Josue 6:17
And let this city be an anathema, and all things that are in it, to the Lord. Let only Rahab the harlot live, with all that are with her in the house: for she hid the messengers whom we sent.
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- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Sitque civitas hæc anathema, et omnia quæ in ea sunt, Domino : sola Rahab meretrix vivat, cum universis qui cum ea in domo sunt : abscondit enim nuntios quos direximus.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ ἔσται ἡ πόλις ἀνάθεμα, αὐτὴ καὶ πάντα ὅσα ἐστὶν ἐν αὐτῇ, Κυρίῳ σαβαώθ. πλὴν Ῥαὰβ τὴν πόρνην περιποιήσασθε, αὐτὴν καὶ ὅσα ἐστὶν ἐστὶν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτῆς.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וְהָיְתָ֨ה הָעִ֥יר חֵ֛רֶם הִ֥יא וְכָל אֲשֶׁר בָּ֖הּ לַֽיהוָ֑ה רַק֩ רָחָ֨ב הַזּוֹנָ֜ה תִּֽחְיֶ֗ה הִ֚יא וְכָל אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתָּ֣הּ בַּבַּ֔יִת כִּ֣י הֶחְבְּאַ֔תָה אֶת הַמַּלְאָכִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁלָֽחְנוּ
Haydock's commentary
An anathema. That is, a thing accursed and devoted to utter destruction. (Challoner)
Only the metal that was found, was consecrated to the Lord, (ver. 19,) and the family of Rahab saved. In devoting things, the person who laid on the curse, might extend its operation as he pleased. On some occasions, all was to be destroyed; on others, some things were preserved, Deuteronomy ii. 34., and Leviticus xxvii. 21. (Calmet)
This first city, which the Israelites attacked, was treated with peculiar severity, to terrify the rest.
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
Tertullian An Answer to the Jews, Of the Observance of the Sabbath
But the Jews are sure to say, that ever since this precept was given through Moses, the observance has been binding. Manifest accordingly it is, that the precept was not eternal nor spiritual, but temporary, which would one day cease. In short, so true is it that it is not in the exemption from work of the sabbath, that is, of the seventh day, that the celebration of this solemnity is to consist, that Joshua the son of Nun, at the time that he was reducing the city Jericho by war, stated that he had received from God a precept to order the People that priests should carry the ark of the testament of God seven days, making the circuit of the city; and thus, when the seventh day’s circuit had been performed, the walls of the city would spontaneously fall. Which was so done; and when the space of the seventh day was finished, just as was predicted, down fell the walls of the city. …
The Fathers are given as they wrote. Where a passage lays the Passion on the Jewish people, the Church teaches that it cannot be charged against all the Jews then living, nor against the Jews of today, and that all sinners were its authors (CCC 597, 598).