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, “I am about to hand Jericho, its king, and its warriors over to you. 3All the soldiers will march around the city once a day for six days. Seven priests will carry rams’ horns ahead of the ark. But on the seventh day you must march around the city seven times while the priests blow their horns. 5When you hear a long blast on the horn, all the troops must shout very loudly. The wall around the city will collapse. Then the troops must charge straight ahead into the city.” 6Joshua, son of Nun, summoned the priests. He said to them, “Pick up the ark of the promise, and have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns ahead of the Lord’s ark.”

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 25:11That fiftieth year will be your jubilee year. Don’t plant or harvest what grows by itself or pick grapes from the vines in the land.
• Leviticus 25:9On the tenth day of the seventh month, the special day for the payment for sin, sound rams’ horns throughout the country.
• Numbers 10:1The Lord said to Moses,
• Judges 7:7Then the Lord said to Gideon, “With the 300 men who lapped water I will save you and hand Midian over to you. All the other men should go home.”
• 2 Chronicles 13:12God is with us as our leader. His priests will sound their trumpets to call ⌞the army⌟ to fight you. Men of Israel, don’t wage war against the Lord God of your ancestors. You won’t succeed.”
• 2 Chronicles 20:17You won’t fight this battle. ⌞Instead,⌟ take your position, stand still, and see the victory of the Lord for you, Judah and Jerusalem. Don’t be frightened or terrified. Tomorrow go out to face them. The Lord is with you.”
• Isaiah 27:12On that day the Lord will begin his threshing from the flowing stream of the Euphrates River to the brook of Egypt. People of Israel, you will be gathered one by one.
• Zechariah 4:6Then he replied, “This is the word the Lord spoke to Zerubbabel: You won’t ⌞succeed⌟ by might or by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Armies.
• Genesis 2:3Then God blessed the seventh day and set it apart as holy, because on that day he stopped all his work of creation.
• Genesis 7:2Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal (a male and a female of each) and one pair of every kind of unclean animal (a male and a female).
• Leviticus 4:6The priest will dip his finger in it and sprinkle some of the blood seven times in the Lord’s presence facing the canopy in the holy place.
• Leviticus 14:16He will dip his right finger in the oil in his left hand, and with his finger sprinkle some of the oil seven times in the Lord’s presence.
• Leviticus 25:8“Count seven of these years seven times for a total of 49 years.
• Numbers 23:1Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.”
• 1 Kings 18:43He said to his servant, “Please go back to ⌞Mount Carmel⌟, and look toward the sea.” He went up, looked, ⌞came back,⌟ and said, “There’s nothing.” Seven times Elijah told him, “Go back.”
• 2 Kings 5:10Elisha sent a messenger to him. He said, “Wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River, and your skin will be healthy and 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