And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests,.... Not the Levites and Kohathites, whose business it was in common to bear the ark, but upon this occasion the priests; not all of them, but as many as were sufficient for the purpose: and said unto them, take up the ark of the covenant; by putting the staves into the rings of it, and so carry it, Exo 25:14; see Num 7:9, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord: See Gill on Jos 6:4.