Joshua 6:21
The Destruction of Jericho
“They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.”
When Holiness Sounds Like Horror: Jericho, Judgment, and the God We Struggle to Trust
Few passages confront modern readers as abruptly—or as violently—as the fall of Jericho. The language is stark, unfiltered, and impossible to soften: total destruction, no exceptions. It offends our moral instincts immediately, especially those shaped by contemporary ethics, human rights frameworks, and a deep sensitivity to civilian suffering. For many, this verse becomes a breaking point—How can a good God command this?—and for others, an excuse to quietly sidestep the Old Testament altogether.
But Joshua 6:21 refuses to let us read Scripture selectively. It forces us into uncomfortable territory where God is not tame, manageable, or easily harmonized with modern categories of “nice.” This is not a story about military conquest for land or power; it is a story about holiness colliding with a culture saturated in idolatry, violence, and systemic corruption. The language of herem—“devoted to the Lord”—signals that this moment is theological before it is political. Jericho is not merely defeated; it is judged.
What makes this passage so difficult is not only the violence it describes, but the assumptions it shatters. We prefer a God who corrects gently, who waits indefinitely, who never draws a hard line. Jericho tells a different story: a God who is patient—but not endlessly permissive; merciful—but not morally indifferent. This section does not ask you to suppress your discomfort. It asks you to sit with it, to wrestle honestly with judgment, holiness, and the cost of covenant faithfulness—and to consider whether the God we reject here is actually the God Scripture has been revealing all along.
Controversy:
•Commands total destruction of a city, including civilians and animals.
•Raises ethical questions about divine-sanctioned violence.
•Challenges modern readers’ understanding of God’s justice and morality.
1. Why is this verse controversial, misunderstood, or debated?
•Modern moral frameworks see killing women, children, and animals as morally troubling.
•Questions arise about God’s justice and character.
•Often misinterpreted as endorsing indiscriminate violence today.
2. What does it really mean in the bigger picture?
•Part of Israel’s conquest of Canaan to establish a holy and covenantal community.
•Represents judgment on Jericho for sin and idolatry.
•Demonstrates God’s seriousness about holiness and obedience.
3. How do we understand and apply it today?
•Principle: God judges sin and calls for covenant faithfulness, not a literal command for modern warfare.
•Application: focus on spiritual vigilance, moral discernment, and resisting corrupt influences.
•Highlights consequences of idolatry and systemic evil.
4. What is the purpose of it being in the Bible?
•To record divine judgment and covenant fulfilment.
•Illustrates serious consequences for persistent sin and rebellion.
•Serves as a moral and theological lesson for faithfulness and obedience.
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5. What does it teach about God, Christianity, and life?
•God is holy, just, and protective of His covenant people.
•Christianity emphasizes resisting sin, avoiding idolatry, and ethical vigilance.
•Life requires faithfulness, discernment, and responsibility in moral decisions.
6. How would it have been understood originally?
•Ancient Israelites saw this as divine command ensuring the purity and survival of the covenant community.
•Destruction was part of warfare norms and covenant enforcement.
•Seen as God’s judgment against sin and idolatry, not arbitrary cruelty.
7. Is it as controversial as it looks?
•Controversial for modern readers; ancient audience saw it as divine justice and covenant preservation.
•Original context emphasizes obedience, holiness, and moral order.
8. How does it fit a loving God and the rest of Scripture?
•God’s love is expressed through covenant protection and moral order.
•Fits the biblical pattern of judgment and mercy balanced with holiness.
•Demonstrates that God opposes systemic sin that corrupts society.
9. Cultural, historical, or linguistic factors
•Ancient Near Eastern warfare often included total destruction of enemy cities.
•“Devoted to the Lord” (herem) signifies dedication for God’s purposes, not arbitrary violence.
•Cultural norms emphasized purity, holiness, and covenant obedience.
10. Related passages
•Joshua 8:1–29 — Conquest of Ai
•Deuteronomy 7:1–5 — Command to destroy Canaanite nations
•1 Samuel 15:3 — Command against the Amalekites
•Judges 1 — Conquest and preservation of covenantal boundaries
11. Literary context
•Part of Joshua’s narrative of the conquest of Canaan.
•Emphasizes fulfilment of God’s promises and covenant faithfulness.
•Narrative stresses obedience, holiness, and divine judgment.
12. Underlying principle
•God demands faithfulness, holiness, and separation from sin.
•Judgment serves as protection of covenant integrity.
•Spiritual vigilance and obedience are essential.
13. Historical interpretation
•Jewish and Christian interpreters: specific historical act, not universal prescription.
•Early readers emphasized God’s justice and covenant fulfilment.
•Modern debates focus on ethics of war, divine justice, and historical interpretation.
14. Practical guidance today
•Avoid compromising faith through idolatry, systemic sin, or moral corruption.
•Trust God’s justice rather than taking vengeance personally.
•Focus on obedience, discernment, and covenant faithfulness.
15. Common misconceptions
•God endorses indiscriminate violence universally.
•Passage is a blueprint for modern warfare.
•Original audience would have viewed it as arbitrary cruelty rather than covenant enforcement.
16. Human nature and societal insight
•Humans often compromise moral integrity or succumb to cultural corruption.
•God’s judgment emphasizes serious consequences of sin and rebellion.
•Faithfulness requires discernment, obedience, and ethical vigilance.
✅ Summary
Joshua 6:21 teaches:
•God’s command emphasizes covenant faithfulness, holiness, and judgment on systemic sin.
•Controversy arises mainly from modern ethical frameworks, while the original context emphasizes obedience and covenant preservation.
•Principle: faithfulness, vigilance, and moral discernment are crucial in spiritual and communal life.