יהושע, פרק ו׳, פסוק י׳

The procession of the Israelites around the walls of Jericho was marked by absolute silence. This quiet was not just a general mood, but a strict command broken down into three distinct levels of restriction [מלבי״ם]. First, the people were forbidden from letting out any joyous cheers. Second, they were not allowed to raise their voices in a regular shout. Finally, the restriction reached the level of absolute stillness, prohibiting even a single whispered word from escaping their lips.

This unusual demand for total silence served a clear tactical purpose. It was designed to keep the residents of Jericho from sensing the Israelites moving just below the city walls, preventing the defenders from throwing stones down at them. Although God certainly had the power to protect the people through supernatural means, a fundamental principle is that God does not perform miracles unnecessarily when a situation can be handled through natural, practical efforts [רלב״ג].

The people were instructed to maintain this strict silence until the specific day Joshua would give the order to shout. While some interpret this timeframe generally as the right moment or time, the primary approach among commentators is to understand it literally. It refers exactly to the seventh day of their march, when the final command to break the silence would be given [רד״ק, מלבי״ם].