Ver. 7-9. And he said unto the people, Pass on— We apprehend, that it was not only the soldiers who formed this procession, but that all the people joined in it; that the armed men went before the ark; and that after it came the rest of the people, making as it were the rear-ward. It is certain, however, that Onkelos, and the Rabbis Solomon, Jarchi, and Kimchi, understand by the rear-ward, the single tribe of Dan, which was thus appointed, Numbers 10:25.; and they suppose, that before the ark went armed only the troops of the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and of the half tribe of Manasseh. But we keep to our version, which follows the LXX and Vulgate. The Hebrew word ףּמאס measeph, which we translate rear-ward, signifies, literally, gathered up; i.e. that company which closed the march, and collected together all that belonged to the procession. We might translate it, the gathered multitude. On the contrary, however, it must be owned, that it seems a little improbable to suppose, that three millions of souls should every day have gone in procession round Jericho for a week together, and on the last day seven times. On this supposition, the city must have been very small. Perhaps, therefore, this procession was composed only of the fighting men; and by the people we are to understand, throughout the whole narration, only those who were armed.
Related Commentaries of Joshua 6:7
Joshua 6:7-9
7 And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the LORD.
8 And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns passed on before the LORD, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them.
9 And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and the rerewardb came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.