The Russian language is rich in speech turns that can enter into a stupor not only foreigners, but also its native speakers. For example, what is the meaning of the phraseology “Jericho trumpet”? The answer to this question is simple, for this it is only necessary to read the legend associated with its origin.
Who is Joshua
The answer to the question of what is the meaning of phraseology “Jericho trumpet” cannot be given right away. The story begins with the famous biblical legend of Moses. Everyone knows that the prophet for about 40 years led his people, casting off the shackles of Egyptian slavery, in the desert. People suffering from hunger and thirst, were only able to constantly complain and express distrust of their leader.
This continued until those who were accustomed to living in slavery were replaced by their children strong enough to find the promised land promised to the Jewish people by God. The famous prophet also died, replaced by his disciple and follower Joshua, who promised his teacher to deliver his flock to Canaan. He was famous not only for his religiosity and devotion to his people, but also for the gift of a commander.
Legendary city
The information presented above does not yet answer the question of what is the meaning of phraseology “Jericho trumpet”. To begin with, it’s worth understanding what legendary Jericho is. This is the name of the city that met on the path of Navin and those who followed him. This settlement was reliably protected by powerful walls that turned it into an impregnable fortress.
“Pipe of Jericho” - phraseological unit, the appearance of which was promoted by further events. Joshua, doubting his ability to subjugate Jericho, turned to the Lord for advice. God assured the prophet that he was to win a brilliant victory, and also promised his support to the long-suffering people.
The capture of Jericho
The meaning of the phraseology “Jericho trumpet” is still a mystery. Inevitably, the question arises of how pipes are related to the capture of the city. The fact is that God offered Navin a unique strategy for the siege of the fortress. He wished that the people of Jesus would go around the city for seven days. With them should be seven clergymen holding trumpets in their hands. Of course, the priests blew the trumpets, but nothing happened.
The main event happened on the seventh day of a round of the city. Naveen, who had previously told his people to remain silent, gave his famous order to shout. From the screams of those besieging the fortress, the city walls fell. The army immediately got inside and took Jericho.
Above is just one version of a famous legend. There is another, which says that for the fall of the city there were enough sounds of trumpets that did not stop for seven days while the detour continued.
Myths and Reality
Phraseologisms, the meaning and origin of which are a mystery, often narrate about real events. Not everyone knows that the city of Jericho really exists, and is not part of a beautiful legend. Of course, the most interesting for researchers who are trying to figure out its history is the reason for the destruction of the ancient walls. Modern research methods have established that strong walls fell almost simultaneously.
Popular theory claims that their destruction was actually due to the sounds of trumpets and the cries of thousands of people. They could become a source of sound vibrations resonating with the frequency of the walls, which were eventually destroyed.
The meaning of phraseology
Of course, it’s interesting not only where this phraseological unit came from in Russian, but also what it means. “Pipe of Jericho” is a speech revolution that is used today. The meaning that is invested in it does not raise doubts among linguists. So they say about a man endowed with a loud, trumpet voice.
Using this phraseological phrase, people can invest in it both positive and negative meaning. For example, we can say that a person “yells like a pipe of Jericho”, implying that his loud voice interferes with someone. You can also use the expression "Jericho trumpet", sincerely admiring someone's strong and sonorous voice.
Literature example
Phraseologisms, the meaning and origin of which are a mystery to many people, are more often found in literary works than in everyday speech. For example, the speech construct, which is considered in this article, is used by the writer Stepanov in his work “The Zvonarev family”. One of the characters in the book tells that he recognized the other solely by his strong voice, which resembles a Jericho trumpet.
Interestingly, in the same work, the author offers a beautiful synonym that sounds like a "copper throat."