Joshua 6:14 (ASV)

Passage

And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days.

Nearby Context

Joshua 6:12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of Jehovah.

Joshua 6:13 And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams` horns before the ark of Jehovah went on continually, and blew the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; and the rearward came after the ark of Jehovah, [the priests] blowing the trumpets as they went.

Joshua 6:14 And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days.

Joshua 6:15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early at the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on the day they compassed the city seven times.

Joshua 6:16 And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for Jehovah hath given you the city.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "second", "compassed", "city", "once", "returned", "camp", and "days". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "second" and "compassed", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "And the seven priests bearing the seven..." into verse 15's "And it came to pass on the...", so "second" and "compassed" belong inside that flow. In Joshua context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "second" and "compassed" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.