Joshua 6 · Verse 20

Joshua 6:20

So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.
Joshua 6:20, King James Version

Joshua 6:20 in other translations

BSBSo when the rams’ horns sounded, the people shouted. When they heard the blast of the horn, the people gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed. Then all the people charged straight into the city and captured it.
WEBSo the people shouted and the priests blew the trumpets. When the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight in front of him, and they took the city.
ASVSo the people shouted, and the priests blew the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, that the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.
YLTAnd the people shout, and blow with the trumpets, and it cometh to pass when the people hear the voice of the trumpet, that the people shout--a great shout, and the wall falleth under it, and the people goeth up into the city, each over-against him, and they capture the city;
DARBYAnd the people shouted, and they blew with the trumpets. And it came to pass when the people heard the sound of the trumpets, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat; and the people went up into the city, each one straight before him, and they took the city.
BBESo the people gave a loud cry, and the horns were sounded; and on hearing the horns the people gave a loud cry, and the wall came down flat, so that the people went up into the town, every man going straight before him, and they took the town.
WebsterSo the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

What does Joshua 6:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Joshua 6:20-21
20-21. So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets--Towards the close of the seventh circuit, the signal was given by Joshua, and on the Israelites' raising their loud war cry, the walls fell down, doubtless burying multitudes of the inhabitants in the ruins, while the besiegers, rushing in, consigned everything animate and inanimate to indiscriminate destruction (De 20:16, 17). Jewish writers mention it as an immemorial tradition that the city fell on the Sabbath. It should be remembered that the Canaanites were incorrigible idolaters, addicted to the most horrible vices, and that the righteous judgment of God might sweep them away by the sword, as well as by famine or pestilence. There was mercy mingled with judgment in employing the sword as the instrument of punishing the guilty Canaanites, for while it was directed against one place, time was afforded for others to repent.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 20 The people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down - There has been much learned labor spent to prove that the shouting of the people might be the natural cause that the wall fell down! To wait here, either to detail or refute any such arguments, would be lost time: enough of them may be seen in Scheuchzer. The whole relation evidently supposes it to have been a supernatural interference, as the blowing of the trumpets, and the shouting of the people, were too contemptible to be used even as instruments in this work, with the expectation of accomplishing it in a natural way.

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…

Read the full comment on Joshua 6:17-27 →

Joshua 6:20 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.

וַיָּ֣רַעvai.Ya.ra'and it shoutedH7321
הָעָ֔םha.'Amthe peopleH5971
וַֽיִּתְקְע֖וּvai.yit.ke.'Uand they gave a blastH8628
בַּשֹּֽׁפָר֑וֹתba.sho.fa.Roton the trumpetsH7782
וַיְהִי֩vay.Hiand it wasH1961
כִשְׁמֹ֨עַkhish.Mo.a'when heardH8085
הָעָ֜םha.'Amthe peopleH5971
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
ק֣וֹלKol[the] sound ofH6963
הַשּׁוֹפָ֗רha.sho.Farthe trumpetH7782
וַיָּרִ֤יעוּvai.ya.Ri.'uand they shoutedH7321
הָעָם֙ha.'Amthe peopleH5971
תְּרוּעָ֣הte.ru.'Aha shoutH8643
גְדוֹלָ֔הge.do.LahloudH1419
וַתִּפֹּ֨לva.ti.Poland it fellH5307
הַֽחוֹמָ֜הha.cho.Mahthe city wallH2346
תַּחְתֶּ֗יהָtach.Tei.hain place itsH8478
וַיַּ֨עַלvai.Ya.'aland it went upH5927
הָעָ֤םha.'Amthe peopleH5971
הָעִ֙ירָה֙ha.'I.rahthe city towardsH5892
אִ֣ישׁ'isheveryoneH376
נֶגְדּ֔וֹneg.Dobefore himselfH5048
וַֽיִּלְכְּד֖וּvai.yil.ke.Duand they capturedH3920
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הָעִֽיר\׃ha.'Irthe cityH5892

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

Cross references for Joshua 6:20

  • Hebrews 11:30

    By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.

  • 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

    (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

  • Joshua 6:5

    And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the wall.
5; 2Co 10:4,5; Heb 11:30
flat. Heb. under it.

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

Context

  • Joshua 6:19

    But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the Lord: they shall come into the treasury of the Lord.

  • Joshua 6:20

    So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

  • Joshua 6:21

    And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.

Read all of Joshua 6

Joshua 6:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Entonces el pueblo dió grita, y los sacerdotes tocaron las bocinas: y aconteció que como el pueblo hubo oído el sonido de la bocina, dió el pueblo grita con gran vocerío, y el muro cayó á plomo. El pueblo subió luego á la ciudad, cada uno en derecho de sí, y tomáronla.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et le peuple jeta des cris, et on sonna des trompettes. Et comme le peuple entendait le son des trompettes et que le peuple jetait un grand cri, la muraille tomba sous elle-même, et le peuple monta dans la ville, chacun devant soi, et ils prirent la ville.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und das Volk erhob ein Geschrei, und sie stießen in die Posaunen. Und es geschah, als das Volk den Schall der Posaunen hörte, und als das Volk ein großes Geschrei erhob, da stürzte die Mauer an ihrer Stelle ein, und das Volk stieg in die Stadt hinein, ein jeder gerade vor sich hin, und sie nahmen die Stadt ein.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Igitur omni populo vociferante, et clangentibus tubis, postquam in aures multitudinis vox sonitusque increpuit, muri illico corruerunt: et ascendit unusquisque per locum qui contra se erat: ceperuntque civitatem,