וְהָעִ֛יר שָׂרְפ֥וּ בָאֵ֖שׁ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֑הּ רַ֣ק הַכֶּ֣סֶף וְהַזָּהָ֗ב וּכְלֵ֤י הַנְּחֹ֨שֶׁת֙ וְהַבַּרְזֶ֔ל נָתְנ֖וּ אֹוצַ֥ר בֵּית־יְהוָֽה׃
Contextual Introduction
Joshua 6:24 narrates the aftermath of Israel’s conquest of Yericho (Jericho). Following divine command, the city is destroyed by fire, but its valuable metals are consecrated to YHWH’s treasury. This verse demonstrates careful narrative sequencing, disjunctive markers, and the sacred division of spoil. Grammatically, the verse reflects the dual themes of destruction and consecration through its syntactic structure.
Grammatical Focus: Wayyiqtol Action Chains, Disjunctive רַק, and Object Placement
1. וְהָעִ֛יר שָׂרְפ֥וּ בָאֵ֖שׁ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֑הּ – Sequential Wayyiqtol Narrative
– וְהָעִ֛יר (“and the city”) fronted for emphasis, is the object.
– שָׂרְפ֥וּ (Qal perfect 3mp from שָׂרַף, “to burn”)—though a perfect form, narratively equivalent to a wayyiqtol sequence due to the vav.
– בָאֵ֖שׁ (“with fire”) marks the instrument.
– וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֑הּ (“and all that was in it”) is added, expanding the scope of destruction.
This chain portrays total annihilation.
2. רַ֣ק הַכֶּ֣סֶף וְהַזָּהָ֗ב וּכְלֵ֤י הַנְּחֹ֨שֶׁת֙ וְהַבַּרְזֶ֔ל – Disjunctive Particle Introducing Exceptions
– רַ֣ק (“only” or “except”) shifts the narrative, introducing an exception to the total destruction.
– Four categories of items are listed:
– הַכֶּ֣סֶף (“the silver”)
– הַזָּהָ֗ב (“the gold”)
– כְלֵי הַנְּחֹ֨שֶׁת (“vessels of bronze”)
– הַבַּרְזֶ֔ל (“the iron”)
The use of וְ (“and”) coordinates the elements, stressing their collective sacred status.
3. נָתְנ֖וּ אֹוצַ֥ר בֵּית־יְהוָֽה – Verbal Clause with Sacred Allocation
– נָתְנ֖וּ (Qal perfect 3mp from נָתַן, “to give”) resumes the narrative with direct action: they placed.
– אֹוצַ֥ר (“treasury”) serves as the direct object.
– בֵּית־יְהוָֽה (“the house of YHWH”) is a construct chain meaning “the house of YHWH,” here referring specifically to the sanctuary or its treasury.
The sacred metals are thus reserved for divine purposes, setting them apart from the common destruction.
Theological and Literary Implications
This verse reflects an important covenantal principle: while the city and its contents were to be destroyed, items of intrinsic value were to be consecrated to YHWH, not taken as personal spoil. The disjunctive רַ֣ק highlights the theological boundary between destruction and dedication.
Narratively, the sequence from fire to treasury shows that YHWH’s commands govern both judgment and the stewardship of material goods. This careful distinction prevents Israel from falling into the sin of misappropriation—a key background to the subsequent narrative of Achan’s trespass (Joshua 7).
Versions and Comparative Observations
The Septuagint reads: καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἐνέπρησαν πυρὶ καὶ πάντα ὅσα ἦν ἐν αὐτῇ, πλὴν τὸν ἄργυρον καὶ τὸν χρυσὸν καὶ τὰ σκεύη τοῦ χαλκοῦ καὶ τοῦ σιδήρου ἔθηκαν εἰς τὸν θησαυρὸν τοῦ οἴκου κυρίου—preserving the disjunctive and sequence faithfully.
The Vulgate: urbem autem et omnia quae erant in ea succenderunt, absque argento et auro et vasis aeneis ac ferro, quae in aerarium domus Domini consecraverunt—similarly maintaining the distinction between destruction and consecration.
Later Hebrew (Mishnaic and Rabbinic) would use terms like הֶפְקֵר (abandonment) and הֶקְדֵּשׁ (consecration) more explicitly, but biblical Hebrew elegantly marks these categories through syntax and word choice alone.
Fire for the World, Treasure for YHWH: Syntax as Sacred Division
Joshua 6:24 portrays the sanctification of material goods through grammatical structure. The sequence of burning, exception, and treasury dedication reflects Israel’s dual calling: to destroy the profane and to preserve what is holy for YHWH. Syntax here not only narrates but delineates sacred space—where grammar becomes theology, and verbs draw the boundary lines between judgment and worship.
