Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Joshua 6:18
Joshua 6:18. Keep yourselves from the accursed thing It should rather be rendered, the devoted thing, meaning the spoils devoted to the Lord. These they were not to touch, on pain of being themselves devoted to death. Lest ye make yourselves accursed Lest you draw upon yourselves the immediate curse of God, and so bring yourselves under the same sentence of destruction as the inhabitants and things of Jericho are under. And make the camp of Israel a curse By provoking God to punish... read more
Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Joshua 6:17
Joshua 6:17. The city shall be accursed to the Lord That is, devoted to destruction, by the right which God has to punish such as offend against him. This he speaks by direction from God, (see 1 Kings 16:34,) whose will it was that every thing in Jericho should be utterly destroyed, as well inanimate things by burning them, &c, as men and cattle, by the edge of the sword; excepting only the things that were found in the house of Rahab, and the vessels of silver and gold, brass and iron,... read more