Joshua 6:5 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The command at Jericho includes a startling promise: a fortified wall will fall in response to a signal God has set. The verse clarifies that Israel's shout belongs within obedience to a prior word from the LORD. Their entrance follows a way that God himself opens, at the time he names.
Joshua 6:5 announces the promised moment of Jericho's fall. At the appointed trumpet blast and people's shout, God will bring down the wall and open a direct way for Israel to enter the city.
The Context of Joshua 6:5
Verses 3-4 set the seven-day procession around Jericho, with priests blowing rams' horn trumpets before the ark. Verse 5 gives the climax that will follow the final signal. Joshua repeats the instruction to the people and adds that they must remain silent until he tells them to shout. The procession continues for six days, then circles the city seven times at dawn on the seventh day. At the seventh circuit Joshua calls for the shout, declaring that the LORD has given them the city. Verse 20 records the fulfillment with language closely following this promise.
What Does Joshua 6:5 Mean?
The promise is carefully timed. The priests make a long blast with the ram's horn; the people hear the trumpet; then all the people shout with a great shout. Israel is not asked to create the occasion for victory. They are to recognize the signal and respond together. The statement that the wall will fall down flat comes as God's assured outcome, following the command already spoken by the LORD. Once the barrier falls, each man is to ascend straight before him. The language pictures a direct entry through the fallen defenses. The verse gives no engineering explanation for the wall's collapse. Its concern is the faithfulness of God and the obedience of the people to his instruction.
The sequence in the chapter holds God's gift and Israel's action together. In verse 2 the LORD says, "I have given" Jericho into Joshua's hand, before the marching begins. In verse 5 Israel still has a real task: they hear, shout, enter, and take the city. The promised fall of the wall does not make their participation meaningless. It makes clear that their entry depends on the LORD's act. Joshua's further command to keep silence until the proper moment teaches the same lesson. Israel's voice is to be used when God appoints it. The chapter therefore presents a people learning disciplined trust rather than acting on impulse or fear.
This promise has a strong canonical echo in Hebrews 11:30, where Jericho's walls fall through faith after seven days of circling. Faith there is visible in a people who continue in God's command until the promised moment arrives. The event also recalls the LORD's earlier deliverance at the Red Sea, where he made a path for his people through an obstacle they could not remove by their own strength. In each case, God opens the way, and his people move forward in response. Joshua 6:5 therefore encourages hope in the God who can make a passage where human sight sees a closed wall.
Bible Verses Related to Joshua 6:5
“And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.”
- Joshua 6:2
“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 6:16
“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
“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.”
- Hebrews 11:30
Where Joshua 6:5 Echoes in Scripture
Hebrews 11:30 gives the clearest later echo: the walls of Jericho fell after they were compassed for seven days through faith. The verse looks back to the whole commanded sequence, including the final shout promised in Joshua 6:5. It teaches that biblical faith receives God's word as trustworthy and continues in the obedience that word requires until God brings about what he has promised.
How to Apply Joshua 6:5 Today
We often want to speak or act before the right time, especially when an obstacle feels urgent. This verse invites a different posture: listen for God's direction, join our response to his timing, and move forward when he opens the way. It also calls communities to unity. The people of Israel heard one signal and gave one great shout, rather than each choosing a separate plan. In daily life, this can mean patient prayer, careful counsel, faithful work, and a shared willingness to act when a clear duty stands before us. Our confidence rests in God, whose power reaches beyond visible defenses.
Reflection & Prayer
What barrier currently feels fixed or beyond our reach, and how might faithful listening shape our next step? Prayer: LORD, give us patient hearts that attend to your word. When you open a way, gather our courage and help us walk forward in trust.