Joshua 6:18 (DBY)

Passage

But in any wise keep from the accursed thing, lest ye make [yourselves] accursed in taking of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.

Nearby Context

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

Joshua 6:17 And the city shall be accursed, it and all that is in it, to Jehovah; only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.

Joshua 6:18 But in any wise keep from the accursed thing, lest ye make [yourselves] accursed in taking of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.

Joshua 6:19 And all the silver, and gold, and vessels of copper and iron, shall be holy to Jehovah; they shall come into the treasury of Jehovah.

Joshua 6:20 And the people shouted, and they blew with the trumpets. And it came to pass when the people heard the sound of the trumpets, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat; and the people went up into the city, each one straight before him, and they took the city.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wise", "keep", "accursed", "lest", "make", "yourselves", and "taking". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wise" and "keep", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "And the city shall be accursed it..." into verse 19's "And all the silver and gold and...", so "wise" and "keep" 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 "wise" and "keep" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.