Joshua 6:21 (ASV)

Passage

And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, both young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.

Nearby Context

Joshua 6:19 But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are holy unto Jehovah: they shall come into the treasury of Jehovah.

Joshua 6:20 So the people shouted, and [the priests] blew the trumpets; and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, that the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

Joshua 6:21 And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, both young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.

Joshua 6:22 And Joshua said unto the two men that had spied out the land, Go into the harlot`s house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her.

Joshua 6:23 And the young men the spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; all her kindred also they brought out; and they set them without the camp of Israel.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sheep", "utterly", "destroyed", "city", "both", "woman", and "young". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sheep" and "utterly", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "So the people shouted and the priests..." into verse 22's "And Joshua said unto the two men...", so "sheep" and "utterly" 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 "sheep" and "utterly" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.