Joshua 6:26 · Bible study
Joshua 6:26 Commentary: The Curse on Rebuilding Jericho
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore Joshua's curse on rebuilding Jericho, its meaning, historical context, fulfillment in 1 Kings 16:34, and theological significance.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Joshua pronounces a curse on anyone who rebuilds Jericho as a fortified city, with the loss of children as the penalty.
- Key words: adjured (H7650, cause to swear); cursed (participle active); firstborn/youngest son; lay foundation/set up gates.
- Main debate: Did the curse forbid any rebuilding at all, or only the fortifications? The evidence suggests the latter.
- Theological theme: God's word endures; He is faithful to His warnings and promises across generations.
- Best use: A powerful illustration of God's sovereignty, the seriousness of disobedience, and the certainty of His word.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
At that time Joshua invoked this solemn oath: “Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho; at the cost of his firstborn he will lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
Joshua commanded them with an oath at that time, saying, “Cursed is the man before Yahweh who rises up and builds this city Jericho. With the loss of his firstborn he will lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son he will set up its gates.”
KJV King James Version 1769
And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And Joshua charged them with an oath at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before Jehovah, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: with the loss of his first-born shall he lay the foundation thereof, and with the loss of his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And Joshua adjureth them at that time, saying, `Cursed is the man before Jehovah who raiseth up and hath built this city, even Jericho; in his first-born he doth lay its foundation, and in his youngest he doth set up its doors;'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And Joshua swore at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before Jehovah who shall rise up and build this city Jericho! In his first-born shall he lay its foundation, and in his youngest son shall he set up its gates.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Cursed be the man before the Lord, that shall raise up and build the city of Jericho. In his firstborn may he lay the foundation thereof, and in the last of his children set up its gates.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y en aquel tiempo Josué les juramentó diciendo: Maldito delante de Jehová el hombre que se levantare y reedificare esta ciudad de Jericó. En su primogénito eche sus cimientos, y en su menor asiente sus puertas.
E naquele tempo Josué lhes juramentou dizendo: Maldito diante do SENHOR o homem que se levantar e reedificar esta cidade de Jericó. Em seu primogênito lance seus alicerces, e em seu menor assente suas portas.
Ce fut alors que Josué jura, en disant: Maudit soit devant l’ Éternel l’ homme qui se lèvera pour rebâtir cette ville de Jéricho! Il en jettera les fondements au prix de son premier-né, et il en posera les portes au prix de son plus jeune fils.
Zu der Zeit schwur Josua und sprach: Verflucht sei der Mann vor dem HERRN, der sich aufmacht und diese Stadt Jericho wieder baut! Wenn er einen Grund legt, das koste ihn den ersten Sohn; wenn er ihre Tore setzt, das koste ihn seinen jüngsten Sohn!
En ter zelver tijd bezwoer hen Jozua, zeggende: Vervloekt zij die man voor het aangezicht des HEEREN, die zich opmaken en deze stad Jericho bouwen zal; dat hij ze grondveste op zijn eerstgeborenen zoon, en haar poorten stelle op zijn jongsten zoon!
Allora Giosuè fece questo giuramento: “Sia maledetto, nel cospetto dell’Eterno, l’uomo che si leverà a riedificare questa città di Gerico! Ei ne getterà le fondamenta sul suo primogenito, e ne rizzerà le porte sul più giovane de’ suoi figliuoli”.
I wydał klątwę Jozue onego czasu, mówiąc: Przeklęty mąż przed Panem, któryby powstał a budował to miasto Jerycho; na pierworodnym swoim założy je, a na najmniejszym postawi bramy jego.
И Господь был с Иисусом, и слава его носилась по всей земле.
當時，約書亞 叫眾人起誓 說：「有 興起 重修 這 耶利哥 城 的人，當在耶和華 面前 受咒詛。他立根基的時候，必喪長子，安 門的時候，必喪幼子。」
Then Joshua gave the people orders with an oath, saying, Let that man be cursed before the Lord who puts his hand to the building up of this town: with the loss of his first son will he put the first stone of it in place, and with the loss of his youngest son he will put up its doors.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Joshua 6:26
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Joshua, acting under divine authority, pronounced a curse on anyone who would rebuild Jericho as a fortified city. The curse served to preserve the ruins as a permanent memorial of God's miraculous victory over the city. Calvin describes it as Joshua wanting "the ruins and devastation should exist forever as a kind of trophy." The precise form of the curse, that the builder would lose his firstborn at the foundation and his youngest at the gates, is widely understood as a prediction of successive deaths of children during the rebuilding process. This curse was fulfilled centuries later in Hiel the Bethelite, as recorded in 1 Kings 16:34, demonstrating God's faithfulness to His word across generations. While some, like Clarke, consider it a prediction rather than a curse, all agree the central purpose was to keep Jericho's destruction as a lasting witness to God's power and judgment against idolatry.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Curse on all rebuilding: Gill argues the curse includes any rebuilding of the city, citing the full fulfillment in Hiel as proof.
