The story of Joshua cursing Jericho is found in Joshua 6 in the Old Testament. After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, the Israelites were finally going to enter the Promised Land. The first city they encountered was the heavily fortified city of Jericho. God gave Joshua very specific instructions on how to conquer Jericho which involved marching around the city once a day for six days and seven times on the seventh day. On the seventh day, after the seventh round, the priests were to blow their trumpets and the people were to shout and the walls of Jericho would fall down flat allowing the Israelites to charge straight into the city.
These instructions probably seemed strange to Joshua and the Israelites, but they obeyed God nonetheless. Sure enough, when they followed God’s directives, the walls collapsed and Jericho was theirs for the taking. Joshua then cursed the city, saying that anyone who tried to rebuild the city would face dire consequences:
“Cursed before the Lord be the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho. At the cost of his firstborn shall he lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son shall he set up its gates.” (Joshua 6:26 ESV)
But why did Joshua curse Jericho in this way? Here are a few potential reasons:
1. Judgment on the wickedness of Jericho
Jericho was a strongly pagan city, full of evil and immorality. The Bible notes the presence of prostitutes (Joshua 2:1), idolatry, and child sacrifice in the city. God said that the sins of the Amorites (in whose land Jericho stood) was now complete and they were ripe for judgment (Genesis 15:16). Jericho was treated as an “devoted thing” that was to be destroyed as an act of judgment on their grave wickedness (Deuteronomy 20:17). Joshua’s curse reinforced that Jericho should remain desolate forever as a testimony to God’s great judgment against evil.
2. Reminder of God’s power and Israel’s obedience
The destruction of Jericho’s walls was a miracle that demonstrated God’s tremendous power. It was a unique event never to be repeated or forgotten. By cursing anyone who tried to rebuild Jericho, Joshua helped ensure the memory of what God did would remain. The ruins of Jericho would stand as a perpetual reminder of God’s ability to bring down any obstacles. It would also remind Israel of their obedience to God’s bizarre-seeming commands and how He rewarded that faithfulness with victory.
3. Safeguard future generations spiritually
Jericho was a stronghold of pagan practices and evil spirits. By cursing it, Joshua took spiritual precautions to protect future generations from being exposed to the sinister influences that permeated the city. Trying to inhabit or rebuild Jericho could open Israelites up to demonic oppression or cause them to fall into the sins once practiced there. The curse linguistically sealed off the spiritual danger zone to keep God’s people from stumbling into those traps.
4. Establish the uniqueness of Jericho in salvation history
The battle of Jericho marked a major milestone in God’s salvation plan. It was an unrepeatable event, a divine intervention to establish Israel in the Promised Land. Joshua’s curse reminded the Israelites that Jericho was a singular moment orchestrated by God Himself. Trying to recreate Jericho could amount to trying to manipulate God or deny His sovereignty over history. The curse prevented duplicating Jericho and boasted in God’s accomplishments there.
5. Test of faith and obedience
Some scholars suggest Joshua’s curse was meant as a test of Israel’s faith and obedience to God’s commands. Would they heed this directive as they had God’s instructions about conquering Jericho? Or would the lure of reconstructing a fortified city override obeying Joshua’s edict? Either way, it would reveal where their allegiance truly lay. Joshua set up this test to keep Israel’s faith sharp and to confirm they could still be entrusted with the Promised Land.
6. Prevent compromise through isolation
Another angle sees the curse as a way to prevent spiritual compromise between Israelites and pagan influences. Rebuilding Jericho could lead to intermingling with Canaanite peoples and adopting their sinful ways. Isolating Jericho and making it uninhabitable reduced the likelihood of that kind of compromise. Joshua took a page from God’s playbook, using dedicated things and calls for separation to protect Israel’s unique identity and purity as God’s people.
These reasons help explain Joshua’s motives, but the curse proved ineffective. 1 Kings 16:34 records that a man named Hiel rebuilt Jericho during the reign of King Ahab, costing him his oldest and youngest sons as the curse stated. Though the curse did come to pass, it failed to permanently prevent Jericho’s reconstruction. Some propose that Hiel laid only the foundation and gates himself, sacrificing his children but leaving the full rebuilding to others. Either way, Joshua’s words could not keep Jericho desolate forever.
Joshua’s curse highlights important spiritual principles about judgment, obedience, testing, separation, and moral purity. Jericho serves as a sobering case study in the seriousness of sin before a holy God. Even though the curse ultimately failed, it stands as another example of how seriously Joshua sought to lead Israel in following the Lord and avoiding evil influences. Through the record of his actions, we can glean wisdom for how to pursue obedient faith and godliness in our day as well.
