Discovery BoxJoshua 6:26 
Context6:26 At that time Joshua made this solemn declaration: 1 “The man who attempts to rebuild 2 this city of Jericho 3 will stand condemned before the Lord. 4 He will lose his firstborn son when he lays its foundations and his youngest son when he erects its gates!” 5
Joshua 24:7
Context24:7 Your fathers 6 cried out for help to the Lord; he made the area between you and the Egyptians dark, 7 and then drowned them in the sea. 8 You witnessed with your very own eyes 9 what I did in Egypt. You lived in the wilderness for a long time. 10
1 tn Normally the Hiphil of שָׁבַע (shava’) has a causative sense (“make [someone] take an oath”; see Josh 2:17, 20), but here (see also Josh 23:7) no object is stated or implied. If Joshua is calling divine judgment down upon the one who attempts to rebuild Jericho, then “make a solemn appeal [to God as judge]” or “pronounce a curse” would be an appropriate translation. However, the tone seems stronger. Joshua appears to be announcing the certain punishment of the violator. 1 Kgs 16:34, which records the fulfillment of Joshua’s prediction, supports this. Casting Joshua in a prophetic role, it refers to Joshua’s statement as the “word of the
2 tn Heb “rises up and builds.”
3 tc The LXX omits “Jericho.” It is probably a scribal addition.
4 tn The Hebrew phrase אָרוּר לִפְנֵי יְהוָה (’arur lifney yÿhvah, “cursed [i.e., condemned] before the
5 tn Heb “With his firstborn he will lay its foundations and with his youngest he will erect its gates.” The Hebrew verb יַצִּיב (yatsiv, “he will erect”) is imperfect, not jussive, suggesting Joshua’s statement is a prediction, not an imprecation.
6 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the fathers) has been specified in the translation for clarity (see the previous verse).
7 tn Or “put darkness between you and the Egyptians.”
8 tn Heb “and he brought over them the sea and covered them.”
9 tn Heb “your eyes saw.”
10 tn Heb “many days.”
