Joshua 6:14 describes the second day of Israel’s march around Jericho: the people walked once around the walled city and then returned to their camp, repeating this pattern for six days. The verse tells you that the army was following a set, repeated order rather than rushing into battle. Joshua, the leader of Israel after Moses, gives the instruction through the events he narrates, and the people carry it out as commanded by the LORD.
The second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. They did this six days.
Joshua 6:14 (WEB)
What Joshua 6:14 Means
The verse begins with “The second day,” which tells you this is the next step in a sequence already underway. The procession had started the day before, and the people were continuing what God had told them to do. Nothing in the verse suggests the people were guessing at a strategy. They were acting on clear direction.
The phrase “marched around the city once, and returned into the camp” describes a short, controlled routine. They circled Jericho one time and then went back to where they lived. The repetition is the point: day after day, they did the same thing, without a dramatic result yet. The verse does not promise that the walls would fall on any particular day. It describes faithful obedience carried out over time.
The closing words, “They did this six days,” tell you the pattern lasted for six days before the seventh day brought something different. The verse does not explain why God chose this method, and it does not give a formula for winning battles. It simply records that the people kept at it.
The Context of Joshua 6:14
The book of Joshua is traditionally attributed to Joshua himself, though much of it may have been compiled later. It tells the story of Israel entering and settling the land God had promised to their ancestors. The first audience would have been the Israelite community, and the book was written to show them how God kept his promise to bring them into Canaan.
Just before this verse, in Joshua 6:11 to 13, the ark of the LORD goes around the city with armed men and priests blowing trumpets. Just after it, in verses 15 to 17, the seventh day brings seven circuits and a shout, and the city is given to the LORD. Read in that setting, verse 14 is the quiet middle of a repeated routine, and its meaning comes from the anticipation of what the seventh day will bring.
Key Phrases in Joshua 6:14
Galatians 6:9
Let us not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we don’t give up.
(WEB)
This verse speaks directly to the idea of persistence in doing good over time. Like the people marching day after day, you are encouraged not to give up before the harvest arrives. It pairs well with Joshua 6:14 because both call for steady, unglamorous faithfulness.
Hebrews 11:30
By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been encircled for seven days.
(WEB)
This verse looks back on the walls of Jericho falling and credits the outcome to faith. Reading it alongside Joshua 6:14 helps you see that the long march was an act of trust, and that the eventual victory was understood as God’s work through the obedience of his people.
A Short Prayer From Joshua 6:14
Lord, you give clear instructions, and you ask me to follow them even when I cannot see how they will turn out. Help me to be faithful in the ordinary days, doing the next step you have shown me without demanding quick results. When I grow tired or discouraged, remind me that you are working in ways I may not yet understand. Teach me to return to you for rest between my efforts, and to trust that your timing is good. Amen.