- Curse only on fortifications: Cambridge and Barnes emphasize Joshua's military perspective, applying 'buildeth' to walls and gates only, supported by 1 Kings 15:17 and 2 Chronicles 11:5.
- Curse as predictive prophecy: Clarke sees the curse as a prediction that the rebuilder would lose children, not necessarily by violent death.
What is clear: Joshua pronounced a curse on anyone who would rebuild Jericho as a fortified city, and the curse was fulfilled in Hiel the Bethelite as recorded in 1 Kings 16:34.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Scope of the curse | The curse prohibited rebuilding Jericho as a fortified city, serving as a memorial of God's judgment. | Some (e.g., Gill) hold it forbids any rebuilding; others (Cambridge, Barnes) argue it only applies to the walls and gates. |
| Nature of the curse | It was a divinely authorized oath, not Joshua's personal wish. | Some (Clarke) consider it a prediction; others (Calvin) stress it as a formal imprecation with immediate binding force. |
| Later habitation of Jericho | The city was inhabited soon after the conquest (Joshua 18:21) without violating the curse. | Whether the later occupation refers to a different site or only to unfortified dwellings is unresolved (Lange discusses two hypotheses). |
| Typological interpretation | Joshua and Jericho are seen as types of Christ and the defeat of evil. | Some (Barnes, Cambridge) apply the typology directly; others focus on the historical fulfillment without allegorizing. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jericho was the first city conquered by Israel in the Promised Land, and its destruction was total: it was devoted to the Lord as cherem, set apart for destruction as a holy act (Deuteronomy 13:15-17). The city's formidable walls had fallen by divine power after the priests marched and the people shouted. Joshua then "adjured" the people, imposing a solemn oath binding on present and future generations. The Hebrew verb shava (H7650) means to swear or cause to take an oath, and Joshua acted as God's herald, not on his own authority (Calvin).
The curse targeted the rebuilding of the fortifications. Cambridge Bible notes that Joshua spoke as a military leader, focusing on the walls and gates that "had bid defiance to God's host." The rhythmical structure of the Hebrew (pointed out by Bishop Wordsworth) helped the curse stick in memory. Parallels exist in ancient curses on cities: Agamemnon on Ilium, Scipio on Carthage. However, Jericho was later inhabited, the Benjamites received it (Joshua 18:21) and it appears throughout the Judges period. Commentators resolve this by noting the curse applied only to rebuilding the city as a fortified stronghold. The ruins remained a silent testimony to God's judgment for generations.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Joshua 6:26. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, and the LXX and Vulgate render the curse consistently. The rhythmical structure is preserved.
Reception History
Jewish tradition, as represented by Maimonides (cited by Gill), understood the curse as preserving the miracle: the collapsed walls would testify to divine intervention. Early Christian writers (e.g., Barnabas) and later Protestant commentators saw Jericho as a type of the world's opposition to God, with Joshua prefiguring Christ. The fulfillment in 1 Kings 16:34 has been cited throughout church history as evidence of God's faithfulness to His word. The tragedy of Hiel's children served as a warning against ignoring God's commands. The curse continued to be referenced in sermons on divine judgment and the permanence of God's decrees.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God's sovereignty over human plans. Joshua's curse reminds us that no human effort can stand against God's purposes. Jericho's destruction was not merely military; it was a divine act. The curse warned that rebuilding would be a direct challenge to God's judgment.
- God's word is not empty. The fulfillment in 1 Kings 16:34, over 500 years later, shows that God's promises and warnings remain in effect across generations. Hiel's losses demonstrate the enduring authority of God's spoken word.
- Memorials of God's work matter. The ruins of Jericho were to be a lasting sign of God's power and victory. Christians today build memorials through testimony, worship, and remembrance of what God has done.
Five-point outline
- Context: Jericho as the firstfruits of conquest.
- The curse: a solemn oath to preserve the miracle.
- The cost: child loss as the penalty for defiance.
- The later fulfillment: Hiel's tragedy in Ahab's reign.
- The wider significance: typology of Christ and final judgment.
Illustration hooks
- Family heirloom vase. A child breaks a valuable vase. The parents decide to leave the pieces on display as a permanent reminder: not to shame, but to teach the value of what was lost and never to repeat the mistake.
- Warning sign at a condemned building. After a fire, the city posts a notice that rebuilding requires permits and safety upgrades. Anyone who ignores the sign risks harm. The curse is like that sign, not mean, but a clear warning of consequences.
- Promise across decades. A grandfather makes a promise to his infant granddaughter that he will pay for her college education. Years later, even though he has died, his will ensures the promise is kept. God's word, spoken through Joshua, was kept centuries later.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does God seem so harsh in the Old Testament? How does the curse on Jericho fit with a loving God?
- If the city was rebuilt later, was Joshua's curse a false prophecy?
- Does this curse apply to me? Can a word spoken over a place or person still have power today?
