Joshua 5:13

Joshua 5:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?
• New International Version (NIV)Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us, or for our adversaries?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?”

Context of Joshua 5:13

11The day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate unleavened bread and roasted grain from the produce of the land. 12And the day after they had eaten from the produce of the land, the manna ceased. There was no more manna for the Israelites, so that year they began to eat the crops of the land of Canaan. Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in His hand. Joshua approached Him and asked, “Are You for us or for our enemies?” 14“Neither,” He replied. “I have now come as Commander of the LORD’s army.” Then Joshua fell facedown in reverence and asked Him, “What does my Lord have to say to His servant?” 15The Commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Joshua 5:13 word by word

וַיְהִ֗י בִּֽהְי֣וֹת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ֮ בִּירִיחוֹ֒ וַיִּשָּׂ֤א עֵינָיו֙ וַיַּ֔רְא וְהִנֵּה־אִישׁ֙ עֹמֵ֣ד לְנֶגְדּ֔וֹ וְחַרְבּ֥וֹ שְׁלוּפָ֖ה בְּיָד֑וֹ וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ יְהוֹשֻׁ֤עַ אֵלָיו֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ הֲלָ֥נוּ אַתָּ֖ה אִם־לְצָרֵֽינוּ׃Read the interlinear

• Now when Joshuaיְהוֹשׁוּעַyehôshûa‛ yehôshûa‛ · JoshuaH3091
• wasהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• near Jerichoיְרִיחוֹyerîychô yerêchô yerîychôh · JerichoH3405
• he looked upנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: lookH5375
• he looked upעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
• and sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• and sawהִנֵּהhinnêh · beholdH2009
• a manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• standingעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
• in front of himנֶ֫גֶדneged · beforeH5048
• with a drawnשָׁלַףshâlaph · to drawH8025
• swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• in His handיָדyâd · handH3027
• approachedהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
• Himאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
• and askedאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Are Youאַתָּ֫ה'attâh 'attâ 'ath 'attîy 'attem 'atten 'attênâh 'attênnâh · you(m.s.)H859
• orאִם'im · ifH518
• for our enemiesצַרtsar tsâr · enemyH6862

Cross-references for Joshua 5:13

• Genesis 33:1Now Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming toward him with four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants.
• Daniel 8:3Then I lifted up my eyes and saw a ram with two horns standing beside the canal. The horns were long, but one was longer than the other, and the longer one grew up later.
• Daniel 10:5I lifted up my eyes, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist.
• Joshua 6:2And the LORD said to Joshua, “Behold, I have delivered Jericho into your hand, along with its king and its mighty men of valor.
• Genesis 18:2And Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
• Genesis 32:24So Jacob was left all alone, and there a man wrestled with him until daybreak.
• Exodus 23:23For My angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will annihilate them.
• Judges 13:8Then Manoah prayed to the LORD, “Please, O Lord, let the man of God You sent us come to us again to teach us how to raise the boy who is to be born.”
• Hosea 12:3In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel, and in his vigor he wrestled with God.
• Zechariah 1:8I looked out into the night and saw a man riding on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in the hollow, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses.
• Acts 1:10They were looking intently into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
• Revelation 1:13and among the lampstands was One like the Son of Man, dressed in a long robe, with a golden sash around His chest.
• Numbers 22:23When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the path and went into a field. So Balaam beat her to return her to the path.
• 1 Chronicles 21:16When David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem, David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown.
• 1 Chronicles 12:17And David went out to meet them, saying, “If you have come to me in peace to help me, my heart will be united with you; but if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free of violence, may the God of our fathers see it and judge you.”

Commentaries on Joshua 5:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13When Joshua was by Jericho - The sixth chapter should have commenced here, as this is an entirely new relation; or these two chapters should have made but one, as the present division has most unnaturally divided the communication which Joshua had from the angel of the Lord, and which is continued to Joshua 6:5. It is very likely that Joshua had gone out privately to reconnoitre the city of Jericho when he had this vision; and while contemplating the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13A man - See Genesis 12:7, note; Genesis 18:2, note. The appearance was that of God manifested in the Person of His Word. Hence, the command of Joshua 5:15. That the appearance was not in a vision merely is clear from the fact that Joshua “went unto Him” and addressed Him.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-15Verses 13-15 We read not of any appearance of God's glory to Joshua till now. There appeared to him one as a man to be noticed. This Man was the Son of God, the eternal Word. Joshua gave him Divine honours: he received them, which a created angel would not have done, and he is called Jehovah, chap. 6:2. To Abraham he appeared as a traveller; to Joshua as a man of war. Christ will be to his people what their faith needs. Christ had his sword drawn, which…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13Joshua was scouting the land and the city’s defenses near the town of Jericho to follow up on the report of the two spies (2:23–24). Joshua showed personal courage when he went toward the unknown man, who was holding a sword in his hand.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-1513. when Joshua was by Jericho--in the immediate vicinity of that city, probably engaged in surveying the fortifications, and in meditating the best plan of a siege. there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn--It is evident from the strain of the context that this was not a mere vision, but an actual appearance; the suddenness of which surprised, but did not daunt, the intrepid leader.Read the comment

Topics related to Joshua 5:13

• Jericho
• Sword
• Vision

In the dictionaries

• Jericho
• Joshua
• Angel
• Loose
• Joshua, Book of
• War, Man of
• Angels

Commentaries on Joshua 5

• 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