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

2But the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have handed Jericho over to you, with its king and the valiant warriors. 3And you shall march around the city, all the men of war circling the city once. You shall do so for six days. Also seven priests shall carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark; then on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5It shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight ahead.” 6So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and have seven priests carry seven trumpets of 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

• Also sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
• priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• shall carryנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: bearH5375
• trumpetsשֹׁפָרshôphâr shôphâr · trumpetH7782
• of rams’יוֹבֵלyôbêl yôbêl · jubilee/hornH3104
• in frontפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• of the arkאֲרוֹן'ârôn 'ârôn · arkH727
• then on the seventhשְׁבִיעִיshebîy‛îy shebi‛îy · seventhH7637
• dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• you shall marchסָבַבsâbab · to turn: turnH5437
• the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• timesפַּ֫עַםpa‛am pa‛ămâh · beatH6471
• shall blowתָּקַעtâqa‛ · to blowH8628

Cross-references for Joshua 6:4

• Leviticus 25:11You shall have the fiftieth year as a jubilee; you shall not sow, nor harvest its aftergrowth, nor gather grapes from its untrimmed vines.
• Leviticus 25:9You shall then sound a ram’s horn abroad on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement you shall sound a horn all through your land.
• Numbers 10:1The Lord spoke further to Moses, saying,
• Judges 7:7And the Lord said to Gideon, “I will save you with the three hundred men who lapped, and will hand the Midianites over to you; so have all the other people go, each man to his home.”
• 2 Chronicles 13:12Now behold, God is with us at our head, and His priests with the signal trumpets to sound the war cry against you. Sons of Israel, do not fight against the Lord God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.”
• 2 Chronicles 20:17You need not fight in this battle; take your position, stand and watch the salvation of the Lord in your behalf, Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow, go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.”
• Isaiah 27:12On that day the Lord will thresh from the flowing stream of the Euphrates River to the brook of Egypt, and you will be gathered up one by one, you sons of Israel.
• Zechariah 4:6Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of armies.
• Genesis 2:3Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.
• Genesis 7:2You shall take with you seven pairs of every clean animal, a male and his female; and two of the animals that are not clean, a male and his female;
• Leviticus 4:6and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the Lord, in front of the veil of the sanctuary.
• Leviticus 14:16the priest shall then dip his right-hand finger into the oil that is in his left palm, and with his finger sprinkle some of the oil seven times before the Lord.
• Leviticus 25:8‘You are also to count off seven Sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years, so that you have the time of the seven Sabbaths of years, that is, forty-nine years.
• Numbers 23:1Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here.”
• 1 Kings 18:43And he said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked, but he said, “There is nothing.” Yet Elijah said, “Go back” seven times.
• 2 Kings 5:10And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored to you 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