Leading a Discussion
This curse appears at first to be a harsh, almost vengeful statement. But as we explore its context and fulfillment, we see it is a serious warning from God to preserve the memory of His mighty act and to deter future rebellion. The death of Hiel's sons is a sobering reminder that God's word stands firm. As you discuss, consider both the historical meaning and what it teaches about God's character.
Discussion questions
- Read Joshua 6:26. Why did Joshua pronounce this curse at this particular moment in Israel's history?
- What was the purpose of the ruins of Jericho being left as a "trophy" (Calvin's term)? How does that purpose connect to what God did at Jericho?
- Look at 1 Kings 16:34. What does the fulfillment tell us about God's faithfulness? About human stubbornness?
- How do you reconcile the later mentions of Jericho being inhabited (e.g., by the Benjamites) with Joshua's curse? Are they contradictory?
- What does this passage reveal about the seriousness of taking God's commands lightly? How does this apply to our lives today?
- Some see Joshua as a type of Christ and Jericho as a type of the world's opposition to God. How does this typological reading affect your understanding of the passage?
- In what ways do we need to leave memorials of God's work in our own lives? What "ruins" remind us of His power and judgment?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Numbers 5:19 | The priest shall cause her to take an oath and shall tell the woman, “If no man has lain with you, and if you haven’t gone aside to uncleanness, being under your husband’s authority, be free from this water of bitterness that brings a curse. |
| Numbers 5:21 | then the priest shall cause the woman to swear with the oath of cursing, and the priest shall tell the woman, “May Yahweh make you a curse and an oath among your people, when Yahweh allows your thigh to fall away, and your body to swell; |
| I Samuel 14:24 | The men of Israel were distressed that day; for Saul had adjured the people, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food until it is evening, and I am avenged of my enemies.” So none of the people tasted food. |
| I Samuel 14:46 | Then Saul went up from following the Philistines; and the Philistines went to their own place. |
| I Kings 16:34 | In his days Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho. He laid its foundation with the loss of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates with the loss of his youngest son Segub, according to Yahweh’s word, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun. |
| I Kings 22:16 | The king said to him, “How many times do I have to adjure you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in Yahweh’s name?” |
| Malachi 1:4 | Whereas Edom says, “We are beaten down, but we will return and build the waste places,” Yahweh of Armies says, “They shall build, but I will throw down; and men will call them ‘The Wicked Land,’ even the people against whom Yahweh shows wrath forever.” |
| Matthew 26:63 | But Jesus stayed silent. The high priest answered him, “I adjure you by the living God that you tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke treats Joshua's curse as more prediction than imprecation: God left humans free to rebuild but recorded the penalty that would follow. He then notes the fulfillment 550 years later was ambiguous, questioning whether the loss of Hiel's children meant actual death or simply the slow progress of the work.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes reads Jericho's fall as an acted prophecy: Joshua, as a type of Christ, and Jericho as a type of the powers opposed to him. The siege and its completion prefigure the overthrow of all resistance to Christ's kingdom, culminating in the day of judgment, from which Paul later borrows imagery.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that Joshua's curse on rebuilding Jericho was not a personal threat but a divinely appointed warning. The perpetual ruins were meant as a visible trophy of God's miracle, so rebuilding would erase that testimony. Anyone who dared to rebuild would incur judgment on his own children, proving the work accursed.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary stresses that Joshua's curse on Jericho applied only to the city's fortified walls and gates, not the entire city, since the site was later inhabited. The curse's rhythmic wording was designed for solemn remembrance, and its precise fulfillment came centuries later when Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho and lost his sons.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Joshua pronounces a solemn curse on anyone who rebuilds Jericho, warning that the builder will pay with his firstborn son at the foundation and his youngest son when the gates are set up. The curse makes the city a permanent monument to God's judgment.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill explains that the curse on rebuilding Jericho was not a general threat but a precise prophecy: the builder's eldest son would die when the foundation was laid, his youngest when the gates were finished. He notes this was fulfilled centuries later in Hiel the Bethelite, whose sons died progressively during the reconstruction.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB stresses that Joshua imposed a solemn oath binding the entire nation and their descendants, making Jericho's ruin a permanent memorial of God's abhorrence of idolatry. The curse was no empty threat; it was fulfilled five hundred fifty years later when a builder lost two sons.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange insists the fall of Jericho was a direct miracle, not a natural event like an earthquake or undermining. The seven days of silent marching with trumpet blasts trained Israel in unconditional faith and patient trust, making clear that only Jehovah's power, not human warfare, gave them the city.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry emphasizes the clear distinction between what is devoted to destruction and what is consecrated to the Lord. The entire city and its inhabitants were accursed, but the precious metals were set apart for God's treasury, and Rahab's family alone was preserved alive because of her faithful act in hiding the spies.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley stresses that Joshua's curse on Jericho's rebuilder was a divinely inspired oath, not personal dislike. He clarifies the curse applied only to the person who would attempt to rebuild the city, not to later inhabitants, and it was fulfilled through the gradual loss of his children during construction.