose woman, and all who are in the house with her, will be kept safe, because she kept secret the men we sent.
WebsterAnd the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are in it, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.

What does Joshua 6:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Joshua 6:17-19
17-19. And the city shall be accursed--(See on Le 27:28). The cherem, or "anathema," was a devotion to utter destruction (De 7:2; 20:17; 1Sa 15:3). When such a ban was pronounced against a hostile city, the men and animals were killed--no booty was allowed to be taken. The idols and all the precious ornaments on them were to be burned (De 7:25; compare 1Ch 14:12). Everything was either to be destroyed or consecrated to the sanctuary. Joshua pronounced this ban on Jericho, a great and wealthy city, evidently by divine direction. The severity of the doom, accordant with the requirements of a law which was holy, just, and good, was justified, not only by the fact of its inhabitants being part of a race who had filled up their iniquities, but by their resisting the light of the recent astonishing miracle at the Jordan. Besides, as Jericho seems to have been defended by reinforcements from all the country (Jos 24:11), its destruction would paralyze all the rest of the devoted people, and thus tend to facilitate the conquest of the land; showing, as so astounding a military miracle did, that it was done, not by man, but by the power and through the anger, of God.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 17 The city shall be accursed - That is, it shall be devoted to destruction; ye shall take no spoils, and put all that resist to the sword. Though this may be the meaning of the word חרם cherem in some places, see the note on Lev 27:29, yet here it seems to imply the total destruction of all the inhabitants, see Jos 6:21; but it is likely that peace was offered to this city, and that the extermination of the inhabitants was in consequence of the rejection of this offer.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Joshua 6:17-27
Jericho was to be a solemn and awful sacrifice to the justice of God, upon those who had filled up the measure of their sins. So He appoints, from whom, as creatures, they received their lives, and to whom, as sinners, they had forfeited them. Rahab perished not with them that believed not, He 11:31. All her kindred were saved with her; thus faith in Christ brings salvation to the house, Ac 16:31. She, and they with her, were plucked as brands from the burning. With Rahab, or with the men of Jericho; our portion must be assigned, as we posses or disregard the sign of salvation; even faith in Christ, which worketh by love. Let us remember what depends upon our choice, and let us choose accordingly. God shows the weight of a Divine curse; where it rests there is no getting from under it; for it brings ruin without remedy.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Joshua 6:17 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְהָיְתָ֨הve.ha.ye.Tahand it will beH1961
הָעִ֥ירha.'Irthe cityH5892
חֵ֛רֶםChe.rema devoted thingH2764
הִ֥יאhi'itH1931
וְכָל\־ve.kholand allH3605
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-thatH834
בָּ֖הּbah[is] in <the> it
לַֽיהוָ֑הla.Yah.wehto YahwehH3068
רַק֩rakonlyH7535
רָחָ֨בra.ChavRahabH7343
הַזּוֹנָ֜הha.zo.Nahthe prostituteH2181
תִּֽחְיֶ֗הtich.Yehshe will liveH2421
הִ֚יאhi'sheH1931
וְכָל\־ve.kholand everyH3605
אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sher[one] whoH834
אִתָּ֣הּ'i.Tah[is] with herH854
בַּבַּ֔יִתba.Ba.yitin the houseH1004
כִּ֣יkiforH3588
הֶחְבְּאַ֔תָהhech.be.'A.tahshe hidH2244
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַמַּלְאָכִ֖יםha.mal.'a.Khimthe messengersH4397
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhomH834
שָׁלָֽחְנוּ\׃sha.La.che.nuwe sentH7971

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Joshua 6:17

  • Deuteronomy 20:17

    But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee:

  • James 2:25

    Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

  • Micah 4:13

    Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.

  • 1 Corinthians 2:7

    But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

  • Galatians 3:12

    And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

  • Hebrews 6:10

    For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

  • Galatians 3:10

    For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

  • Matthew 25:40

    And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

  • Genesis 12:3

    And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

  • Hebrews 11:31

    By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

  • Joshua 2:22

    And they went, and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not.

  • 1 Corinthians 16:22

    If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maran-atha.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
accursed. or, devoted.
7:1; Le 27:28,29; Nu 21:2,3; 1Co 2:7; Ezr 10:8; *marg:
Isa 34:6; Jer 46:10; Eze 39:17; Mic 4:13; 1Co 16:22; Ga 3:10,12
only Rahab.
2:1
because.
22,23; 2:4-6,22; Ge 12:3; 1Sa 15:6; Mt 10:41,42; 25:40; Heb 6:10
Heb 11:31; Jas 2:25

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Joshua 6:16

    And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city.

  • Joshua 6:17

    And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.

  • Joshua 6:18

    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.

Read all of Joshua 6

Joshua 6:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mas la ciudad será anatema á Jehová, ella con todas las cosas que están en ella: solamente Rahab la ramera vivirá, con todos los que estuvieren en casa con ella, por cuanto escondió los mensajeros que enviamos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et la ville sera anathème à l’ Éternel, elle et tout ce qui s’y trouve; Rahab seule, la prostituée, vivra, elle et tous ceux qui sont chez elle dans la maison, parce qu’elle a caché les messagers que nous avions envoyés.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und sie Stadt, sie und alles, was darin ist, soll dem Jehova ein Bann sein; nur Rahab, die Hure, soll am Leben bleiben, sie und alle, die bei ihr im Hause sind, weil sie die Boten versteckt hat, die wir ausgesandt haben.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Sitque civitas hæc anathema, et omnia quæ in ea sunt, Domino: sola Rahab meretrix vivat, cum universis qui cum ea in domo sunt: abscondit enim nuntios quos direximus.