Joshua 6:4

Joshua 6:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.
• New International Version (NIV)Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.

Context of Joshua 6:4

2The Lord said to Joshua, “Look, I have handed Jericho, its king, and its best soldiers over to you. 3March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry seven ram’s-horn trumpets in front of the ark. But on the seventh day, march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the rams’ horns. 5When there is a prolonged blast of the horn and you hear its sound, have all the troops give a mighty shout. Then the city wall will collapse, and the troops will advance, each man straight ahead.” 6So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant and have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark of the Lord.”

Joshua 6:4 word by word

וְשִׁבְעָ֣ה כֹהֲנִ֡ים יִשְׂאוּ֩ שִׁבְעָ֨ה שׁוֹפְר֤וֹת הַיּֽוֹבְלִים֙ לִפְנֵ֣י הָאָר֔וֹן וּבַיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י תָּסֹ֥בּוּ אֶת־הָעִ֖יר שֶׁ֣בַע פְּעָמִ֑ים וְהַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔ים יִתְקְע֖וּ בַּשּׁוֹפָרֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
• priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• shall bearנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: bearH5375
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the arkאֲרוֹן'ârôn 'ârôn · arkH727
• trumpetsשֹׁפָרshôphâr shôphâr · trumpetH7782
• of rams’ hornsיוֹבֵלyôbêl yôbêl · jubilee/hornH3104
• and the seventhשְׁבִיעִיshebîy‛îy shebi‛îy · seventhH7637
• dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• ye shall compassסָבַבsâbab · to turn: surroundH5437
• the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• timesפַּ֫עַםpa‛am pa‛ămâh · beatH6471
• shall blowתָּקַעtâqa‛ · to blowH8628

Cross-references for Joshua 6:4

• Leviticus 25:11The fiftieth year will be your Jubilee; you are not to sow, reap what grows by itself, or harvest its untended vines.
• Leviticus 25:9Then you are to sound a ram’s horn loudly in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month; you will sound it throughout your land on the Day of Atonement.
• Numbers 10:1The Lord spoke to Moses:
• Judges 7:7The Lord said to Gideon, “I will deliver you with the three hundred men who lapped and hand the Midianites over to you. But everyone else is to go home.”
• 2 Chronicles 13:12Look, God and his priests are with us at our head. The trumpets are ready to sound the charge against you. Israelites, don’t fight against the Lord God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed.”
• 2 Chronicles 20:17You do not have to fight this battle. Position yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord. He is with you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Tomorrow, go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.’”
• Isaiah 27:12On that day the Lord will thresh grain from the Euphrates River as far as the Wadi of Egypt, and you Israelites will be gathered one by one.
• Zechariah 4:6So he answered me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by strength or by might, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord of Armies.
• Genesis 2:3God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it he rested from all his work of creation.
• Genesis 7:2You are to take with you seven pairs, a male and its female, of all the clean animals, and two of the animals that are not clean, a male and its female,
• Leviticus 4:6The priest is to dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the Lord in front of the curtain of the sanctuary.
• Leviticus 14:16The priest will dip his right finger into the oil in his left palm and sprinkle some of the oil with his finger seven times before the Lord.
• Leviticus 25:8“You are to count seven sabbatical years, seven times seven years, so that the time period of the seven sabbatical years amounts to forty-nine.
• Numbers 23:1Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.”
• 1 Kings 18:43Then he said to his servant, “Go up and look toward the sea.” So he went up, looked, and said, “There’s nothing.” Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”
• 2 Kings 5:10Then Elisha sent him a messenger, who said, “Go wash seven times in the Jordan and your skin will be restored and you will be clean.”

Commentaries on Joshua 6:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Seven trumpets of rams' horns - The Hebrew word יובלים yobelim does not signify rams' horns; (see the note on Leviticus 25:11;); nor do any of the ancient versions, the Chaldee excepted, give it this meaning. The instruments used on this occasion were evidently of the same kind with those used on the jubilee, and were probably made of horn or of silver; and the text in this place may be translated, And seven priests shall bear before the ark the seven…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3-6Verses 3-6 The command of the Lord as to the mode in which the fall of Jericho should be brought about is given in these verses in a condensed form. Further details (see Joshua 6:8-10, Joshua 6:16-17, etc.), were, no doubt, among the commands given to Joshua by the Angel. Joshua 6:4 Trumpets of ram‘s horns - Render rather here and in Joshua 6:5-6, Joshua 6:8, etc., “trumpets of jubilee” (compare Leviticus 25:10 note). The instrument is more correctly…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Seven is a biblical number representing perfection. Seven priests led the ark of the covenant, the symbol of God’s presence, at the front of Israel’s forces. This arrangement showed that God himself fought against the town. Israel only needed to march and watch, then shout and watch. Finally, they would easily capture the town after God did the work. The ram’s horn (Hebrew shofar) could produce different pitches to signal either battle or worship. In…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-53-5. ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war. ... Thus shalt thou do six days, &c.--Directions are here given as to the mode of procedure. Hebrew, "horns of jubilee"; that is, the bent or crooked trumpets with which the jubilee was proclaimed. It is probable that the horns of this animal were used at first; and that afterwards, when metallic trumpets were introduced, the primitive name, as well as form of them, was traditionally continued. The design…Read the comment

Topics related to Joshua 6:4

• Communion
• Seven
• Trumpet

In the dictionaries

• Seventh, Day
• Rams Horns
• Accursed
• Adjure
• Ark
• Compass
• Consecrate
• Dawn
• Horn
• Jericho

Commentaries on Joshua 6

• 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