Israel marched around Jericho once a day for six days Joshua 6:3–4. On the seventh day they marched around the city seven times Joshua 6:4.
Joshua 6:1–5 opens with Jericho locked down in fear of Israel, cutting off all movement in and out. Into that tense standoff, Yahweh speaks to Joshua and declares Jericho already handed over, including its king and fighters. This scene follows Israel’s entry into the land and the encounter where Joshua meets a commanding figure associated with Yahweh’s forces (Joshua 5:13–15). The narrative now shifts from preparation to the first major city obstacle west of the Jordan. Verse 1 sets the problem: Jericho is sealed.
Joshua 6:1–5 presents a locked-down city and a God-given plan. Jericho is pictured as sealed off because Israel is nearby; movement in and out has stopped (verse 1). Yahweh then speaks to Joshua and frames the outcome as decided: Jericho, its king, and its fighting force are “given” into Joshua’s hand (verse 2).
A common mistake is to treat this as trivia. Names, places, numbers, and sequence details often carry memory, covenant identity, or narrative movement in the biblical story.
Start with Joshua 6:3-4, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
3You shall compass the city, all the men of war, going about the city once. Thus shall you do six days.
4Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams` horns before the ark: and the seventh day you shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.