Joshua 11:4

Joshua 11:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many.
• New International Version (NIV)They came out with all their troops and a large number of horses and chariots—a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And they came out with all their troops, a great horde, in number like the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So they went out, they and all their armies with them, as many people as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots.

Context of Joshua 11:4

2He also sent messengers to the northern kings in the mountains, the plains south of Chinneroth, the foothills, and Naphoth Dor in the west, 3the Canaanites from east and west, the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, the Jebusites in the mountains, and the Hivites at the foot of Mount Hermon in Mizpah. They came out with all their armies. Their troops were as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore. They also had horses and chariots. 5All these kings camped together by the Springs of Merom in order to fight Israel. 6The Lord told Joshua, “Don’t be afraid of them because I am going to give them to Israel. About this time tomorrow they will all be dead. You must disable their horses so that they cannot be used in battle. You must burn their chariots.”

Joshua 11:4 word by word

וַיֵּצְא֣וּ הֵ֗ם וְכָל־מַֽחֲנֵיהֶם֙ עִמָּ֔ם עַם־רָ֕ב כַּח֛וֹל אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־שְׂפַת־הַיָּ֖ם לָרֹ֑ב וְס֥וּס וָרֶ֖כֶב רַב־מְאֹֽד׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And they went outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• they and all their hostsמַחֲנֶהmachăneh · campH4264
• with them, muchרַבrab · manyH7227
• peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
• even as the sandחוֹלchôl · sandH2344
• upon the seaיָםyâm · seaH3220
• shoreשָׂפָהώâphâh ώepheth · lip: shoreH8193
• in multitudeרֹבrôb · abundanceH7230
• with horsesסוּסsûs sûs · horseH5483
• and chariotsרֶ֫כֶבrekeb · chariotH7393
• veryמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966

Cross-references for Joshua 11:4

• Genesis 22:17I will certainly bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of their enemies’ cities.
• Genesis 32:12But you did say, ‘I will make sure that you are prosperous and that your descendants will be as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. No one will be able to count them because there are so many.’ ”
• Judges 7:12Midian, Amalek, and all of Kedem were spread out in the valley like a swarm of locusts. There were so many camels that they could not be counted. They were as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore.
• 1 Samuel 13:5The Philistines assembled to fight against Israel. They had 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen, and as many soldiers as the sand on the seashore. They camped at Michmash, east of Beth Aven.
• 2 Samuel 17:11So my advice is to gather all Israel’s troops from Dan to Beersheba, since they are as numerous as the sand on the seashore. Lead them into battle yourself.
• 1 Kings 4:20The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They ate and drank and lived happily.

Commentaries on Joshua 11:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Much people, even as the sand - This form of speech, by some called a hyperbole, conveys simply the idea of a vast or unusual number - a number of which no regular estimate could be easily formed. Josephus, who seldom finds difficulties in such cases, and makes no scruple of often speaking without book, tells us that the allied armies amounted to 300,000 foot 10,000 horse, and 20,000 chariots of war. Antiq. lib. v., c. 1. That chariots were frequently…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4In the ancient Near East during this period, horses only pulled chariots. Soldiers riding horses (cavalry) and men shooting arrows (archers) who rode horses appeared centuries later. Israel probably encountered chariots for the first time in this battle against the northern coalition. Here, the land was flatter than in southern Canaan. Chariots, as the heavy weapons of the battlefield, easily overpowered foot soldiers. Blades were often attached to the…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-91-9. And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard those things--The scene of the sacred narrative is here shifted to the north of Canaan, where a still more extensive confederacy was formed among the ruling powers to oppose the further progress of the Israelites. Jabin ("the Intelligent"), which seems to have been a hereditary title (Jud 4:2), took the lead, from Hazor being the capital of the northern region (Jos 11:10). It was situated on the…Read the comment

Topics related to Joshua 11:4

• Armies
• Canaanites
• Chariot
• Confederacies
• Jabin

In the dictionaries

• the sea, the Great Sea, the western sea
• Chariot
• Hazor
• Jabin
• Rest
• Salmon, Zalmon
• Save
• Exodus, the Book of
• Galilee
• Horse

Commentaries on Joshua 11

• 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