John Calvin Commentary 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 6:20 (ASV)

So the people shouted, etc. Here the people are praised for obedience, and the faithfulness of God is, at the same time, celebrated. They testified their fidelity by shouting, because they were persuaded that what God had commanded would not be in vain; and He, by not allowing them to lose their labor, vindicated the truth of what He had said.

Another virtue of no lesser value was displayed by the people in despising unlawful gain and cheerfully suffering the loss of all the plunder. For there can be no doubt that in the minds of many the thought must have arisen: "For what purpose does God choose to destroy all the wealth?"

"Why does He envy us what He has given into our hand? Why does He not rather gladden us by providing us with the materials for thanksgiving?" Dismissing these considerations, which might have interfered with their duty, it was a proof of rare and excellent self-denial to voluntarily cast away the spoils that were in their hands and the wealth of a whole city.

The indiscriminate slaughter, making no distinction of age or sex, but including women and children, the aged and decrepit alike, might seem an inhuman massacre, had it not been executed by the command of God. But as He, in whose hands are life and death, had justly doomed those nations to destruction, this puts an end to all discussion.

We may add that they had been endured for four hundred years, until their iniquity was complete. Who will now presume to complain of excessive rigor, after God had so long delayed to execute judgment?

If anyone objects that children, at least, were still free from fault, it is easy to answer that they perished justly, as the race was accursed and reprobated.

Therefore, it ought always to be remembered that it would have been barbarous and atrocious cruelty had the Israelites gratified their own lust and rage in slaughtering mothers and their children; but that they are justly praised for their active piety and holy zeal in executing the command of God, who chose in this way to purge the land of Canaan of the foul and loathsome defilements by which it had long been polluted.