Amplified Bible
Joshua 7:5
5The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of Israel’s men, and chased them from the gate as far as [the bluffs of] Shebarim and struck them down as they descended [the steep pass], so the hearts of the people melted [in despair and began to doubt God’s promise] and became like water (disheartened).
Joshua 7:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.
- New International Version (NIV)who killed about thirty-six of them. They chased the Israelites from the city gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At this the hearts of the people melted in fear and became like water.
- English Standard Version (ESV)and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted and became as water.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water.
Context of Joshua 7:5
3Then they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not make all the people go up [to fight]; have only about two thousand or three thousand men go up and attack Ai; do not make the entire army go up there, for they [of Ai] are few.” 4So about three thousand men from the sons of Israel went up there, but they fled [in retreat] from the men of Ai. The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of Israel’s men, and chased them from the gate as far as [the bluffs of] Shebarim and struck them down as they descended [the steep pass], so the hearts of the people melted [in despair and began to doubt God’s promise] and became like water (disheartened). 6Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and [with great sorrow] they put dust on their heads. 7Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord God, why have You brought this people across the Jordan at all, only to hand us over to the Amorites, to destroy us? If only we had been willing to live beyond the Jordan!
Read all of Joshua 7Joshua 7:5 word by word
וַיַּכּ֨וּ מֵהֶ֜ם אַנְשֵׁ֣י הָעַ֗י כִּשְׁלֹשִׁ֤ים וְשִׁשָּׁה֙ אִ֔ישׁ וַֽיִּרְדְּפ֞וּם לִפְנֵ֤י הַשַּׁ֙עַר֙ עַד־הַשְּׁבָרִ֔ים וַיַּכּ֖וּם בַּמּוֹרָ֑ד וַיִּמַּ֥ס לְבַב־הָעָ֖ם וַיְהִ֥י לְמָֽיִם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- of Aiעַי‛ay ‛ayâ' ‛ayâth · AiH5857
- smoteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
- of them about thirtyשְׁלֹשִׁיםshelôshîym shelôshîym · thirtyH7970
- and sixשֵׁשׁshêsh shishshâh · sixH8337
- menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- for they chasedרָדַףrâdaph · to pursueH7291
- beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- the gateשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
- unto Shebarimשְׁבָרִיםshebârîym · ShebarimH7671
- them in the going downמוֹרָדmôrâd · descentH4174
- wherefore the heartsלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
- of the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- meltedמָסַסmâsas · to meltH4549
- and became as waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
Cross-references for Joshua 7:5
- Deuteronomy 1:44Then the Amorites who lived in that hill country came out against you and chased you as bees do, and struck you down in Seir as far as Hormah.
- Joshua 2:9and she said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the terror and dread of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted [in despair] because of you.
- Joshua 5:1Now it happened when all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted [in despair], and there was no [fighting] spirit in them any longer because of the Israelites [and what God had done for them].
- Leviticus 26:36As for those who are left of you, I will bring despair (lack of courage, weakness) into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; the sound of a scattered leaf will put them to flight, and they will flee as if [running] from the sword, and will fall even when no one is chasing them.
- Psalms 22:14I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax; It is melted [by anguish] within me.
- Isaiah 13:7Therefore all hands will fall limp, And every man’s heart will melt.
Commentaries on Joshua 7:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5They chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim - They seem to have presumed that the men of Ai would have immediately opened their gates to them, and therefore they marched up with confidence; but the enemy appearing, they were put to flight, their ranks utterly broken, and thirty-six of them killed. שברים Shebarim signifies breaches or broken places, and may here apply to the ranks of the Israelites, which were broken by the men of Ai; for the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Shebarim - Rather, perhaps, “the stone quarries.” The smallness of the slaughter among the Israelites indicates that they fled early, probably without real conflict in battle.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5Ai’s defenders left through the town gate and attacked Israel’s troops directly (see 8:5). as far as the quarries: This is a place not known from other sources.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-54-5. they fled before the men of Ai--An unexpected resistance, and the loss of thirty-six of their number diffused a panic, which ended in an ignominious rout.Read the comment
Topics related to Joshua 7:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Joshua 7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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