יהושע, פרק ו׳, פסוק כ׳

The climax of the conquest of Jericho is marked by a powerful combination of sounds. The blending of blowing horns and the roaring voices of the Israelites triggered the miraculous collapse of the city's mighty fortifications.

The narrative notes the shouting of the people twice, prompting different explanations for the exact sequence of events. One approach suggests that the first mention is a general statement, which is then followed by the precise timing of the act. The Israelites only raised their voices when they heard the long, drawn-out blast of the horn [מצודת דוד]. These actions were so closely timed that the priests blowing the horns and the people shouting happened almost simultaneously, their sounds instantly merging into a single roar [מלבי״ם].

Other perspectives view these as two entirely distinct shouts. After days of marching around the city in absolute silence, the first shout was a spontaneous burst of enthusiasm. Hearing the promise of victory from Joshua, the people simply erupted in joy [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Another perspective suggests this initial shout, which included the Israelites blowing their own horns, served a more solemn purpose. It was a vocal acceptance of Joshua's strict warning not to take any spoils from the city, a caution given just moments before the walls came down [אלשיך].

Following this initial reaction came the second, massive shout. This was not a spontaneous cheer, but the primary shout they were commanded to perform. It was executed only upon hearing the distinct, unique sound of the Jubilee horn [אלשיך, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Triggered by these sounds, the fortified wall collapsed entirely. It did not merely crack or break on one side, but crumbled to its foundations, falling evenly in every direction. This complete destruction allowed every single Israelite to march straight forward into the city from exactly where he stood, without needing to detour toward a specific breach in the defenses [אלשיך, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Yet, despite this total surrounding collapse, the specific section of the wall holding Rahab's house miraculously remained standing [מלבי״ם]. Stepping over the surrounding ruins, the Israelites marched directly forward and successfully captured the city [ביאור שטיינזלץ].