Question XVII. When, and how, was this same shout commanded, and poured forth?

When this shout was commanded [it] seems — as regards the first day of the assault — sufficiently manifest from vv. 5 & 10. But as regards the last day, Josephus (book 5, ch. 1) indicates it was commanded in the camp itself, before they advanced to the last circuits; Masius (fol. 109) [says] immediately before the seventh circuit; but it is more likely that Joshua commanded — when the seventh circuit was wholly or nearly completed — that all should now shout. For the text signifies this at v. 16, with the reason especially added: that, the shout being raised, the city immediately fell; and, this falling, the Israelites immediately rushed in; and nonetheless they completed seven circuits. Otherwise the seventh would not have been complete; therefore Josephus said, in the aorist, περιελθόντων ἑπτάκις [perielthontōn heptakis], that is, “when they had circled seven times.” And Abulensis (q. 3): “the circuit being finished, when they halted, the walls fell.” But as to how Joshua could give this command to so great a multitude, that it might be heard — Lyra not badly said, with the Hebrews, that this was done, not by Joshua’s voice carried to all ears, but by some other signal, of which kind Abulensis (q. 10) sets down three. Masius (at the cited fol.) will have it that the very clangor of the priests’ trumpets in the seventh circuit — [being] not new or unusual, but the customary [thing] — served as a signal. But it is most true and most ready [to hold] that those who were nearest Joshua heard his command and at once began to raise the shout; and these being heard, immediately all the others [did too]; or even, the change of the customary trumpet-clangor being heard, as is added at vv. 5, 16, 20, as will be touched again a little later. But how this same shout was “poured forth” is understood from two or three [things]. For first, the Israelites stood still — because it was the end of the circuits, and because a greater straining of the voice is in those quiet and standing than in those walking. And this too Josephus touched, saying πρὸς ὀλίγον ἠρεμησάντων [pros oligon ēremēsantōn], “when they had kept still a little.” Secondly, they turned their faces toward the walls of Jericho; for this is gathered from vv. 20 & 5: “They shall enter, each one, by the place over against which he shall have stood.” For it was fitting that they themselves should see, with their own eyes, [even] as they stood [there], the enemy city’s walls suddenly collapsing. Thirdly, the priestly trumpets sounded all together, most vehemently, continuously, without any interruption (vv. 5, 16, 20, and above, q. 4).