Joshua 6:12,13 - Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

Bible Comments

And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the Ark of YHWH, and the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the Ark of YHWH went on continually (‘going they went') and blew with the trumpets, and the armed men went before them, and the rearward came after the Ark of YHWH, the priests blowing with the trumpets as they went.'

As was his regular practise Joshua rose early in the morning. The people would be roused too. There may have been the intention to miss the heat of the day. Notice again that the Ark was central. All was secondary to that. The procession was as before, repeated in full for emphasis. The Ark of YHWH is mentioned three times in order to emphasise it presence.

Joshua 6:12-13

12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.

13 And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rereward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.