יהושע, פרק ו׳, פסוק ח׳

The moment the command to march around Jericho transitions into action is marked by a sudden burst of energy. Rather than waiting cautiously at the foot of the city walls, the nation leaps forward to fulfill their mission with profound enthusiasm. The people and the priests carry out the instructions exactly as Joshua directed [מצודת דוד, שטיינזלץ]. A primary approach among commentators highlights the absolute immediacy of this response. The moment Joshua finishes speaking, the priests and the people rush to perform the commandment, completely unbothered by the threat of stones being thrown from the city walls [אלשיך, אברבנאל].

This intense swiftness actually causes the events on the ground to outpace the final instructions. The priests begin blowing the horns right away, even before the entire army and the rest of the nation have moved into position [מלבי״ם]. The enthusiasm is so great that the procession sets off before Joshua can even finish speaking, forcing him to issue his warning against shouting only after the march is already underway [אברבנאל].

The rapid launch also leads to an unexpected shift in the plan for the first day. Originally, only the vanguard is supposed to encircle the city. However, caught up in the momentum, the general masses join the march. Because Joshua is positioned at the back near the Ark of God's Covenant, he cannot run to the front to stop the crowd. He allows them to complete the circuit on that first day, and only on the second morning does he rise early to hold back the masses and properly organize the ranks [אלשיך].

The physical arrangement of the procession is highly specific. The priests walk directly in front of the Ark of God's Covenant [מנחת שי, שטיינזלץ]. They do not stand still while sounding the horns; instead, they blow continuously as they walk, while the rest of the nation passes by them [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל]. Finally, the Ark brings up the rear, following behind both the horn-blowing priests and the people marching ahead [מלבי״ם].