Joshua 6:14

So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The Israelite army and priests execute a daily routine under divine command during the six-day preparatory phase preceding the assault on Jericho.

The words — The text highlights וַ/יָּסֹ֨בּוּ (va/i.ya.So.bu), meaning "and they went around," and וַ/יָּשֻׁ֖בוּ (va/i.ya.Shu.vu), meaning "and they returned." These paired verbs establish the repetitive structure of the campaign.

The thread — This routine fulfills the initial directive in Joshua 6:3 to circle the city once daily for six days. It mirrors the pattern recorded in Joshua 6:11 where the ark's procession ends with the people returning to the camp.

Why it lands — The verse demands recognition of disciplined obedience before any miraculous intervention. It requires the reader to track the exact numerical progression of the siege rather than skip to the climax.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיָּסֹ֨בּוּva/i.ya.So.buand/ they went around אֶת־'et-<obj.>הָעִ֜ירha./'Irthe/ city בַּיּ֤וֹםba/i.Yomon the/ day הַשֵּׁנִי֙ha./she.Ni<the>/ second פַּ֣עַםPa.'ama time אַחַ֔ת'a.Chatone וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּva/i.ya.Shu.vuand/ they returned הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑הha./ma.cha.Nehthe/ camp כֹּ֥הkohthus עָשׂ֖וּ'a.Suthey did שֵׁ֥שֶׁתShe.shetsix יָמִֽים׃ya.Mimdays

King James Version

And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days.

Cross-references

Joshua 6:3 March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. Do this for six days.
Joshua 6:11 So he had the ark of the LORD carried around the city, circling it once. And the people returned to the camp and spent the night there.
Joshua 6:15 Then on the seventh day, they got up at dawn and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. That was the only day they circled the city seven times.